Millet, It’s Not Just For Birdseed Anymore

I led a deprived, un-American childhood: my mother refused to buy any breakfast cereals with added sugar.  That’s right, no Cocoa Puffs, no Sugar Snaps.  No crackle or pop.  The only cereals allowed in our house were unsweetened rice puffs and unsweetened shredded wheat.  When milk was added, the puffed still tasted like sawdust and the wheat quickly turned to leaden mush in the bottom of the bowl.  Oddly enough, we were occasionally allowed Grape-Nuts, which contain neither grapes nor nuts, but sugar in the form of malted barley, and Chex, which contain both malted barley and sugar.  This probably owed more to my dad’s influence—he liked them and bought them for himself—than my mother’s “don’t argue with me” policy. 

Now I find that I’m inflicting the same abuse on my own offspring.  I make my husband stash his Raisin Bran on the top shelf of the pantry where the kids are less likely to notice it.  Still, they know where to score some Froot Loops, if they really want to (Halmoni’s house).   

So despite years of television watching, whereby cute characters and catchy jingles tempted me with forbidden foods, as an adult I find I have no desire to eat those boxed, sugary cereals.  If I want to eat something that sweet for breakfast, I would rather cut a big slice of last night’s birthday cake or make fresh scones.  Most of the time, I am content to eat a bowl of slow-cooked, steel-cut oats, sweetened only with currants and topped with toasted almonds. 

But a look down the cereal aisle of any grocery store clearly shows that I am in the minority of American consumers. For that I blame the Kelloggs. 

In 1894 John Harvey Kellogg, head doctor of the Battle Creek (Michigan) Sanitarium, and his brother Will discovered a method for producing flakes of wheat (Granose) which they served to their patients for breakfast.  The cereal was wildly popular and the Sanitarium began manufacturing and selling wheat and corn flakes to consumers, but a disagreement over the addition of sugar to the cornflakes led to a lifelong rift between the brothers.  Will left and went on to found the Kellogg Co. we know today.  In 1897, inspired by the success of toasted cornflakes, a former patient of Kellogg’s named Charles William Post started a rival cereal company. His first creation: Grape-Nuts.

A century later, Kellogg’s and Post control over 60% of the $8 billion cereal industry in America.  In spite (or perhaps because) of the shared monopoly that they have created, the cereal manufacturers face little interference from the Federal Trade Commission or U.S. government. Earlier this year, in fact, President Bush appointed former Kellogg’s CEO Carlos Gutierrez as U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

For an amusing spoof of J.H. Kellogg and the health spa craze of the early 1900s, pick up a copy of T. Coraghessan Boyle’s book, Road to Wellville.  Some of Kellogg’s practices, such as his recommendations for frequent enemas, and his writings on circumcision as a cure for masturbation are disturbing, to say the least.  Sadly, America’s puritanical obsession with fad diets and instant health cures hasn’t changed all that much in the intervening century.

Thanks to my mother’s early influence, however, I am generally impervious to the latest Dr. Guru Rawcarb Come-lately diet.  Just as she taught me, I try to eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and whole grains and I usually eat in moderation.  (Unless, of course, we are celebrating her birthday, in which case we go out to Arterra and eat Kobe steak, braised short ribs, diver scallops with forest mushroom ravioli, sardine and potato terrine, blue cheese soufflé, Chino’s corn soup, stuffed pasilla pepper, chocolate soufflés and drink lots of champagne, Zinfandel, port, and cognac...Happy Birthday today, Mom!)

Although I am not a vegetarian, one of my favorite cookbooks is Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.  Her chapter on breakfasts opened my eyes to new ways of preparing the so-called “most important meal of the day.”  The section on cereals reminded me that there are other grains besides corn, wheat and oats (and their pale, weakened, treacly boxed forms). I discovered I loved millet, one of the world’s oldest and most widely eaten grains outside of the U.S.  Millet, one of the world’s oldest foods, is nutritious, high in fiber and protein, non-allergenic, and easy to digest.

After trying Madison’s recipe for Millet Porridge, I found I preferred the millet dryer, more like couscous.  So I adapted her recipe, reducing the ratio of water from 6:1 to 3:1. I also toast the millet first.  It doesn’t take long and adds a nice flavor to the cereal.

Fluffy Millet Breakfast Cereal

1 c. millet, toasted
3 c. water
pinch salt

Toast the millet in a dry skillet, shaking occasionally to ensure even browning. When the grains turn golden brown and/or pop like corn, remove from heat.   

Bring water to boil in a medium-sized pot.  Transfer toasted millet to pot and add a pinch of salt.  Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes.  Continue cooking until almost all of the water in the bottom has evaporated. 

At this point, cover the pot with a lid and reduce heat to simmer. This allows the millet to finish steaming, absorbing and evenly distributing any remaining water (similar to cooking rice).

After 10-15 minutes, lift lid and stir lightly with a wooden spoon. At this point, the millet should resemble couscous--light and fluffy.  If not, replace lid and allow a few more minutes cooking time.

Serve with currants and slivered, toasted almonds.  Sweeten with maple syrup, if you like. Millet can also be served as a substitute for rice, a side dish to accompany meats or vegetables. 

Makes 6 cups or about 4 servings.

Note: I know, I know--this is not the world’s most exciting dish. My husband, who detests bland food, runs the other way when he sees me making this. But sometimes I like bland food for breakfast—it’s easy on the stomach and millet’s mildly sweet, nutty taste is a nice alternative to toast or oatmeal.  My daughter, who doesn’t like sweets, tops her breakfast millet with freshly grated parmigiano cheese.  To each her own.

Comments

[Kirk]

Hi Angie - I grew up eating what was the typical (for the area) Asian breakfast back home in Hawaii - but also had alot of Oatmeal with Applesauce - which my wife thinks is heinous! It seems that many of us have so little time for breakfast now days, be it a long commute, or like me, I just want that extra 15 minutes of sleep, that we've lost touch with actually making breakfast.

[yi]

Hi Angie - You are bring me down childhood memory lane again. Don't know how you do it. But 3 time in a row that is too much for me. You need to supply me with tissue papers.

Millet porridge, in between porridges made from rice. My grandma sometimes make porridge out of millet. just pain water and millet, cooked for a long time. end result, a bowl of hot, golden, nutty tasting jook. very hearty in a winter morning.

Millet, country people food, but good for digestion - that is my motto.

Thanks again,

Yi

[Angie]

Kirk--

I hear what you are saying about the extra sleep. The slow-cooking hot cereals do take a bit of time--eating cold cereal is much faster. But since I have to get up anyway to get my kids ready for school, it's easy to throw on a pot of cereal while I am attending to other things, taking a shower, etc.

Yi--

LOL--I like that motto. I like country people food, too.

[Luisa]

I love finding new ideas for breakfast - have you ever had a look at Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe? She has a lot of great, healthy ideas for breakfast, including hot cereals like this one. I've never had millet before, but will look forward to trying it soon!

[Angie]

Welcome, Luisa. I really like your blog (wednesdaychef.typepad.com).

No, I haven't seen Sunlight Cafe. I just have her Moosewood Cookbook and Still Life with Menu. But any cookbook devoted solely to breakfast is definitely worth checking out.

[tanvi]

Ive never had millet, though I have had Indian flatbread made from millet flour- very tasty!

[Angie]

Hi Tanvi--

Thanks for stopping by. I like the millet flatbread, too. You should try making millet sometime--it's really easy and has a nicy, sweet flavor.