I’m not quite sure really what it is…

I think it qualifies as porridge but some might say it’s a pudding, or even a crema. Definitions asides, this was one of the few memorable breakfasts of my childhood.

Sweet, thick, milky farina porridge.

I remember loving it, asking for it, sometimes even begging my mother to make it. We never had the recipe written down and had to guess the ratio of milk : farina and reinvent the wheel all over the again each time we made it.

It was a special breakfast, made only on weekends, when we woke up late and didn’t have to rush to work and to school. On weekends, we had the extra 5 minutes it takes to cook it!

Fast forward 20+ years. I was in my thirties, when one day I came across this

… at a local Middle-Eastern store.

From that day on, farina porridge has re-entered my life and our family’s weekend breakfast menu (Together with ebleskiver). Served until 11 am.

My kids love it, ask for it, sometimes even beg me to make it.

I always say, “Yes”. On a weekends.

They can barely wait the 5 minutes it takes to cook!

Have you heard of farina? It’s similar to semolina but a bit coarser.

The definition on Wikipedia says:

Farina is a cereal food, frequently described as mild-tasting, usually served warm, made from cereal grains. In contemporary English use, the word usually refers to semolina or Cream of Wheat made from soft wheat. Wheat farina is a carbohydrate-rich food, often cooked in boiling water and served warm for breakfast, or cooked with milk and made into semolina pudding.

The word farina comes from the Latin “farina” meaning meal or flour.

Farina is made from the germ and endosperm of the grain, which is milled to a fine granular consistency and then sifted. (Click here if you want to know more.)

***

“When I was a child, we didn’t have the things you have today…” I remember the grown ups saying it to me when I was a child, and even later when I was a grown up. I have always found it extremely annoying!

Well… When I was a child, we didn’t have sprinkles.

No siree… There were no sprinkles sprinkled on my porridge.

We sprinkled cocoa powder or more sugar, maybe added a teaspoon of jam, and that was it.

No sprinkles back then, at the olde days.

Ah, the kids today… They don’t know how good they got it.

And now I got it good too. These days I have a collection of sprinkles.

Every time I see an interesting color or shape, I buy a new jar.

We use it a lot on homemade birthday cakes (See Chocolate Roulade and Dirt cake) as well as on our farina porridge.

Well, the kids do. I don’t.

I’m a grown up now. (Is it too late for me?)

But the kids just love it. Of course…

As with their birthday cakes, I let them make their own creations.

Ah, the kids today… They don’t know how good they got it.

“Wohaaa, easy Girl!”

Someone got busy while mommy got chatty…

… and used a wee bit too much vibrant sugary sprinkles while mommy was busy snapping photos…

I’m not a big fan, to say the least, of food coloring and colored food, but I let this one slip by.

So…

What was your favorite childhood breakfast?

Farina porridge

Makes 2-3 servings

2 cups milk

1/4 cup farina

2 tablespoons sugar

Put all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot, mix well and bring to a boil, stirring from time to time. Watch that the flame/heat is not too high; it will scorch the milk.

When the milk comes to a boil, lower the heat just a little and stir constantly, watching that the mixture doesn’t overflow (but you have to let it “bubble” for 1-2 minutes, this causes the farina to thicken). Then lower the heat to a gentle simmer, stirring from time to time, and cook for another 3 minutes, or until it thickens a bit more.

Pour into bowls (it will thicken more as it cools) and let cool a bit. Serve.

Serving suggestions:

I eat it plain

The kids like to add more sugar/sprinkles

Suburban Cowboy likes to add jam (he’s such a kid)

Try cinnamon, cocoa powder, a knob of butter (Oh, I love to add a little butter… I almost forgot about it!)

NOTES:

As a rule of thumb, I prefer the porridge to be too thick than too thin. If it’s too thick, add a little milk to loosen it up, this will also cool it a bit (it is very hot when you take it off the heat).

If it’s too thin to your liking, add more farina, 1-2 teaspoons at a time, and cook some more.

***

Tags : Breakfast, farina, porridge, recipe, semolina
Categories : Breakfast, Recipes