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PORRIDGE
Oats and their many benefits
By Margaret Briggs
Abbeydale Press
ISBN 978-1-86147-069-0
2007
I must be a sad person buying a book about porridge oats (oatmeal in the US). I have become religious about my porridge breakfast. I use rolled oats, preferably organic, and cook it every morning with semi-skimmed milk. I usually add raisins, mixed seeds, and a chopped banana to it. Other days I add whey protein, or honey, or blueberries, or natural yoghurt, or ... I should add - I LOVE MY OATS!
So when I saw this book in a store at Covent Gardens, London, I had to buy it - my daughter rolled her eyes.
The introduction opens with: "I hadn't realised before I started compiling this book how emotive an object a bowl of porridge could be. Who could imagine that a few basic ingredients could create such cultural differences"?
The Know your oats chapter discusses various topics about the oats themselves, from their wild ancestors, to modern harvest productions across the World. Russia apparently grew some 8.2 millions tons of them in 2002/03!
The History behind a bowl of porridge tells us that oats were first domesticated some 10,000 years ago, and were stewed in water with other cereals to make prehistoric porridge. The Romans fed their armies on oats, the Saxons loved them. From the medieval until recently, a porridge made of rolled oats and water was known as 'gruel'. "Dickens made good use of gruel as a metaphor for poverty and ill treatment in the workhouses of Victorian Britain". As for north of the border: "many Scot's household used to make porridge once a week and then cool it before storing it in a porridge drawer in the kitchen. This could then be served cold by the 'piece' or slice". The chapter finishes with a discussion surrounding the recent revival of oatmeal, following the discovery of its healthy and nutritional properties.
Health Benefits explains the Glyceamic Index, and why oats are such a healthy food. Maybe of interest to board members, Briggs then discusses how low GI oats can contribute to weight loss as part of a healthy balanced diet. "Porridge oats are high in energy yet low in fat, so a bowl of porridge is one of the best meals to start the day with. Because oats are rich in fibre and carbohydrates they help to stabilise blood sugars". "Compared with other whole grains, oats have one of the highest concentrations of protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, mangese, thiamin, folacin, and vitamin E on a per gram basis. No wonder porridge is one of the five superfoods recommended by nutritionists and the health lobby! The other four are nuts, broccoli, blueberries and avocados.". Briggs goes on to list and discuss other benefits of oats: lowering cholesterol, preventing heart disease and strokes, benefits for post menopausal women, enhanced immunity, antioxidants and anti-cancer treatment, laxative properties, skin conditions, fatigue, aphrodisiac qualities, etc etc.
Literary and Cultural Connections discusses the various cultural traditions associated with porridge and oats around the World, and various references made in literature. Doctor Johnson, no lover of the Scots: "in the first comprehensive English dictionary published in 1747, sarcastically dismissed oats as: 'a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland appears to support the people.' Fortunately, the entry did not go unchallenged, since John Boswell, a writer from north of the border with England, offered the following, trenchant riposte: 'which is why England is known for its horses and Scotland for its men.'
Briggs gives other references to porridge, gruel, and oats in English literature, from Shakespeare to Dickens.
Beauty Treatments with Oats describes a collection of 21 recipes for face masks, cleansers, milk baths, bath soaks, facial scrubs, and soaps that you can make with oats! Fascinating Facts gives you just that, all about porridge and oats:
A short chapter titled Goldilocks & the National Literacy Strategy reminds us of what happens to little girls who steal porridge from bears, and of a literacy policy in the UK during the 1990s. Then we reach, yes, the Recipes section. A number of tips of how you can use oats in cooking, then no less than 18 recipes ... for porridge! But for those unnatural people that hate porridge, four more recipes for other breakfasts using oats follows, then 14 main course recipes, including for example, Roast guinea fowl with haggis and oat stuffing. Then its recipes for Cakes, Scones, Breads & Biscuits - no less than 29 recipes including for example, Chinese 5-spice oatmeal cookies. 'Dessert Recipes' - 12 of them, including for example, Apple and Raspberry porridge desert. Finally, another 14 miscellaneous recipes, including for example, Porridge with Snails. Yummy.
I would recommend this book to any other oatmeal lovers out there. Come on, I can't be the only one, can I?
Oats and their many benefits
By Margaret Briggs
Abbeydale Press
ISBN 978-1-86147-069-0
2007
I must be a sad person buying a book about porridge oats (oatmeal in the US). I have become religious about my porridge breakfast. I use rolled oats, preferably organic, and cook it every morning with semi-skimmed milk. I usually add raisins, mixed seeds, and a chopped banana to it. Other days I add whey protein, or honey, or blueberries, or natural yoghurt, or ... I should add - I LOVE MY OATS!
So when I saw this book in a store at Covent Gardens, London, I had to buy it - my daughter rolled her eyes.
The introduction opens with: "I hadn't realised before I started compiling this book how emotive an object a bowl of porridge could be. Who could imagine that a few basic ingredients could create such cultural differences"?
The Know your oats chapter discusses various topics about the oats themselves, from their wild ancestors, to modern harvest productions across the World. Russia apparently grew some 8.2 millions tons of them in 2002/03!
The History behind a bowl of porridge tells us that oats were first domesticated some 10,000 years ago, and were stewed in water with other cereals to make prehistoric porridge. The Romans fed their armies on oats, the Saxons loved them. From the medieval until recently, a porridge made of rolled oats and water was known as 'gruel'. "Dickens made good use of gruel as a metaphor for poverty and ill treatment in the workhouses of Victorian Britain". As for north of the border: "many Scot's household used to make porridge once a week and then cool it before storing it in a porridge drawer in the kitchen. This could then be served cold by the 'piece' or slice". The chapter finishes with a discussion surrounding the recent revival of oatmeal, following the discovery of its healthy and nutritional properties.
Health Benefits explains the Glyceamic Index, and why oats are such a healthy food. Maybe of interest to board members, Briggs then discusses how low GI oats can contribute to weight loss as part of a healthy balanced diet. "Porridge oats are high in energy yet low in fat, so a bowl of porridge is one of the best meals to start the day with. Because oats are rich in fibre and carbohydrates they help to stabilise blood sugars". "Compared with other whole grains, oats have one of the highest concentrations of protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, mangese, thiamin, folacin, and vitamin E on a per gram basis. No wonder porridge is one of the five superfoods recommended by nutritionists and the health lobby! The other four are nuts, broccoli, blueberries and avocados.". Briggs goes on to list and discuss other benefits of oats: lowering cholesterol, preventing heart disease and strokes, benefits for post menopausal women, enhanced immunity, antioxidants and anti-cancer treatment, laxative properties, skin conditions, fatigue, aphrodisiac qualities, etc etc.
Literary and Cultural Connections discusses the various cultural traditions associated with porridge and oats around the World, and various references made in literature. Doctor Johnson, no lover of the Scots: "in the first comprehensive English dictionary published in 1747, sarcastically dismissed oats as: 'a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland appears to support the people.' Fortunately, the entry did not go unchallenged, since John Boswell, a writer from north of the border with England, offered the following, trenchant riposte: 'which is why England is known for its horses and Scotland for its men.'
Briggs gives other references to porridge, gruel, and oats in English literature, from Shakespeare to Dickens.Beauty Treatments with Oats describes a collection of 21 recipes for face masks, cleansers, milk baths, bath soaks, facial scrubs, and soaps that you can make with oats! Fascinating Facts gives you just that, all about porridge and oats:
'Spare your breath to cool your porridge.'
I never thrust my nose into other men's porridge.
It is no bread and butter of mine:
every man for himself and God for us all.'
I never thrust my nose into other men's porridge.
It is no bread and butter of mine:
every man for himself and God for us all.'
Cervantes (1547 - 1616)
A short chapter titled Goldilocks & the National Literacy Strategy reminds us of what happens to little girls who steal porridge from bears, and of a literacy policy in the UK during the 1990s. Then we reach, yes, the Recipes section. A number of tips of how you can use oats in cooking, then no less than 18 recipes ... for porridge! But for those unnatural people that hate porridge, four more recipes for other breakfasts using oats follows, then 14 main course recipes, including for example, Roast guinea fowl with haggis and oat stuffing. Then its recipes for Cakes, Scones, Breads & Biscuits - no less than 29 recipes including for example, Chinese 5-spice oatmeal cookies. 'Dessert Recipes' - 12 of them, including for example, Apple and Raspberry porridge desert. Finally, another 14 miscellaneous recipes, including for example, Porridge with Snails. Yummy.
I would recommend this book to any other oatmeal lovers out there. Come on, I can't be the only one, can I?
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