Porridge: I am old-fashioned enough to embrace this term, generally understood as one or more cereal or grain ingredients cooked to tender submission in liquid on the stove top. But when it’s presented with splashes of hot milk or embellished with dried fruit, raw nuts or seeds, a spoonful of maple syrup or muscovado sugar, hot cereal can be so much more than a bowl of oats, beloved as that is.

A mixture of rolled cereals and milled grain is texturally interesting and produces soft, earthy flavors. The idea of combining fairly disparate elements is not particularly novel, as thrifty cooks tend to use up small amounts in delicious ways. But the sheer variety of cultivated components now available drove me to develop a blueprint for a recipe that allows for creative substitution.

And now, a confession: One of my clearest childhood memories is of me as a 4-year-old, running to hide in the bathtub after a bowl of oatmeal was placed before me at the kitchen table. It looked like library paste, and it was years later that anything resembling that bowl would charm me.

Bolstered by a pantry full of flakes, meals and grains, however, I’m pleased to be at the ready for a warm bowl of goodness on a cold morning.

Hot Cereal Merry-Go-Round

The amount of water required to cook the cereal is dependent on the circumference and depth of the saucepan used; a wider saucepan will necessitate more water.

Though freshly made is best, hot cereal can be portioned out into individual food-safe containers, sealed tightly and refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 3 weeks. Because the stored cereal will congeal, it needs to be loosened up with additional water (about 3 tablespoons for each 2/3 cup of cooked cereal) during reheating.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups water, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably coarse sea salt (or to taste)

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup rolled wheat flakes

1/2 cup rolled spelt flakes

1/3 cup miller’s bran (also known as unprocessed wheat bran; not bran cereal)

1/4 cup brown rice farina (also known as brown rice grits or creamy rice)

3 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal

Dried fruit (see accompanying tips list)

2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional; may substitute other sweetening agents; see accompanying list)

Combine 3 1/2 cups of the water and the salt in a large, heavy saucepan (preferably enameled cast-iron) and bring to a boil over high heat. If you are using one of the sweetening agents (see accompanying list), now is the time to add it, stirring well to blend it into the water. When the water is boiling, sprinkle in the remaining ingredients, one at a time and in this order, stirring after each addition: old-fashioned rolled oats, rolled wheat flakes, rolled spelt flakes, miller’s bran, brown rice farina and flaxseed meal.

Reduce the heat to low; cook for about 5 minutes, then stir in 1/3 cup of the remaining water, adjusting the heat as needed so the mixture bubbles gently. Repeat two more times, so the remaining 2/3 cup of water is added at 5-minute intervals and the mixture has cooked during this stage for a total of 15 minutes.

After about 10 minutes of cooking, you can add dried fruit (whole or diced), as the fruit plumps beautifully and will not need rehydrating beforehand.

It is preferable to stir the mixture frequently, though not constantly, with a wooden spoon during the cooking time to keep it from sticking to the saucepan and to maintain an even texture. When cooked through, the ingredients should be tender and well blended. If you are adding vanilla extract, stir it in, to taste, once the saucepan is removed from the heat.

Divide the hot cereal among individual bowls. See the accompanying list for garnish ideas. Makes 5 servings.

Nutrition per serving (cereal only): 140 calories, 5 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fat, zero grams saturated fat, zero milligrams cholesterol, 230 milligrams sodium, 6 grams dietary fiber, zero grams sugar