This is How to Make Oatmeal...Right

The New York Times food writer Mark Bittman had an article yesterday on everything McDonald's is doing wrong with its new oatmeal menu item. Now, I love oatmeal. Love it. I eat it almost every single morning. But I never, ever order it for breakfast in a restaurant, no matter where I am. I've yet to see a restaurant oatmeal offering that was anything more than sticky, gummy, flavorless gruel with a side of brown sugar and fruit to disguise the flavor. Gah.

Since I am not a sweets person, I make my oatmeal savory - cooked with a bit of salt and topped with an egg over-easy. I like the oats to still be chewy and retain their shape, not cooked down so much they vaguely resemble the paper mache we used to make the creatures on high school homecoming floats.

THIS is how to make a good bowl of oatmeal (serves 1, increase proportions as needed):

Bring 3/4 cups water to a boil, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt (or slightly less, depending on your preference. You need enough salt to bring out the nutty, oaty flavor of the oats. Too little and the oats just taste like cardboard. Too much and all you'll taste is salt.). As soon as the water is boiling, add 3/4 cups of old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking oats). Turn the heat down to low, and simmer oats until all the water is absorbed, which will only be about 5-7 minutes. Stir once or twice to be sure the oats are cooking evenly and not sticking. While the oats are cooking, gently fry an egg over-easy. Once all the water is absorbed by the oats, top with the egg and enjoy. So delicious!