Fried Mush

Author Notes

I realize that the name does not sound promising, however ... when we were kids my Mom and my Stepdad had a cool old VW camper van, you know the kind with the mini fridge and the fold down table, and a bunk area in the back? They would pack the van and we would go camping, first in Baja and around California, then later in New Mexico and Colorado ... Mom always packed her iron skillet and everything needed for fried mush, which is somehow better eaten outdoors by a morning campfire but still delicious in my kitchen just now ... Mom also instructed me not to go messing with the recipe as I am wont to do, but rather to cook it as it is meant to be cooked. My Mom is an artist ... I didn't inherit her talent for creating visual art but I do think that my inherited creativity comes out in the kitchen. For more on Mom's art check out : www.marysegal.com - aargersi —aargersi

Test Kitchen Notes

The thought of eating this around a campfire had me yearning for my childhood camping days. I would have never eaten this as a child, but I've learned to eat hot cereal of all types. However, I've never fried it before! When I poured the whole grain Cream of Wheat into my buttered pie pan, I was skeptical that the next day I would be able to cut it into wedges. Lo and behold, it worked! Frying the wedge in butter created a slightly crispy golden crust on each side (I turned mine over and cooked the other side). I didn't have golden raisins, but I quartered some prunes (about a half cup) and I drizzled it with maple syrup. It was delicious! A fun twist on a boring breakfast cereal! - nannydeb —The Editors