[Photograph: And Then I Do The Dishes] At Serious Eats, we're of the opinion that it's always a good time for oatmeal. (Chalk it up to a disproportionate number of obsessives in the office.) But we're now moving into oatmeal season proper, and these oatmeal buttermilk muffins, from And Then I Do The Dishes, look like a perfect fall breakfast. "They were so tender and comforting that now," the author writes, "I buy buttermilk just to make these muffins."... More

A spurtle. [Photograph: etsy.com] Of all the thingamajigs floating around in drawers, the spurtle might be the coolest. The wooden stick is something of a magic wand for porridge—it's engineered to prevent the lumping and congealing of mushy hot cereals. On October 11, expert porridge makers from far and wide will compete for the coveted golden spurtle trophy at the sixteenth annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in Carrbridge, a village in the Scottish Highlands. This year, Matt Cox of Bob’s Red Mill—the first and only U.S. participant—will compete with his oatmeal brûlée topped with pears, cherries, hazelnuts and distilled spirits, stirred with a custom-made Myrtle spurtle (naturally). Part of me still wants a spurtle to be an... More

Photograph from chotda on Flickr If your blowtorch has been getting dusty lately, don't worry. Oatmeal brûlée is a wonderful alternative to its custard cousin. Just make a normal batch of oatmeal (with old-fashioned or steel cut oats), sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar on top, and fire away. If you're blowtorch-less, you can always go the broiler route. Related Grinning Bowls of Oatmeal I top my oatmeal with ______ [Talk] New Quaker Oat Campaign, and the Dawn of an Oatmeal Trend... More

Photograph from Joy the Baker In her recipe for oatmeal cookie pancakes, Joy of Joy the Baker combines two of my favorite things that I've never before eaten in the same bite: oatmeal cookies and pancakes. (And for some people, perhaps three things: oatmeal, cookies, and pancakes.) She dedicates her recipe to her future husband and children. Alas, I cannot fit into either of those roles, but I wouldn't be surprised if Joy received a few marriage proposals fueled by pancake love. Related Baking With Dorie: Pumpkin-Pie Pancakes Sunday Brunch: The Best Silver Dollar Pancakes Ever Dinner Tonight: Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd Pancakes Mountain T-Shirt, Plus Other Pancake Outerwear... More

Quaker ad at the corner of 49th Street and 9th Avenue in New York City I first spotted the new Quaker oat campaign last weekend on a huge billboard in Manhattan facing the Hudson. "Go humans, go." Just three words next to a close-up face shot of the iconic William Penn. His smile is creepy, but I guess you can get away with creepy when you're a figurehead for warm bowls of breakfast goop. Calling us humans though? That somehow brings him back to creepy status. Is he differentiating us from aliens? And where are we going? To a twisted oatmeal cult land where we all wear Quaker hats and have awesome cholesterol? (Not that I wouldn't mind checking... More

Do anthropomorphic bowls of oatmeal give you great joy or nightmares? J. Anzalone of the blog Paintbox shares her smiling oatmeal art. If they start talking, then we should probably have a separate conversation. [via BoingBoing] Related Fast-Food Oatmeal: The Good, the Bland, and the Goopy [Serious Eats New York] What Do You Put in Your Oatmeal? [Talk] Mark Bittman's Savory Oatmeal with Scallions and Soy Sauce... More

Starbucks announced last week that the chain's "Perfect Oatmeal," launched in early September, is the chain's single most popular food launch in the company's history. Oatmeal is a very beautiful thing, and I'm glad America agrees. I'm also glad Starbucks didn't do anything to make it funky. For $2.45, it's just oats and hot water in a cup. Optional packets of dried fruit, mixed nuts, and brown sugar add a nice purist touch. According to Michelle Gass, the senior vice president of marketing at Starbucks: "We believe we have hit a home run." Oatmeal has always been a home run in my heart. Previously Starbucks Introduces a New Line of 'Healthier' Breakfast Foods Cats Meow for Starbucks New 'Perfect... More

When they say "perfect" they mean purrrfect. One cat critic loved the new Starbucks oatmeal. Previously: Starbucks Introduces a New Line of 'Healthier' Breakfast Foods... More

I eat oatmeal and drink booze on a regular basis, but is there a way to maximize time and combine the two? Yes, yes there is. According to Estonian food blogger Pille of Nami-Nami, it's called a fermented oat flummery. Though an unappetizing gray color, the gluey oat pudding was a favorite dish of Pille's late grandfather, Ernst Johannes. He used to let oats and water sit in a warm spot for at least 24 hours, then cook the whitish mixture and sprinkle it with salt and sugar. Sounds a bit funky, and, according to Pille, it smells a bit off too, but since it hit the spot for Ernst, the family let him do his thing. Part of me... More