Tips for a Better, Faster, More Delicious Breakfast

Photo by: Photo by Christina Holmes

Hot Oat & Quinoa Cereal
I make breakfast before I go to bed. My take on oatmeal transforms hot cereal from a 25-minute process into a three-minute, hands-off experience with stellar results. How? Bring oats, quinoa (for protein), and water to a boil. Shut off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit till morning. Overnight--by some culinary miracle--the grains absorb the water and cook through perfectly. Having... more 

Photo by: Photo by Christina Holmes

Hot Oat & Quinoa Cereal
I make breakfast before I go to bed. My take on oatmeal transforms hot cereal from a 25-minute process into a three-minute, hands-off experience with stellar results. How? Bring oats, quinoa (for protein), and water to a boil. Shut off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit till morning. Overnight--by some culinary miracle--the grains absorb the water and cook through perfectly. Having cereal waiting to be reheated is the difference between my family sitting down to a proper breakfast or everyone walking out of the house carrying a piece of buttered toast on a paper towel. If only I could figure out how to make tea the night before, too. --Carla Lalli Music, Food & Features Editor

HOW CHEFS WAKE UP:
"Every day I sit at the same table in the restaurant with a giant bowl of cereal. You can't touch Golden Grahams." --Wylie Dufresne, wd-50, New York less