Well, so far, the new year is dressed in snow.

The holiday has passed, and we are looking ahead, watching the blizzard blow away the last decade.

I don’t know about you, but I’m alright with watching it go.  I’m ready for change. I’m ready for newness.  I’m ready for some good menu planning.

I’ve heard all sorts of commentary this week on the foods of the decade and the dietary trends that have prevailed.  I don’t know about all of that. But I have my own ideas about where I’m hoping food is going.

I think this is going to be the decade where we figure out that if we are going to be meat eaters, we better learn how to work with animals in a way that is safe and humane and respectful.

I think this is going to be a decade when more people are in their own kitchens, learning how to make good food to feed their families.

I think this is going to be a decade when Wonderbread goes under.  I think that whole grains are going to make a real comeback, and not in a health food-y macrobiotic kind of way.  I’m seeing a decade of real, whole food on tables everywhere.  I’m feeling optimistic.

How about we start now?

Have you ever had a wheat berry?

Wheat berries are kernels of the wheat plant, wheat in its most whole form. They are earthy and chewy and nutty, and not actually berries at all.

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Coated in an herb-y dressing, they make a lovely base for a salad.  This is how you will usually see the wheat berry these days.   But stirred in a pot with milk and honey, dates and cinnamon, they make something altogether different.

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They make a perfect breakfast for a new year, and a new decade.

Cheers.  Let’s clink spoons and have some breakfast.

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Creamy Wheat Berries With Honey
from Lorna Sass, Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way
serves 4-6

Note: Lorna Sass has this recipe in her dessert section, and it would certainly work as such. Garnished with whipped cream, you have dessert, but with a bit of cold cream poured on top, I call it breakfast.

1 1/4 cups dried wheat berries
3 cups water
3 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons honey
generous pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/3 cup pitted, chopped dates

Cook the wheat berries:

Soak the wheat berries for 12 hours if you’re thinking ahead. If not, all is not lost, but they will take longer to cook. Combine the wheat berries and water. Bring them to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender. This will take about 40 minutes if you soaked them, and more like an hour if you didn’t. Drain the wheat berries. If you plan on making this for breakfast, you can also cook the wheat berries the night before and refrigerate until the morning.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk and honey and bring to a boil. Stir in the cooked wheat berries, cinnamon, and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook at a gentle boil for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Skim off any skin that forms on top.

Stir in the dates and continue to cook at a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.

Serve hot, garnished with cream.