So much great American cuisine is rooted in Pennsylvania Dutch hospitality. Donuts, pies, funnel cakes, pretzels, apple dumplings. Heck, I'm sure someone could make a case for Big Macs and Coca-Cola getting their start in Lancaster County, Pa.
But I have a new favorite -- one I need to have again this week even if it means making the 250-mile round trip: Chocolate chip oatmeal. Not chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, or chocolate chip oatmeal muffins. You can get those at any Starbucks. Chocolate chip oatmeal -- coarse, dark and rich, with a texture not all that different from the warm no-bake cookie batter you probably learned to make in home-ec class.
It's the only hot cereal served among more than 100 items at the Palm Court Brunch at Willow Valley in Lancaster County, which we visited over the weekend. Our waiter, Brian, volunteered that one of the sous chefs created it six months ago and it hasn't left the menu since. It's also the favorite dish of the staff.
Is this a dish you're familiar with? If you have a recipe, please share it here, or else we'll be busy in the kitchen for the next few days trying to find a reasonable facsimile, which we'll promptly pass along. This is one dish worth sharing!
Comments