The history of eating oatmeal for breakfast can be traced back more than 30,000 years. It appears that wild oats were ground up and then made into porridge.

Ancient Greeks and Romans knew about oats being edible, but used them as animal feed as they were considered a lower-status grain compared to wheat and barley.

Oats became a more common human food in Scotland when the Romans brought them there, where oats were perfect for the cooler and wetter climate. Porridge made from oats and water became a staple part of the diet.

Oats made their way to North America with European immigrants, and they gained popularity as a hearty and nutritious food. Oatmeal became a common breakfast dish in the United States and Canada during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the late 19th century, oatmeal manufacturers, such as Quaker Oats, began promoting oatmeal as a health food. They advertised its nutritional benefits and encouraged consumers to start their day with a bowl of oatmeal for a wholesome and energizing breakfast.

My history has been much shorter than that for many reasons. The most obvious is that I am not that old.

And that I have spent most of my life being reluctant to eat the oatmeal my grandfather ate every morning that my grandmother made for him. She soaked old-fashioned oats (not quick oats or instant oats) overnight and then cooked them forever in the morning, with nothing but a little milk added on top. I asked her once why she didn't eat them, too? And she made a face of disgust and in her words, described the "mush" as unpleasant.

Fast-forward to today, actually this morning, and I am eating my morning oatmeal (about 4 grams of fibre). It is, in my opinion, a whole lot different than my grandfather's version.

First, the oats. Oat groats are oats that have had the inedible hull removed. The Oatmeal of Alford Organic Gluten-Free Pinhead Oats are groats that have been cut into smaller pieces by really large stone wheels.

And I cook with water, no dairy, for about 12 to 15 minutes. Mostly that long because I am usually emptying the dishwasher and washing anything that has magically appeared in the sink overnight.

My ritual is to add a spoonful of barberries (about 1 gram of fibre), which adds a tame cranberry bite, and smaller, so just a little hint of flavor. And this little berry packs some serious healthy goodness: fiber, vitamin C, iron, zinc, and copper! Several studies indicate that a compound called berberine found in barberries can also lower blood sugar, improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels and contribute to gut health.

And I add a handful of Thompson raisins (about 1.5 grams of fibre) for their natural sweetness, texture, and because they contain iron, vitamin C, calcium, boron (essential for bone health and osteoporosis prevention by helping absorb minerals like calcium and magnesium), kaempferol flavonoid (may reduce your risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease with its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent), quercetin (antihistamine properties), catechins phytonutrient (may help to oxidize fat and improve your cognitive power!), and oleanic acid, which makes this candy a fighter of tooth decay by attacking the bacteria that cause cavities.

And then for more entertainment, I add one or more of these: a banana (about 3 grams of fibre), strawberries (about 1 to 2 grams of fibre), blueberries (about 4 grams of fibre), and rice bran solubles (adding fibre and containing vitamins A, C, D, nearly all varieties of the B vitamins, folate, biotin, choline, inositol, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, iodine, trace minerals, and a bunch of antioxidants).

So the idea here is to jump-start my day to get my fibre intake closer to the 30 grams that are recommended, which is my personal goal to reach. My New Year's resolution...that and to eat fewer sweets and find more savory snacks.

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Pinhead oats are different than old fashioned oats or quick oats and especially instant oatmeal when it comes to cooking times and texture.

This recipe is a place to start you on your own personal way of making pinhead oatmeal.

See the easy Pinhead Oatmeal Recipe here!

With its long history of culinary uses, this little berry has been overlooked for far too long.

The barberry, with a sharp-ish, sometimes sour, almost citrus flavor, is best known and most used in West Asia, particularly in Iran, where the berry is known as Zereshk. In that part of the world, barberries are often used in pilafs and in a chicken and rice dish called Zereshk Polo.

In Eastern Europe and Russia, barberries are used as an integral ingredient in making jam; they are naturally high in pectin and will firm up a jam very nicely, all the while adding their own flavor.

Plus, this little berry packs some serious healthy goodness: fiber, vitamin C, iron, zinc, and copper! Several studies indicate that a compound called berberine found in barberries can lower blood sugar, improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and contribute to gut health.

Unlike some barberries, which can be quite sour-tart when eaten on their own, these dried barberries from Washington State are super-fresh and truly edible right out of the package (this is subjective, of course!) and very suitable for recipes calling for raisins, currants, or dried cranberries.

Shop now for Dried Barberries!

Golden raisins (which, because they are organic, are actually light brown) have more of the above than dark raisins, except for the nutrient that makes you "smarter."

The difference in the raisins, dark (Thompson) and golden (White Muscat or Thompson), is the drying process. The dark is dried by the sun, and the golden is dried indoors, most often in ovens.

When Thompson grapes dry, the high concentration of sugars produces nature's candy, called raisins, which are 70% fructose.

Shop now for Organic Thompson Raisins!

These walnuts are the best eaten out of hand I have had.

Probably the most beautiful walnuts you've ever seen, with a buttery taste to match. All the health benefits of walnuts (Omega 3 fatty acids) with the addition of red polyphenols. The California organic red walnuts are a perfect upgrade to our recipes

Shop now for California Red Walnuts!

So easy, I am surprised that everyone isn't doing it. You just add 1 tablespoon Chefshop Cocoa Powder to your regular oatmeal recipe and then add your sweetener of choice.

See the Chocolate Pinhead Oatmeal Recipe here!

This recipe was featured in La Cuccina Italiana's Pasta issue. It looked just too good not to include. Many pasta dishes include tomatoes, but not this one. In southern Italy, pasta is often served without tomato.

See the Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe Recipe here!

The pasta maker's thumbprint creates these "little ears;" superior ingredients and traditional production methods give them excellent flavor and texture.

This classic pasta shape from Puglia is great for your favorite chunky sauces as the indentation traps all the wonderful bits of sauce for an excellent mouthful and mouthfeel!

Shop now for Orecchiette Del Prete Pasta!

This 11-12% dry gluten content flour is designed for high-temperature pizza ovens and fast fermentation times.

Super-soft flour is the tradition in Naples, Italy, the land of pizza and pasta. Caputo "00" Pizza Flour is finely ground from the finest European winter wheat, which means a softer texture and a smooth mouth-feel. Double zero flour is easy to work with and produces a superior crust with a beautiful crumb.

Antico Molino Caputo was first started in 1924 in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, in Naples, Italy. This is the same mill that Carmine Caputo took over from his father and still runs today.

The mill grinds only the finest quality durum wheat, grown mostly in Italy using traditional, age-old methods. Caputo is known throughout Italy for its very finely ground ("00") flours, a mainstay ingredient for sweets, breads, and pastas throughout Italy and worldwide.

Flour is very important to Italians, especially those who live in Naples; quality is important, and the miller is critical. So, the secret to getting that authentic Pizza di Napoli taste is to buy Italian flour online (here) and use Caputo "00" pizza flour from Naples.

Shop now for Caputo "00" Pizza Flour!

Scotty's "extra" notes include:
1. Sometimes I add a touch of olive oil to the dough, before adding the flour and salt.
2. Usually add a pinch of white sugar to the water/yeast mixture. Helps to make sure the yeast is happy.

This method also makes the least amount of mess and dirties the least number of dishes. Very important!

See the Basic Pizza Dough recipe here!

To the nose, it smells like you expect: tomatillo green and a hint of pickle. In the mouth, the texture is smooth, with a little texture and character.

The first taste is round tomatillos with a hint of fire-roasted poblano and green chilies. It is not hot in a fire-breathing way; it is more like a pleasant spicy tingle that mostly stays in the upper portion of your mouth, between the teeth and the cheeks.

There are other spices in there, none standing out to take away from the overall and total enjoyment of the flavor! This chile sauce has personality without making you wish for a glass of milk.

Think of it as a friend who will spice up your life without dominating you.

Perfect toppings for enchiladas, burritos and grilled meats.

Shop now for Bunches & Bunches Green Fire Roasted Chili Sauce!

Potato Lasagna with caramelized onions from Chef John Howie's cookbook "Passion & Palate".

See the Potato Lasagna with caramelized onions recipe here!

Pepper (Piper Nigrum L.) is grown in Malaysia, predominantly in the state of Sarawak, which accounts for 95% of the production. In Sarawak, pepper is planted on small plots of land, mainly on fertile hill slopes. The tropical climate of Sarawak is ideal for pepper cultivation.

Harvesting stretches from April to September, with the peak season in May and June. Traditionally, up to 80% of the crop is processed into black pepper, with the remainder being turned into white pepper.

Fully ripened pepper berries, yellow to red in color, are harvested for processing into white pepper. The berries are separated from the stalk, filled into jute bags, and soaked in fresh running water to remove the pericarp.

This process of retting takes about two weeks. Thereafter, the berries are washed several times in rattan baskets to remove the stalks and the pericarp (outer layer) before the peppercorns are left to dry in the sun for two to three days.

Shop now for Whole White Peppercorns!

This pesto from Brontedolci in Sicily is, as you may have guessed, the main ingredient is Sicilian pistachios (55%), along with sunflower oil, salt, and pepper. No Basil. Yet, if we think of pesto as mortar & pestle, then this is a savory pistachio pesto.

Look in the jar and see green (with texture). It's the beautiful green of Sicilian pistachios with flakes of black pepper. When you taste it, you will get this wonderful smooth feel that is creamy and then finishes with little tiny bits of pistachios in the pits of your teeth. The "bite" really never ends as you move your tongue around tasting pistachio!

Using this Brontedolci pesto di pistachio as it was intended is even better than that. Take pasta, cook it al dente, drain with a touch of pasta water left, twirl and twist in the pesto in the pan and plate into small bowls. This is the perfect side dish and very filling! Or, if convention is not your thing, think a dollop on your fish or with tofu!

About pesto:

Pesto is full of basil. Well, not always. Interestingly, it is translated here (and in many places in the world) as a green sauce made with basil.

Except that pesto has more than just one meaning. It also means to pound, beat, grind, trample on, work over, and pestle. To pestare, pestle perhaps is pesto.

One could speculate that the ancient Romans, who made and ate a paste of cheese, herbs, salt, oil, vinegar, and nuts, are the originators of pesto.

The nucleus of modern-day pesto started in North Africa and India when basil became the main ingredient. Basil pesto took hold in Provence (as pistou) and in Liguria (as Pesto alla Genovese). In the 1860s, a recipe for pesto with basil was published in La Cuciniera Genovese. Then the recipe traveled with the immigrants to the New World.

Italian basil pesto was introduced to a much wider audience when Italian immigrant and University of Washington Professor, Angelo Pellegrini's pesto recipe was published in a 1946 issue of Sunset Magazine. The recipe consisted of a little bit of this and a little bit of that, with no precise measurement.

This makes sense when you think that pesto, which translates to crush or bash, is a combination of just a handful of ingredients mashed together. You can see how you might want to add a little more or a little less of one thing or another to match your palate.

To make a typical pesto, you crush fresh young basil, Italian pine nuts, add Parmigiano-Reggiano, sea salt, and olive oil. (The Silver Spoon New Edition.)

That's all it takes; a mortar and pestle, elbow grease, and you can make your own. Or, you can use a food processor, though the results are less textural and more paste-like.

Shop now for Brontedolci Pistachio Pesto!

In most pestos, although olive oil is the main ingredient, the flavor is derived mostly from the nuts. In this case, hazelnuts. For more hazelnut flavor, you can add a few drops of hazelnut oil. Nut pestos are common in the parts of Italy where nuts are grown, mainly in the north, and in Sicily.

This pesto is great on pasta, especially Trofie. (Use about 3/4 cup for 1 pound of pasta, thin the pesto with some of the pasta cooking water if you like.) It is also good on grilled fish and meats, vegetables, and especially vegetable-based soups.

See the Hazelnut Pesto with Trofie Recipe here!