Phoebe & Allyson wrote:

> Thanks!
>
> Phoebe

Oh, and I've had "barley" grits, gotten at a Ukranian store.
Perhaps you could make "real" kasha (as opposed to the word kasha
meaning buckwheat).
Here is a cut and paste of a post of mine from years ago. You could use
almond milk instead of cow milk, or, if you are pumping, breast milk.
This was delicious and *soft*:
<begin paste>
With a recipe from an rfcer in hand, I made my first Kasha today.

I discovered that I had no double boiler approaching the size I needed,
so I took a Belgique (sp?) stock pot and plopped a curvy Belgique saute
pan on top. I really steamed it for 6 hours, and was interested in how
the dish changed with time, it's final sea-change at about 0500 hours.
It became a very thick dish. I thought that it would require salt, but
it did not, and I didn't have cream, but I think that butter (or perhaps
cream) is necessary for enjoyment. I used 1/2 a teaspoon for a cup of
the final product and that little bit's flavour really shone through, so
use a good butter.
The Barley, although very soft at the end, kept it's character of that
little vermis of fibre running it's length. The milk, though totally
dried and adhered to the barely, had little flavour, and did not take on
a kheer-like character. Of course it would have been different with
water or oil, but I don't think a fundamental browning of the milk
proteins is a central part of this dish
I liked this just plain, but I sense a heavy peppering and/or a blob of
jam heading towards the Hubs bowl.
tj
p.s. I just couldn't refrain from peeking and tasting.
p.p.s. I have a very odd cat that NEVER touches human food. She'll wolf
down tuna from a can, but has never taken a lap of milk, or a bite of
salmon, or swipe at the butter. Never! After I finished my bowl, I set
it down on the table near her (we're all jammed up next to the
computer). She arose from slumber, stretched extravagently, and then
PLUNGED her face into the empty bowl, cleaning the sides. I think this
speaks volumes.

<begin quote of recipe:>

Barley Kasha

This kind of kasha was Peter the Great's favourite. Try making it
sometime - I think you'll be surprised. It takes a _lot_ of time to
make, but requires very little actual work. Take note that it is
extremely important to maintain the proportions of the ingredients both
for soaking and for cooking.

1 glass (200 g/7.05 oz) pearl barley (large-sized)
1 litre (1.06 qt) water for soaking
2 litres (2.11 qt) milk
some heavy cream and butter

Soak the barley in cold water for 10-12 hours. Drain. Heat the milk in a
non-reactive saucepan to 40° C/104°F and add the barley. Heat on stove
top, uncovered, until the milk boils. Meanwhile boil water in a large
saucepan. As soon as the milk is boiling, cover the saucepan and place
it in the large saucepan with boiling water, i.e. bain-marie. Cook for 6
hours, adding water to the large saucepan if needed. Refrain from
opening the kasha saucepan. Take from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
Remove the kasha from the saucepan and put it into a porcelain dish. Add
a bit of cream and butter and stir very carefully until the consistency
is uniform. Eat, preferably as a stand-alone dish.
<end paste>
HTH
blacksalt