Farina is what you might know as "Cream of Wheat" in the US.

Mom taught me her secret to making the creamiest smooth farina, which has few if any lumps, and so much flavor! Her secret was her technique and a couple of ingredients. This is *not* bland, cardboard-flavored mush, nor is it clumpy! It's creamy, delicious, buttery satisfaction, and so soothing.

Most recipes say to pour the dry farina in a pot of cold water, *then* bring it to a boil. Please Don't Do That! That makes a bland-flavored blocked up paste. Who wants that?

Do This Instead:

To serve 1 person: use a small saucepot. Pour in about 1/2 cup water, and add 1 to 2 teaspoons Kosher or Sea Salt, stir till dissolved.

As the salted water is coming to a boil, do the following:

Shake a can of evaporated milk to mix up the settled milk solids, open it, and get it placed close to where you're cooking, as things will go quickly once the water boils.

Cut dairy butter into 3 to 4 pats (use the markings on the butter wrapper). You may want more butter when served.

With a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop up the dry farina. Keep it nearby for when the salted water comes to a boil.

Grab a cooking spoon, you'll be stirring all the time this cooks, especially at the beginning when the farina is slowly poured into the boiling water.

Once the water is a rolling boil, begin stirring the water before adding the farina, and then *slowly* pour in a thin stream of dry farina, stirring continuously as you pour in the farina - do not stop stirring! Take your time pouring in the dry farina, don't dump it all in at once. If you stop stirring, the farina will clump quickly, and possibly scorch.

Continuously stirring as the farina is slowly poured into boiling water helps to separate the individual grains of farina, so that it cooks with few if any lumps.

Once you've poured in all the farina, keep stirring. As the 1/2 cup of boiling water cooks the farina, the grains will begin to expand as it absorbs water, and will start thickening up.

When it makes bubbles through the thickening farina with a "plop-ploop-plop" sound, slowly pour in the evaporated milk, and keep stirring, do not stop.

Now that it's thickening, take the pot from heat, don't keep it on high heat as it will scorch.

While off the burner, drop in the butter pats and keep stirring. At this time, either add a little more water or a little more evaporated milk if it's getting too thick. Keep stirring it. Return to heat on low simmer, cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring continuously.

Then take the pot of farina to a cold burner, cover and allow it to finish cooking and absorbing the liquids in the pot.

If the creamed farina gets too thick while resting covered on the cold burner, add a little more evaporated milk or water and stir it in while the farina is still hot.

Once it's on a cold burner, it will continue thickening as it cools. I usually give it around 30-45 minutes to cool because it holds heat for a long time. This provides the perfect time to cook some sausage and scrambled eggs to go with it!

By the time the rest of breakfast is cooked, the farina will be a nice, creamy texture, not too hot, not too cool, not too thick or thin, and will stick slightly to the spoon, and to your ribs. :)

I've been cooking creamed grits, creamed farina and creamed oats with this exact method since the 1970's. The only time it has ever failed is when I've had cereals that were of poor quality, or have expired.

I don't sweeten my hot farina, I only use milk, butter and salt, but you can sweeten yours if you'd like that. Go with what you like most. :)

Happy Breakfast!