Breakfast with Al Franken
All Minnesotans who are visiting Washington, D.C. are welcome to come and join my staff and me for breakfast in my office. Wednesday morning breakfasts are one of my favorite parts of the week because I get to meet and speak with the people I'm lucky enough to work for. And of course, we get to take pictures too.
We serve real Mahnomin porridge made with wild rice that we bring in from White Earth Reservation. It's a native Minnesota dish that was first created by the voyageurs. The wild rice is cooked with cream, berries, and nuts. It's become a big hit here in the office; our guests like it so much they keep asking for the recipe. I would like to add a special thank you to Mitch Omer and his staff at Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis for allowing us to use their Mahnomin Porridge recipe, which you can find below. Breakfasts take place every Wednesday morning that the Senate is in session from 8:30-9:30am eastern in the Hart Senate Office Building, Room 309.
Hell's Kitchen Mahnomin Porridge
*Fun Fact: While the great city and county of Mahnomen, Minnesota are spelled with an "e," the Mahnomin porridge we serve at breakfast is traditionally spelled with an "i".
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup roasted, cracked hazelnuts
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions:
In a heavy nonstick saucepan, add cooked wild rice, hazelnuts, blueberries, cranberries, and maple syrup and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add heavy cream and heat through, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately. Serves 4.