This morning marks another seasonal milestone in my daily life: breakfast was a big, steaming bowl of steel cut oats with maple syrup. When the weather gets cool, this is the perfect food for filling your belly and warming your bones.

If you’re only familiar with oatmeal made from rolled oats, steel cut oats can come as a surprise. Although they would seem to be an almost identical foodstuff, they’re worlds apart in terms of taste and texture. I’m fond enough of rolled oats, but steel cut oats are fabulous, with a firm, chewy texture and a rich, nutty flavor.

The problem with steel cut oats — and the reason most of us get our oatmeal from little packets of quick cooking oats — is that they can take a very long time to cook. Prepared traditionally on a stovetop, you’re talking almost 45 minutes. Microwaving is much faster, of course, but the results can be disappointing. One trick is to soak the oats in water overnight. Another is to use a rice cooker, which is what I’ve been doing. (It’s really hard to find instructions on how to do this, so I’m including a recipe after the cut.)

You can buy steel cut oats in most grocery stores. McCann’s Irish Oatmeal is the standard, although it’s a bit pricey. Trader Joe’s sells a certified organic version, which I really like.

Cooking Steel Cut Oats in a Rice Cooker

Warning: Do not try this with quick cooking or rolled oats. It will most likely explode into a horrible, gummy mess all over your kitchen!

In the evening, put 1 part steel cut oats and 3 parts water in the rice cooker. (A full cup of oats will make three medium or two large servings.) Soaking overnight makes the oats cook more quickly and it also minimizes the risk of boiling over. Set the timer on the rice cooker, selecting the “porridge” setting if your rice cooker has one. Wake up to a yummy, warm breakfast. (If your boyfriend serves it to you in bed with a big cup of strong coffee you really are the girl with the most cake!)