Now that my son (AKA My Favorite Domer) has graduated, he’s got a brief window of time to “rest” before he commences work.

And he’s using this time wisely, or so I think.

He’s invested in a super-thick cookbook and is teaching himself how to cook (something he didn’t have much need for while he was a student in a college dorm, eating dining hall food — or fast food! — every day).

Following the recommendation of one of his Notre Dame friends, he bought Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything,” a 1,000+ page tome chock-full of recipes, instructions, helpful aids, line drawings, and all things culinary.

I realize not everybody likes or appreciates Mr. Bittman, a former columnist for The New York Times and author of more than a dozen cookbooks. However, a young person needs to start somewhere, and Bittman has a way of walking his readers through the process while encouraging them to experiment and stretch themselves.

Just the confidence-booster they need!

For dinner tonight, Domer and I decided to try our hands at Oatmeal Cookies.

Yes, I know you can buy them at the store. But we wanted to bake!

Now there’s not enough money in my hometown to pay me to eat a bowl of hot oatmeal. I don’t like the taste, or the consistency, or anything about it.

Never have.

My mom eats oatmeal (“gruel,” I call it) practically every morning, but not me.

Not Domer either.

But I like oatmeal cookies, and these were delicious — chewy, filled with raisins and chocolate chips, and hot from the oven.

See for yourselves:

Yummy oatmeal cookies, fresh from the oven1

The recipe calls for rolled oats, but we used instant. Didn’t make much difference, we decided (of course, we’re not oats experts either!)

For those who are interested, here’s the recipe:

Oatmeal Cookies (makes 3-4 dozen)

Time: about 30 min.

Ingredients —

8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, softened

Half-cup granulated sugar

Half-cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

2 C. rolled oats (not instant)

Half-teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

Half-cup milk

Half-teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions —

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well blended.
2. Mix the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Alternating with the milk, add the dry ingredients to the dough, a little at a time, mixing on low. Add in raisins and/or other ingredients. Stir in the extract.
3. Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough, about 3 inches apart, in rows and columns on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 min. Cool for about 2 minutes on the sheets before using a spatula to transfer the cookies to a rack to finish cooling. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for no more than a day or two.

As Julia Child used to say, Bob Appetit!!