flipHomemade Morning Granola
Homemade Morning Granola
Why this dish? Granola is the edible flag of 1970s California counterculture: a complete, energizing food, ideal for a researcher chaining coding sessions on the Alto without leaving her terminal. Adele Goldberg, immersed in Smalltalk development at PARC, belongs to this Bay Area generation that adopted these honeyed flakes as morning fuel.
A crunchy mix of rolled oats, nuts, and seeds, bound with honey and baked golden, eaten dry or drenched in milk. The sweet, rustic embodiment of Berkeley's "health food."
At PARC, you debug better with a full but light stomach. I'd fill a jar of this granola on Sunday night, and all week I'd grab a handful while passing the Alto — you didn't stop a coding session for a real meal. Put in what you like: nuts, a bit of honey, raisins. It's the idea of a reusable object, really: a basic recipe that everyone adapts their own way.
- •Whole rolled oats — a large bowl (grain base)
- •Honey — a few spoonfuls (binder and sweetener)
- •Walnuts and almonds — a handful (crunch, protein)
- •Sunflower seeds — a small handful (texture)
- •Vegetable oil — a drizzle (browning in the oven)
- •Raisins — a handful (fruitiness, added after baking)
Homemade Morning Granola
A crunchy mix of rolled oats, nuts, and seeds, bound with honey and baked golden, eaten dry or drenched in milk. The sweet, rustic embodiment of Berkeley's "health food."
Why this dish? Granola is the edible flag of 1970s California counterculture: a complete, energizing food, ideal for a researcher chaining coding sessions on the Alto without leaving her terminal. Adele Goldberg, immersed in Smalltalk development at PARC, belongs to this Bay Area generation that adopted these honeyed flakes as morning fuel.
At PARC, you debug better with a full but light stomach. I'd fill a jar of this granola on Sunday night, and all week I'd grab a handful while passing the Alto — you didn't stop a coding session for a real meal. Put in what you like: nuts, a bit of honey, raisins. It's the idea of a reusable object, really: a basic recipe that everyone adapts their own way.
Ingredients (period version)
- Whole rolled oats — a large bowl (grain base)
- Honey — a few spoonfuls (binder and sweetener)
- Walnuts and almonds — a handful (crunch, protein)
- Sunflower seeds — a small handful (texture)
- Vegetable oil — a drizzle (browning in the oven)
- Raisins — a handful (fruitiness, added after baking)
Ingredients
- Rolled oats — 300 g (grain base)
- Honey — 4 tablespoons (binder and sweetener)
- Mixed chopped nuts/almonds — 100 g (crunch)
- Sunflower and pumpkin seeds — 50 g (texture)
- Sunflower or melted coconut oil — 3 tablespoons (browning)
- Raisins — 80 g (fruitiness)
- Pinch of cinnamon and salt — 1 pinch (seasoning)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160 °C (320 °F).
- Mix oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add honey and oil, mix well to coat evenly.
- Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden.
- Let cool completely (granola hardens as it cools), then stir in raisins.
- Store in an airtight jar; serve with milk, yogurt, or dry.
How it was made : Modern granola was reborn in 1960s-70s American alternative communities, popularized by California health food stores and co-ops. It was made in large batches at home to avoid sugary industrial cereals — an economical and activist gesture.
The contemporary twist : Serve it as a "parfait" in a layered glass — a nod to the stacked graphical windows that Goldberg helped invent.
Adele Goldberg · Charactorium
