366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains (Paperback)

by Andrea Chesman (Author)
Key Phrases: cup uncooked pearled barley, dried lid, place over the rice, Great Northern, Middle East, Grand Marnier (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
By now, the most curious of home chefs are well-versed in the how-tos of whipping up cupfuls of amaranth, fava beans, and quinoa. Lest any cooking fan has been closeted in a dark pantry for five or more years, health food advocate Chesman educates and adds to the vegetarian repertoire. Many of the recipes represent rather innovative first-of-their-kind dishes or almost infinite (and unusual) variations on a standard. Rice pudding, for instance, gets at least six new faces (vanilla yogurt and pina colada are two options). And fans of Japanese sushi will find it far easier to emulate chirashi sushi (vegetable-topped vinegared rice) than the original oriental meal. Nutritional analysis and attention paid to low-fat ingredients make this less of a carbohydrate-stuffing party. Barbara Jacobs

Product Description
Andrea Chesman presents 366 creative and flavorful "natural gourmet" recipes using a wide variety of beans and grains, like basmati and jasmine rice, adzuki beans, amaranth, and quinoa. Organized by course and main ingredient, these dishes range from light and lively starters to hearty and soul-satisfying foods that stick to your ribs but not to your waistline. American favorites are well represented here, but adventurous cooks will be pleased to find ethnic cuisines dominating this mouthwatering collection, including such recipes as:
* Spicy Vegetable Couscous
* Pesto Pasta with Cranberry Beans
* Smoky Black Bean Burritos
* Jamaican-Style Rice and Peas This wonderful addition to our 366 Ways series features foods that are among the most versatile and healthful in the human diet, not to mention absolutely delicious.
* Recipes are high in flavor, low in fat.
* Each recipe includes a detailed nutritional analysis, which counts calories, fat, percentage of calories from fat, protein, fiber, sodium, and calcium.
* Vegetarian dishes dominate the collection, but healthful variations include salmon, shrimp, and chicken.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Plume (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452276543
• ISBN-13: 978-0452276543
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,812 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 123 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacularly Healthy, Tasty and Easy Meals, April 21, 2006

By	J. Fuchs "jax76" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is one of the best cookbooks I own (and I own a lot of them). Chesman starts out the book by going through everything you really need to know about legumes, rice and grains -- the different types, how each should be bought, stored and used, what each is good for, what each tastes and feels like in the mouth, etc. Her shopping and storing tips are worth the price of the book alone, but the recipes take it into the realm of the sublime. The book is well organized by broad chapter, e.g., beans, or rice & beans, with a clear listing of the recipes in each chapter and then the recipes themselves. Each recipe opens with a brief description of the dish or a positive feature about it and is then followed by a very clear list of ingredients and cooking instructions that are almost impossible to mess up. Chesman also gives nutritional content info including the overall protein, fat, sodium, and fiber of each dish, as well as the percentage of calories from fat. Most of the dishes are, or can very easily be, vegetarian, but she gives instructions on how to add meat and make certain dishes more traditional, such as adding salt pork to boston baked beans. She also gives alternatives such as turkey bacon for some dishes, so that the recipes can be adapted for vegans, non-vegan vegetarians, non red-meat eaters, etc. So far I have made Mediterranean White Bean Soup with Fennel, Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Chickpeas, and Brown Rice and Lentils. All have been unbelievably great and really easy. The dishes freeze well so busy people can make a lot and freeze them in single-serving bowls, or have a party and feed a lot of friends or family without a lot of work.

This book has a lot of great ways to add vegetables and protein to one's diet and get a lot of flavor without a lot of fat. All cookbooks should be this great. I can't recommend it highly enough.

118 of 120 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super book - demystifies beans and rice!, October 16, 2002

By	Eric B. Wolf "GIS Geek" (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a returning student and eating out was one of the things I had to give up to survive on my smaller budget. This cookbook helps because I can make meals that I like better than most restaurant food with little fuss and cheap ingredients. The recipes are easy to follow and the introductory content helped me understand the basics of bean preparation so I don't have to rely on over-priced, high-sodium content canned beans!

69 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent whole grain recipes: easy, cheap, delicious!, December 29, 2005

By	Teresa Cowan (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I ordered three whole grains/beans cookbooks at one time, and so far this one has been my favourite by FAR. I feel as though I will be able to happily cook through this book from cover to cover. I like the author's criteria for a good bean or grain recipe:

1) should taste great
2) should be quick and easy to make
3) should not require following a recipe slavishly

I couldn't agree with her more.