The New Whole Grain Cookbook: Terrific Recipes Using Farro, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley, and Many Other Delicious and Nutritious Grains (Paperback)

by Robin Asbell (Author), Caren Alpert (Photographer) "Confusion reigns when it comes to couscous: Is it a chunk of grain or a pasta? Couscous is made from flour-in this case, whole semolina..." (more)
Key Phrases: cup buckwheat groats, whole wheat pastry flour, hulled barley, Granny Smith (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
From whole wheat, oats, and rice to farro, barley, and quinoa, no grain is left unturned in this compendium of more than 75 healthful recipes. There's a tasty dish for every meal of the day: Quick Skillet Flatbreads made with millet or teff for breakfast, or a hearty dinner entr e of lamb and rye berries braised in red wine. Even desserts get the whole-grain touch with such sweets as Chocolate-Chunk Buckwheat Cookies. A source list helps find the more unusual grains and a glossary describes each one in detail. The New Whole Grains Cookbook makes it easy to eat your grains and love them, too.

From the Author
The New Whole Grains Cookbook is about where the rubber meets the road, when it comes to getting healthy whole grains into your lifestyle. I wanted all the essential information in one place, so the grain guides and cooking chart make it easy to quickly get answers. The recipes are collected from many years of cooking whole grains both at home and professionally. I hope that my love of the grains shines through. The hearty, earthy flavors of some grains are balanced with strong, exciting flavors, while other, sweeter grains play a different role in the recipes. In the baking recipes, only 100% whole grain flours are used, although beginners are advised that using part unbleached flour would be a gentle transition. I believe that once you become accustomed to the real flavors and textures of whole grain breads and baked goods, you will find fluffy white bread unsatisfying. Adding whole grains to your diet can be a delicious adventure, whether you are new to them, or a seasoned pro. Give these recipes a try, and make them your own.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081185647X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811856478
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,885 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #7 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Cooking by Ingredient > Rice & Grains
  #11 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Diets & Weight Loss > Special Conditions > Whole Foods
  #96 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Natural Foods

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Recipes good but overly complicated, layout of book poor, December 31, 2007

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

I got this book the day it came out and I've probably used it twice. I'm of the feeling that you can't have enough recipes which make use of whole grains, especially the less common ones like quinoa, amaranth and farro. Yet when I feel like cooking whole grains, I find myself reaching for Rebecca Wood's "The Splendid Grain," which has, to my taste, better info and recipes and a much better layout. Don't get me wrong, I've liked what I've cooked from this book, but don't find it all that inspiring. As an example, the quinoa paella is quite good, but the recipe calls for fresh artichokes, which makes this dish affordable only during the very short artichoke season. No mention of whether you can substitute canned artichokes successfully. For the record, I did, and they tasted, well, canned, of course. I would have liked an alternative. In general, the recipes are rather complicated for the results, whereas in the Splendid Grain, they are far simpler and more varied. Also, this book is small and impossible to keep open during cooking, plus the recipes are on multiple pages. It's clear that cost was an issue and someone (publisher?) decided that pictures were more important than an easy-to-use layout. I'm happy to have this in my kitchen, but it feels like someone rushed this out and cut corners. I wanted to like it more than I actually do. Recommended, but not as a first choice for whole grain cooking.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whole Grains: Not just for Ascetics any more?, September 8, 2007

By	LUTHER KRUEGER "Journeyman Solar Cooker" (Minneapolis MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The first experience I had with whole grain cooking was at a now long defunct restaurant on the West Bank of Minneapolis in the early 1980's. While the meals I ate there were very tasty, they were presented in a way that made you feel you had to be part of a radical political movement or obscure religious sect. It was about the only place in town to get such fare, so it was hard to imagine whole grains going mainstream.

This book imagines it, and makes it real. I'm not much more than an occasional cooker--not at all a chef--and I rely on the clarity of recipes when I cook. Not only are the recipes clear, they build on the fundamental aspects of the grains as they employ. The brief but thorough histories and natures of each grain in the front of the book took away any fears I had about not getting enough flavor out of them. The recipes cover such a wide variety of entrees, desserts, appetizers etc. that I think anyone new to whole grains will read this book and stock up on whole grains regularly.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Robin Asbell's passion for whole grains is contagious!, October 7, 2007

By	Susan Doeden "Food Columnist" (Bemidji, MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As I paged through this just-released soft-covered cookbook, I realized many of Asbell's recipes were just what I was looking for - flavorful and healthful with long-lasting stick-to-your ribs satisfaction.
Robin Asbell makes it so simple to start experimenting with whole grains as her ingredient lists include products that are easy to find and her directions are uncomplicated and clear enough for all cooks to enjoy success. The creative photography and pleasant colors used throughout the book make you want to keep turning the pages. The book is brimming with recipes that tempt the breakfast, lunch or dinner taste buds. Barley, brown rice, whole wheat and rolled oats are the more familiar whole grains appearing in the book. There are also recipes that will invite you to try something new, maybe teff or amaranth.
I've been cooking through "The New Whole Grains Cookbook," and each dish makes me anxious to try the next recipe.