Grains, Rice and Beans (Paperback)

~ (Author), Ellen Silverman (Photographer)
Key Phrases: black bean cakes, medium bay leaf, scum that may, Chicken Stock, United States, Granny Smith (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is the way a cookbook should be: one recipe per page, simple instructions, a good mixture of adventurous and familiar ingredients, fantastic photographs, and great, healthy, low-fat results. The Chilled Pea Soup has only a tablespoon of olive oil, but yogurt gives it a wonderful richness. Tabbouleh with Blueberries and Mint is like salad from heaven. Many of the recipes are vegetarian, but there's also Grilled Chicken with Quinoa and Sautéed Fennel, Baby Lima Beans with Shrimp and Crawfish, Dilled Salmon with Chick Peas and Scallions, and much, much more. Graham, a renowned New Orleans chef, is also the author of Creole Flavors. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Lowly grains and beans have never looked so good as in this beautifully photographed collection of recipes from a well-known New Orleans chef. Graham, author of Simply Elegant: The Cuisine of Windsor Court Hotel (Grove Weidenfeld, 1991) and Kevin Graham's Fish & Seafood Cookbook (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, dist. by Publishers Resources, Inc., 1993), offers both sophisticated restaurant-style dishes like Fresh Baby Fava Beans with Shrimp and Sherry and comfort food like Cock-a-Leekie and Bran Muffins (of course, his version of five-bean salad is dressed with truffle oil). Unlike most grain and bean cookbooks, this one includes some recipes for fresh beans, peas, etc., not just the dried versions. A good complement to the many more homey titles on the subject.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Artisan (January 9, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579651275
• ISBN-13: 978-1579651275
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #338,095 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pyramid Goes Gourmet, February 15, 2001

By	C. Ebeling "ctlpareader" (PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book's selling point for me is its emphasis on whole foods. It is great for anyone who is trying to de-emphasize meat in their diets and build up the grains, fruits and vegetables. The recipes are fairly easy to follow--a beginner might be left guessing how big a "medium" zucchini really is, but technique is explained well. The ingredient list is within reach of most supermarkets. The recipes themselves are original and come out looking like the pictures. Many are naturally low-fat and those that are not use the healthiest fats when called for. Butter is scarcely used and I don't think cream is mentioned anywhere. I enjoy reading and cooking from this. My only criticism is negligible: for far-sighted people, even those assisted with monovision contacts or bifocals, the type in which ingredient quantities are set, particularly the fractions, is difficult to read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful cooking from a master, July 9, 2008

By	Robert D. Peyton "R Peyton" (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Kevin Graham was the executive chef at the Windsor Court hotel at the time this book was written, and the chef at Sapphire when it was published. Under his stewardship, both were among of the best restaurants in New Orleans. His menus were ambitious, forward thinking, and sophisticated. His thoughtful approach to humble ingredients such as beans and whole grains makes this relatively short cookbook a classic.

Since the book was published, some ingredients which at the time were difficult to obtain are now more common; think quinoa, for example. There are a few recipes that would be difficult for a novice cook to pull off, but for the most part Graham combines flavors and techniques in very interesting - and useful - ways.

This is one of perhaps 10 cookbooks that I'll bring with me the next time I have to evacuate New Orleans. Partly because it's somewhat rare, but mainly because I enjoy it so much, and consistently find something interesting and diverting inside.