Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [7]
ABOUT THE RECIPES
I have written this book for anyone who wants to eat well. It’s for people who look for deliciously tempting food on their plate every day. Many recipes in this book can be on the dinner table fast; others require a bit of time and an openness to learning about new ingredients. None are truly difficult, as you will always find detailed instructions to guide you along.
Many stories are also woven into the fabric of this book. In essays, I introduce grains that I believe to be underappreciated despite their intriguing textures and flavors. Other essays provide a glimpse into my lifelong passion for food and cooking.
I call all chewy, slow-cooking whole grain kernels such as wheat, rye, hulled barley, or whole oats “berries.” While this expression is commonly used only for whole wheat, I simply like how this word beautifully describes a single grain, lusciously plump and cooked to perfection.
In my baking, I always use 100 percent whole grain flours. In some baked goods you might not notice it because the whole grain flours are discreetly woven into a scone or cookie. In certain breads or muffins, however, I let the distinct texture and appealing chew shine for what they are. If you are not accustomed to eating baked goods made with whole grains, you will notice this difference. Baked goods will not be as light and fluffy, but a bit denser—I believe, deliciously so. Give yourself time to explore and appreciate these new textures and flavors, and enjoy the character whole grain flours bring to your table.
Nothing is as individual as portion sizes. My husband and I sometimes devour four servings of a soup or salad, because it tastes so good or simply because we are hungry. All recipe yields are my best estimates. Similarly, you might find the sweet treats in this book more modest in size than what you might be used to. They resemble the sweets of my childhood in Germany and Greece. Cookies, cakes, and dessert were special, and servings were small—I have my mom’s crystal dessert bowls to prove it. I can’t imagine life without sweet endings, but I do serve them in modest amounts. Recent research makes the point as well: the bigger our plates are, the more we eat. Not surprisingly, our waists have grown with our plate sizes. So hunt down a beautiful set of smaller plates and dessert bowls at an antiques market. And enjoy everything, including dessert.
I have included a few recipes without any whole grains. These are recipes I fall back on because they pair splendidly with whole grain dishes. And I snuck a few of my favorite decadent delights into the dessert chapter. Last but not least, a Mediterranean recipe for roast chicken awaits you in the center of the book.
Almost all of the recipes include instructions on how to cook the whole grain being used, and you can also refer to the two tables that follow the section “Kitchen Basics for Whole Grains.” At the bottom of each recipe I provide various helpful suggestions:
• To get a head start” gives advice for busy people. It points out the parts of a recipe that you can make ahead, and gives storage recommendations.
• To lighten it up” gives instructions on ways you can cut down on fat if you must.
• To make it a feast” adds real richness for the days you simply want to celebrate the bounty of the table.
• To make it vegetarian” tells you how to omit meat, poultry, and fish in a recipe, and replace them with complementing ingredients for a nourishing meal.
• To vary it” gives you ideas on how to change the flavor in certain dishes. But you can always go much further and be creative on your own.
• To time it” provides tips on how to fit an involved recipe such as a slow-rising bread into your schedule.
The Whole Grains on My Table
This section is a brief introduction to the grains used in this book. It is not a reference guide to all whole