All-American Waves of Grain: How to Buy, Store, and Cook Every Imaginable Grain

Grunes and Van Vynckt (All-American Vegetarian) offer more than 150 grain-based dishes for every meal and food category. Organized by grain type, the recipes range from breads and soups to casseroles, salads and desserts. Drawing upon the rich variety of grains cultivated in the U. S., the authors consider nearly 20 types, including corn, wheat, rice, rye, quinoa, spelt and triticale. Many of the recipes will suit vegetarians (Spicy Chinese Cabbage with Seitan; Cold Tofu and Vegetables over Sushi Rice); some are low in fat (Cinnamon Oatcakes; Fat-free Peanut Butter Cookies). Breakfast foods and breads (Wild Rice and Mandarin Orange Muffins; Multigrain Persimmon Pancakes with Honeyed Pears) make up about one-third of the collection. The remainder look to regional American and different immigrant groups' cuisines (Southwest Hominy Soup; All-American Paella; and Chicken-Filled Amaranth Crepes with Avocado Sauce). While the recipes range in difficulty from easy to demanding, their by-grain arrangement makes looking for a selection of desserts or main dishes something of a challenge. Nevertheless, the authors generously demonstrate that humankind need not live by bread alone to get the recommended six daily servings of grain. (Apr.)