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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37838 in Books
• Brand: Chronicle Books
• Published on: 2007-08-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 168 pages

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.

About the Author
Robin Asbell writes about food, health, and enjoying life, and her work has appeared in such diverse publications as Better Homes and Gardens, Taunton's Fine Cooking, Weight Watchers Magazine and Vegetarian Times. Much of her career has been devoted to developing exciting, easy-to-use recipes. Her book, The New Whole Grains Cookbook, will be published in fall of 2007 by Chronicle Books. The book is the culmination of her 20-plus years working with natural foods, showcasing International recipes designed to tempt the palate of today's diner. Robin has been a chef, private chef, and culinary instructor and brings her passion for great food to the people.

She has been teaching throughout the Minneapolis/Saint Paul metro area since 1985, at Cooks of Crocus Hill, The Chef's Gallery, Kitchen Window Culinary School, and others. Her popular classes range from decadent Handmade Holiday Truffles and Italian Food and Wine Pairings, to Sushi and Dim Sum, to Vegan Tropical Asian Food and Gluten Free Bakery Favorites.

Robin has since made several appearances on local television and developed recipes for restaurants and Web sites. Some of her recipes are available at robinasbell.com. She has spoken in front of large audiences at health fairs, including a Women's Health Fair organized by the Mayo Clinic, on the topic of "The Many Reasons Why French Women Don't Get Fat."

With the launch of the book, Robin will begin teaching across the country, with classes in Eugene, OR, Portland, OR, and Boise ID. Watch for events near you! Robinasbell.com

Customer Reviews

Recipes good but overly complicated, layout of book poor
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.

Whole Grains: Not just for Ascetics any more?
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.

Robin Asbell's passion for whole grains is contagious!
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.