[.ca] The Whole Grain Cookbook (ISBN 1585740470)

The "Staff of Life" just got a bigger menu.:
Many folks know that eating whole grains is better than eating the processed stuff you get at the grocery story. The problem is, there are relatively few cookbooks for using some of the more "exotic" grains. This cookbook gives you recipes for more than 20 different grains, seeds and nuts. The recipes go way beyond bread, and encompass the globe. You'll find things like Millet Soufflé, Duck Soup with Barley, Sopa de Avena (Oatmeal Soup), and Gingersnaps (made with whole berry wheat flour). Most of the ingredients are easily obtainable, especially if you have access to a good health food store. The author does a fair job of giving lots of sources for buying some of the less common grains. Websites would be helpful, but I can understand why he would not include them (since web addresses change all the time). A bit of time spent online can put you in contact with any number of suppliers. I would have appreciated more time spent on the section for grinding your own grain. There are a number of home grain mills on the market, and it would have been nice if he had taken some time and discussed the pros and cons of various mills. While cooking with whole grains is part of a healthier lifestyle, this is not a health-food cookbook, nor is it vegetarian. There are meatless recipes, and there are low-fat recipes, but that isn't the point of this book. Livingston is introducing the reader to a vast array of grains and ways to prepare them. Since the recipes aren't any more difficult to prepare than recipes from any average cookbook, the hardest thing will be finding the grains; head to your local health food store. Even some large supermarkets are stocking small packages of whole grains in their health food/organic aisles.

Great information about grains:
This book contains interesting and informative information about just about every grain plus some legumes, nuts, and seeds. The only problem I have with this book is that it seems that the recipes were not tested. The first two recipes I tried did not work they way there were written which makes me hesitant to try any others. Another thing that makes me feel that perhaps these weren't tested is that there are no recipes yields so you don't know how many of a cookie your making or how many servings a recipe will make.

An outstanding addition to any cookbook collection.:
Barley, oats and corn are the feature of this cookbook, which packs in recipes for using whole grains in a fresh way. Desserts and breads feature heavily in these dishes, which also include plenty of main course options.