Over the years, I've actively tried to expand the number of grains I eat regularly. I grew up eating quite a lot of brown rice, and my mom frequently added barley to soups and stews, but beyond that, I was fairly clueless. I acquired a copy of The New Laurel's Kitchen not long after I moved to Philadelphia and it became my go-to resource for learning about new grains. It opened my eyes to quinoa (not exactly a grain, but it acts like one), millet (both as a cooked and raw grain) and kasha (buckwhat groats) and I continue to explore. If you're also trying to incorporate more whole grains into your diet these days (after all, it is the new food trend) then I have a helpful resource for you. Last week, Carrie Floyd put together a whole grain glossary on Culinate and it has become my new favorite repository of grain information (Laurel's Kitchen is still wonderful, but since I often plan meals while sitting at work, I can't really carry it around with me all the time).
Check it out and let yourself be inspired to check out some new grains. It's a little more challenging that buying the box of Cheerios that now has more whole grains, but it's a whole lot more interesting and tasty.











