A stalk of barley. Photo courtesy of Pardesi*/Flickr

• Barley inspires delicious obsessions, and a recipe for Barley with Walnuts and Roasted Spring Vegetables.
• Lies in advertising: Anti-microbials are slipping into our antibiotic-free meat.
• Coffee can kick food, like sleepy humans, into high gear. You can braise, rub and sauce with it -- and that's just for starters.
• Ducca's gets a new executive chef in Erica Holland-Toll, previously of Lark Creek Inn.
• A whole lot of love for the hot eateries and bars of San Francisco: Fly Bar gets a second location on Divisadero; Pleasant Hill's Sichuan Fortune House offers a plentiful menu of good eats; Outerlands dishes great food if you get there before it runs out; Foreign Cinema offers family fare with foreign flicks; Town Hall still rocks with notable service and Southern flavor; and Michelle Mah goes European with Midi.
  

"Currently there is neither a regulatory definition of the term 'gluten free,' nor is there agreement among manufacturers or consumers as to what this term means," said the FDA. Their new rules state that "gluten free" foods must not have any type of wheat, rye or barley, including hybrid grains that use them. They allow for the use of such grains if the gluten is completely removed before processing, however. The terms that will be imposed on those who violate the new guidelines, assuming that they are accepted, has yet to be determined. The FDA will take comments on the proposal (PDF) for several weeks before revising it and making their final ruling.

A study done by the USDA has shown that increasing the amount of whole grains in your diet can have multiple health benefits, including lowering the blood pressure of individuals who have slightly elevated cholesterol. The participants went on a controlled diet for a few weeks, then the refined carbohydrates they ate were all replaced with whole grains that had both soluble and insoluble fiber (barley, whole wheat and brown rice). Some diets had an equal amount of the two types of fiber, while others had more insoluble fiber. The blood pressure for all the study participants decreased on the whole grain diets, though women did better on the diet higher in soluble fiber (more barley).

One other interesting result of the study was that once whole grains were added to the diets from the controlled baseline diet, the number of calories that study participants also increased. Even so, they lost an average of 1 kg each (2.2 lbs) during the several-week program.

The recommended daily guidelines for Americans suggest that at least half of all the grains consumed during the day be whole grains, which comes out to be 3 -5 servings daily. Aside from whole grain breads, like those made from whole wheat flour instead of wheat flour, there are quite a few other foods that will let you get those servings in. The ten most popular sources of whole grains are whole wheat (flour), whole oats/oatmeal, whole-grain corn, popcorn, brown rice, whole rye, whole-grain barley, wild rice, buckwheat and triticale, and as they are the most popular, they are also the most readily available.

Oatmeal, corn, popcorn and both brown and wild rice are easy enough to add into your weekly diet, and barley can stand in for rice or potatoes at many meals. Rye and buckwheat can be found in many breads, most of which will make superb sandwiches during the week. To add them in at home, you can try buckwheat pancakes or a blueberry buckwheat bundt cake. Triticale is a hybrid of rye and wheat, found mostly at health food stores, and can also be incorporated into many recipes.

A great source for some whole-grain recipes online is Bob's Red Mill website, which covers recipes for all of the top 10 grains.

Well, if you didn't already know, now you know: barley is good for you. But just in case you forget, the FDA has confirmed that food manufacturers may now state the claim that whole grain barley is linked to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease on their products. Obviously, the news here isn't that we've suddenly found out that barley is heart-healthy. The news is that food products that provide at least 0.75 grams of soluble fiber per serving can use the health claim in their marketing.

Regardless of how exciting this may be for the food marketers, it's still a reminder that including grains like barley in our diets, especially in their "whole" form, is alwaysa good idea. Just remember, the barley in beer is not considered "healthy" in this case.

I was on a bit of a barley kick a few weeks ago, but a tiny bag lasts a pretty long time. Since plain steamed barley gets old, I've been trying to figure out ways to make it more exciting. Enter: barley risotto. Technically, it's not a risotto since it's not made with rice, so technically, it should really be called "barlotto," right?

To make the basic barley risotto, heat 4 Tbsp olive oil in pan over medium-low heat, add 1 c. very finely chopped onions (about 1 medium sized onion) and cook until the onions are translucent (and try not to let them brown, though since barley is brown, it won't look as bad as if you were making real risotto). About halfway through, add about 2-3 garlic cloves that have been very finely minced.

I'm beginning to think that introducing beer to my diet doesn't really count toward my grain requirements on the new food pyramid, even though Guinness's soon-to-be-released Mid-strength sure sounds like it will help me grow big and strong and healthy.

Barley is a grain that can be traced to the Middle East as far back as 7000 BC. It has been used extensively throughout history for breads and beer, but was deemed somewhat of a peasant food. However, barley has made quite a comeback for its ease of cultivation, nutritional value, and appreciation for its chewy texture and nutty taste.

Barley is most often sold hulled of its tough exterior, and is called simply "hulled" or "Scoth" barley. These forms retain the most fiber, phosphorus, and potassium offered by the grain. Pearl barley is even further processed, removing most of the bran and germ, rendering only the inner kernel. Though there is less nutritional value in pearl barley, it is easier to cook and less chewy to eat. Barley also comes in a quick cooking format, barley flakes, which is similar to the quick-cooking rolled oats.

Though we are most familiar with barley in a supporting role in soups and stews, barley can be substituted for rice in any recipe. The cooking time may be slightly longer, and the texture will obviously be chewier than a plain white or even brown rice. 

If you'd like to experiment with barley, here are a few recipes from around the web to get you started:

• Beef Barley Soup right here at Slashfood
• Barley "Risotto" from Gourmet
• Lemon Barley Pilaf from Bon Appetit
• Sara Moulton's Barley, Corn, and Roasted Poblano Salad

Beer. It could be the next product to use heart health benefits as one of its key marketing attributes, if the diet-blog's interpretation of new FDA rules catches on. According to a recent FDA announcement, "whole grain barley and barley-containing products are allowed to claim that they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD)." As we all know, beer contains barley! Next thing you know, your favorite brew will contain a label that says, "drinking this beer contributes to a healthy heart and may attract bikini-clad women!*"

Naturally, there's a catch. Evidently the beer is a bit too low on fiber to qualify. Oh well, maybe 2006 will bring more and looser FDA rules. We can but hope.

*That last part hasn't been vetted by the FDA. Yet.

[Thanks for the tip, Jim, and to Ernest von Rosen for the photo]