"puffed" news and stories

My new favorite cereal is puffed millet. I know that sounds sort of boring, but it is really quite delicious. And apparently, it's good for more than cereal. As I was emptying the latest bag into the jar where I keep it, I noticed a recipe on the back for Cheesy Dill Squares (it's the Arrowhead Mills brand). They sound pretty yummy, sort of a savory rice crispy treat.

In a large bowl, you mix 1 cup of grated cheese, 1 teaspoon dill, 1/4 of butter, 1/2 cup of pastry flour and 1 beaten egg. Once all that is combined, you fold in 2 cups of puffed millet and then pour it all into a greased 8 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and brown. An added bonus to this recipe is that it would be easy to convert it into a wheat/gluten free one, if you were to substitute a different flour for the standard one. Happy baking!

That infamous snap, crackle and pop that Rice Krispies make comes from air escaping from the tiny puffed grains of rice, according to a brief article posted yesterday on LiveScience.com. When the rice grains are toasted at high temperatures, they expand, creating lots of little air-filled pockets. When the milk hits the cereal, it puts pressure on the puffed rice, thus forcing the air out. At least, that's the theory. Surprisingly, no one has ever actually funded a study. The cereal science buffs out there may also remember a post about why Cheerios floating in milk tend to cling to one another. LiveScience covered that one as well.