Grains

These days we are inundated with all sorts of seeds, pulses, legumes and grains. Even cooks familiar with a range of lentils and beans can get a bit nervous when trying the latest rages like freekeh or quinoa; for the record I really like the former and think the latter is over-rated.

This book provides a useful guide to the properties and basic preparation of 48 products and 150 recipes, many of which I have found to be rather good.

The recipes are in an unusual style, with ingredients grouped by source - grocer, greengrocer, butcher.

And no, it is definitely not a vegetarian cookbook.

I really like this book. It presents a lot of recipes with ingredients I rarely use, and most of them look and sound quite appetizing. Unfortunately, not all of the recipes were a full success, but those that were (the two curries, so far) have gone straight into our repertoire of day-to-day dishes.