JWM - Volume 2, Issue 4 - (Page 63)

For food enthusiasts, it’s a joyful and rare occasion when chefs and nutritionists agree. T hree plates into the tasting menu at Noma, the famed copenhagen restaurant, the server brings a plate of thinly sliced dried scallops on pearls of watercress-peppered grains and hazelnuts floating on a pool of squid ink. in the hands of Noma’s chef rené redzepi, it is artful. But it is not precious. the flavors sing and textures sustain. at the heart of this dish are biodynamically grown grains—spelt and kamut—two of a dozen or more ancient and culturally significant grains that have sustained whole nations only to be nearly lost for centuries. today, grains are turning up again as the hero starch beloved by chefs worldwide. From nutty, cheese-loving farro to freekeh, unripe wheat grains being used with gusto from the middle East to the middle Eastern–inspired oleana in cambridge, ma, there is virtually no grain left uncovered in modern cuisine. For food enthusiasts, it’s a joyful and rare occasion when chefs and nutritionists agree. chefs are thrilled to have vast, satisfying alternatives to pasta, rice and bread. Nutritionists like Keri Glassman are thrilled that whole grains—milled and cooked with the nutrient-dense germ, bran and endosperm intact—are replacing at least some of the refined grains, pastas and breads on menus. “whole grains are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber, and will keep blood glucose levels stable and increase satiety, so the body is energized and fuller longer,” says Glassman. when asked what top five grains she’s like to see in home kitchens, her list included teff, millet, quinoa, wild rice and popcorn. Yes, popcorn. to find the holy grail of grains, look to the New Nordic cuisine of chefs like redzepi, or Gunnar Karl Gislason of Dill in reykjavik, iceland. Gislason works magic with barley—a cereal grain long loved for brewing as well as eating—in his contemporary take on Nordic flavors. You’ll find it on his evolving menu in the form of a barley crisp with capelin roe or prawns with a bracing barley and cress salad. Frédéric morin, the chef behind joe Beef, Liverpool House and mcKiernan in montreal, gives risotto-style barley soup a swirl of Scotch whiskey. at oleana, chef ana Sortun’s Eastern mediterranean–inspired menu may include barley soup with yogurt or dried spearmint. more often than not, these chefs are sourcing their grains locally, or at least regionally, and touting the freshness and flavor perks. “i get all my barley from Eymundur at Vallanes [in East iceland]. Everything he makes is organic, beautiful and so good you can’t help it, you will love it,” says Gislason. In the Kitchen most grains are as easy to prepare at home as they are in world-class restaurants. Barley and, even more so, bulgur (wheat kernels that have been boiled, dried and cracked) are perhaps the best examples. Because bulgur cooks in 10 to 15 minutes and takes on just about any flavor, it is one of the easiest grains to adopt at home. Says Sortun: “there’s nothing to get used to when it comes to bulgur. it’s just good. Period.” in many cultures, grains are a way of life. in others, like North america, there’s an education required. Because of the grain evangelism of experts like Glassman, and better whole-grain recipes and accessibility, many home cooks are giving these a shot. and because these grains deliver on flavor and texture, it’s that much easier to reach the unconverted. “the grains i love, i love for their flavor. and i love them as a vehicle to absorb other flavors,” says Sortun. and her diners share her enthusiasm for the grains on her menu. Other WhOle Grains Amaranth Barley Buckwheat Corn, cornmeal and popcorn Millet Oats Quinoa Brown and wild rice Rye Sorghum (milo) Teff Triticale Wheat such as spelt, emmer, farro, kamut, bulgur and wheatberries Farro, Quinoa and Corn For many chefs, the buttery wheat grain farro is delicious hot in soups or cold in salads. it’s at home on menus all over the mediterranean and increasingly in North america and canada. it’s easy to find on supermarket shelves and in the pages of food magazines and cookbooks around the world, from jamie oliver’s Jamie’s Italy to australia’s Delicious magazine. (Continued on page 67) J WM MAGAZINE 63 j w m a r r i o t t. c o m http://www.JWMARRIOTT.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JWM - Volume 2, Issue 4

JWM - Volume 2, Issue 4
Table of Contents
Contributors
JW Experts
Editor’s Letter
Distinctive Products, People, Ideas & Style
A Quiet Place
The Food Trap
Start With the Wine
Hidden Treasures
The Portal
Hidden Hong Kong
Grains of Truth
Game Theory
Mumbai Dreams
JW Experience
My Passion

JWM - Volume 2, Issue 4