For Amber Waves of Grain
“That vital spark that we find in a grain of wheat can pass unchanged through countless deaths and resurrections.” – William Jennings Bryan
Between low-carb diets and most restaurant reviews, grains are typically either overlooked or the recipients of an unjustly bad rap. You will rarely hear how harmoniously tender the rice was at a restaurant (no easy task), but you will certainly be forced to watch a fellow diner brush it aside in favor of the salmon. This is a gross miscarriage of justice: Not only is grain cultivation one of the foundations of civilization (and overuse of rhyme one of its downfalls), both for caloric qualities and fermentation possibilities, but also the diversity, taste and nutritional value of grains are excelsior. This does not mean, however, that artful preparation is trivial, or even easy. Selecting the right grain can be challenging, and coaxing the exact balance of starchiness, flavor and bite — which can vary wildly from dish to dish, even with the same grain — can be more difficult than the same task with a piece of meat or fish. A bit of knowledge and a few simple principles can take you from a rice rookie to a quinoa queen. Sorry about that, we just had to try our best Rachael Ray impression.
First, the daintiest and yet most enduring of carbohydrates: rice. We know (hope) that anyone still reading knows how to prepare a basic pot of white rice. Now consider it, and forget it. While we’ve recently rediscovered the superior place of white rice in stir fries, risottos and a lot of South Asian cuisine, for our purposes it can’t match brown rice in terms of utility, versatility and nutritional value on a student’s budget. If you’re ever considering having rice as a side dish, then brown is the obvious choice: it’s relatively high in protein and minerals, and with nothing more than some salt and a drizzle of olive oil you have a stand-alone side dish rather than filler. You can also make risottos and fried rice out of it—but remember that it takes a good deal longer to cook, so you’re best off half-cooking the brown rice in water before starting the main event. Brown rice makes better cold dishes as well—it retains moisture a bit better than white and brings an element of nutty flavor to the endeavor.
Barley, though often relegated to soups, provides a similar narrative. It takes a good while to cook (though not as long as you might think), it’s good for you and it’s incredibly delicious. And unlike brown rice, barley requires you to make no sacrifice in terms of flavor absorption. Furthermore, it is totally comfortable — even excited — to star as a central component of a dish. One recent venture, illustrative of the myriad capabilities of a good grain, included pearl barley, steamed edamame, some onions and spices, chopped veggie burgers and tamarind sauce. It was almost embarrassing to cook, but it was incredibly hearty and delicious. And it goes to show that the appropriate grain can anchor both the flavor profile and the physical bulk of a dish.
Farro, quinoa, wild rice, bulghur — the possibilities are endless, and your first time preparing them can be, like a junta of eastern European econ grad students dead-lifting in the OMAC, a hairy situation. Some general pointers: if you attend to your pot, you won’t fail (when it tastes done, it is); too much water is never a problem (you can always strain); make sure to add a bit of oil to your water; and just because it’s idiosyncratic and you watched Mark Bittman do it once, it doesn’t mean you need to serve it with every meal. And, of course, there is always the king of the grains: Does anything go better with beer, wine, cheese, fruit of all manner; serve as a more durable exfoliant, or simultaneously remind you of the glorious revelry of your childhood and the endless promise of the American future than the Triscuit?
