by Peggy Kingery, from the May 1999 Newsletter

Every theatrical performance has an actor or actress that plays the leading role. If our dinner plate was the stage, and the scene of the play dealt with the grain portion of the macrobiotic diet, brown rice would be the star performer. A play's success, however, depends also upon a strong supporting cast. Beginning this month, and for the next two, I will be addressing the nutritional value of the "co-star" whole grains and whole grain products that compliment brown rice in macrobiotic cooking.

Grains as a principal food are the most balanced in terms of yin and yang energy; however, some display more yin or more yang characteristics than others do. The grains with more yang characteristics (i.e., small, hard, grow in cold climates) are the ones most suitable for cold weather eating. Buckwheat (or kasha) and millet are examples of this type.

Buckwheat is the most yang of the cereal grains and provides strength and warmth during the chilling days of winter. It is high in calcium, niacin, iron, protein, and the essential amino acid lysine. Botanically, it is really a fruit, not a grain, and is related to rhubarb. Whole grain buckwheat is available in two forms: roasted, called kasha; and unroasted, called buckwheat. It is delicious when prepared as a cereal, in soups, and in vegetable-grain dishes. Buckwheat flour is used in making Japanese soba noodles, knishes, and pancakes. Whole grain buckwheat has a strong taste that I found required getting used to, but that my husband liked from the first time he tasted it.

Millet is a strong, energizing, grain that is easy to digest. Millet is alkaline in nature, and traditionally is used help settle an acid stomach quickly. It is high in phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin A, niacin, and protein, contains all the essential amino acids, is higher in B vitamins than brown rice and whole wheat, and is higher in iron than any other grain except amaranth and quinoa. It is a versatile grain that can be used in soups, vegetable-grain dishes, stuffings, and croquettes. Millet is too often relegated to the bird feeder rather than the cooking pot. When lightly toasted in a dry skillet before cooking, it has a delicious nutty, buttery flavor.

There are other grains that are small, round, and hard but do not have such a strong yang influence on the body. Two of these are amaranth and quinoa. Amaranth is a fine, sand-colored grain that possesses a gelatinous quality after it is cooked. It contains many of the essential amino acids, including lysine, is high in calcium, is second only to quinoa in iron, and is rich in vitamins. Amaranth is available in two forms: whole grain and flour. It is used to thicken soups and as a cereal and can also be sprouted or popped in a dry skillet. Its texture is pleasantly crunchy and the flavor is both sweet and peppery. It always retains its shape after cooking; the hulls stay firm and chewy. I particularly enjoy pressure-cooking it with short grain brown rice (2 1/2 cups rice, 1/2 cup amaranth, 4 1/2 cups water, pinch of sea salt).

Quinoa, like buckwheat, is not actually a cereal grain, but the fruit of an herb in the goosefoot family. It contains twice as much protein as barley and rice and all of the essential amino acids, and is high in vitamins, iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Quinoa is found in both whole grain and flour form. It can be cooked alone or with other grains and is particularly tasty in bean and vegetable dishes. Its flavor is very difficult to describe. It has a mild nutty aroma and a slight crunch but tastes different from any other food I've ever eaten. One unusual feature about quinoa is that while cooking, a tiny opaque spiral appears, which encircles the grain and curls into its center.

The Co-op stocks all of these grains in their whole form and carries many products made from their flours. Throughout the month of May, quinoa will be on sale to Co-op members. What a wonderful incentive to purchase some and try it in a recipe or two! And if you're like me — anxious for spring but still in need of something warming on these lingering cool days — here is a recipe that is sure to make the wait easier.

  Millet Loaf With Mushroom Gravy
(serves 6)

Millet Loaf
2 c millet
1/2 c diced celery
1 diced carrot
6 c boiling water
1 diced onion
2 pinches of sea salt

Water sauté vegetables in a small amount of water until tender. Add millet and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add boiling water and sea salt, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30-35 minutes until all water is absorbed. Stir and press into a casserole dish.

Mushroom Gravy
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
3 c water or vegetable stock
3 T shoyu
1 minced onion
1 t sesame oil

Heat oil in a skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms until onion is translucent. Add flour to vegetables. Mix evenly with a wooden spoon so that vegetables are coated with flour. Slowly add water and stir constantly to avoid lumping. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 5-7 min. Add shoyu, cover, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour sauce over millet to cover surface. With a chopstick, poke several holes in the top of the loaf so that the sauce can be absorbed into the millet. Bake at 350^° for 30-35 minutes.

by Peggy Kingery, from the July 1999 Newsletter

The $10,000 question: What do Coors, cattle, Charismatic, and Crow (Old Crow, that is) all have in common?

We who desire to include more whole grains in our diet are in stiff competition with the breweries, distilleries, and livestock feeders in our country. A high percentage of the oats, rye, and barley grown here wind up as cattle and horse feed or as alcoholic beverages. What a shame! These three grains are delicious, nutritious, and appropriate for use as a complement to short-grain brown rice on the macrobiotic diet any season of the year.

Oats are naturally sweet, chewy, soothing, and revitalizing. They contain ample amounts of vitamin B, vitamin E, zinc, iron, calcium, and fiber, and are higher in protein and fat than any other grain. Oats are available in three forms: whole grain, steel-cut (steamed and cut into pieces), and rolled (steamed and rolled). Whole grain oats require a long cooking time, which can be decreased if they are soaked overnight. We are probably most familiar with oats in their steel-cut and rolled forms.

Rye is probably best known in its flour form as a basis for dark bread. It is high in protein, but low in gluten, so it must be mixed with other flours when used in baking. I grew up near New York City, where deli sandwiches are served on rye or pumpernickel more than on wheat bread, and very early on I developed a fondness for its chewy, slightly-sour taste. Rye is a hardy plant; it is tolerant of cold and wet conditions and thrives in poor soil.

Barley is believed to be one of the oldest cultivated grains and is very calming and cooling when eaten. It is a good source of protein, calcium, and iron. Barley is available in several forms: pearled (white-colored and fatter than short grain brown rice), hulled (darker than pearled and with only the outer chaff removed), flaked (steamed and rolled), and flour.

Pearling is a refining process in which the aleurone or outer layer of endosperm is removed, reducing the amount of calcium and vitamin B.

For those who want to enjoy barley other than as a cold beverage at the end of the day, here is one of my favorite recipes.

Hearty Barley Stew

(serves 4)

1 cup hulled barley, washed
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 diced onion
3-4 cups water
1-2 cup diced carrot
sea salt or shoyu, to taste

Layer onion, carrots, squash, and barley in a saucepan. Add water, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 1 hour. Season with sea salt or shoyu. Continue cooking until barley is tender. Thicken stew, if desired, with 2 tablespoons kuzu or arrowroot powder dissolved iin 1/4 cup water.

by Peggy Kingery, from the August 1999 Newsletter

With the memory of our Fourth of July celebrations still fresh in our minds, it seems fitting to end this first series of articles on the principal food of the macrobiotic diet, whole grains, with the ones closest to America's heart: corn and wheat. Our nation's history–and future–are intertwined with its fertile fields and golden harvests. The corn (maize) of our native peoples sustained hungry European explorers during our nation's founding. The wheat fields which color our Palouse hills green in the spring and gold in the summer guarantee a continuing food supply for future generations.

How appropriate that corn, the grain of summer, is sunny-yellow in color! This prolific grain originated in South or Central America, reaching North America more than five thousand years ago. Because it flourishes in hot weather, it's the most yin grain and provides cooling, uplifting energy when the mercury rises. Corn is high in iron, protein, calcium, and vitamin A.

The varieties available to us today differ from the multi-colored flint corn that was enjoyed by the northern Native Americans and Pilgrims. Modern varieties are larger and more uniform in color, taste, and shape than traditional varieties. We are most familiar with sweet corn (which contains the largest proportion of sugar to endosperm), popcorn, and dent corn (a soft-kernel-type that is easy to grind). Dent corn is ground into cornmeal, masa, and corn flour by two methods: stone-grinding or crushing. Stone ground corn is the healthier of the two because the nutrient-rich germ is retained; crushing removes both the hull and the germ. Whole corn is delicious in soups, salads, stews, and especially as that quintessential summertime treat, corn-on-the-cob. Ground corn finds its way into breads, desserts, cereals, tortillas, and side dishes such as grits and polenta.

Wheat is one of the most important food crops in the world today. It's seldom used in whole form (wheat berries) because it's difficult to digest unless it's thoroughly cooked and chewed. Whole wheat is high in protein, calcium, phosphorus, and thiamin. There are several types grown: hard red (high in gluten and protein; used in making bread and seitan), soft white (lower in gluten and protein than hard red; used in cakes and pastries), and durum (almost no gluten and very low in protein; used in noodles and pasta). I enjoy pressure-cooking wheat berries with short-grain brown rice (1/2 cup wheat berries, 2 1/2 cups rice, 4 1/2 cups water, pinch of sea salt) where they add a sweet and nutty flavor to the finished dish, especially if they're first toasted in a dry skillet.

Wheat is more commonly used in its processed forms of bulgur, cracked wheat, and flour. Bulgur is wheat berries that have been partially boiled or steamed, then dried and cracked. Cracked wheat is not pre-cooked, but has simply been partially milled. Both forms retain the same nutritive values as wheat berries. Because they've been processed, bulgur and cracked wheat are more yin than wheat berries and are especially cooling during hot weather. Bulgur and cracked wheat can be cooked with vegetables as pilafs and used in salads and cereals. They're delicious when mixed with rice, chickpeas (garbanzos), and lentils.

Whole wheat flour has myriad uses, but is particularly prominent in the macrobiotic diet when made into seitan ("wheatmeat") and noodles. Seitan is made by kneading the starch out of whole wheat flour in a water bath, leaving the elastic, chewy, protein-concentrated gluten.

The gluten is then cut into pieces and simmered in a broth traditionally containing water, tamari, and kombu. Once cooked, it has the texture of meat and is delicious when added to soups, stews, and stir-fry dishes. Noodles and pasta come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and are delicious in salads, soups, stir-fry dishes, and as a base for sauces. Macrobiotic cooking, with its roots in Japan, utilizes three types of traditional noodles: udon (fettuccine-shaped), somen (angel hair pasta-shaped), and soba (spaghetti-shaped that also contains buckwheat flour).

Next month I'll discuss the second-largest food group on the macrobiotic diet: vegetables. In the meantime, try this pilaf as a side dish at your next barbecue–but don't forget the corn-on-the-cob, too!

Wheat Pilaf

(Serves 3 or 4)

1 tsp. unrefined oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
1/2 cup uncooked whole wheat macaroni
3 cups water
1 tbsp. shoyu
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

Dice vegetables. Heat oil and sauté vegetables briefly, then add bulgur and macaroni and stir well. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring water, shoyu, and oregano to a boil. Add vegetables and return to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Gently fluff with fork, garnish with parsley, and serve.

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