Starred review from August 16, 2021
In this highly informative work, chef Berens (Ruffage) showcases the potential of cooking with grains and legumes. “The perception of whole grains seems to still be of leaden health food, endless cooking times, and cud-like chewing,” writes Berens. She debunks this misconception with more than 140 recipes that celebrate the “underappreciated staples... in their unprocessed (and often savory) state.” After guiding readers through “some things to know”—including how to mitigate “swings in gas”—she begins with a chapter of condiments, featuring vinaigrettes, pickles, and sauces such as lemon tahini or garam masala yogurt. In a hearty section on legumes, the bean family is outlined alongside helpful grids and flavor formulas that show cooks how to build versatile and vibrant dishes such as stewed Cannellini beans with saffron sofrito, or how to enjoy “a week’s worth of black beans without any boredom.” Grains get their due in a number of imaginative recipes, including gnocchi made from oats, barley doughnuts, and stewed frekkeh (a cracked wheat similar to bulgur). Woven throughout are essays and farmer interviews that present a strong case for increasing the role of grains and legumes in the global food system. The result is a definitive guide rich with flavor and inspiration. Agent: Kari Stuart, ICM Partners.
September 1, 2021
Berens has received James Beard award nominations for both her work as a chef at Michigan restaurant Granor Farm and for her 2019 cookbook Ruffage. Her latest employs a similar format and ethos to explore 29 grains, seeds, and legumes from around the world (among them, amaranth, fonio, quinoa, and cowpeas). Recipes are organized into three categories (grains, seeds, legumes), then by preparation method (boiling, pan-frying, milling, sprouting), and Berens shares dozens of tips for choosing, storing, and cooking these staples. Her more than 140 savory and sweet recipes elevate shelf-stable ingredients by adding fresh flavors, in dishes like accara (West African black-eyed pea fritters), corn porridge with mushroom cream, horchata, and barley doughnuts with marigold syrup, plus salads, soups, risottos, vegetable medleys, and breads. Each recipe features several variations, often driven by seasonal ingredients; there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, and where meat is featured in a recipe it can easily be omitted. VERDICT Berens demystifies grains, seeds, and legumes with her suggestions. An essential guide for home chefs looking to cook more than white rice and canned beans.--Kelsy Peterson, Brighton Grammar Sch., Melbourne, Australia
Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 1, 2021
Many cookbooks with a focus on a specific ingredient or food group take the stance that, by cooking with that ingredient, the reader will solve a problem in their life and/or the larger world. Chef and author Berens takes a more realistic approach, advocating for a plant-based diet in which grains, beans, seeds, and legumes play a large part, but need not completely replace animal-based proteins. She also does not ignore the complexities faced by anyone cooking and eating in the fraught and inequitable contemporary world. Berens encourages readers to start with ingredients they're excited about and demonstrates her own enthusiasm with a guide that includes the specifics of working with this wide array of ingredients and a collection of recipes for each. The ingredient count for most of the recipes is realistic and manageable. Interspersed features highlight working farmers and their areas of specialty, serving to illustrate issues that inform Berens' ethics and worldview. Readers looking for ways to approach what they eat more thoughtfully will find plenty of grist here.
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