I spotted some wheat kernels at the market yesterday, in the produce
area. They were packaged by the store in little 1 pound cups, 99 cents
per pound. I bought a package. Knowing that my neighborhood is the
Italian epicenter of my small city, I knew they were there for the
popular Italian Easter Pie made with ricotta and cooked wheat grains.

Does anyone have any recipes using whole wheat as a grain, similar to
rice or barley? This isn't bulgar, which is different, bulgar is
almost flakey and there is no dearth of recipes using bulgar.

The product I have consists of smooth, hard, polished kernels of
wheat. (like brown rice or pearled barley)

Am hoping to make a risotto type of side dish, but need to know
proportions of water to grain, duration to cook, etc. And should one
mix it with other grains or is it good by itself? Does it require pre-
soaking?

I'm not adverse to doing a mixed grain dish (maybe barley, wheat and
brown rice???) but again, am looking for a recipe to guide me, rather
than just start experimenting.
Thanks in advance for your help.

wrote:
>
> Am hoping to make a risotto type of side dish, but need
> to know proportions of water to grain, duration to cook, etc.
> And should one mix it with other grains or is it good by itself?
> Does it require pre-soaking?

Do not mix it with other grains. It takes forever
to cook, and the other grains will be severely
overcooked. Pre-soaking might help, but I can't
say how much that might reduce the cooking time.

At best, it will be tough and chewy. Some people
like that, but most don't.

wrote:
> I spotted some wheat kernels at the market yesterday, in the produce
> area. They were packaged by the store in little 1 pound cups, 99 cents
> per pound. I bought a package. Knowing that my neighborhood is the
> Italian epicenter of my small city, I knew they were there for the
> popular Italian Easter Pie made with ricotta and cooked wheat grains.
>
> Does anyone have any recipes using whole wheat as a grain, similar to
> rice or barley? This isn't bulgar, which is different, bulgar is
> almost flakey and there is no dearth of recipes using bulgar.
>
> The product I have consists of smooth, hard, polished kernels of
> wheat. (like brown rice or pearled barley)

I use wheatberries a lot, both as a cooked grain and in home-ground
wheat flour. I cook them in the pressure cooker: 1 cup wheat, 3
cups water, 35-45 minutes quick-release, depending on how soft I
want them.

We use it like rice as a side dish, but I also love this salad recipe:

http://www.recfoodcooking.org/sigs/S...y%20Salad.html

Serene

wrote:
> I spotted some wheat kernels at the market yesterday, in the produce
> area. They were packaged by the store in little 1 pound cups, 99 cents
> per pound. I bought a package. Knowing that my neighborhood is the
> Italian epicenter of my small city, I knew they were there for the
> popular Italian Easter Pie made with ricotta and cooked wheat grains.
>
> Does anyone have any recipes using whole wheat as a grain, similar to
> rice or barley? This isn't bulgar, which is different, bulgar is
> almost flakey and there is no dearth of recipes using bulgar.
>
> The product I have consists of smooth, hard, polished kernels of
> wheat. (like brown rice or pearled barley)
>
> Am hoping to make a risotto type of side dish, but need to know
> proportions of water to grain, duration to cook, etc. And should one
> mix it with other grains or is it good by itself? Does it require pre-
> soaking?
>
> I'm not adverse to doing a mixed grain dish (maybe barley, wheat and
> brown rice???) but again, am looking for a recipe to guide me, rather
> than just start experimenting.
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
One of my favorite foods. Soak them overnight and they will take only
20 minutes or so to cook to al dente. Put some chopped herbs into a
bowl, add the cooked wheat, drizzle good oil over it, squeeze half a
lemon over, mix. Taste for salt and then leave it alone until lunch
time. A little minced onion is OK, too.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:26:10 -0700, Serene-O-Matic
> wrote:

wrote:
>> I spotted some wheat kernels at the market yesterday, in the produce
>> area. They were packaged by the store in little 1 pound cups, 99 cents
>> per pound. I bought a package. Knowing that my neighborhood is the
>> Italian epicenter of my small city, I knew they were there for the
>> popular Italian Easter Pie made with ricotta and cooked wheat grains.
>>
>> Does anyone have any recipes using whole wheat as a grain, similar to
>> rice or barley? This isn't bulgar, which is different, bulgar is
>> almost flakey and there is no dearth of recipes using bulgar.
>>
>> The product I have consists of smooth, hard, polished kernels of
>> wheat. (like brown rice or pearled barley)
>
>I use wheatberries a lot, both as a cooked grain and in home-ground
>wheat flour. I cook them in the pressure cooker: 1 cup wheat, 3
>cups water, 35-45 minutes quick-release, depending on how soft I
>want them.
>
>We use it like rice as a side dish, but I also love this salad recipe:
>
>http://www.recfoodcooking.org/sigs/S...y%20Salad.html
>
>Serene

Looks like a good recipe. I may also try it with quinoa since I have
some here.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

wrote

> I spotted some wheat kernels at the market yesterday, in the produce
> area. They were packaged by the store in little 1 pound cups, 99
cents
> per pound. I bought a package. Knowing that my neighborhood is the
> Italian epicenter of my small city, I knew they were there for the
> popular Italian Easter Pie made with ricotta and cooked wheat
grains.

That's "pastiera", also called "pastiera napoletana".
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

> wrote:

> Does anyone have any recipes using whole wheat as a grain, similar to
> rice or barley?

Make a wheat kasha. Soak the wheat grains in water for at least 12
hours. Drain the water and cook the kasha in milk for 20-30 minutes
until it is ready and the milk has mostly evaporated/absorbed. Mix in
some yoghurt and refrigerate overnight. Instead of yoghurt, you can mix
in some butter and some finely minced onions, sautéed or raw, in which
case you can eat the kasha at once.

Victor

wrote:

> Does anyone have any recipes using whole wheat as a grain, similar to
> rice or barley?
>
> The product I have consists of smooth, hard, polished kernels of
> wheat. (like brown rice or pearled barley)
>
> Am hoping to make a risotto type of side dish, but need to know
> proportions of water to grain, duration to cook, etc. And should one
> mix it with other grains or is it good by itself? Does it require pre-
> soaking?


I got _The Complete Whole Grain Cookbook_ by Carol Gelles off my shelf
for the following information.


Rinse 1 cup of uncooked grain. Place in 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a
boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours. Let it stand for 15
minutes off the heat. Add salt only after cooking. Yields 2 3/4 cups.


Recipes in the book include:


Wheat berry scampi
Spicy pork with lychees
Wheat berry tomato salad
Wheat berry veggie melt.


--Lia

On Apr 10, 3:41 pm, Giusi > wrote:
> wrote:
> > I spotted some wheat kernels at the market yesterday, in the produce
> > area.
> (snip)
> > Does anyone have any recipes using whole wheat as a grain, similar to
> > rice or barley?
(snip)

> One of my favorite foods. Soak them overnight and they will take only
> 20 minutes or so to cook to al dente. Put some chopped herbs into a
> bowl, add the cooked wheat, drizzle good oil over it, squeeze half a
> lemon over, mix. Taste for salt and then leave it alone until lunch
> time. A little minced onion is OK, too.
>
> --
> Posted via a free Usenet account fromhttp://www.teranews.com

Thanks, this is exactly what I needed!

I truly had no idea it had to soak overnight first. That's a great tip.

Vilco wrote:
> wrote
>
>> I spotted some wheat kernels at the market yesterday, in the produce
>> area. They were packaged by the store in little 1 pound cups, 99
> cents
>> per pound. I bought a package. Knowing that my neighborhood is the
>> Italian epicenter of my small city, I knew they were there for the
>> popular Italian Easter Pie made with ricotta and cooked wheat
> grains.
>
> That's "pastiera", also called "pastiera napoletana".

I recently had a Neapolitan friend write all about pastiera Napolitana
as a guest blogger. Hers was so superior to all others I'd tried, I
begged and she wrote.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

wrote:
> On Apr 10, 3:41 pm, Giusi > wrote:

>> One of my favorite foods. Soak them overnight and they will take only
>> 20 minutes or so to cook to al dente. Put some chopped herbs into a
>> bowl, add the cooked wheat, drizzle good oil over it, squeeze half a
>> lemon over, mix. Taste for salt and then leave it alone until lunch
>> time. A little minced onion is OK, too.
>>
>> --
>> Posted via a free Usenet account fromhttp://www.teranews.com
>
> Thanks, this is exactly what I needed!
>
> I truly had no idea it had to soak overnight first. That's a great tip.
>

It doesn't have to, but it is faster to cook if you do.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com