Tuesday, March 20, 2007

the mama-grain



welcome to quinoa.
the quintessential uber-grain, in my culinary bible. known to the incas as the mama-grain (chesiya mama), it was planted by the inca emperors as an offering to the Sun God (El Inti) at the start of each summer.
vegie patties; stuffing for stuffed things (like round zucchis); in tabbouli; with curry; as porridge; in soup; the perfect noise-maker for ra'ashanim. hotter than the ubiquitous grain of white rice.

and it's not kitniyot.
how to prepare: just like rice...
1C quinoa to 1C boiling water with soup seasoning/s&p to please. add the quinoa once the water is boiling, cook covered (low heat) for 15 minutes. do anything you want with it once it is ready. i've photographed two options but cant be bothered posting the recipes now.

4 comments:

Truffle said...

I've read so much about quinoa but never cooked it myself so this was a great post to read! Loved the photos too :)

Lucy said...

Quinoa is a favourite - is that a squash stuffed with it?

Yum.

Jen said...

I have always wondered how you cook quinoa. Thanks for giving me ideas.

flosher said...

i am a convertyed fan of quinoa i had never had it nor heard of it til recently and I am such a fan, its yum keep up the great work andthe great photos!