The New Whole Grains Cookbook

By Robin Asbell

Hello Wedge Members!

It'll be great to be back at the Wedge this December 13, especially to introduce the publication of my first book, The New Whole Grains Cookbook (Chronicle Books, $19.95.) For those of you who have been around that long, you may well have been eating the food I made in the Wedge Deli between 1991-96. I consulted before opening and was the first head chef for the new deli in the big new store where it stands today. Back then, I was the only cook and baker, and there were only two counter workers! That didn't last long, and the deli's growth was constant for the almost five years that I created recipes and cooked there. In fact, I think that a three-grain salad with barley, buckwheat, millet and broccoli was one of the very first recipes I made for the Wedge Deli. Those were the days.

In the many years that I have been cooking with whole grains, their popularity has seen peaks and valleys. Way back, in the late 70's and early 80's, any self-respecting natural foods store would stock many varieties of grains and beans, to the exclusion of packaged or convenient foods. Then somehow a shift happened. Natural foods makers caught on to making fast and easy foods, nobody had time to cook and cooking a pot of wheat berries suddenly seemed like a commitment.

Then came the dark days of Atkins. All the people who had been on a corn syrup high decided they had to ditch all carbs, including the good ones. Bakeries closed, people craved rice and the whole grain was further downsized in its grocery presence. At the same time, heirloom varieties of whole grains were crossing over into gourmet stores and making repeat appearances on the cooking channels.

There was light at the end of the tunnel, when the message started hitting the public that there are better carbs. Thankfully, we have seen the whole grain picked up and buffed up for a new star turn. A growing body of research has found that whole grains are implicated in all sorts of good health. In 2005, the USDA raised the recommended number of servings from 1 to 3, and we were back in the game. It was around that time that I began working with my publisher on my cookbook, and after all that, it's finally here.

As for me, I left the Wedge and started my life as a "Freelance Culinary Professional," which means that I write, teach and cook in a variety of settings. It has been my goal to help bring real food into the mainstream, and to show people how delicious healthy, sustainable eating can be. I've learned a lot and taught many subjects all around the country. I've cooked for people who travel the world eating in the best restaurants, and they love my food. And now I'm back at the Wedge, cooking up pots of grains in January. The circle is complete!