The New Whole Grain Cookbook: Terrific Recipes Using Farro, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley, and Many Other Delicious and Nutritious Grains

Like many people, I have been trying to improve my diet, cut out processed foods and eat more whole foods. While searching for healthier alternatives I stumbled across this book, and I am so glad I did. Whether you are looking for a recipe to prepare a healthy filling meal or a delicious side dish, you will be sure to find something tempting in this collection of recipes. There are even some excellent desserts. My favorite recipes: the Whole Wheat Walnut Scones and the Zuppa Fiorentina. I love the fact that the author took the time to describe each of the grains used in the recipes, their individual history, traditional uses, and simple preparation techniques for each grain outside of the main recipes. The book is colorful, well written and well laid out. I wouldn’t usually recommend cookbooks for their beautiful photographs, but great recipes aside, this is a gorgeous book.

It is a very colorful book with lots of pictures, tastefully laid out, and it has some useful recipes. I bought it mostly for the brown rice and barley sections. There really wasn't much on them, but what there was was useful. Someone had an eye for attractive food pictures.

I bought this book looking for more recipes on whole grain cooking, a request made by my husband. We're kind of new to cooking with whole grains and if you take a look out there on whole grain cookbooks, there's not a lot. This could have really been an awesome reference for this niche. Instead I found it to be another "coffee table cookbook", where looks matter more than content. And there is good content, I'll admit. But what went wrong is the presentation. Here's what I mean. First, the recipe titles are too long. "Middle Eastern Lentil Rice Rolls with Taratoor Sauce". How about this one: "Chicago Deep-dish Spinach Portobello Sausage Pizza". When a title has to broken down into two separate lines you know there's a problem. It takes me 5 seconds to work out the title in my mind and picture the image. That's exhausting after 75 recipes. And guess what? You do have to imagine what something looks like because pictures are missing. Here's the second problem. I know colored photos in books are expensive but many of these recipes are just too weird to not include a picture. This is what is absolutely amazing, sometimes there are colored pictures next to recipe, except they are not photos of the food. They are "artsy" photos of nothing in particular such as a portion of a spoon handle on a place mat, or a piece of napkin on a table. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You want me to imagine Summer Grilled Vegetable Salad with Black Rice and Arugula, and want to help me out by including a picture of a spoon on a plate? Gah! But the design elements on the top of the page are cute (those are bleed-cut elements and make the book printing even more expensive but I guess they saved money on the photography.)

This book meets most of my needs for cooking and preparing whole grains which are most healthy for our hearts. I like to try new grains and this books gives me the chance to do that. I am very excited to try the many recipes. B. Koch

Always nice to have a few more grain recipes. And the recipe for ricotta wheat berry cake is surprisingly good. But most of the recipes are kind of fancy and this isn't the "how to feed your family with whole grains" bible I was looking for.

Love this cookbook. Lots of variety, including everything from breakfast to whole grains that star as the center of the meal. Robin's recipes never disappoint.

Yes we do have a poor grain diet in America, but if the author really wanted to give more punch to her recipes and "sell" grains to Americans, she should have included more photos. The two recipes I have tried I liked. A source for grain purchase would have been helpful as well as the only grains I find here in town are the quinoa, some of the rices, and barley. This book is a good collection starter on grains; however, more cookbooks on the subject will definitely be needed.

Like I said...Love the grains and this book has it all, so taste and colorful, also very complete. You'll have no problem following the recipes.