Originating in northern Mexico and beloved throughout the world, flour tortillas are versatile, delicious and practical. Fill them with beans, cheese, vegetables and meat for a hearty burrito, or flatten them out on a griddle for a crispy quesadilla dripping with melted cheese.
This paper thin flatbread is prepared much like pita, except the dough is rolled and stretched as thin as possible and baked in under two minutes on a very hot pan, griddle or tandoor oven. Delicious served in a wrap with Falafel and hummus, bhabaghanoush and cucumber tomato salad.
This simple, crumbly shortbread dough keeps indefinitely in the freezer so you’ll always have it on hand to whip up pies, tarts, quiches, and more. Try it with whole wheat flour! It’s even better! I makes a tender crust that adds depth of flavor.
Barley isn’t just for soup or porridge. This ancient grain is as versatile as it is simple to prepare. Here I treat it a bit like risotto, but without all the fuss. Barley naturally forms a creamy sauce base right in the pan, to which you can add your vegetables, protein and seasoning of choice
This is my spin on the famous white clam pizza hailing from New Haven, Connecticut. The addition of grilled sweet onions, cherry tomatoes, and parsley on top of the crispy whole rye crust take things to a new level. While you can use any grateable cheese, like parmesan or romano, I prefer aged asiago. You can also add mushrooms or capers, and substitute with your choice of protein, such as shrimp, lobster, chicken, or pork belly.
This savory, slow-cooked Indian stew is perfect for sopping up with fresh naan. Serve over steaming aromatic rice (try Charleston Gold in place of BasmatiI) or mix it together, casserole style. Top off with Cucumber Riata for a refreshing contrast to the fiery spices.
A refreshing complement to Indian dishes like whole grain naan and lamb biryani.
Although traditionally baked in a tandoori oven, naan is easily baked in a pan or griddle. Slather in turmeric, ghee, or butter and enjoy with your favorite Indian meal!
Spring pancakes originated in northern China at least 1,500 years ago. Traditionally, they were eaten on the solstice to celebrate the beginning of spring. These chewy little wrappers are also filled and deep fried to make spring rolls.
Like spring pancakes, this dish originates from the Shandong province, but Chinese American chefs have adapted it to locally available ingredients. The Chinese version is made with pork, egg, bamboo shoots, day lily, wood ear mushrooms, and seasoned with soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, while the Chinese American version replaces the cucumber and day lilies with cabbage and carrots.
Easy to make and whipped up in a matter of minutes, you can’t argue with a cookie. As long as your leavener is fresh and sifted, and you mix your dry ingredients well before combining with the wet, you’ll have great results time after time.
Fresh milled buckwheat flour imbues these traditional French crepes with a rich, earthy flavor. I first discovered this dish in my early 20s and was immediately in love with the combination of mildly sweet leeks, nutty gruyère and grassy buckwheat.
The buckwheat crepe or “Galette” became common fare in the west of France (Brittany and surrounding areas) in the 14th century when depleted soils struggled to grow wheat (the name buckwheat is a misnomer; it’s actually a seed). Crepes are typically filled with sweet ingredients, but buckwheat’s grassy flavor lends itself particularly well to savory fillings. For something that looks and tastes so fancy, this is actually incredibly quick and simple to prepare.
Of all the ancient wheats, emmer is particularly well suited for making grilled flat breads like pita. Emmer has an elastic dough structure which makes it easy to shape and toss around a fire – but it’s easy to make on the stove too!
High-quality beans, ideally navy beans, slow-simmered with molasses and bacon, are the foundation of this classic New England dish. Growing up outside of Boston it was a childhood favorite, and he never made it from scratch!
The number one requested birthday cake in our family, this decadent chocolate dessert is made with whole wheat flour. The extra bran and germ not only make it healthier, but extra moist and dense.
I learned to make this apple tart from a French Chef in one of the first restaurants I worked in. It is simply made by turning some apples into applesauce, rolling out and blind baking a tart shell, filling it with the apple sauce, and topping with sliced apples for the bake.
Gumbo combines uniquely southern flavors and textures, starting with the holy trinity of creole cooking: bell peppers, onions, and celery, and thickened with brown roux and sweet, viscous okra. Traditionally, gumbo features fresh seafood and andouille sausage, but as with most stews, it is meant to be a catch-all for the best of what’s around. You can even make it vegetarian. Serve over long grain rice (especially Carolina Gold!) with a sprinkle of filé powder, and Tabasco, of course!
This style of cornbread is crisp, crumbly and contains no wheat or sugar! It goes incredibly well with savory foods like bacon and collards or chili con carne, or you can mix them into the batter for an all-in-one cornbread meal.
Making ravioli is an easy way to maximize your pasta skills. It yields very “fancy” results with just a little practice and no special equipment. Fill your ravioli with ricotta or other cheeses, scallops, beef, mushrooms, squash, lobster, or crab.
