Grains

Grains can be the basis of much innovative cooking. Wheat in many forms, buckwheat, corn, rye, barley and millet are all dried grains which offer nourishment, taste and variety once they have absorbed liquid and softened. They are an invaluable way of stretching more expensive ingredients such as pieces of meat or fish without producing a dish which is in any way stodgy.

Wheat could be called the king of grains, as it is the essential ingredient for most of our daily bread. There are also several forms of cracked wheat, including bulgar, which have been cracked by preboiling so only need soaking for use in salads, croquettes, stuffings and so on. Semolina and couscous are also forms of wheat.