Los Angeles baker Jullapat offers a guide to healthier baking with recipes incorporating barley, buckwheat, corn, oats, rice, rye, sorghum and wheat to unlock flavors and textures as vast as the historic lineages of these ancient crops.
I have long rated cookbooks by what I call their IQ—short for irresistibility quotient—based on the number of recipes I can’t wait to try. Mother Grains is at the Mensa level ... Jullapat’s multiple versions of chocolate chip cookies are a good place to start—and worth the price of the book. An enticing two-page photo spread of what might arguably be America’s greatest gift to baking (sorry, apple pie lovers) graphically shows the different depth of color depending on the grain used ... My only complaint is that Jullapat’s 16-cookie yield is not enough. I doubled all recipes, and froze balls of dough to bake fresh as needed.
... an inviting collection about bread and pastry. With raw honesty, she recounts the impact of her mother's death at a young age, and her move from Orange County, CA, to her father's native Costa Rica as he attempted to find solace after grief ... The book's strength lies in its focus on grains that are easily accessible in grocery stores and online, including barley and rice. While all chapters feature inventive recipes, the oats section is a highlight, with star recipes like power oat bars ... Jullapat's conversational approach and winning recipes will draw in aspiring bakers and inspire existing ones.
... delightful ... Instructions—including those for home-milling flour—are thorough ... Homey choices include chocolate chip cookies made with seven of the eight grains, and spelt pretzels poached in beer. This compendium triumphs by making grains feel anything but stodgy.
