Emeril | Al Dente: A Blog About Eating

From yesterday’s quinoa to today’s farro, I eat a lot of grains. We ate a lot of pasta when I was growing up (a lot), but beyond that and white rice, there was not a lot of variety. I think part of that was the 1980s and 90s did not see a lot of different grains showing up on grocery shelves.

I think the Food Network has helped this along. Emeril and Giada brought new words into our collective lexicon, regardless of how badly they pronounced or over-annunciated them. The expansion of Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s raised the grocery game in terms of healthy and natural foods and I think Wegmans caught the wave and rode it. You see it with the expansion of their Nature’s Marketplace and the variety of store-brand products. Go down the rice aisle in Wegmans and check out what is private label these days: basamati and jasmine rices, quinoa and couscous blends, and farro.

The recipe from Bon Appetit that inspired tonight’s dinner was a cold salad. I thought that this was possible to do hot and not lose the essence of the meal. It was not bad. I would try this cold over the summer, but as a hot dish it had a nice balance of saltiness, sharpness (from the dijon) and tangy (goat cheese). Continue reading Wednesday dinner: Farro with chicken, beans and goat cheese →