This 460-page cookbook is filled with information and recipes on how to use traditional methods for preparing organic, ancient grains. This information will help get you started preparing healthy, nutritious meals for yourself and your family while avoiding many of the nutrition-related illnesses that plague our modern society. These simple recipes will also help you save time in the kitchen and money at your local grocery store or co-op. In the first part of the information section, you will find over 200 pages of information on low-gluten, no-gluten, life-giving ancient grains such as buckwheat, corn, einkorn, emmer, oats, quinoa, spelt and rice. In the second part, you will find information on why you should sprout grains, how to choose grains for sprouting, how to sprout grains, how to dry sprouted grains and how to grind dried, sprouted grains to make flour. In the third part, you will find information on the importance of using organic, ancient grains. There, you will learn why it is important to avoid using grains that have been grown using modern, agricultural and manufacturing processes including using toxic chemicals, sewage sludge, dangerous irradiation and harmful hybridization. These processes also include removing life-giving fiber and nutrients and even adding synthetic nutrients. Lastly, you will learn why it is very important to avoid grains that have been grown using genetic modification processes (GMO's). In the fourth section, you will find information about other, natural, healthy ingredients that you will want to use when preparing ancient grains such as homemade yogurt, saturated oils, natural sweeteners, pure water and Himalayan salt. Lastly, you will find information about other foods that you will want to use when preparing meals using ancient grains such as grass-fed meats and cage-free eggs. In the second section, you will find over 150, step-by-step, easy-to-follow recipes!! In the first part of the recipe section, you will find recipes on how to sprout grains to make flours and milks. In the second part, you will find recipes on how to use ancient grains to make baking-soda breads such as Buckwheat Noir Pancakes, Belgian Waffles and Scones. You will also find recipes on how to use sprouted, ancient grains to make Ossaean Tortilla Chips, Sprouted Spelt Bread and Ezekiel Bread Rolls. You will also learn how to make no-knead yeast breads, sourdough breads and naturally fermented breads such as Honey Spelt Bread, Bagels and English Muffins. In the third part, you will find recipes on how to make healthy desserts and snacks from sprouted, ancient grains, sucanat and real butter including Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Chocolate Brownies, Bread Pudding, Banana Nut Bread, German Chocolate Cake, Wild Berry Tart and Apple Crisp. In the fourth section, you will find recipes on how to make egg dishes using breads made from ancient grains such as Eggs Benedict, Egg Muffins and Egg Bagels. You will also learn how to make pasta entrees using homemade pasta from ancient grains such as Chicken Fettuccini, Salmon Fettuccini and Beef Stroganoff. And, you will learn how to make gluten-free rice entrees using ancient rices such as Sweet and Sour Chicken, Chicken Marsala, Thai Curry Chicken and Lamb Kabobs. Lastly you will learn how to make bread entrees using ancient grains such as Chicken Fajitas, Fish Tacos and Turkey Pot Pie. I even threw in a few extra recipes like how to steam "boiled" eggs and how to make quick, dill pickles. In addition, this book includes over 90 pages of tips on everything from why you should use natural cleaning products, to preserving food, to using safe baby product! Lastly, as an added bonus, since it would be cost prohibitive to use color photos in this book, I have provided a web page, cookingwithancientgrains.wordpress.com, and a facebook page, Cooking With Ancient Grains, where you will find step-by-step, colored pictures to help you create several of these dishes!!
About the Author: I grew up in a middle class home in a family of six in the small, historic, town of Benicia, California. My father was health conscience before it became popular to be health conscience! He always insisted that we eat plenty of whole, natural foods and very few processed foods. My mom contributed to his philosophy by making homemade breads, cookies and desserts using healthy ingredients. When I had a family of my own, with four boys, I continued those traditions and added a few of my own. We built a log home in the Sierra foothills on a small piece of property where I was able to plant a few fruit trees and grow an organic, heirloom garden. I also canned, dehydrated or froze any excess produce to keep us supplied with wholesome food year round. Eventually, I added a dozen chickens - who were free to roam the backyard, eat grass and peck for bugs - that supplied us with fresh eggs. And, not long after that I began raising alpine dairy goats that kept us supplied with more than enough fresh, sweet milk for drinking and cooking. I often used the milk to make cheese, ice cream and cheese cake for family and friends as well. Along with that, I ordered all of our organic, whole grains in bulk from a natural-food co-op, Azure Standard, who delivered the food to our doorstep each month. By ordering through Azure Standard, I was able to save money and grind my own grains daily to make homemade breads, muffins, pies, cookies, etc. After my sons had grown and started families of their own, I continued my pursuit of eating healthy and began experimenting by using traditional methods of preparing grains such as sprouting, soaking and fermenting. I also switched from hybridized grains like wheat to ancient grains like spelt and einkorn. At one point, I even opened a cafe where I made all of my pancakes, cookies and desserts from scratch using freshly ground, organic grains, sucanat and real butter. Eventually, I decided that I wanted to pass all of my information, recipes and methods onto my sons and grand-children, so I began compiling this cookbook. After many more years, I decided to publish my cookbook and share it with others. Now, I hope that you will benefit from my journey in preparing nutritious foods as much as I have!