the whole plate.

If you have a free moment, my dear friend and travel partner for life has recently begun a blog of her own.  A few facts about Mj: She has lived in New York, Paris, Prague, and currently resides in Dubai; she is fluent in French; she is a large part of the reason I ever opened my mind up to veganism; like me, she is usually overdressed and proud of it.  Check out more here: Dubai Dossier

Back in my early teens, when my family would choose an Asian destination for an evening dining experience, I was never thrilled.  Without the option of pasta with butter, I resigned myself to facing two hours with a glass of water and an empty stomach.  If I was lucky, there might be ice cream afterward; if not, in an attempt to participate in the meal, I would always order the same thing: a side of white rice, extra salt.  Clearly, I had a refined palate.

plain greek yogurt, wheatberries, granola

Once college and my “I’ll try anything” phase commenced, I began to uncover the endless possibilities of the real, nutty grain, whether basic brown rice or a bulgur tabbouleh.  I think my perspective truly opened over my first bowl of rice pudding, shared after an Indian feast on my first evening in London.  Legally sipping white wine for the first time, I was far more enamored with the coconut creaminess under the siege of six spoons than the novelty of not flashing a fake id.  Who knew rice could taste this good?

wheatberry pudding

Since then, I’ve come to see grains as a uniting factor between cultures.  A Spanish paella might use them with shellfish and saffron where the Japanese would wrap them into sushi.  Greeks might chill them with cucumber and mint where a South African preparation would heat in the sweetness of dried fruit.  Regardless, the presence of traditional grain dishes across the world has to say something about both their nutritional importance and palatable satisfaction.

plain greek yogurt, wheatberries, strawberries

These days, I’ve been enjoying the simplicity in basic grain preparations.  A just-crunchy enough wheatberry amidst a bowl of yogurt; a side of quinoa with a touch of garlic.  Of course, morning oats count as well.  But while I often wax on about my devotion to produce, I’ll also never live a life free of grains.  I tried once, and I wouldn’t repeat those days.

I’ll stick to the whole stuff though, and let white rice be a long-lost, bland memory.

What’s your favorite whole grain preparation?

Related posts:

1. snack 10.10: fage total.
2. in the absence of oats.
3. a week of morning variety.