Grains, Rice and Beans

In Grains, Rice, and Beans, award-winning chef Kevin Graham transforms these humble staples into one hundred creative, flavorful, and stylish recipes for main courses, side dishes, appetizers, even desserts.

In this collection of naturally low-fat recipes for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, grains both familiar and unexpected star in dishes that range from comforting classic to creative contemporary. Here are Kasha with Shrimp, Lemon, and Rosemary and Amaranth Pear Tart, Beans, simple and sophisticated, shine in Spinach and Black Bean Quesadilla and Scarlet Runner Beans with Crawfish and Ginger. Saffron Pilaf with Shredded Lamb and Basil and Soba Noodles with Citrus and Smoked Fish demonstrate Graham's passion for rice and noodles.

Stunning color photographs by acclaimed photographer Ellen Silverman and sidebar information on ingredient varieties, history, buying guidelines, and nutrition make this book indispensable to anyone wanting to add more interesting complex-carbohydrate dishes to everyday cooking.

Library Journal

Lowly grains and beans have never looked so good as in this beautifully photographed collection of recipes from a well-known New Orleans chef. Graham, author of Simply Elegant: The Cuisine of Windsor Court Hotel (Grove Weidenfeld, 1991) and Kevin Graham's Fish & Seafood Cookbook (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, dist. by Publishers Resources, Inc., 1993), offers both sophisticated restaurant-style dishes like Fresh Baby Fava Beans with Shrimp and Sherry and comfort food like Cock-a-Leekie and Bran Muffins (of course, his version of five-bean salad is dressed with truffle oil). Unlike most grain and bean cookbooks, this one includes some recipes for fresh beans, peas, etc., not just the dried versions. A good complement to the many more homey titles on the subject.

Kevin Graham, named best chef in New Orleans in a 1995 poll of the city's chefs, has been cooking professionally for 30 years and is chef/owner of Sapphire's, located near the French Quarter in New Orleans. During his tenure as executive chef of New Orleans's five-star Windsor Court Hotel (from 1988 to 1994) the restaurant was named one of the three best restaurants in the country by Conde Nast Traveler. He is the author of The Cuisine of the Windsor Court (1991), Kevin Graham's Fish & Seafood Cookbook (1993), which was nominated for a James Beard award, Creole Flavors: Recipes for Marinades, Rubs, Sauces, and Spices (1996), and Grains, Rice and Beans (1998).

Ellen Silverman's photographs appear regularloy in magazines such as Eating Well and Food & Wine, and she has photographed numerous cookbooks and cookbook covers. She maintains a studio in New York.