BOWLS OF PLENTY

A first of its kind book from one of the outstanding “behind the scenes” food experts (or as she calls herself “professional home cook”) and culinary writers at work today – James Beard Award winner Carolynn Carreño, the “secret weapon” on such high profile, acclaimed books as Meat by Pat LaFrieda (Esquire's Best Cookbook of 2014) The Mozza Cookbook by Nancy Silverton (James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef of the Year 2014) and Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin, to name just a few.

Here Carolynn focuses on a versatile gastronomic approach that is riding the crest of a wave of enthusiasm among everyone interested in “healthy-delicious” food – food that doesn't compromise on combinations of great flavors to deliver nutritious, bountiful meals. The popularity of “grain bowls” – dishes that start with a base of healthy “new” whole grains such as quinoa, wheat berries or spelt and then build on this foundation with richer, more complex ingredients - is growing exponentially, from your local farm table restaurant to mass market brands such as Chipotle and beyond. Grain bowls, quite simply, capture the cleaner, healthier, more honest way people want to eat today.
There is nothing like Bowls of Plenty on the market. It's a unique guide for creating superior whole grain-centric meals, designed for the home cook exploring or committed to a “healthy-delicious” food lifestyle, with recipes that are inspired and sophisticated, featuring a wide range of grains cooked in a variety of original and different ways, with irresistible vegetable and/or dairy and protein toppings, resulting in soul-satisfying dishes that look and taste fantastic yet are simple and quick to prepare.
With vibrant, mouth-watering photographs and no-fail, easy-to-follow recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, Bowls of Plenty will revolutionize and elevate whole grain cooking with a fresh and light brightness and texture, providing readers with a modern handbook for healthy cooking at home. As Joe Bastianich says in his endorsement of BOWLS OF PLENTY:
“There is no one better than Carolynn to illuminate the growing trend of grain bowls, where gourmet food meets health food."

Carolynn is a stylish, knowledgeable, entertaining food writer, with a real gift for both story-telling and recipe presentation. Her training and background is at the epicenter of contemporary high-end food, having cooked in some of the great restaurant kitchens with such luminaries as Nancy Silverton and Alice Waters, and she brings a meticulous and highly refined approach to the dishes presented in Bowls of Plenty. She also has a long-time dedication to healthy eating that informs the project on a very persuasive and engaging personal level. (Way before it was on trend, Carolynn, daughter of a Southern California vegetarian hippie mom, was the one at the table ordering wheat grass juice.)
But the dishes in Bowls of Plenty won't be the gruel of health food stores of yore; no overcooked stewed leafy greens, rubbery turmeric-stained cauliflower, or gluey legumes here. Instead, you'll find toothsome, perfectly cooked spelt tossed with savory braised lentils in Spelt with French Lentils, Frizzled Onions, and Garlic Yogurt Sauce. And my turmeric-stained cauliflower will be a gorgeous giant wedge, blanched and then caramelized and sitting pretty as part of Quinoa, Millet, and Chickpeas, with an Indian-Spiced Cauliflower Wedge and Cilantro Chutney. Long slender carrots are roasted with ground cumin, a classic Moroccan flavor combination, in Chewy Grains and Chickpeas with Cumin-Roasted Carrots and Dill.”
Some of the 100 to 125 memorable recipes to be found in Bowls of Plenty:
? Quinoa with Blistered Green Beans and Shallots and Crumbled Feta,
? Spicy Buckwheat and Herb Salad with Strawberries and Sweet Miso Dressing
? Red Rice “Pho” with Hoisin-Marinated Pork Loin, Mint, Basil, and Bean Sprouts
? Dried Fava Beans and Rice with Baked Trout, Fennel, and Pomegranate Seeds
? Brown Basmati Pilaf with Dates, Cinnamon, and Lacquered Chicken
? Teff and Corn Polenta Bolognese with Sautéed Spinach
? Goat Milk Amaranth Tres Leches Pudding Cake.
? Wheat Berry Dark Chocolate “Brownie” with Toasted Walnuts and Steamed Cream
The recipes are perfect for “flexitarian” tables, because the vegetable/meat/fish combinations and serving portion options are endless. And as Carolynn points out, “Making grains the main event is a healthier way to eat, it's less expensive than a meat-heavy diet, and it's also better for the planet.” A nutritionist will analyze the nutritional values of each dish, including protein, calories, fiber content, sugar content, and other relevant information. Many of the grains that Carolynn uses are gluten-free (they will all be clearly identified as such throughout the book) and for those who follow a gluten-free diet, she will provide g-free “swap-outs” for recipes that feature grains that do contain gluten.

About the Author - Carolynn Carreño, a James Beard Award-winning journalist and the coauthor of many cookbooks, including Meat (with Pat LaFrieda), The Mozza Cookbook and Twist of the Wrist (with Nancy Silverton), Eat Me! (with Kenny Shopsin), In addition, she has written extensively for such magazines as Saveur, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Los Angeles Times Magazine and Gourmet.