84 GASTRONOMICA FALL 2007 A Gift of GrainsA Gift discovery photocopy orreproduce article contentthroughtheuniversityofcalifornia press on my remember anotherfeelingcreepinginasIchewedhappily grains intomymouth,Ifellastateofbliss.Butalso walnuts. AsIusedmysmallfingerstoscoopthesucculent crisp sugarcoatedalmonds,raisins,andlargechunksof ries envelopedinfragrantspicesandinterspersedwith with anunusualconcoction:wholesweetenedwheatber- seven, whenalittlewhitepaperbagwashandedtome had thebestfoodofmylife.Iwassixyearsold,almost in thecoolingshadeoftallblack-greencypresstrees,I Next tothegrave gastronomica: thejournal offoodandculture,vol.7,no.4,pp.84–87, issn1529-3262. to thetearsofsorrow.Bitinghard ontheshinysilverdragées slightly chewyouterskinandsoft starchycenters,oblivious everyone aroundmestoodcrushed bygrief.Isavoredthe of mylife,munchingonthesweetened boiledwheatwhile Mediterranean city,enrapturedbythefirstwhole-graindish funeral, attheoldestcemeteryinthatsun-drenched was fetchinghimaglassofwater. soon afterward,collapsingathomeasmygrandmother bers concernedabouthishealth.Hediedofheartfailure against hiswill,nudgedonbywell-meaningfamilymem- had beenhislifeforalmostthirty-fiveyears.Heclosedit of downtownThessalonikiinnorthernGreece.Thestore closing hiswell-knownhat-makingbusinessinaposhpart home, upsettingmymotherinturn. well-being ofhischildren,heabruptlysentboththem father. Concernedabouttheeffectsofthishowlingon wailed endlessly—muchtothedismayofmyGerman along withmyaunt.Dressedentirelyinblack,theyboth mother, my occurred, causingmyfamilymuchgrief.MyGreekgrand- my wheatberriesbecameevensweeter. tial confectioninthemidstofsuchachingsadness.And that Ishouldn’tshowtoomuchexhilarationatthisceles- Greece. Isomehowunderstood,despitemyyoungage, So thereIwas,onthefortiethdayaftermygrandfather’s My beloved I didgraspthatsomethingearthshatteringhadrecently koliva yiayia

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maria speck maria papous , hadsuddenlyturnedupatourhouse, of mybelovedGreekgrandfather, haddiedthatday,onlyweeksafter © ’ 2007 by theregentsofuniversitycalifornia.allrights reserved. pleasedirectallrequestsforpermissionto s rightsandpermissions web site,http://www.ucpressjournals.com/reprintinfo.asp. doi:10.1525/gfc.2007.7.4.84. Ready-made chocolatepudding withwhippedcreamfrom dined onfrozenpizzaandspring rollsforweeksonend. ings exhaustedatadesk.Asyoung journalist,Ihappily childhood fadedasIspentmy nightsdancingandmymorn- bread wasnormal. because Iwasn’tsurewhetherthisaffectionformyfavorite the rye.ForyearsIkeptthisintenseappreciationtomyself, turn mellowandsweetasIreleasedthenaturalsugarsin I chewedlongenoughonthecoal-coloredbread,itwould dients: wholeryeflourandwater.Isoondiscoveredthatif hit. Pumpernickelistraditionallybakedfromjusttwoingre- pumpernickel breadfromRhineland,becameaninstant or coldcuts.Onesuch of differentkindsbreadtoppedwithbutterandcheese my grandmotherwouldprepare our dark orthislargewhilelivinginGreece. and Ilookedoninawe.Wehadn’teverseenbreadthis would devourtwohugeslicesoftheloaf,whilemybrother nearly thesizeofbicycletires.Everydayforbreakfasthe return homewithgiantcrustyloavesofGermanbread, Bavaria, inaMunichsuburb,myfatherwouldregularly grains enteredintomylifeinnewandsurprisingways.In Germany, whereIhadbeenborn,theflavorsofotherwhole has neverbeensosweetagain. ize resurrectionandtheabundanceoflife.Forme,death topped withathicklayerofconfectioner’ssugartosymbol- mounded onalargesilvertraywithwhitepaperdoiliesand of Christianity.InGreece, across theBalkansandRussia,datesbacktoearlydays longed forthischildhoodpleasureeversince. by thetreatwithwhichwerememberdead.Ihave family’s pain.Icouldn’thelpit.wascompletelyabsorbed and whitecandiedJordanalmonds,Ididnotnoticemy In myearlytwenties,thewhole-grainmomentsof Sometimes mybrotherandIweresenttostaywith A fewyearslater,whenmyfamilyleftGreecefor Koliva Oma , myfather’smother,inthecityofBonn.Atnight, , atraditionfoundinOrthodoxcommunities Schnittchen koliva Schnittchen isoftenimpressively , servedonpitch-dark , bite-sizepieces junk fooddaysandledtoanovernight fascinationandnear splash—and ithasn’tleftsince. The savorofwheatberriesreturned tomytastebudswitha So Idid.Itwasasthoughthewheelhadcomefullcircle. the bowlontableandsaid,somewhatdryly,“Trythis.” make afussaboutthismostunusualdinner.Shesimplyset nade ofoliveoil,lemonjuice,andparsley.Hildegarddidn’t perhaps springonionsandfreshcheesewithasimplemari- what elsewasinhersalad—maybecolorfulbellpeppers, from wheatberries.Iwasstunned.don’trememberexactly gle motherraisingalittlegirl,cameoverwithsaladmade remember thedayprecisely.MyneighborHildegard,asin- town ofWürzburg,Bavaria,wasmydietchallenged.Ican for Germany’slargestnewsagency, late-night meal.OnlywhenIbecamethecorrespondent the supermarketbecamemyfavoritebreakfast,dessert,and Hildegard’s austerewhole-grain saladendedmyjoyful dpa , inthepicturesque Above: rising baskets,cookiecutters, glass formsandtraditional tart andpiepansinallsizes colors,breadformsand my gustatoryadventures.Ibought ahandmixer,blender, food loverintothekitchen,which Ithenhadtoequipfor But thewholegrainshadcastaspellonme. beauty. NotthatIreallyknewwhattodowithanyofthem. shelf andlinedthegrainsupintallglassjarstoenjoytheir and heart-shapedbuckwheatseeds.BeforelongIputupa oat groats.Thencametinymilletseeds,goldenpolenta, wheat berries,grayryekernels,andsweetwholeoatsor familiar grainsintomyminimalkitchen:reddishwhole- me withmyculturalroots.AtfirstIallowedonlycertain obsession withtheworldofgrains,evenasitreconnected photograph bymariaspeck Ultimately,thediscoveryofgrainsbroughtthisfast- Adishof koliva © 2006 . 85 GASTRONOMICA FALL 2007 stoneware, and of course, exquisite china, formidable wine When I look back today, this passion for grains does glasses, and French flatware. Not to mention cookbooks not surprise me. As long as I can remember, food rich and magazines galore. I even bought a large wooden board in carbohydrates exuded an almost magnetic appeal. for rolling out fresh dough for homemade fettucine and The thick, sweet, and starchy milk rice my Greek grand- lasagne. My most prized possession was a powerful electric mother prepared, sprinkled with fragrant cinnamon, is grain mill, which produced unsurpassed fresh flour from a favorite comfort food to this day. Freshly baked bread grains of all kinds. was our household staple. Fetched daily from the vil- Whole grains soon took center stage in my cooking, lage baker or fourno, crusty loaves accompanied every bewildering my family and friends. You cook millet? We meal in Greece. In Germany, dinner was sometimes just use that as bird food! Buckwheat? What are you talk- Butterbrote, slices of bread with butter and cheese or ing about? Barley? Great for beer, isn’t it? Undeterred, cold cuts. And then there were mashed potatoes, a per- I turned up all the flames on my stove and made it my petual battleground between my younger brother and secret mission to nudge friends, family, coworkers, and me. My mother could never divide them equally enough strangers simply to “try this,” just as my friend Hildegard to keep us from arguing. had done with me. Whole grains expanded this starchy comfort universe for I learned to soak, cook, and dish out wheat berries me; their subtle differences providing limitless opportunity in countless variations—creamed or curried, Serbian or for exploration. To this day, I am seduced by a warm bowl Italian, vegetarian or with sizable chunks of meat. My first of sweetened steel-cut oats, dotted with raisins or dried apri- risotto, creamy and thick with Parmesan, dotted with green cots and sprinkled with pine nuts or toasted almonds. A pot peas and saffron, enticed with its delicate bite of brown rice. of slowly simmering polenta on the stove on a cold winter A flavorful dish of coarsely ground barley with herbs and night, flavored only with butter and salt, is a divine addition cheese, strikingly served in a ring form, became another to any meal. And nothing nourishes after a stressful day like favorite, as did thick country-style pancakes from light yel- quick-cooking fluffy millet, which blends easily with differ- low millet, presaging the darker bajra-rotlas I would later ent garnishes of fish or meat. experience in my husband’s native India. And then there is chewing, a more private joy. I remem- My fervor extended to baking. Soon my oven churned ber traditional Greek Easter celebrations, when extended out classic German and Greek breads, some light and families come together to devour a whole spring lamb sweet, some savory and hearty, but always prepared with roasted over an open fire. My memory lingers on a single freshly ground flour. I twisted traditional Bavarian pretzels, chunk of meat, bone attached, on which I chewed with stretched pizza dough, and double-baked yeast bread for elation, until all that was left was the shiny bone, licked sweet rusks, a childhood favorite. I formed Greek Lenten spotless. Even today, I find chewing heavenly, especially cookies with brandy, buttery French brioche, and German when it involves the crackle of a crusty dark bread or the Apfelkuchen (apple cake) with a sweet meringue topping. crunch of whole-grain crackers. Chewing civilizes me, slows And I discovered the slow-rising power and mesmerizing me down. It forces me to focus on what I am eating. flavor of sourdough in traditional whole rye bread. Today, I remain grateful for the matter-of-fact way I spent all my free time testing and retesting recipes in which Hildegard set her bowl of wheat-berry salad

FALL 2007 FALL to understand the properties of the different whole grains, on the table. Had she tried to woo me with facts about 86 approaching these additions to my eating universe with health and nutrition, I would probably have turned a the almost one-dimensional curiosity of a scientist. There deaf ear to her words, as I did to the prescriptions of so were downsides to my early whole-grain days: unrisen many health-food advocates and holy-granola preachers whole wheat breads that turned into heavy brick loaves; of the 1980s in Germany. What mattered most that night old or undercooked grain berries, which required the was that Hildegard had invited me to share a simple chewing capacity of a cow; and whole-grain cookies that and very tasty meal. GASTRONOMICA tasted more like crackers than delicate coffee treats. My I think back to this meal as more and more experts early pie tarts would have worked well as Frisbees.® But I recommend that Americans add whole grains to their was convinced that I was on to something. At times I was diets. Alarmed by the obesity crisis, they stress the numer- so driven that I even swallowed my botched creations with ous health benefits of unprocessed grains, which by now considerable pride—dubious milestones on my path to are well documented, and the much-needed fiber, the whole-grain nirvana. complex carbohydrates, the vitamins, the minerals, and www.theologic.com/oflweb/inhome/prydead.htm. koliva.asp; andatPhyllisMeshelOnest,“PrayingfortheDead,” www.goarch.org/en/archdiocese/departments/youth/youthworkers/sessions/goya_ Archdiocese ofAmerica,DepartmentYouthandYoungAdultMinistries, Further informationon note sure justto“trythis.” The nexttimeyouencounteranunusualkernel,pleasebe ingredients thisplanethastooffer,includingwholegrains. this lifelongjourney. I alsoremembermyfriendHildegard,whosetthetonefor memorial thantheblissfulandoblivioussix-year-old.But closely resemblethehowlingadultsatmygrandfather’s of myfather’sdeath,Iamembarrassedtoadmitthatmore death. Andnow,whenIprepare hood, Ianticipateitscomfortingsweetnessinthefaceof when Irememberthatfirstwhole-graintreatofmychild- rice, andthetranslucentsoftpearlsofquinoa.Thesedays, warming lightnessofmillet,thetenderchewinessbrown and thepleasingnuttinessofwheatberries.Ilongfor sweetness ofwholeoatkernels,theslightsournessrye, have muchtoofferourpalates.Icherishthecomforting whole grains,withtheirexquisitebiteandsubtleflavors, being goodforyou? can amealbeifitiseatenwiththesolepurposeof staples intojustanotherdietfad.Afterall,howjoyous grains mighteasilyturnpeopleoff,ormybeloved single-minded emphasisonthehealthbenefitsofwhole I amalsosomewhatdismayedbythisapproach.The the phytochemicals.PassionateasIamaboutgrains, So here’stothejoyofpreparingmealswithall I wouldliketoofferanotherperspective.believethat koliva g can be found at the Web site of the Greek Orthodox canbefoundattheWebsiteofGreekOrthodox koliva ontheanniversary wheat issignificantlychewierandtakeslongertocook. two days.Lookforsoftspringwheatberries,ashardwinter of love(andmourning),asthepreparationextendsover childhood treat.Althougheasilyassembled,itisstillalabor This isanunpretentiousversionof 1 1 1 1 1 1 teaspooncinnamon 1 cupwholewheatberries,preferablyorganic In memoryofmyGreek serves 8 Koliva gées, theyareavailableinGreekandMiddle Easternmarkets. Jordan almondsarecandiedwhiteorcolored toastedalmonds.Likesilverdra- covered withplasticwrap,intherefrigerator. To prepareahead,thewheatberriescanbecookedonedayaheadandstored, with Soak thewheatberriesfor 2 tablespoonssesameseeds 2 tablespoonssilverdragées(optional) 1 tablespoonwhole-wheatorregularflour pinch ofsalt about medium tomedium-highheat,stirringfrequentlyavoidburning, Toast thewalnutsinaheavyfryingpan,preferablycastiron,over Combine thecinnamon,cumin,andsaltinasmallbowl. dry, andthentransferthewheatberriestoamediumbowl. kernels andpresslightlytoremovemoisture.Letsitforatleast wheat berriesacrossthemiddlesection.Foldsidesovertocover in asievefor 1 pan fromtheheatandtransfermixturetoabowlcoolfor 1 nels turndry.Addthewalnuts,raisins,andspicemixturecookfor Then addthewheatberries,stirringforabout Add theflourtopanandcookfor recipe notes Garnish therimwithremainingJordanalmonds.Serveinsmallbowls. Using Jordanalmonds,decoratewithacrossortheinitialsofdeceased. Sprinkle withsesameseedsandsiftathicklayerofpoweredsugarontop. berry mixtureontotheplateandpatintoamoundwithyourhands. round pieceofwaxpaperinthecenterdoily.Transferwheat- When readytoserve,coveradecorativeplatewithpaperdoily.Place Add silverdragées,ifusing. ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ hour.Thekernelsshouldbetenderbutfirmandnotsplitopen.Drain minutemore,untilthespicesturnfragrant.Immediatelyremove 4 2 2 2 2 to cupJordanalmondsforgarnish cupdarkraisins cupcoarselychoppedwalnuts teaspooncumin 1 2 ⁄ inchesofwaterandboilinamediumsaucepanfor 2 3 cuppowderedsugar,totaste to 5 minutes,untilfragrant.Transferthenutstoaplate. 10 minutes.Placealargedishclothonthecounter.Spread 8 hoursorovernight,andthendrain.Cover papous andmyGermanfather 30 seconds,stirringfrequently. koliva 2 minutesuntiltheker- , similartomy 45 minutesto 1 hourto 1 hour. 87 GASTRONOMICA FALL 2007