When we first saw the word sorghum, it was as a tween, in the reading of “Gone With The Wind.”

There was no sugar available in the blockaded, war-torn South, so Scarlett O’Hara sweetened her coffee substitute, chicory, with sorghum syrup, a molasses substitute.

For decades, we thought of sorghum as a sweetener. After all, it’s not something you come across in the American diet.

That is changing, with the rise in demand for gluten-free whole grains.

Sorghum is an ancient Old World whole grain that has been cultivated for millennia.

 
You can also pop sorghum seeds. The result looks just like popcorn.

COOKING SORGHUM: WHERE TO START?

Click to the links featured in the photos, and/or pick up a sorghum cookbook.

WHAT IS SORGHUM?

Sorghum is a genus of plants in the grass family—the family that includes the other grains (see the list below).

Seventeen of the twenty-five sorghum species are native to Australia. One species, Sorghum bicolor, native to Africa, has become an important crop worldwide.

Most varieties of sorghum are drought- and heat-tolerant, and are especially important crops in arid regions, where the grain is a dietary staples for the poor and rural populations.

Sorghum is not only used for food (as grain and sorghum syrup, similar to molasses), but is brewed into alcoholic beverages, used as animal fodder, and made into biofuels.

Nutritionally, it is similar to raw oats. A serving contains 20% or more of the Daily Value of protein; the B vitamins niacin, thiamin and vitamin B6; and several dietary minerals, including iron (26% DV) and manganese (76% DV).

HULLED VS. PEARLED GRAINS

When you see a grain labeled “hulled,” such as barley or sorghum, it indicates a whole grain.

Hulled means that the the three parts of the seed—the bran, germ and endosperm—are intact, or “whole.” A whole grain provides optimum nutrition—vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Only the inedible outermost layer, the hull, has been removed. This is true for all grains for human consumption: We can’t digest the hulls.

Pearled grains are processed, like white rice. The polishing (pearling) removes the nutritious bran layer. The flavor is more delicate, not earthy; and it cooks faster. But a good amount of vitamins, minerals and fiber are lost in the process.

Here’s more about whole grains and their nutrition.
 
WONDERGRAIN: A LINE OF PREMIUM SORGUM PRODUCTS

In 2012 Patricia Alemdar was given a taste of crushed sorghum from Haiti, where it’s considered a medicinal food. Although she liked the taste, she didn’t really care for the texture.

(The common variety of sorghum is too dense to be cooked whole, so it needs to be crushed.)

After months of research and testing, she and her mother produced a better, premium version of sorghum.

It didn’t have to be crushed to be eaten whole. It had the softest bite and fastest cooking time. They launched it in 2014, and branded it Wondergrain.

It’s a delicious addition to our table! The line is certified kosher by OU.

Discover more at Wondergrain.com.
 
FOOD FUN: NAME THE WHOLE GRAINS!

________________
*Grits are refined and are not whole grains.

[1] Sorghum (photo courtesy Wondergrain). [2] Pearled sorghum cooks faster, but is not a whole grain (see the discussion below—photo courtesy Healthy Nibbles And Bits). [3] BREAKFAST: A bowl of hot sorghum (here’s the recipe from Clean Eating Magazine). [4] LUNCH: Sorghum grain bowl with beans and avocado (here’s the recipe from Street Smart Nutrition). [5] Sorghum salad with kale pesto (here’s the recipe from Healthy Nibbles & Bits). [6] DINNER: Serve chicken or fish with a side of sorghum (here’s the recipe from Bon Appetit). [7] Add some grated cheese to this sorghum and squash pilaf (here’s the recipe from Cooking Light).

[2] We love these chocolates—any whisky-drinker who likes sweets will appreciate a box.

[3] Instead of artisan bonbons, grab a quality dark chocolate bar. Here are our recommendations for the best 75% cacao chocolate bars (photo © Laphroaig)

[4] Consider a BYO party where everyone brings one of the Scotch brands infused in the chocolates (photo © Diageo).

.

Luke Scotch? Like chocolate? Combine both on January 25th.

On that day, the birthday of the great Scottish romantic poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) is celebrated. Family and friends gather for Burns Night, an evening of good food and company.

A traditional Burns’ Supper (Scottish supper) is served. It can consist of beef pie, cock-a-leekie soup, colcannon, haggis, nettles and tatties, smoked haddock and more.

Perhaps, some of Burns’ most popular poems are read: A Red, Red Rose; To a Louse; To a Mouse; Tam O’Shanter, Ae Fond Kiss and perhaps most appropriate to the occasion, Address to a Haggis.

You could celebrate with dinner, with a cup of tea and some shortbread, or with a dram of Scotch.

But that dram would be so much better with a box of the Robert Burns Whisky Bonbons from L.A. Burdick Chocolate.

Available for just a few weeks, these chocolates are infused with a variety of fine Scotches, including Macallan, Glenfarclas, Talisker, Springbank, Highland Park and Lagavulin.

A half pound gift box is $42.00.

Don’t tarry: Order yours today at Burdick Chocolate.
 
 
READY TO SING AULD LANG SYNE?
 
Finish the evening with Burns’ most famous poem, set to a folk song:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
And days of auld lang syne, my dear,
And days of auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?

And ther’s a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie’s a hand o’ thine;
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
 
 
You can sing along with this bagpipe version of Auld Lang Syne from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

> Here’s more on pairing Scotch and chocolate.

> Check out the different types of whiskey in our photo glossary.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Having grown up with a mom whose acclaimed pasta sauce set a bar, we never liked supermarket sauces, even in our less-picky, less flush college days.

As we grew into long work days and a paycheck, we treated ourselves to Sauces ’n Love, its shelf-stable Scarpetta line, and other high-end brands.

All have the same thing in common: top-of-the-line tomatoes, which means that no sugar needs to be added to sweeten dull tomatoes (the corollary problem being that the typical popular brand adds more than a pinch of sugar).

When we don’t have time to make their own—or when tomatoes are not in season, which is most of the year—we often pick up a bottle of Riserva from Classico, a brand owned by Heinz.

The Classico brand’s pasta and pizza sauces, pesto and bruschetta are familiar to many consumers.

The Riserva line’s vine-ripened tomatoes mean that there’s no sugar added. That’s our kind of sauce (and given all the hidden sugar in purchased foods, it’s not easy to find popularly-priced sugar-free tomato sauces).

A 24-ounce jar is $4.72 with free shipping at Walmart (for orders of $50 or more—you don’t even have to schlep it!).

Varieties include:

 
You can find Classico Riserva at retailers nationwide including club stores, and at e-tailers such as Amazon.

(We were quite surprised at some unhappy Amazon reviews, e.g. “Heinz should stick to ketchup.” At this price, we can’t find anything better—rich tomato flavor, thick and chunky).

So, what’s for dinner:

Classico Riserva sauces are thick, chunky, delicious and made from quality ingredients. [1] Marinara Sauce (photo courtesy Classico). [2] Eggplant Artichoke Sauce at Cravings Of A Lunatic. Here’s how Kim uses it.

We’re hungry already!

TIP FOR THE VEGETABLE RESISTANT

Cook veggies to al dente and place in a heat-proof dish. Cover with pasta sauce and mozzarella and heat in the oven, under the broiler or in the microwave until the cheese is melted.

Garnish with any fresh herbs at hand, or a sprinkle of oregano or thyme. For the truly veggie-averse, serve with grated parmesan.

Yum.
  

Enjoy your favorite pasta dishes with more protein and fiber, fewer carbs, and no gluten! [1] Penne Bolognese. [2] Mac and Cheese. [3] A box of rotini, one of five Banza pasta shapes (all photos courtesy Banza). [4] Fresh chickpeas in the pod (photo courtesy Melissa’s).

We love rice noodles: gluten free, but they don’t complement European pasta sauces and other noodle dishes.

So we tried pasta made from brown rice, brown rice-kale blends, corn, farro, lentils, soybeans, even quinoa. (We found the last, which we like as an earthy grain, undesirable as pasta.)

The winner by far: chickpea pasta, which looks, cooks, and tastes like regular pasta.

Yes, the same lovely legume that gives us hummus makes the best pasta!

The pasta has a slight chickpea flavor if you eat it plain; but covered with sauce, cheese and perhaps meatballs, sausage or anchovies (or sausage and anchovies, for surf and turf), most people aren’t likely to notice a difference.

Bonus: Chickpea pasta has double the protein, four times the fiber and almost half the net carbs.

Interestingly, Banza was not developed because the founder sought a GF pasta, but because he wanted more nutrition from pasta, one of his favorite foods.

He achieved just that: The nutrient-dense pasta boasts 25 grams of protein, 13 grams of fiber and just and C43 grams of carbs in each serving.

It has been embraced by athletes and vegans looking for more protein in their diets, by the gluten-sensitivite community, by parents trying to sneak more “good stuff” into the family’s diet via their favorite carbs.
 
Types of Banza Chickpea Pasta

The line includes:

 
There are delicious recipes on the brand’s blog. You can buy the pasta on the website, or at some 5,000 retailers and etailers nationwide.

Even if you aren’t looking for gluten-free pasta, how about some high-nutrition pasta—for hot dishes, cold pasta salads, even a sweet noodle pudding, made with elbows, ricotta and raisins?

The brand is certified kosher by OU.

According to Technomic, a food industry research and consulting firm, it’s tofu.

The company’s MenuMonitor tracks more than 7,000 commercial and noncommercial menus to identify new ideas, including new menus, seasonal promotions and limited-time offers. The next trending sandwich protein, they say, will be…tofu!

Chicken and bacon are, by far, the most popular “hot” proteins on sandwiches, the company says. But tofu is on the rise due to growing consumer desires for:

 
So don’t be surprised to find tofu on the sandwich and burger menus of mainstream venues.

Why not try it in your own kitchen?

Chop tofu into “egg” salad; grill or pan-fry it to replace sandwich meats or burger patties.

For starters, here’s a tofu burger recipe from tofu specialist House Foods. They also sent us recipes for:

 
There are more tofu recipes below. Also below, what is tofu and tofu health benefits.
 
 
RECIPE: TOFU SLIDERS OR BURGERS

Ingredients For 8 Sliders Or 4 Burgers

 
For The Pesto Mayonnaise

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the pesto mayonnaise. Stir all ingredients for in a small bowl; refrigerate until ready to use.

2. QUARTER the block of tofu into 4 equal pieces. Slice each quarter horizontally into 2 thin pieces.

3. BEAT the eggs with the mustard in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. In a third bowl, combine the flour and herb seasoning.

4. HEAT the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Dip the tofu in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the bread crumb mixture. Add to the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Top with the mozzarella slices after turning the slices.

5. SPREAD the sides of the buns with the mayonnaise; place the tofu slices on the bottom halves, topping with basil and tomato slices.

TIPS

[2] Eggless egg salad, substituting tofu (here’s the recipe from House Foods).

[3] Make tofu sliders or burgers, garnished any way you like, with pesto mayonnaise and fresh basil, or…

[4] pizza-burger style, with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.

[5] House Foods Extra-Firm Tofu. House Foods tofu is non-GMO.

[6] Tofu blocks (photo courtesy Hodo Soy Beanery).

[7] Tofu breakfast scramble (here’s the recipe from Oh My Veggies).

[8] Tofu chocolate pudding, or budino in Italian (here’s the recipe from House Foods).

Tofu is made from curding soy milk, much in the same way cheese is made from dairy milk.

First, soybeans are ground with water and heated. The soy milk is separated from the solids (analogous to milk curds), the hot soy milk is stirred and a coagulant (a natural firming agent, analogous to rennet) is added.

The curds that form are poured into a forming box (a mold) and the whey is pressed out. The pressing action forms the curd into a solid block of tofu, which is also known as bean curd.

Here’s more about tofu, including the history of tofu.
 
 
TOFU HEALTH BENEFITS

Nutritionists, physicians and other healthcare providers want you to eat more tofu.

Tofu offers a variety of health benefits. It’s low-calorie, cholesterol-free, and an excellent source of high-quality protein, iron, and calcium.

Soy foods in general are associated with decreased risk of cancer. A comprehensive analysis of 28 previously published studies on Chinese adults shows that intake of soy foods in the form of tofu (and soy miso) does a better job of reducing the risk of stomach cancer than soy in general.

 
It’s still January, and the window for new year’s resolutions is still open. Why not turn Meatless Mondays into Tofu Tuesdays?

Take a look at these tofu cookbooks:

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.