Conference turris::cooks

    
    Millet
    
    Baked Millet Pudding:
    (kinda like a Bread Pudding)
    
    step 1.
    
    4 Cups of Milk
    1 Cup of Millet (flaked is best... if your millet is not flaked
    then whiz it dry in the blender until it cracks it)
    1 tsp vanilla
    1/2 sugar
    1/4 cup of butter
    pinch salt
    
    Mix all of the above ingredients and cook on the stove until thick
    and bubbly.. consistency should resemble that of 'cream of wheat
    or porridge'
    
    Remove from head and set aside.
    
    Step 2.
    
    4 eggs
    1 cups of raisins, sultanas or currents
    
    Separate the eggs.  Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
    Beat the egg yolks.  Add yolks and fruit to the millet mixture.
    Gently fold in the egg whites and pile into a buttered baking dish.
    Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and back for approx 40 mins in a
    med hot oven (about 325 to 350)
    
    Serve hot with maple syrup, pouring custard, ice cream or cream.
    
    
    Steel Cut Oats
    
    Use these in Oatmeal cookies only soak them first in milk.  They
    are also nice used in a crumble in place of half the flour.  My
    standard crumble topping is:
    
    1 cup flour
    1 cup oats
    1 cup butter
    1/4 cup sugar
   
    Mix dry ingredients, cut in the butter until it is a nice
    crumbly mixture.  Fix a baking dish half way with peaches, sliced
    apples, cherry pie filling, etc etc and top with crumble.. bake.
    
    
    Blue Cornmeal
    
    The only thing I have ever made with Blue Cornmeal that had good
    results was corn muffins.  I used half the called for regular cornmeal
    and the other half blue cornmeal.  The colour is a little strange
    but the taste and texture is excellent.  I do suggest you add a
    few tsp. more oil and a little more sugar than what your recipe
    calls for.  Blue Cornmeal is quite heavy.
    

Millet can be used in stews or soups - to add interest and complex carbs

Steel cut oats can be cooked into "official" porriage (spelling may be
in question here) for breakfast - Irish noters can correct me here, but
once the oats is cooked, it's served with brown sugar and buttermilk,
right?  Anyway, the recipe to cook the oats should be on a package or,
if purchased in bulk, you may have to dig into a cookbook for GRAINS.
A regular cookbook probably won't do it.  I use it during the winter,
but buy it as Irish Oatmeal in a tin - horribly expensive in California.
I generally use the following recipe:

Bring 2 cups water to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt (optional).  Stir in approx.
2/3 cup steel cut oats, turn down to a simmer and cover, cook for approx. 20
minutes, checking to make sure you don't run out of water.  Serve when
thickened to taste.  The results are a grainy version of oatmeal.  Serve as you
would normally or try buttermilk and brown sugar if you feel brave....
I haven't QUITE gotten to that yet.  I like it, my mother says it's 
"ICKY" so try it and decide.

Blue cornmeal CAN be used to make cornbread - the result is kinda gray
in color, but is recommended by some for the flavor.  I don't see the
difference, myself, but it may be true.  You can also make corn tortillas,
but that is pretty involved - you may not have the correct grind of corn
meal/flour to make tortillas....I'd stick with the cornbread or use it 
as breading for fresh trout before frying them in a skillet.

    
    The last time I bought Blue cornmeal it was through the mail
    from a company called The Blue Corn Connection.  On their box
    they advertise a booklet of recipes called "Out of the Blue"
    which is free by sending them a note to the address below:
    
    		The Blue Corn Connection
    		3825 Academy Parkway South NE
    		Albuquerque, NM    87109
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    Bob

    Millet is a wonderful grain for fall and winter cooking.  Serve on the
    side, like rice, with Bechamel sauce.  Or mix one part millet with two
    parts brown rice and cook as usual.  (Two parts water to one part
    grain.  Pressure cook 25-35 mins. or boil 35-45 mins.)  Nice and
    fluffy! 
    
    Use the millet and oats together for a breakfast cereal.  Use any
    combination of these with rice, wheat berries or cracked wheat,
    buckwheat.  Soak one part grain in two parts water overnight.  Use
    1/3-1/2 c. grain per serving.  In the morning, add raisins, dates,
    nuts, etc. and water as needed.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer
    15-20 mins.
    
    Here's one of my favorites.  One-pot meals are my speciality.  All
    amounts are approximate--I never measure anything.
    
    
                               MILLET STEW               Serves 4-6
    
               one onion, chopped
               1 or 2 carrots, cut in 1/2" half-moons
               1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
               1-1/2 c. millet
               3-1/2 c. water
               salt (1/4-1/2 tsp. perhaps)
    
               Bring water to a boil
               In a large cast iron skillet, roast the millet over medium
                    heat, stirring constantly, until about half of it is
                    lightly browned
               Add water and other ingredients to skillet, cover and bring
                    to boil
               Reduce heat and simmer 40 mins.
               Adjust salt and water as needed
               OR 
               Using cold water, combine all ingredients in pressure cooker
               Bring to pressure over high heat
               Reduce heat and cook 30 mins.
               When pressure falls, adjust water and salt as needed and
                    finish cooking
     

    Does anybody have any recipes, or can anyone recommend a cookbook for
    using unusual grains?  Most of my baking is bread-type, and I'd like
    to use some of the lesser-known flours and grains.  But so far my
    experiments haven't been too successful!
    Ingredients such as amaranth, chick-pea flour, triticale, millet.
    Any help or pointers, appreciated.
    Sarah