Happy Valentines Day

OK, no chocolate for Valentine's Day, or anything else as this flu persists (or returns). In fact again nothing at all since Monday, sigh.

Stumbling around in a fever there was not a lot of energy to devote to researching for this either, so instead I will share a modified version of what I already posted in a comment on an earlier post.

Rice. Definitely a problem if it is a significant part of your diet and appreciate Asian cuisine (as I do). I know rice it is a major crop in Louisiana but that's probably about as close as it gets.

One partial solution is that when prepared in the same way (boil etc) soft wheat grain works in a lot of situations where you would eat rice. No, it doesn't taste exactly the same, but surprisingly close to brown rice or wehani (compared to what you'd expect).

The same is true for a lot of whole grains, ie they can be substituted into pilafs, casseroles, stuffed tomatoes and what have you. The faux rice does have flavour and does not offer the same blank canvas that white rice does, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

I haven't tried this for sushi yet, but now I think I will. The question is what grain has the right stickiness? Don't know yet, but when I figure it out you can bet it will feature at a potluck.

As for flours, I have not come close to exhausting my current stocks so it has not been a priority yet, but:

"Mountain Path" is 35 miles (50 km? ) south of Ottawa and they are i) organic, and ii) use local as much as possible. http://www.mountainpath.com . They offer grains, flours, and a variety of other products, some local and some not. I have just requested their e-catalogue and I will report on what else they offer when I get it.

Thier site includes a "store locator", but it does not seem to be working. You used to be able to get their flour at the Wheat Berry and probably still can, and other health food stores as well I assume.