Side Ways

In Comida Central, a missive on rice and beans, "the official side dish of the five boroughs."

Bespoke Breakfast Cereal

At the [me] & goji website, you can create your own Custom Artisanal Cereal from among more than 50 ingredients, from dried blueberries to cacao nibs.

As you build your cereal, dragging and dropping thumbnail images of flakes, nuts, and dried fruits into a virtual bowl, a calculator computes the nutritional and caloric breakdown of your concoction. The cereal is packed in recyclable 21 ounce "cereal capsules." Prices vary depending upon ingredients.

Is Quinoa Kosher for Passover?

One would assume that quinoa would not pass muster for Passover. After all, wheat and other grains (categorized as chametz) are forbidden during the holiday. Moreover, medieval Ashkenazi rabbis also excluded the consumption of kitniyot -- rice, corn, soy beans, and other foods -- might be confused with the forbidden grains or grown near them and possibly comingled.

Though similar to chametz grains, it turns out that quinoa is not technically a grain (it's actually a member of the "goose foot" family, which includes beets and spinach). In addition, as a new world food, quinoa wasn't even on the radar screen of 15th century rabbis who made determinations about kitniyot and Passover.

So, as long as the quinoa is processed in a in a factory with Kosher for Passover certification, it is generally considered to be part of the Passover diet.

Julia Moskin on Toasted Rice

"The unwanted crust left stuck to the bottom of the rice cooker is called okoge -- the same word used as slang for a single woman who spends a lot of time with gay men."

Cereal Killer

I have just discovered my new favorite breakfast cereal, Dorset Cereals. The cereals, made in Prince Charles' model village Poundbury, are low in sugar and packed with dried fruit, seeds, and nuts (50 percent). Somewhere on the spectrum between between granola and flakes, my favorite version so far is "Super Cranberry, Cherry, and Almond," which blends cranberries, cherries and almonds with giant Chilean flame raisins, sultanas, sunflower seeds, and toasted wheat and barley. The company also makes muesli, porridge, and "Chunky Slices" (breakfast bars, as far as I can tell). While I found the cereals at my local Whole Foods, information on where to find them elsewhere in the U.S. is, unfortunately, scant.

Pasta Perfect

Artisanal pasta maker Latini uses heirloom wheat varieties to make a fantastic line of pastas. They're extruded through bronze dies, giving the pasta a rough, porous texture which sauce adheres to beautifully. But, pasta perfection does not come cheap, mind you, so be prepared to pay a premium: Latini pastas range from $6 to $7.50 for a 500 gram box at gustiamo.com.

Pasta Perfect

Artisanal pasta maker Latini uses heirloom wheat varieties to make a fantastic line of pastas. They're extruded through bronze dies, giving the pasta a rough, porous texture which sauce adheres to beautifully. But, pasta perfection does not come cheap, mind you, so be prepared to pay a premium: Latini pastas range from $6 to $7.50 for a 500 gram box at gustiamo.com.