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America's finally falling for quinoa, a tasty and complete protein -- and a seed that'll grow on you
Quinoa products include quinoa polenta, quinoa Inca Red (background, left and front, center), quinoa flour (center, background), and quinoa traditional (right, background and right front).Let us now praise quinoa, sacred crop of the Incas.

The seed of a leafy plant grown for centuries in the Andes, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) cooks like a grain and tastes like a nut.

Known in scientific circles as chenopodium, and as a "super crop" in United Nations parlance, quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids.

Vegans embrace it as an alternative to meat, eggs and cheese. Celiac-sufferers, who cannot digest wheat, love quinoa's gluten-free nature. With a score of 35 on the glycemic index, quinoa is great for diabetics. Low in calories and fat, quinoa is high in magnesium and riboflavin, which combine to stave off migraine headaches. High in iron, which helps deliver more oxygen to the brain, quinoa fights senility. For Jewish families who keep kosher, quinoa is a good wheat substitute at Passover.

What's not to love?

Quinoa is versatile and easy to prepare, inexpensive, and does not require refrigeration until it is cooked. Like kasha and couscous, quinoa has an exotic, almost esoteric cachet that feeds into the yearning for authenticity among today's foodies.

Introduced on our shores a mere 20 years ago, quinoa is finally gaining ground with chefs, cookbook authors and caterers.

"In the beginning, we were lucky to sell $10,000 worth a month, and now we're selling millions of dollars of quinoa a month," says Dave Schnorr, whose California-based Quinoa Corp. is one of the largest importers. "In the last year it seems quinoa has become the darling of the food industry. Everybody wants to get into it."

At Philadelphia's Chifa, the new Peruvian-Cantonese restaurant in chef Jose Garces' stable (Amada, Tinto Distito), you'll find ginger-infused quinoa with spicy barbecued lamb and pickled cucumber. But it's also been a dessert there.

"When we opened Chifa, we used quinoa on top of a dessert called Flexible Chocolate that was a milk chocolate custard served with quinoa 'chicharrones,' our play on traditional fried pork rinds," Mr. Garces said.

"We made it by overcooking the quinoa for an hour until it was mushy, then we dried it out overnight and fried it until crispy."

Quinoa has made the menu at stalwarts such as La Croix, Le Bec-Fin, 10Arts, and XIX, too.

Mark Smith at Tortilla Press in Collingswood serves quinoa salad with his black bean and artichoke burrito, and in vegetarian wraps and chile rellenos.

Lucky 13, a gastropub on Passyunk Avenue, serves quinoa in a black-bean salad with scallions, tomatoes and cilantro.

Terence Feury at Fork creates a pilaf of quinoa, parsley, mint and cucumber and serves it with an eggplant caponata, grilled vegetables and kalamata olives. Jon Weinrott of Peachtree & Ward catering pairs quinoa with artichokes and wild mushrooms.

And Chip Roman, at Blackfish in Conshohocken, poaches, dehydrates and deep-fries quinoa to create a finger-food that can be salted for use as a savory bar snack or sweetened as a dessert topping.

Still, the possibilities remain relatively unexplored, says chef Kelly Cook of Uncommon Catering. She's eager to incorporate quinoa in pastas and desserts.

"The biggest drawback, actually the only drawback, to quinoa," Ms. Cook says, "is that people don't know what it is."

You have to say it and spell it to the uninitiated. But after a taste test, most people are sold.

"Two years ago, we served red quinoa with leeks at the wedding of a foodie couple," Ms. Cook said. "I think it was a bit off-putting at first to the non-foodie guests, but their plates came back clean."

Laura Schenone, author of the James Beard-award-winning book, "A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove," says she searched cookbooks from early America through the 1970s and found no mention of quinoa.

Those who are familiar with quinoa have most likely seen the "regular" yellowish version. But Schnorr's Quinoa Corp., which sells under the Ancient Harvest brand, also offers a red variety, which some say has a slightly earthier taste, as well as quinoa flakes for breakfast cereal, quinoa flour for baking bread and cookies, and quinoa polenta that can be sliced and grilled. Up next: black quinoa.

Home cooks should look for quinoa (it comes in boxes and is available in bulk) that is organically grown and has been pre-washed to remove its inherent bitterness.

"Some people who've eaten quinoa think they don't like it because it's under- or overcooked," says Rich Landau at Horizons. "I've even been served bad quinoa in restaurants."

Like many grains, quinoa has a relatively small window of perfect doneness, Mr. Landau says. Undercooked it is chewy and hard to digest; overcooked, the grains burst into mush. A rice cooker may be the way to go, he says, or 12 minutes on a stove top.

Quinoa cooks virtually the same as rice: add 2 cups of lightly salted water (or chicken, beef or vegetable broth) to a saucepan, with 1 cup quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 12 minutes.

"It's not indestructible," Mr. Landau says, "but if you get it just right, it's fantastic."

He's served quinoa fried as patties bound with carrot, and his wife and pastry chef, Kate Jacoby, is just starting to dabble in quinoa flour. But Horizons is a vegan restaurant. Is Mr. Landau's perspective slanted?

Not so, says chef Charles Ziccardi, who runs Drexel University's culinary arts program.

"It's gotten a rap as a vegan food and that's unnecessary," Mr. Ziccardi says. "Maybe that's what kept it from going mainstream until now."

Mr. Schnorr says quinoa, like polenta, was once eaten only by the poor.

"It was an almost extinct grain eaten by peasants in the mountains. When I started in this business, you could stand on a street corner and ask people all week long and still not come across anybody who knew about quinoa," says Mr. Schnorr. "Even in South America, you could go to La Paz or Lima and most people on the street wouldn't know what it was."

So far in 2009, sales are up 40 percent, Mr. Schnorr says. And therein lies the possible danger: as demand grows, some Andes farmers are tempted to sell all they grow, instead of keeping enough to feed their own families.

"We're trying to work with the farmers on that problem," he says, "so they don't end up feeding their families a diet of cheap white rice and sugar."

Versatile as it is, quinoa can't do everything. "We tried it in rice cakes but it just crumbled," Mr. Schnorr said. "I think what you'll see next is more products that contain some quinoa, for the marketing value -- but not enough to make a difference nutritionally."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quinoa Salad With Mangoes and Curry Vinaigrette
Salt
1 1/3 cups quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
2 large mangoes
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced
3 scallions, including 1 inch of the greens, thinly sliced
Curry vinaigrette (see attached recipe)
1/3 cup roasted almonds
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the quinoa to the boiling water. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Do not overcook.

Cut the mangoes by standing each 1 upright and slicing down either side of the seed, which you can't see, but which runs lengthwise through the center of the fruit. Score the 2 pieces, then bend the skin. Cut off the squares of mango where they attach to the skin.

Toss the quinoa with the mangoes, chile, scallions and vinaigrette.

Chop the almonds and add them last so they stay crisp.

Read more: file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/HP_Administrator/My%20Documents/America's%20finally%20falling%20for%20quinoa,%20a%20tasty%20and%20complete%20protein%20--%20and%20a%20seed%20that'll%20grow%20on%20you.mht#ixzz0S80hDBOt

1 Pizzazz Favorites / Pizzazz Recipe's / Re: Green Energy Smoothie! on: July 06, 2010, 04:28:11 AM
Started by pizzazz_admin - Last post by grrider477
Quote from: pizzazz_admin on September 16, 2009, 06:33:29 AM 2 handfuls of organic spinach 1 cup of frozen or fresh mango 1/2 teaspoon agave 1/2 cup flaxseed or hemp seed coconut water blend and enjoy! I concur with this e cigarettes online

2 Pizzazz Events / September 2009 / Re: The Hard Swimmin' Fish. Saturday, September 12th @ 7:30pm on: June 02, 2010, 11:07:13 PM
Started by pizzazz_admin - Last post by bettercity
Among many of the sports stars, I like James most, for he is aggressive and with so strong self-confidence. I still remember what he said on an interview: “If I put all my time and energy on practicing NFL and if I am one of the NFL members from now on, I must be rather excellent,” and he also said, “No matter which NFL team I play for, the result would be the same.” His words always appear in my mind and I told my classmate about my love for James. But my classmates did not agree with me. He said James actually feels a little bit of sorry for himself, as the result was worse than he has said and imagined. My classmates also said that nowadays many people love to wear NFL jerseys so as to be the same as James, and they usually buy cheap NFL jerseys and discount NFL jerseys. He feels this behavior is reasonable and worth to be popularized, just that if only they could buy those jerseys from the online NFL jerseys wholesaler. I totally agree with him, as there are many ways of expressing love to our idol and we should choose the most reasonable one.

3 Pizzazz Favorites / Pizzazz Recipe's / Re: Green Goodess ! on: May 16, 2010, 11:15:36 AM
Started by pizzazz_admin - Last post by aaron28
How does this taste without the Green Algea? I might try the recipe without it. It sound really delicious, and I just don't know where to find Green Algea in my area. Looking forward to trying it out! Cincinnatti Dining

4 Pizzazz Events / September 2009 / Re: The Hard Swimmin' Fish. Saturday, September 12th @ 7:30pm on: May 16, 2010, 11:13:40 AM
Started by pizzazz_admin - Last post by aaron28
Hey, I was just wondering - there isn't a Pizzazz in my area - where are you guys located? It would be awesome to have these kinds of events here in town. It seems like you are a 5-star restaurant at least. Cincinnatti Dining

5 Pizzazz Events / September 2009 / Re: Superfoods! on: May 16, 2010, 11:11:16 AM
Started by pizzazz_admin - Last post by aaron28
Wow, there's quite a bit stuffed in that writeup that I've never heard of before. Goji Berries help produce HGH? That's pretty neat - I always thought that our bodies stopped producing HGH when we get older - and that's why we stop growing. And raw chocolate? Dieters would love to know that so they can splurge and feel good about it. Cincinnatti Dining

6 Pizzazz Favorites / Pizzazz Recipe's / Re: Quiona best grain on earth on: May 16, 2010, 11:06:46 AM
Started by pizzazz_admin - Last post by aaron28
That sounds great, I really love mangoes. I have heard of people raving over Quinoa. I've been wanting to try some for the longest time. It sure does look extremely nutritious. Cincinnatti Dining

7 Pizzazz Favorites / Pizzazz Recipe's / Re: Cacao Super Food Power Smoothie on: May 16, 2010, 11:02:56 AM
Started by pizzazz_admin - Last post by aaron28
That sounds like an awesome drink. I've never heard of one though that has Blue Green Algae. Where can you really get that? Actually, this whole recipe looks very exotic. This should be an interesting drink! Cincinnatti Dining

8 Pizzazz Favorites / Pizzazz Recipe's / Quiona best grain on earth on: September 25, 2009, 07:21:34 AM
Started by pizzazz_admin - Last post by pizzazz_admin
America's finally falling for quinoa, a tasty and complete protein -- and a seed that'll grow on you Quinoa products include quinoa polenta, quinoa Inca Red (background, left and front, center), quinoa flour (center, background), and quinoa traditional (right, background and right front).Let us now praise quinoa, sacred crop of the Incas. The seed of a leafy plant grown for centuries in the Andes, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) cooks like a grain and tastes like a nut. Known in scientific circles as chenopodium, and as a "super crop" in United Nations parlance, quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids. Vegans embrace it as an alternative to meat, eggs and cheese. Celiac-sufferers, who cannot digest wheat, love quinoa's gluten-free nature. With a score of 35 on the glycemic index, quinoa is great for diabetics. Low in calories and fat, quinoa is high in magnesium and riboflavin, which combine to stave off migraine headaches. High in iron, which helps deliver more oxygen to the brain, quinoa fights senility. For Jewish families who keep kosher, quinoa is a good wheat substitute at Passover. What's not to love? Quinoa is versatile and easy to prepare, inexpensive, and does not require refrigeration until it is cooked. Like kasha and couscous, quinoa has an exotic, almost esoteric cachet that feeds into the yearning for authenticity among today's foodies. Introduced on our shores a mere 20 years ago, quinoa is finally gaining ground with chefs, cookbook authors and caterers. "In the beginning, we were lucky to sell $10,000 worth a month, and now we're selling millions of dollars of quinoa a month," says Dave Schnorr, whose California-based Quinoa Corp. is one of the largest importers. "In the last year it seems quinoa has become the darling of the food industry. Everybody wants to get into it." At Philadelphia's Chifa, the new Peruvian-Cantonese restaurant in chef Jose Garces' stable (Amada, Tinto Distito), you'll find ginger-infused quinoa with spicy barbecued lamb and pickled cucumber. But it's also been a dessert there. "When we opened Chifa, we used quinoa on top of a dessert called Flexible Chocolate that was a milk chocolate custard served with quinoa 'chicharrones,' our play on traditional fried pork rinds," Mr. Garces said. "We made it by overcooking the quinoa for an hour until it was mushy, then we dried it out overnight and fried it until crispy." Quinoa has made the menu at stalwarts such as La Croix, Le Bec-Fin, 10Arts, and XIX, too. Mark Smith at Tortilla Press in Collingswood serves quinoa salad with his black bean and artichoke burrito, and in vegetarian wraps and chile rellenos. Lucky 13, a gastropub on Passyunk Avenue, serves quinoa in a black-bean salad with scallions, tomatoes and cilantro. Terence Feury at Fork creates a pilaf of quinoa, parsley, mint and cucumber and serves it with an eggplant caponata, grilled vegetables and kalamata olives. Jon Weinrott of Peachtree & Ward catering pairs quinoa with artichokes and wild mushrooms. And Chip Roman, at Blackfish in Conshohocken, poaches, dehydrates and deep-fries quinoa to create a finger-food that can be salted for use as a savory bar snack or sweetened as a dessert topping. Still, the possibilities remain relatively unexplored, says chef Kelly Cook of Uncommon Catering. She's eager to incorporate quinoa in pastas and desserts. "The biggest drawback, actually the only drawback, to quinoa," Ms. Cook says, "is that people don't know what it is." You have to say it and spell it to the uninitiated. But after a taste test, most people are sold. "Two years ago, we served red quinoa with leeks at the wedding of a foodie couple," Ms. Cook said. "I think it was a bit off-putting at first to the non-foodie guests, but their plates came back clean." Laura Schenone, author of the James Beard-award-winning book, "A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove," says she searched cookbooks from early America through the 1970s and found no mention of quinoa. Those who are familiar with quinoa have most likely seen the "regular" yellowish version. But Schnorr's Quinoa Corp., which sells under the Ancient Harvest brand, also offers a red variety, which some say has a slightly earthier taste, as well as quinoa flakes for breakfast cereal, quinoa flour for baking bread and cookies, and quinoa polenta that can be sliced and grilled. Up next: black quinoa. Home cooks should look for quinoa (it comes in boxes and is available in bulk) that is organically grown and has been pre-washed to remove its inherent bitterness. "Some people who've eaten quinoa think they don't like it because it's under- or overcooked," says Rich Landau at Horizons. "I've even been served bad quinoa in restaurants." Like many grains, quinoa has a relatively small window of perfect doneness, Mr. Landau says. Undercooked it is chewy and hard to digest; overcooked, the grains burst into mush. A rice cooker may be the way to go, he says, or 12 minutes on a stove top. Quinoa cooks virtually the same as rice: add 2 cups of lightly salted water (or chicken, beef or vegetable broth) to a saucepan, with 1 cup quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 12 minutes. "It's not indestructible," Mr. Landau says, "but if you get it just right, it's fantastic." He's served quinoa fried as patties bound with carrot, and his wife and pastry chef, Kate Jacoby, is just starting to dabble in quinoa flour. But Horizons is a vegan restaurant. Is Mr. Landau's perspective slanted? Not so, says chef Charles Ziccardi, who runs Drexel University's culinary arts program. "It's gotten a rap as a vegan food and that's unnecessary," Mr. Ziccardi says. "Maybe that's what kept it from going mainstream until now." Mr. Schnorr says quinoa, like polenta, was once eaten only by the poor. "It was an almost extinct grain eaten by peasants in the mountains. When I started in this business, you could stand on a street corner and ask people all week long and still not come across anybody who knew about quinoa," says Mr. Schnorr. "Even in South America, you could go to La Paz or Lima and most people on the street wouldn't know what it was." So far in 2009, sales are up 40 percent, Mr. Schnorr says. And therein lies the possible danger: as demand grows, some Andes farmers are tempted to sell all they grow, instead of keeping enough to feed their own families. "We're trying to work with the farmers on that problem," he says, "so they don't end up feeding their families a diet of cheap white rice and sugar." Versatile as it is, quinoa can't do everything. "We tried it in rice cakes but it just crumbled," Mr. Schnorr said. "I think what you'll see next is more products that contain some quinoa, for the marketing value -- but not enough to make a difference nutritionally." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quinoa Salad With Mangoes and Curry Vinaigrette Salt 1 1/3 cups quinoa, rinsed thoroughly 2 large mangoes 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced 3 scallions, including 1 inch of the greens, thinly sliced Curry vinaigrette (see attached recipe) 1/3 cup roasted almonds Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the quinoa to the boiling water. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Do not overcook. Cut the mangoes by standing each 1 upright and slicing down either side of the seed, which you can't see, but which runs lengthwise through the center of the fruit. Score the 2 pieces, then bend the skin. Cut off the squares of mango where they attach to the skin. Toss the quinoa with the mangoes, chile, scallions and vinaigrette. Chop the almonds and add them last so they stay crisp. Read more: file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/HP_Administrator/My%20Documents/America's%20finally%20falling%20for%20quinoa,%20a%20tasty%20and%20complete%20protein%20--%20and%20a%20seed%20that'll%20grow%20on%20you.mht#ixzz0S80hDBOt

9 Pizzazz Favorites / Pizzazz Recipe's / Green Energy Smoothie! on: September 16, 2009, 06:33:29 AM
Started by pizzazz_admin - Last post by pizzazz_admin
2 handfuls of organic spinach 1 cup of frozen or fresh mango 1/2 teaspoon agave 1/2 cup flaxseed or hemp seed coconut water blend and enjoy!

10 Pizzazz Favorites / Pizzazz Recipe's / Green Goodess ! on: September 16, 2009, 06:31:12 AM
Started by pizzazz_admin - Last post by pizzazz_admin
Handful Organic Kale 1/2 cucumber 1 celery stalk 1/2 green apple 1/2 cup pinapple or pear 1/4 cup golden flax seed 1 teaspoonRevitify[/b 1/4 teaspoon green algea 1/4 teaspoon cordecep muchrooms 1/4 cup gogi berries 2 cups of cocout water or spring water Put all ingrediants in Blender and Blend till smooth. May add ice if desired! Enjoy! products can be ordered through ](www.noblelifeelements.com/pizzazz)