Gluten Sensitive? Kamut Point.

Michel is quite the storyteller.  He has a lifetime of stories about people and places and things that are sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, and always memorable.  For example, there’s the one about the time he played his way out of a traffic ticket on Lakeshore Drive in Chicago when the police officer saw a violin case on the back seat of the car.  Michel just stood there next to the road, playing Bach and waiting for the cop to wave him on with a warning.  There’s also the one about the TSA agent in the Detroit airport who scanned the cello case Michel was taking on a business trip.  Upon looking at the x-ray screen as the case inched its way down the security conveyor, the agent said “Oh, so you got a piano in there.”  Now you feel safe flying, right?  Not so much. 

I love a good story as much as the next person, but I find the saga of the origin of kamut rather implausible, despite the fact that I found it on a Purdue University horticulture website. (And for all you Purdue people, Boiler Up!)  The article reads in part: “Following WWII, a US airman claimed to have taken a handful of this grain from a stone box in a tomb near Dashare, Egypt. Thirty-six kernels of the grain were given to a friend who mailed them to his father, a Montana wheat farmer. The farmer planted and harvested a small crop and displayed the grain as a novelty at the local fair. Believing the legend that the giant grain kernels were taken from an Egyptian tomb, the grain was dubbed ‘King Tut's Wheat.’ But soon the novelty wore off and this ancient grain was all but forgotten.”

Oh yes, there’s more to this tale if you’d like to continue reading.  It’s a little too “Indiana Jones” for my taste but it’s still an interesting account.  Time to suspend my disbelief about how precisely thirty-six kernels of grain made their way from an Egyptian tomb to a Montana farm.   Full account here: Kamut: Ancient Grain, New Cereal
Meanwhile, the bearded wellness guru Dr. Andrew Weil claims on his website that the Egypt story is untrue and that another false legend holds that kamut was “the grain Noah brought with him on the ark.”  Right. 

What’s the big deal about kamut?  It has far more protein than regular wheat, for starters.  It’s also high in minerals and lipids, according to the good people at kamut.com.  All of these things are supposed to give you more energy than other carbohydrates.  If you are gluten-sensitive, you’ve probably done some research about it already.  Some findings show that it’s better tolerated than common wheat by those who have allergies or other sensitivities.  However, warnings appear for those who have celiac disease or absolute gluten intolerance.  Not worth the risk, I would say.  

Kamut is a wonderful option to have in your arsenal of grains for healthful eating.  Its nutty, chewy texture adds a satisfying meatiness to vegetarian dishes.  Definitely plays well with others.  On its own, the grains of kamut look just like the cereal that “Sugar Bear” used to sell us during Saturday morning cartoons--well, at least that's what I see.  Remember that Dean Martin-like cartoon bear in a turtleneck sweater?  He crooned a little jingle about “Can’t get enough of that Sugar Crisp.”  Note:  Sugary cereals are bad.  Cartoon bears are harmless.  And fictional. But I digress…sorry. 

Kamut or Sugar Crisp?  Hmm?

Here’s the delicious, healthful kamut recipe. 

 

Chickpeas with Kamut and Preserved Lemon

You will need:

• ¾ cup chickpeas
• ¾ cup kamut
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ an onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (pimentón)
• 1 heaping teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• ¼ cup preserved lemon, chopped (recipe in a previous post)
• 1 carton vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt

 

Preserved Lemon

In a stock pot:

• Heat olive oil—“not too hot”
• Add garlic, stir “until it gives off its perfume.”
• Add onion and let it sweat 3-4 minutes over low heat.
• Add herbs and preserved lemon.
• Add chickpeas and kamut.
• Cover all ingredients with vegetable broth, adding more as needed during cooking.
• Cover and cook over medium heat until chickpeas are soft, about 1-1½ hours.
• Peek at the mixture now and then to make sure you have enough broth.
• Serve with quinoa, polenta, or other grain of choice.  Also nice with kale salad.

Relax and enjoy the lively lemon and cinnamon aromas while you wait for the chickpeas to cook.