Mildly Obscure Cooking Lessons from MLK Weekend

I did not conquer racial division this weekend. In fact, I hardly made it out of my apartment. (Twenty-below-zero temps have that effect on me.) However, I did learn a couple of culinary lessons that people of all races and creeds may find helpful.

1. Quinoa needs to be washed. A lot. The Incas called it “the mother of all grains,” but I call it “the mother of all pains.” It’s incredibly healthy, tastes good (in a very unique way), and has a hip-sounding name, but as far as preparation goes, it is definitely no Minute Rice. (Fortunately, many quinoa companies sell their grains pre-washed.)

2. Granola is fun and easy to make, after all, as long as you don’t burn it. I made about a month’s worth of granola this weekend using these tips from How to Cook Everything author Mark Bittman, who says, “You don’t have to be a hippie to make granola, but it helps…”

I also had a few dreams this MLK weekend, but you really don’t want to hear about those.