Farro is a term to identify a grain that has been around since ancient times. It's non-GMO, high in fiber, protein, and nutrients, and absolutely delicious - nutty, full-flavored, and with an appealingly chewy texture.

Farros have an extra hull, also known as a husk. This hull is a tough outer layer that protects the grain. Unlike modern wheat, which has a hull that is easily removed during threshing, farros require additional processing to remove this hull before the grains can be consumed.

This extra hull contributes to their resilience and ability to grow in less favorable conditions, but it also makes them more labor-intensive to process.

There are 3 identified farros: Einkorn, Emmer and Spelt.

Einkorn (Triticum monococcum) is considered the oldest wheat to be domesticated around 12,000 years ago. Einkorn is the most primitive wheat we know. It is a diploid wheat species with 2 sets of chromosomes, totaling 14 chromosomes. Modern wheat contains 42. And Einkorn does not have the D chromosome, which appears to be what some people are intolerant of in wheat.

Emmer (Triticum dicoccum) is the second oldest grain with indications of humans cultivating emmer 12,000 to 9,000 years ago. Emmer is a tetraploid wheat species with 4 sets of chromosomes, totaling 28 chromosomes. It also does not have the D chromosome.

Spelt (Triticum Spelta) is the third oldest, believed to have been cultivated around 5,000 years ago. Spelt has 42 chromosomes. It is a hexaploid species, meaning it has six sets of chromosomes. This hexaploid nature is a result of its hybridization and evolution from earlier wheat species. Spelt and other modern wheats have the D chromosome.

Emmer was grown in Egypt and Mesopotamia and eventually migrated, as many grains did, through the Mediterranean region and Europe.

Emmer was appreciated because it grew well in many soils and for its heartiness. It is very high in protein and nutrients, and it was valued just as much by some cultures, particularly the Italians, for its flavor.

Farro is not gluten-free, but it is considerably lower in gluten than wheat, and partly because it has not been bred over thousands of years for maximum yield and other qualities, it's more easily digestible by the human body than most other forms of wheat.

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This is one of the simplest recipes you can make, and because it's so simple, the quality and flavor of the ingredients, especially the vinegar and olive oil, are critical. Select a good-flavored artisan vinegar and a tasty Tuscan or Sicilian olive oil, and you can't go wrong.

This salad is a twist on a classic Italian recipe, with added color as homage to summer. Add small cubes of feta cheese or tuna or white beans to give it a protein boost if you like.

It makes a wonderful side dish served hot or cold, or prepare it in advance and take it on your next picnic as a healthy and tasty alternative to potato salad. Also perfect as leftovers, as the flavors blend so nicely after it sits in the fridge overnight.

In fact, this recipe is so good the next day, I always make the full recipe no matter how many I am serving, just so I can have leftovers. These grains are hardy and do not break down like rice or other grains over the nightly service!

A bright and delicious salad using the ancient grain emmer.

Actress Izabel M skips the emmer and uses everything else over rice or even nothing!

We first took this recipe to feed the tent at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic 20 years ago!

See the Summer Farro Salad Recipe here!

This red-in-color wine vinegar is delicious. Thin in viscosity, when it first reaches your lips, it feels luscious, rich, and thick. The tip of the tongue experiences the vinegar, but the flavor comes to the senses via the lips, along with a bit of a sting (acid of the vinegar) at the back of the throat.

Unlike some vinegars, this gentle twinge at the back of the throat dissipates quickly and is more akin to a nicely-aged Balsamic. The round flavor of its red wine origins lives in the "nose" and in the "taste". There is a complete roundness to the flavor of this red wine vinegar, which draws you in, and one spoonful is not enough!

Perhaps, even though it is a gourmet wine vinegar, it makes you feel like it is a sweet wine or an aged balsamic, and yet its notes are different than you expect.

After much tasting, I still cannot find the words to describe the complex flavor. Like many, if not all, red wines, when you suck in a sip, your nose will pucker at the tip, and hints of red wine vinegar will be present. But if you are willing to savor the flavors and the gourmet wine vinegar slowly, you will feel the hints of red strawberry (creaminess) laced with vanilla and hints of little tiny violets!

I can tell you that it is a wonderful, joyous surprise, and one can imagine that it makes everything taste better. What a wonderful treat this is. Agrodolce!

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The first whiff and it smells just like you want it to! The richness of olives with a hint of tang. Pour a little into a snifter, swirl it around and draw in the aroma! Wow! Lovely!

It's the blend of olives in varying states of ripeness, in this case Tonda Iblea olives from a winery estate in Sicily.

The first sip of oil off a spoon is full of rich, buttery, olive flavor. You'll notice hints of green tomatoes and artichoke, which give it a lightly bitter edge. It will tickle and kick the back of your throat with light, peppery notes that are vibrant, but never overly aggressive.

Savor it with a swirl in your mouth and enjoy the fresh grassiness. Be surprised at the lack of an oily slick.

It's so refreshing that you look forward to another spoonful as your mind travels to how perfectly wonderful this would be on a simple plate of spaghetti! Add a few capers and Parmigiano-Reggiano to dress it up if you must. The oil is perfection for a simple meal. I could eat this combination for days and never get bored.

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If there was one spice I use all the time it is this one. To be clear, grinding just before use is the only way to appreciate pepper. The stuff that is pre-ground is not the same thing....

The term "Tellicherry" originated when these large, black peppercorns were exported from the Indian port city of the same name.

These Tellicherry peppercorns are pungent, with the deepest, hottest flavor you'll ever find! Once traded, ounce for ounce, for pure gold, these Indian black peppercorns are still a superlative spice that can add a depth of flavor—first heat, then a tinge of sweetness—to your everyday meals.

Black pepper is produced from the still-green, unripe drupes of the pepper plant. The drupes are cooked briefly in hot water, both to clean them and to prepare them for drying. The heat ruptures cell walls in the pepper, speeding up the work of browning enzymes during drying.

The drupes are dried in the sun or by machine for several days, during which the pepper around the seed shrinks and darkens into a thin, wrinkled black layer. Once dried, the spice is called black peppercorn.

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Any short grain rice will work, but Tamaki Haiga works especially well as it has a little extra flavor. However, you can also use a medium or long grain rice, just remember to let the rice salad come to room temperature before serving.

See the Rice & Vegetable Salad Recipe here!

Tamaki Haiga Mai Japanese short-grain rice is partially milled: the brown bran has been removed, but unlike white rice, the nutrient-laden germ remains.

Haiga-mai ("rice germ" in Japanese) rice is a semi-transparent beige in color, and it tastes and cooks similarly to regular Japanese white rice, but it maintains many of the natural vitamins and other nutrients lost in processing white rice. Rice germ contains Vitamin B1, B2, B6, and E as well as fiber.

Tamaki Haiga is made from the "Koshihikari" strain of rice, which is considered to be the premier strain of commercially cultivated short grain rice.

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Rice pudding is a common dish in many Middle East, Near East and South East Asian cuisines, where rice is a staple grain. This version has a great combination of flavors and aromas and textures.

See the Cardamom Rice Pudding with Pistachios and Edible Roses Recipe here!

Also known as Paillete Feuilletine™, these Crepes Dentelles crumbs are a hard-to-find pastry crunch and are normally only found in commercial kitchens.

As Tina says, in Food & Wine Magazine, "Add these buttery, toasty-sweet shards to ganache, frostings and truffles for a super crunch."

Called for in classic French recipes, these pastry flakes are a common ingredient when making Praline Feuillete or filling for Praline.

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This oil is always on hand in the kitchen. Its a great olive oil that has the twist of Sorrento Lemons which makes it so versatile. You can use in salads, pasta or to top that special salmon caper dish.

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This recipe is adapted from a recipe in Tastes of Italian magazine (August, 2010). The original recipe calls for fresh lemons, but we have adapted it to use cured or preserved lemons instead. The original recipe also served this sauce over Swordfish. But it works equally well on top of salmon, halibut or black cod.

See the Salmon with Lemon Caper Sauce Recipe!

To make preserved lemons is easy. Salt, lemons, time.

Preserved lemons are a wonderful go-to addition to any recipe. Use them as a topping, an ingredient, or as a taste-changer. Anywhere you would use a regular lemon, you can use a preserved one for more punch and flavor. This intense concentration of flavor goes beyond just a lemon; it releases an explosion of flavor in your mouth!

The combination of salt, lemon, and time creates a flavor bomb when combined with chicken, for instance, bringing out the best in your poultry. Similar to sardines, another flavor enhancer bomb, it might not immediately appeal to all your senses, but once you incorporate a preserved lemon into your next dish, you might just discover a new love.

We like the Belazu Beldi Preserved Lemons because they are small, whole, and round like little globes. Smaller than a golf ball, they have a very thin skin that is easy to cut and chew. When used as a garnish, they look cute and gorgeous, elevating the presentation of any dish!

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This Lemon Risotto recipe was adapted from a recipe in Taste of Italian magazine (August 2010). In this case, I am using preserved or cured lemons, instead of fresh lemons.

See the Lemon Risotto Recipe here!

Of all the rice varieties grown in Italy, Carnaroli rice is the most difficult to grow and process. However, it has the highest amylose content. Amylose is a form of starch that has a great effect on the finish of the rice when it is cooked, making it worth the effort.

The relatively high amylose content of Carnaroli gives it the qualities you want—it absorbs a lot of liquid. The Veneria Carnaroli averages 24.1% of the total weight.

Unlike Arborio and its daughter Baldo, Carnaroli rice has a relatively significant window between cooked and overcooked. This makes a creamy, flowing risotto, not a sticky one.

Carnaroli rice is classified as a superfino not because of its nutritional composition or cooking qualities, but because of its dimensions. Italian rice classification is determined by the ratio of length to width, with a high ratio of length to width resulting in a classification of "superfino."

It is therefore ideal for the preparation of risottos, in which the rice needs to be fluffy, as well as rice salads and all fine cuisine dishes, thanks also to the pleasing aspect of the grains.

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Treating Quinoa like Risotta makes a great comfort food.

Use the attention of a classic risotto, and the results are as rewarding. Take your time adding the heated broth and enjoy the benefits of the time you have just stirring. You end up with a rewarding bowl of food.

See the Quinoa Risotto with Black Dried Currants and Golden Raisins Recipe here!