With The Grain : 200 delectable recipes using wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley and other grains

Even if you're not interested in grains -- or food -- Sokolov's breezy writing makes this book worth its weight in wheat. Jack Winter

This is a terrific book and, as far as I can tell, it's been completely overlooked. I don't know why it hasn't received more critical attention. The author, a Fullbright scholar, former Food editor for the New York Times, and Leisure & Arts editor for the Wall Street Journal, is extremely well-read and eloquent in this concise but thorough book that details the world's grains. From oats to grits, farro to quinoa, it's all there, with recipes from around the world to illustrate how each is used. Note that even though it's about grain, normally the province of vegetarians, this is not necessarily a vegetarian's cookbook. Many of the book's recipes include meat. This book could be especially useful for those who've decided to cut back on meat and change the focus of their diet to grain, but it would be handy on any cook's shelf. I turn to it again and again as both a reference and a cookbook. It's fully indexed, well organized and highly recommended.