Beans and barley are not just for cholent

Buying kosher canned beans can be expensive (if you can find them), especially if you have a large family. The same is true if you buy prepared mixes for rice, noodles, other grains, etc. In our house, we use a lot of dry ingredients and we eat vegetarian most weekdays. Bulk ingredients can sometimes take a little work to prepare, but if you think ahead, the results are worth it.

Here are some resources and tips for using dry beans and whole grains (courtesy of Whole Foods):

∞ Guide to Beans:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/guides/beans.php 

∞ Guide to Whole Grains & Flours:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/guides/grains.php

∞ Guide to Rice:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/guides/rice.php

Whole Foods also has a free booklet called “Bulk Basics” that you can pick up in their bulk section. It goes into detail on how to cook (and bake with) all types of beans, peas and lentils, rice, grains, flours, nuts, and seeds.

∞ Places we like to buy our bulk foods:
– rice: at one of our local Asian markets (Seafood City)
– whole wheat flour: from http://www.meijer.com or http://www.kingarthurflour.com
– beans: anywhere, these are universally cheap
– chick peas: Global Foods
– wheatberries (instead of barley in cholent): Whole Foods