: [Sca-cooks] cooking with Kasha

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Aoghann wrote:
>Second, the kasha has a distinct flavor, stonger than the barley, rice,
>and oats I have cooked with previously. The soup was good, but there was
>something that was not quite right in the flavor. My guess is that it
>was the small amount of cinnamon that I put into the beef when I cooked
>it earlier.  (soup recipe, from previous post)
>
>So, what would be a good combination of spices/herbs for a soup of beef,
>onion, carrot, and kasha?

I assume you were using buckwheat groats, which is often marketed in 
the US as "kasha". As an aside, buckwheat is actually not technically 
a grain, but the seed from a plant related to rhubarb. It has no 
gluten. Buckwheat kasha in the US is already hulled and lightly 
toasted. But you can also buy non-kasha buckwheat (not toasted or 
cracked)

Kasha is a somewhat general Slavic word for hulled and cracked grains 
- there's more to this that my Russian boyfriend told me, but i can't 
recall his details. A Bulgarian website translated kasha as gruel and 
a Russian one said kasha was porridge. Kasha can be made of almost 
any grain (or non-grain like buckwheat :-)

I like buckwheat, but it has a very strong and distinct flavor, which 
may alter a dish that was intended for milder flavored wheat or 
barley. It also has a tendency to be a little bitter.

One way to "improve" the flavor of buckwheat groats is to toast them 
in the oven or pan roast them in oil. Another option is to saute the 
onion in oil and before it is done add the buckwheat and cook 
stirring until it is browned. Don't burn, or it will be even more 
bitter.

Then stir in the liquid.

Buckwheat groats are good with any allia (garlic, onions, leeks, 
shallots, scallions, etc.), mushrooms, celery, carrots, parsnips...

I think buckwheat also goes well with toasted sunflower seeds, pine 
nuts, hazelnuts, pecans (not SCA period), or another mild not bitter 
nut or seed. Walnuts wouldn't be as good, because they are often a 
little bitter.

I've seasoned buckwheat with salt, and various savory green herbs, 
including celery leaves, but never used spices like cinnamon or 
ginger. However, it can be served as a cooked "cereal" for breakfast 
when it is eaten with jam or sugar.

Buckwheat also is tasty augmented with butter, but chicken fat 
(schmaltz), goose fat, a flavorful sunflower oil, or a good fruity 
olive oil are also good.

I suspect it wasn't common in Medieval and Renaissance Western 
Europe, but it was eaten in Eastern Europe. I'm sure Bear or someone 
else will correct me if i'm mistaken. I can't find my Oxford 
Companion to Food at the moment to verify or contradict my comment.

Anahita