Does it bother anyone else that 7/11 is marketing so called "gourmet" items now? I'm at a loss as to how to explain why "gourmet" is now the new label for some basic foods and a little variety. The obvious answer is that it has everything to do with marketing and targeting the American public to get a few more cents a pound. It irks me to no end.

Winter is upon us and lots of baking is going on so I'd like to focus on the various flours and grains you find in these gourmet sections. Some of these flours include soy flour, which makes everything I cook sticky; rice flour makes everything an eerie looking clear skin "potsticker" thingy and raw wheat makes pancakes taste like cardboard. Real gourmet, ey? I like spelt flour. I have tried for years to work with spelt. Usually everything I have tried turns out into a flat dry tasting pasta or bread. The learning curve on it was long and disappointing but the end result now is wonderful. So learn from my mistakes: Dust pork chops with it and it burns too fast. Add to homemade pasta flour try and it tastes gritty. You can thicken with it because it clumps. Why bother right?

Not to be confused with oats or wheat, spelt is a member of the same grain family but is an entirely different species. It is one of the original seven grains mentioned in the Bible. This 9000-year-old grain originated in the Fertile Crescent and over the centuries found its way throughout Europe where it remained a very popular grain for hundreds of years. To Germans it is their beloved "Dinkel" and is now found in a wide variety of foods and beverages from bread to beer. To Italians it is called "Farro" and is found in gourmet soups, pizza crusts, breads and cakes.

Spelt's uniqueness is also derived from its genetic make-up and nutrition profile. Spelt has high water solubility, so the body easily absorbs the nutrients. Spelt contains special carbohydrates, which are an important factor in blood clotting and stimulating the body's immune system. It is also a superb fiber resource and has large amounts of B-complex vitamins. Total protein content is from 15 to 30% greater than the common varieties of commercial wheat.

Bottom line is it's really, really good for you if you can work it into your diet on a regular basis. As stated in a study published in the July 2004 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, spelt has been known to help with migraine headaches, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular issues for postmenopausal women and gallstone prevention. Problem is, cooking with it is tricky because it can be moody.

One of the first things you will notice when using spelt flour is that it always seems to require less liquid than other flours. To use spelt in a recipe designed for wheat flour, you would start by using 1/8 less liquid than called for or 1/8 more spelt flour. Try it out on easier items, such as muffins, pancakes, coffee cake, etc. before trying to make yeast breads. I messed up pounds of this stuff forcing me to go back to my local "gourmet" store. The best baking instruction I ever had was from a gourmet Monk who taught a culinary class at the Omega Institute in NY. Seppo was his name. His way of baking was to cook clean and quickly. His biggest rule of thumb was to keep your wet and dry ingredients separated until you are ready to combine. It works for me and my mess is minimal making my wife exultant. I share these three bastions that I make with spelt.

Pecan-Sweet Potato Spice Spelt Bread
The name is a mouthful but so is the bread. A perfect holiday bread. It is packed with nutrients.

Dry Ingredients
1 3/4 cups Spelt Flour
3/4 cup Whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup Pecans, (or walnuts) chopped
1 1/2 tsp Ginger, ground
1 tsp Nutmeg, ground
1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp Cloves, ground
1 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Sea salt

Wet Ingredients
1 cups Applesauce, unsweetened
2/3 cups Sweet Potatoes, cooked & mashed
1/4 cup Molasses
2 Eggs, large

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x5x3 pan with spray or oil. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine all the wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until evenly blended using as few strokes as possible. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake for about an hour or until bread begins to turn darker brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

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