What's For Dinner? Bulgur!

Very likely, you're already into whole wheat—as many of us are—because it's cheap, readily available almost anywhere; handy to store and versatile. If you like this gram as is, though, you may find that you like it even better parched and cracked . . . because bulgur—as the roasted product is called—cooks faster than whole or cracked plain wheat and has a sweet, nutlike flavor and crunchy texture which natural food lovers usually enjoy.

Wheat in this form has been a staple in the diets of Middle Eastern peoples for many centuries. It's also been produced commercially in the United States for some years and can be bought in the supermarkets of most large cities. However—if you're not a great customer of the garbagemarts these days—youll be glad to know that you can easily make your own bulgur at home:

[1] Wash your wheat well in cool water three or four times, pour off any chaff and discard the liquid. If the grain is very dirty you may have to pick It over for rocks and such.

[2] Boil the clean cereal in enough water to cover until all the liquid is absorbed and the kernels are tender and swollen to twice their original size. This usually takes 35-45 minutes.

[3] Spread the wheat out thin on a cookie sheet or in shallow pans and leave it in the oven at 200°F until it's, completely dry.

[4] if necessary, rub the kernels between your hands to . remove any chaff that may, be left.

[S] Use your mill or grinder to crack the wheat into medium-sized pieces about the size of regular cracked wheat. (Take it easy . . . you're not making flour!) You could, even use a mortar and pestle, a hammer, a metate or a rock if no machine is available. Or, if you just don't have anything to break up the grain with, you can use the wheat whole. It's still good, but it's chewier and takes longer to cook.

[6] Store the bulgur in a tightly closed container. Then, to cook the cereal whenever you want it, just boil it in water (for 5-10 minutes) until it has approximately doubled in bulk.

Once you've made your first batch of bulgur, you'll find plenty of possibilities for its use. Eat the cereal plain, use it as a meat extender, add it to bread and rolls, put it in cookies and salads . . . the limit is your, imagination. Here's a few recipes to get you started: