Joshua McFadden Knows His Grains

When we first learned that chef, restaurateur, and author Joshua McFadden was working on a cookbook all about grains, we knew we had to get our hands on a copy. Joshua's first veg-forward cookbook, the James Beard Award winning Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables, is one of (our founder) Steph Chen's favorites, so we knew that his latest, Grains for Every Season: Rethinking Our Way with Grains, would be another that we'd cook from again and again. (Especially using our Anyday dishes.)

Here at Anyday, we firmly believe that the microwave is an absolute grain game-changer. (If you've ever made rice in your Anyday Deep Dish, you can attest to that fact.) Think of it this way: The microwave is essentially a super-powered steamer which is why it yields foolproof grains every time — with the proper know-how, of course.

Because his latest cookbook is all about "rethinking our way with grains," we sat down with Joshua to see if we could get him aboard the microwave train. When we first got to talking, Joshua told us that he mostly used his microwave "for reheating things and tempering chocolate." 

As a team tasked with changing people's minds about the microwave, we're all too familiar with this type of response. So we dug a little deeper into why he thinks that is: "I used to think that the microwave was unsafe, until I realized it makes no sense. I think the microwave has always had a bad rep, but it's completely unfounded," Joshua told us.

"I think the microwave has always had a bad rep, but it's completely unfounded."

When we explained why cooking grains in the Anyday yields faster, more hands-off, and consistent results every time, Joshua agreed that it's a method worth testing out. "Cooking grains in the microwave makes a lot of sense to me. One hundred percent. If you're showing people an easy way to cook something, I'm all about it." 

Even though Joshua is a professional chef and an award-winning cookbook author, his approach to cooking at home is extremely unfussy. "When I cook at home, it's much more relaxed and much, much faster." Need proof of that? A normal week of dinners for Joshua entails a lot of soups, stews, stir-fries, and (of course) simple grains. "I make them in batches and freeze them in portions," he told us.  (Ahem, a perfect application for using Anyday dishes: to batch cook grains.) 

"Cooking grains in the microwave makes a lot of sense to me. One hundred percent.”

Speaking of Anyday applications, Joshua graciously gave us permission to adapt three recipes from Grains for Every Season to the microwave: Chicken Soup with Brown Rice, Radishes, and Lots of Lemon, Spiced Brown Rice with Chickpeas, and Truly Irresistible Granola. (Yes, you can make granola in the microwave.) Check them out below. 

For a chance to WIN a Large Starter Set and a copy of Joshua's new cookbook, click here!

 And for more everyday cooking inspiration, follow Joshua McFadden on Instagram and purchase his latest book: Grains for Every Season: Rethinking Our Way with Grains.