My days at Fine Cooking expose me to numerous ingredients that have yet to cross my palette. Cherimoya, kohlrabi, sunchokes…these many splendid things don’t seem to find their way into my diet. And I always hesitate to ask friends if they’ve had this or sampled that; every time I do, I end up looking like a fool. My questions are usually met with a surprised expression and “Of course, I use that all the time. Don’t you?” So I remain silent to avoid conversational pratfalls.

This is why I love Lento’s blog post about farro, a grain that often appears in my work materials. It too is one of those ingredients that I keep wrapped in enigma for fear of seeming unworldly. But Robert Zeoli, a blogger from Westport, Connecticut who considers Italy his second home explains that farro “becomes tender and chewier than rice after about 30 minutes of cooking,” and is a wonderful alternative to “white carbs.” His recipe for Farro Salad with Corn & Feta caught my attention. I made it and was pleasantly surprised. Thanks, Robert, for shedding some light on farro for me. I’m officially a convert, so I’ll reach for farro next time a recipe calls for one of those white carbs.