Category 10 — Grains, Legumes, Flours

Category 10 of 23 · Built 2026-04-20 · Last verified 2026-04-20 · UMAMI-15 Quality contract: PROCESS.md

Scope + cross-file note: this file consolidates grains + flours not already covered in earlier files. Bomba rice, Spanish pulses (fabes, lentejas, garbanzos), fideos → file 06. Japanese rice (Koshihikari/Tamaki) → file 05. Pasta + specialty flours + baking → this file.

MEMORY.md anchor: Flour & Weirdoughs ✅ (19 Harbor Dr, Key Biscayne, 305-361-9000, Tue-Sun 8am-2pm) — mills their own flour, top Miami bakery. The single highest-impact Miami baking-adjacent vendor; their bread + pastries are serious chef-grade, and they can mill custom orders on request. Use them for sourdough + croissants + ready-made bread; source flour for home baking from Tier 2 below.

Corpus dependency: focaccia-sheet-pan, master-sourdough-loaf, ensaimada-mallorquina, kamado-pizza, risotto-carnaroli, coca-de-recapte. Plus anything future-pasta + future-baking.

ITALIAN RICE (Risotto)

Carnaroli + Arborio + Vialone Nano

Depth: A (risotto-carnaroli ✅ is a core recipe)

What to know: Three Italian short-grain rice varieties dominate risotto:

• Carnaroli — "Rolls Royce of rice." Higher amylose → holds shape better during stirring, absorbs more liquid without breaking. The recipe uses this by name. The chef default.
• Arborio — more widely available, softer, breaks down faster → creamier but less al dente. Amateur-friendly.
• Vialone Nano — smaller grain, Veneto specialty, shorter cooking, creamy. The traditional Venetian choice.

Aging matters. Acquerello (Piedmont producer since 1935) ages Carnaroli 1-7 years before sale — aged rice has firmer starch structure + absorbs flavors more deeply. "7-year aged" is their top-tier bottling.

🏬 TIER 1 — Miami

• Whole Foods Brickell / Coral Gables — Acquerello 500g tin (standard 1-year age) + Principato Carnaroli. ~$12-$18/500g. ⚪ curated. Strong Tier 1.
• La Jamoteca — Italian rice section; standard Carnaroli + Acquerello when stocked.
• Golden Hog Key Biscayne — Italian specialty case.
• Publix Coral Gables — basic Arborio + occasional Carnaroli.

🌐 TIER 2

• 🏆 Acquerello Carnaroli Aged (standard) — gourmetfoodstore Acquerello Aged · Amazon 17.6oz tin · "the Rolls Royce of rice" — chef-default. ~$12-$20/500g tin. ⚪ curated. The default answer.
• 🏆 Acquerello 7-Year Aged Carnaroli — chefshop Acquerello 7-year · ultra-aged; ~$25-$35/500g. ⚪ curated. The summit.
• Riso Principato — well-regarded Piedmont Carnaroli; reliable.
• Riserva San Massimo Carnaroli — small-producer, Lombardy; specialty.

👑 TIER 3

• Single-farm Carnaroli from Ferron (Veneto) — Gabriele Ferron's legendary risotto house; direct-import specialty; ~$40+/500g.

Cross-recipe: risotto-carnaroli ✅ (Acquerello Aged = default recommendation), future risottos with truffle + mushroom + seafood variants.

PASTA

Dry Pasta (Spaghetti, Rigatoni, Bucatini, Short Shapes)

Depth: A (carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe all unspec'd but on candidate list)

What to know: Italian dry pasta quality drivers:

• Semolina durum wheat (not soft wheat)
• Bronze-die extrusion (creates rough texture that holds sauce — vs smooth Teflon-die which is industrial cheap)
• Slow low-temp drying (36-72h at 40-50°C, vs 8-14h at 80-100°C for industrial)

Supermarket pasta (Barilla, De Cecco blue) is Teflon-extruded fast-dried. Fine for weeknight; not top-grade for a dinner party carbonara.

Chef-grade tier:

• Rustichella d'Abruzzo — bronze-die, slow-dried, chef favorite. Widely US-distributed.
• Benedetto Cavalieri (Puglia) — wooden-rack slow-dried; premium.
• Martelli (Tuscany) — family-operated since 1926; only makes 4 shapes; chef cult.
• Afeltra (Gragnano DOP) — the protected-origin pasta from Naples; Alla Chitarra, Paccheri.
• Monograno Felicetti — heritage grain varieties (Matt, Kamut); specialty health-forward.

Pasta di Gragnano IGP = the geographically-protected designation from Gragnano, Naples. Afeltra + Faella + Gentile are the premier producers.

🏬 TIER 1 — Miami

• Whole Foods Brickell / Coral Gables — Rustichella d'Abruzzo (reliable stock, ~$6-$10/500g); Afeltra Gragnano DOP. ⚪ curated.
• Golden Hog Key Biscayne — premium Italian pasta case; Benedetto Cavalieri + specialty.
• Publix — De Cecco (decent mid-tier, bronze-die), Barilla Collezione.
• La Jamoteca — Italian pasta section.

🌐 TIER 2

• 🏆 Rustichella d'Abruzzo — via Amazon, Alma Gourmet, Gustiamo, Eataly. ~$6-$12/500g. Strong chef-grade default. ⚪ curated.
• Benedetto Cavalieri + Martelli + Afeltra — via Gustiamo (gustiamo.com — NYC-based high-end Italian importer), Alma Gourmet, Eataly.
• Monograno Felicetti — heritage/ancient grain pasta; Whole Foods specialty + Eataly.

👑 TIER 3

• Faella Gragnano DOP Paccheri + specialty shapes — Gragnano DOP summit; via Eataly + Gustiamo.
• Martelli 500g wrapped brick pack — the small-batch Tuscan producer; the "only 4 shapes" purists; via specialty.
• Pastificio Di Martino x Dolce&Gabbana collector shapes — Instagram-famous specialty; ultra-niche.

Cross-recipe: Future candidates → carbonara (spaghetti or rigatoni, Rustichella), amatriciana (bucatini or spaghetti, same), cacio-e-pepe (tonnarelli or spaghetti, Rustichella), seafood pastas. fideuà ✅ uses Spanish fideos (file 06), not Italian pasta.

Fresh Egg Pasta

Depth: B (inventory has the Philips automatic pasta maker per MEMORY.md — home-made is a viable Tier 3 path)

What to know: Fresh egg pasta = flour + egg (traditionally only yolk for silky sheets). Tipo 00 flour is the specific Italian flour for pasta + pizza. Home-extruded pasta on the Philips unlocks fresh tagliatelle + fettuccine + penne + spaghetti any evening. Commercial fresh pasta is rarely top-grade unless premium artisan.

Sourcing (flour for DIY):

• Tipo 00 flour — see next section.

Sourcing (ready-made fresh pasta):

• Whole Foods Brickell — Rana, Giovanni Rana (acceptable mid-tier).
• Specialty: Alma Gourmet handmade pasta + Eataly fresh case (if visiting NYC).
• Miami: Mama's Ristorante + specialty Italian-deli case at Golden Hog.

Fresh Pasta Flour (Tipo 00)

Depth: A (for kamado-pizza + home-made pasta via Philips)

What to know: Tipo 00 (Italian classification) = finest-grind soft wheat, low protein (9-12%), ideal for pasta + Neapolitan pizza dough. NOT bread flour — different use case.

• Caputo 00 Chef's Flour (Blue bag) — the chef-default for Neapolitan pizza + pasta. W300-320 strength. 13.5% protein for long fermentations.
• Caputo 00 Pizzeria (Red bag) — specifically for pizza shops; higher protein (13%).
• Caputo 00 Cuoco — slightly different formulation; Italian restaurant-grade.
• Molino Grassi 00 — alternate premium Italian.
• Molino Caputo Nuvola — specialty high-hydration long-ferment blend.

🏬 TIER 1

• Whole Foods Brickell + Coral Gables — Antimo Caputo 00 Chef's (blue bag) ~$8-$12/2.2lb. ⚪ curated. Reliable default.
• La Jamoteca — Italian pantry case.
• Publix — Caputo standard + King Arthur "Italian-Style" (acceptable sub).

🌐 TIER 2

• 🏆 Antimo Caputo 00 Chef's Flour — Amazon Caputo 2.2lb 2-pack · brickovenbaker Caputo 1kg · olioandolive Caputo · chef-default. ⚪ curated.
• Caputo 00 Pizzeria (Red bag) — pizzeria-grade; slightly higher protein.
• Mulino Marino 00 (Piedmont organic) — premium slow-milled organic; via Gustiamo. ⚪ curated.

👑 TIER 3

• Direct-import single-mill Italian 00 — via Gustiamo or specialty.
• Miller's Reserve Caputo — annual heritage-grain release.

Cross-recipe: kamado-pizza ✅ (the flour makes the dough; Caputo 00 is non-negotiable for Neapolitan-style), focaccia-sheet-pan ✅ (Caputo 00 OR bread flour; see below), future fresh pasta.

BREAD FLOURS + SPECIALTY BAKING

Bread Flour + All-Purpose + Specialty Wheats

Depth: A (for master-sourdough-loaf ✅ + focaccia-sheet-pan ✅ + baking)

What to know: Protein content drives bread outcome:

• Bread flour (12-14% protein) — workhorse for sourdough + focaccia.
• High-gluten flour (14%+) — bagels + high-hydration breads.
• All-purpose (10-12%) — adequate but not optimal for serious bread.
• Whole wheat (fresh-milled) — Flour & Weirdoughs advantage; oxidizes fast, flavor peaks within 2 weeks of milling.
• Heritage/ancient grains — Sonora, Red Fife, Einkorn, Emmer — distinctive flavor; pair with bread flour (too weak gluten solo).

Flour & Weirdoughs connection: they mill their own flour for their baking. For fresh-milled Miami flour for home baking, ask at the bakery about buying a kilo retail — family-operated bakeries often sell their mill output to regulars. MEMORY.md-flagged as verified vendor. This is the highest-impact Miami baking upgrade available.

🏬 TIER 1 — Miami

• 🏆 Flour & Weirdoughs (Key Biscayne) — [19 Harbor Dr, (305) 361-9000, Tue-Sun 8am-2pm] — finished breads + pastries + ask-about-flour-milling. Miami's single highest-impact baking vendor. ⚪ curated (MEMORY.md verified).
• Whole Foods Brickell + Coral Gables — King Arthur Bread Flour + King Arthur All-Purpose (top US default). Giusto's (CA) specialty flour. ~$5-$8/5lb. ⚪ curated.
• Publix — King Arthur + Gold Medal.

🌐 TIER 2

• 🏆 King Arthur Baking (Vermont) — kingarthurbaking.com — US chef-default for baking flour. Bread Flour, All-Purpose, Whole Wheat, specialty lines. Reliable quality; wholesale-to-home. ⚪ curated.
• Giusto's Vita-Grain (California) — specialty blend + organic ancient grains.
• Central Milling (Utah) — artisan miller; "Organic Type 70" + "Artisan Baker's Craft" widely used by US bakeries.
• Anson Mills (South Carolina) — heritage + ancient grains; direct-ship premium. The "summit US artisan miller for heritage grain."

👑 TIER 3

• 🏆 Anson Mills Heritage Grain Flours — ansonmills.com — Carolina Gold rice flour, Red Fife wheat, Sea Island Red Peas, specialty cornmeal. The US artisan heritage-grain summit. Chef-cult. ⚪ curated.
• Community Grains (California) — whole-grain-only specialist; chef-favored for distinctive flavor.
• Meadowlark Organics (Wisconsin) — heirloom wheat.
• Fresh-milled flour from Flour & Weirdoughs (ask regularly) — Miami-local, peak freshness.

Cross-recipe: master-sourdough-loaf ✅ (bread flour primary; whole wheat + rye for variation), focaccia-sheet-pan ✅ (bread flour or 00), ensaimada-mallorquina ✅ (bread flour; fat + egg dough), future breads.

Alternative Flours (Rye, Whole Wheat, Buckwheat, Spelt, Einkorn, Semolina)

Depth: B (specialty baking; variety)

• Rye — for dark sourdough, crackers. King Arthur + Bob's Red Mill + Anson Mills.
• Whole wheat — for 30-50% blends in sourdough. Same sources; Flour & Weirdoughs fresh-milled = summit.
• Semolina — coarser, for bread dusting + pasta dusting + Italian breads.
• Buckwheat — for soba (Japanese), pancakes, blinis. Specialty.
• Spelt + Einkorn + Emmer — ancient grains; lower gluten; Anson Mills + King Arthur Ancient Grains.
• Gluten-free flours — Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 baking blend; King Arthur gluten-free.

Cross-recipe: sourdough variations, blinis for caviar, exotic bread weekend candidates.

CHICKPEA FLOUR + LEGUME FLOURS

Garbanzo + Chickpea + Pea Flours

Depth: C (brief; specialty)

• Garbanzo (chickpea) flour — for panisses (French chickpea fries), socca (Niçoise flatbread), farinata (Italian). Whole Foods + Bob's Red Mill.
• Pea flour — specialty; under-used.

Future candidates: socca-nice-flatbread, farinata-ligure, panisses-tapa.

GRAINS — SPECIALTY

Farro, Freekeh, Barley, Quinoa, Spelt Berries

Depth: C (brief; reference)

Salads + sides + grain bowls (not a deep-core category but worth owning).

• Farro (hulled emmer) — Italian; nutty, firm. Rustichella makes a whole-grain farro.
• Freekeh — Middle-Eastern green wheat; smoky.
• Barley — pearled for risotto-adjacent; whole for grain bowls.
• Quinoa — reliable protein grain.
• Spelt berries — chewy whole-grain.

Whole Foods + Publix for standard; Alma Gourmet + specialty for premium Italian farro.

POLENTA + CORNMEAL

Italian Polenta (Integral, Taragna, Bramata)

Depth: B

• Polenta Bramata (coarse yellow) — traditional Italian; slow-stirred creamy polenta.
• Polenta Taragna (yellow + buckwheat) — Lombard specialty.
• Polenta Integrale (whole grain) — fuller flavor.
• Anson Mills Stone-Ground Antebellum Yellow Polenta — US heritage cornmeal; chef-grade.

Sourcing: Whole Foods + Publix for standard; Anson Mills polenta + Rustichella polenta via Amazon + Gustiamo for chef-grade.

Future candidate: polenta-taragna-veneto-style winter dish.

CROSS-RECIPE INDEX

Open Questions

1. Flour & Weirdoughs fresh-milled flour retail order? Ask on next visit — they may sell 1-2kg of their daily mill output. Miami's only fresh-milled flour path. Can't buy this anywhere else.
2. Acquerello 7-year aged subscription? For risotto-focused dinners, the extended-age Carnaroli is a noticeable upgrade. ~$25-$35/500g. Core fit?
3. Philips pasta maker reactivation? MEMORY.md notes "Philips automatic pasta maker" in the inventory. Is using it? If not, a weekly tagliatelle + caputo 00 + egg-yolk fresh-pasta evening is an easy recipe expansion.
4. Italian pasta trinity unlock? The corpus is missing carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe. Single Rustichella d'Abruzzo 3-shape order ($20-$25) + Locatelli Pecorino Romano (file 07) + La Quercia guanciale (file 04) = three canonical recipes unlock.
5. Anson Mills heritage grain subscription? For sourdough variety + Carolina Gold rice (Southern-adjacent expansion), Anson Mills is the premium US miller. Monthly or quarterly shipment?
6. Miami pasta-focused dinner? Given pasta-maker hardware + pantry gaps just identified, a "Pasta night" is a viable menu arc. Want me to draft a 5-course progression?

VERIFIED VENDOR CROSS-CHECK (for MEMORY.md sync)

New vendors this file (beyond files 01-09):

• Acquerello — acquerello.it — Vercelli, Italy; premium aged Carnaroli rice; 1-year + 7-year lines.
• Rustichella d'Abruzzo — chef-default Italian bronze-die pasta; widely US-distributed.
• Benedetto Cavalieri + Martelli + Afeltra + Faella — premier Italian pasta houses; via Gustiamo + Alma Gourmet + Eataly.
• Antimo Caputo — mulinocaputo.it — Naples mill, chef-default 00 flour; widely distributed.
• King Arthur Baking — kingarthurbaking.com · Vermont — US chef-default bread + all-purpose flour.
• Anson Mills — ansonmills.com · South Carolina — heritage grain summit; chef-cult; Carolina Gold rice, heritage wheat, stone-ground polenta.
• Gustiamo — gustiamo.com · NYC-based premium Italian importer; pasta + olive oil + specialty.
• Central Milling (Utah) — artisan bakery-grade flour; widely used by US bakeries.
• Giusto's Vita-Grain — California specialty flour.
• Meadowlark Organics (Wisconsin) — heirloom wheat miller.
• Community Grains (California) — whole-grain specialist.
• Mulino Marino (Piedmont) — slow-milled organic 00 + specialty flours.
• Brick Oven Baker — brickovenbaker.com — Caputo + pizza-focused retailer.

10/23 atlas files complete. Halfway point. Remaining: oils/vinegars (11), salts/spices (12), sweets (13), wines × 3 (14-16), sherry (16), spirits × 2 (17-18), non-alcohol (19), equipment × 3 (20-22), Miami local directory (23).