Wild rice, quinoa boost flavor, texture of snack bars

When a cook from Minnesota's Red Lake Nation showed chef Jerome Grant how to puff wild rice, amping up its nutty flavor, he knew just where to deploy it: in a grain-packed alternative to the granola bar.

Grant heads the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe kitchens at the National Museum of the American Indian, where some of Washington's most innovative cookery is happening. The gluten-free, nut-free, vegan bars are a new addition there, packed with quinoa - also puffed - seeds and dried cherries. They make a terrifically crunchy, earthy snack that happens to be a feast for the eyes as well.