Cereal is considered any one of several grasses cultivated widely for their seeds (grain), which provide a staple food for humans and livestock.
Rice is different from wheat; it is the most cultivated cereal in the world, growing in tropical, equatorial, and temperate zones. Rice is always eaten cooked, served either hot or cold as a sweet or savory dish. The amount of uncooked rice required per serving is two tablespoons for a garnish, ½ cup for a main dish, and three tablespoons for a dessert. Rice is normally cooked in water, meat stock, or milk.
Pasta is dough made of wheat flour, water, salt, and often eggs. Pasta is shaped in various ways and sometimes flavored. It is sold dried or fresh. With very little effort you can make your own. It is a popular belief that the 14th century explorer Marco Polo introduced pasta into Italy from China, but in fact, the first known reference to pasta can be traced to Sicily in the Middle Ages when the island was under Arab domination.
The seeded pods of various legumes are among the oldest foods known to humanity dating back at least 4,000 years. They come in two broad categories, fresh and dried. Some beans, such as black-eyed peas, lima beans, and cranberry beans, can be found in both fresh and dried forms. Fresh beans are those that are commercially available in their fresh form and are generally sold in their pods. The three most commonly available fresh-bean varieties are green beans, lima beans, and fava beans which are eaten shelled. If cooked properly, fresh beans contain a fair amount of vitamins A and C; lima beans are also a good source of protein. Dried beans are available prepackaged or in bulk. Some of the more popular dried beans are black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, pink beans, and pinto beans. Dried beans must usually be soaked in water for several hours or overnight to rehydrate them before cooking.
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