Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Culinary Creativity borne of Celiac or other dietary restrictions


TicTac

Recommended Posts

Often (at least in my house) the old adage 'necessity is the mother of all invention' rears it's head and presents opportunities to create!

 

Lately I have been thinking far more out of the box with the recent Celiac diagnosis of my 3 y/o son.  I have always loved cooking and creating, but given newly imposed restrictions, the need to be creative has multiplied!

 

I thought this might be a nice thread to share things we create (which we have perhaps not heard of elsewhere) either intentionally, or not!

 

I will offer last night's innovation:

 

Lately I have enjoyed creating zucchini purees (an extremely healthy and often overlooked veg) - essentially searing diced zucchini, typically with onions and garlic and some other flavour profile (have done Indian, Thai, Italian iterations, to name a few).  Last night's was the leftovers of an Italian/Japanese fusion iteration with the combination of garlic/onion/tomato puree and I used a fresh made Dashi as the braising liquid.  Everything was reduced and the contents pureed, consumed as is (great way to get veggies into kids!).  The smokeyness from the Dashi really worked nicely.

 

Last night a bowl of said puree was leftover and I was in a creative mood and got to tinkering!

 

In went some soft goat cheese, a bit of S&P and some Gluten Free flour (regular flour would certainly suffice).  Some butter in a pan on med-high heat and my newly minted 'zucchini goat cheese pancakes' were born.  The texture was fantastic, flavour was excellent (the additional caramelization of the tomato paste and goat cheese worked really well) and before I knew it they were all gone with my 3 y/o asking 'Daddy, you make more of these!?'

 

A keeper concept/recipe for sure.  I bet a number of other veggies would work really well in this application - creating a very healthy (and fun to eat) side offering.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Smithy
Adjusted title for clarity (log)
  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
On 3/15/2019 at 9:20 AM, TicTac said:

Often (at least in my house) the old adage 'necessity is the mother of all invention' rears it's head and presents opportunities to create!

 

Lately I have been thinking far more out of the box with the recent Celiac diagnosis of my 3 y/o son.  I have always loved cooking and creating, but given newly imposed restrictions, the need to be creative has multiplied!

 

I thought this might be a nice thread to share things we create (which we have perhaps not heard of elsewhere) either intentionally, or not!

 

I will offer last night's innovation:

 

Lately I have enjoyed creating zucchini purees (an extremely healthy and often overlooked veg) - essentially searing diced zucchini, typically with onions and garlic and some other flavour profile (have done Indian, Thai, Italian iterations, to name a few).  Last night's was the leftovers of an Italian/Japanese fusion iteration with the combination of garlic/onion/tomato puree and I used a fresh made Dashi as the braising liquid.  Everything was reduced and the contents pureed, consumed as is (great way to get veggies into kids!).  The smokeyness from the Dashi really worked nicely.

 

Last night a bowl of said puree was leftover and I was in a creative mood and got to tinkering!

 

In went some soft goat cheese, a bit of S&P and some Gluten Free flour (regular flour would certainly suffice).  Some butter in a pan on med-high heat and my newly minted 'zucchini goat cheese pancakes' were born.  The texture was fantastic, flavour was excellent (the additional caramelization of the tomato paste and goat cheese worked really well) and before I knew it they were all gone with my 3 y/o asking 'Daddy, you make more of these!?'

 

A keeper concept/recipe for sure.  I bet a number of other veggies would work really well in this application - creating a very healthy (and fun to eat) side offering.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi TicTac - I’m so sorry to hear of your son’s diagnosis 😞 but I’m glad you were able to catch it early—that is a blessing.

 

The zucchini puree sounds great - don’t forget about butternut squash and also pumpkin 🙂 Sweet potatoes ... pumpkin pancakes would be great!? .. sweet potatoes - wait ... does this mean he gets all the sweet potato pie he wants?! 😉

 

Have you learned of Coconut Aminos, yet? (not all are the same- be sure to check out Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos - they have a few diff sauces and products - sauces do not taste like coconut - don’t know about other products). 

 

Does he have any food intolerances along with his celiacs (very common for that to happen)?

 

Almond flour is great - also coconut flour (can be a little dry) - liberal use of bananas - Coconut Aminos works well in many applications (kind of a soy sauce replacement but tons less sodium / definitely worth a try - they have 3 varieties ) ... crushed rice Chex is a reliable breading (sound weird, but it works and it’s reliably GF -esp if you’re low tolerance gluten) ...

 

I have more, but I am so not used to staying up this late so my brain isn’t functioning well ... if any of this is helpful, let me know - I’ll post more tomorrow.

I have an EpiPen ... my friend gave it to me when he was dying ... it seemed very important to him that I have it ... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We stopped eating much wheat flour a few months ago (as part of a weight loss plan rather than due to an allergy). I’ve found chickpea flour (gram flour) a really good substitute in a lot of ways since then. 

 

We use it to make pancakes (socca) as well as various Indian appetisers like bahjis and pakoras. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@CatIsHungry - Sweet potatoes are a staple in our house.  Never made an actual sweet potato pie myself...*shrug*!

 

Luckily he has no other food intolerance's - Almond flour is a staple in our house, as is coconut.  I will have to look into Coconut Aminos, never heard of it before.  

 

Great thoughts, appreciate the input!

 

@&roid - if you have any good Indian recipes, would love to hear.  Indian is a big hit in my house, as is Chinese food, Thai, etc.

 

Lately  I have been turning zucchinis into noodles and making pasta - did a great tuna/tomato sauce the other day with it, with capers, black olives and goat cheese.  Kids loved it. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think buckwheat flour is also very good for gluten-free breads, but there are few things to bear in mind- e.g. I just learned today that buckwheat flour made from roasted (instead of more commonly just dried) buckwheat is great for baking and polenta. It's the way it's made in Austrian cuisine.

  • Like 1

A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?  - Oscar Wilde

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, TicTac said:

 

@&roid - if you have any good Indian recipes, would love to hear.  Indian is a big hit in my house, as is Chinese food, Thai, etc.

 

Dan Toombs is my go to for Indian recipes. He’s an American who came to the UK about twenty years ago. He fell in love with “British Indian Restaurant” food and made it his life’s work learning how to cook it. He’s got three books out now, all of them are classics if you like this sort of food. 

 

If you just need the recipes i think they're mostly all on his site: https://greatcurryrecipes.net/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

lots of southeast asian food is great for celiacs because the staple is rice rather than wheat... rice based dishes, rice noodles, etc.... but other than that, I enjoyed reading about your pancake invention, @TicTac!  Also, the salt addition is typically fish sauce rather than soy sauce (which I gather sometimes has wheat gluten added).

Edited by KennethT (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Wolf - buckwheat is a very good substitute - have note experimented much with it myself as of yet though.

 

@&roid - thank you, I will check out that link.

 

@Kenneth - I seem to find locally the rice noodles (least the fresh ones) contain some sort of wheat or may contain.  Need to keep searching as you said, rice is now the staple.  Wish I could use fish sauce, but my wife is allergic to shellfish, unfortunately.  (I keep some Nuoac Chom in the fridge!)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@TicTacSorry about that, you've mentioned your wife's shellfish allergy before - I should have remembered that.  Is she allergic to fish as well as shellfish?  My brother is allergic to crustaceans - shrimp, lobster, crab, but can eat anything else - like mussels, clams, fin fish, eel, etc.

 

The fish sauce I have is only made from anchovies, salt and sugar - even though the brand name is Squid.... ha!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@KennethT - No way I would expect anyone to ever remember that!  No apologies needed!  Some fish, yes - it's quite odd.  Anchovies, sardines, some white fish (salmon, tuna, cod, halibut - she is all fine with) but anything with a shell (the real good stuff!) is off limits.

 

Shrimp I cannot even cook at home without it triggering her asthma - though recently I discovered steaming lobster is acceptable, so I will take the win!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, TicTac said:

buckwheat is a very good substitute

 

2 hours ago, TicTac said:

@Wolf - buckwheat is a very good substitute - have note experimented much with it myself as of yet though.

 

 

 

@Kenneth - I seem to find locally the rice noodles (least the fresh ones) contain some sort of wheat

 

 

 

A few months ago I was asked by email by a new arrival in China from the USA if I knew where she could buy buckwheat noodles as she was gluten intolerant.

 

I was about to reply that she had probably walked past them in supermarkets every day, but her lack of Chinese  had mislead her as to their availability. If they are labelled at all, they are only done so in Chinese. Before I could do that, I went shopping, but remembered her request. I thought I'd take a couple of photographs of the more common brands to send to her.

As I was eyeing them up on my cell phone camera, I thought to check the ingredients. They all contained wheat alongside the buckwheat except one brand - the more expensive one. So, I was able to steer her in that direction.

I've never seen wheat as an ingredient in rice noodles here, but of course, I have no idea what is available in your area.

 

  • Like 4

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It often is simply 'may contain' as wheat noodles are produced in the same facility.

 

With Celiac disease, there is no taking chances.  The poor kiddo cannot even go into bakeries or pizza parlors as flour remains airborne for up to 24h.

 

Knock on wood we are doing something right, we just got his 6 month test results post diagnosis and his number (which was over 4,000 - off the charts - they expected to be closer to 1000) was down to 181.  Sick Kids Hospital is an unreal facility and I tip my hat to the teams there.

 

Now, if only I could find some GF Rice Noodles! :)

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease about 10 years ago, and I have had spells of gluten intolerance, though not full-blown ceiliac, from time to time. After an extended period of GI issues, a blood test has now come back positive that indicates either Crohn's or celiac. In an attempt at narrowing it down, I am presently eliminating wheat gluten from the diet. Fortunately, it's coming on the time of year when fresh veggies are in season, and I can make cornbread without flour, and fruit crisps instead of cobblers.

 

Still, I'm hoping it comes down on the side of Crohn's vs. celiac. I think. I'd hate to have to give up ALL the bread. And there's nothing that makes you want a sandwich or a bagel or an English muffin like not being able to eat one. I've ordered the ATK's gluten free cookbook, and will hope there are some good options there. Meanwhile, the Sunday morning muffin-baking for the Sunday school class is a real pain.

 

If anyone has any good recommendations for GF breads/sweets cookbooks, I'd be pleased to hear them.

 

  • Like 1

Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@kayb - I can assure you that you do not want Chrons - certainly not vs. Celiac (and better yet - neither!).  I have seen both, and at least with celiac there is no need for medications and no scary effects so long as you manage your diet.  We have yet to bake bread (found a good local one) and sweets - I would suggest recipes with almond flour (think marzipan, choc marzipan, etc)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, kayb said:

If anyone has any good recommendations for GF breads/sweets cookbooks, I'd be pleased to hear them.

 

 

Gluten Free Girl (Shauna James) has a number of baking books.. She is an excellent writer as a bonus. 

Edited by heidih (log)
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, kayb said:

My daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease about 10 years ago, and I have had spells of gluten intolerance, though not full-blown ceiliac, from time to time. After an extended period of GI issues, a blood test has now come back positive that indicates either Crohn's or celiac. In an attempt at narrowing it down, I am presently eliminating wheat gluten from the diet. Fortunately, it's coming on the time of year when fresh veggies are in season, and I can make cornbread without flour, and fruit crisps instead of cobblers.

 

Still, I'm hoping it comes down on the side of Crohn's vs. celiac. I think. I'd hate to have to give up ALL the bread. And there's nothing that makes you want a sandwich or a bagel or an English muffin like not being able to eat one. I've ordered the ATK's gluten free cookbook, and will hope there are some good options there. Meanwhile, the Sunday morning muffin-baking for the Sunday school class is a real pain.

 

If anyone has any good recommendations for GF breads/sweets cookbooks, I'd be pleased to hear them.

 

I've made the sandwich bread from the ATK book for my daughter and my SIL's mother, who both considered it to be the best GF bread they've tried so far. The very nice celiac staffer at my local Bulk Barn also considers it to be one of her two go-to cookbooks. Bear with me a moment while I scroll through my phone to find the other...

Ah, here we are. Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking, by Kelli and Peter Bronski. She speaks very highly of that one, though I haven't seen or tried any recipes from it so YMMV.

  • Like 1

“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, TicTac said:

It often is simply 'may contain' as wheat noodles are produced in the same facility.

 

With Celiac disease, there is no taking chances.  The poor kiddo cannot even go into bakeries or pizza parlors as flour remains airborne for up to 24h.

 

Knock on wood we are doing something right, we just got his 6 month test results post diagnosis and his number (which was over 4,000 - off the charts - they expected to be closer to 1000) was down to 181.  Sick Kids Hospital is an unreal facility and I tip my hat to the teams there.

 

Now, if only I could find some GF Rice Noodles! :)

 

 

 

Really glad to hear he is doing so much better and has such great results - fantastic work! 

 

I cannot remember if I purchased these at H-Mart or at my local grocery but these rice noodles are gluten free ... (h-mart does shop online if you need - or I’m certain you could find them on Amazon) ...you also have the option (possibly of soba noodles or glass noodles ... good luck! 

 

 

D17E9067-55C3-43BC-8EB3-40D636A2D4FA.jpeg

A875CFC2-AAF0-4B50-92F1-533F931CB5B2.jpeg

  • Like 3

I have an EpiPen ... my friend gave it to me when he was dying ... it seemed very important to him that I have it ... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, chromedome said:

I've made the sandwich bread from the ATK book for my daughter and my SIL's mother, who both considered it to be the best GF bread they've tried so far. The very nice celiac staffer at my local Bulk Barn also considers it to be one of her two go-to cookbooks. Bear with me a moment while I scroll through my phone to find the other...

Ah, here we are. Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking, by Kelli and Peter Bronski. She speaks very highly of that one, though I haven't seen or tried any recipes from it so YMMV.

 

Thanks. I'll look for that one, as well.

 

 

Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/19/2019 at 10:56 AM, KennethT said:

I know it's a lot of work, but you could make your own fresh rice noodles. Check out hot-thai-kitchen.com . In one episode she shows how to make them.

Martin Yan also made homemade rice noodles on one of his PBS cooking shows. I remember it because I'm a big fan of Beef Chow Fun which is made with rice noodles. 

And to paraphrase his own saying, "If Martin Yan can make them, so can you." :B

  • Like 3

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Toliver said:

Martin Yan also made homemade rice noodles on one of his PBS cooking shows. I remember it because I'm a big fan of Beef Chow Fun which is made with rice noodles. 

And to paraphrase his own saying, "If Martin Yan can make them, so can you." :B

I've been a fan of Martin Yan ever since "Yan Can Cook" 30 years ago!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, KennethT said:

I've been a fan of Martin Yan ever since "Yan Can Cook" 30 years ago!

I joined the Yan Fan Train during the Wok with Yan days....loved that guy.

 

I will look further at another local Chinese supermarket next I go for rice noodles.  I have a load of Ramps which I think would go really well in a Ramp Ho Fun.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I found this video on YouTube where they make homemade rice noodles while making a dim sum recipe:

Video

 

They start with 100% rice to make the batter so there's no wheat "contamination". It's a similar method to what Martin Yan (mentioned in my previous post) did on his show. He used a bamboo steamer lined with banana leaves as the cooking surface for the rice noodles. In the video above, they use a cloth for a cooking surface and also use a small cake pan (9x9-ish or so) to cook the noodles in. You can probably lightly brush the finished noodles with oil (so they don't stick together) for storing in the refrigerator for later use.

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...