lucia

Delicious! Mine is Indian again. And therefore veg and gluten-free, lactose free, soy free, corn free, nut free (but quite satisfying despite all that). -Gujarti-style hot sweet and sour potatoes -Indian-style wok sauteed turnip greens -pickled beets (I was too lazy hungry to wait for rice to cook. The greens came out really good this time!

Interesting ... I could try braising a chicken breast with gingerale on one of those nights when my husband isn't around. That would be ... well, my idea anyway of ... fun! I want these! Tonight I am making: -Gujarti (Indian) style Hot Sweet and Sour Potatoes -Ong Choy (a type of greens, like Bok Choy) cooked Indian style in the wok -brown rice (no chapatis, unfortunately) This was the first time I attempted to cook an Indian dish without following a recipe (the Choy). It wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't bad either. This meal was meat free, lactose free, egg free, soy free, corn free, and of course gluten free!

When I went off gluten, the withdrawal was so bad that it reminded me of scenes from movies showing addicts kicking heroin. I had chills and sweats, insomnia, irrational thoughts, inappropriate anger, etc. That said, many people on the board report experiencing withdrawal, and the withdrawal looks different by individual. So, yes, you could be experiencing withdrawal. (Ever given up sugar? Or caffeine? Also, substances that cause withdrawal.) Just bear with it. You'll start experiencing the benefits. It's comforting that you have a diagnosis and know that this is the right thing to do for yourself.

I have discovered so many naturally gluten-free foods that I rarely or never ate before being forced to go gluten-free: polenta, quinoa, so many kinds of rice, amaranth, rice wrappers, collard leaves as wrappers, risotto... I find that there are so many naturally gluten-free recipes that are DELICIOUS! Much of the world eats a naturally gluten-free diet anyway. And now I cook much more, so I enjoy better food, in general. My husband would tell you the same thing. That said, if you are really pursuing excellent gluten-free food, I'd suggest looking at some of the gluten-free blogs. Gluten Free Girl would be a good place to start.

I tend to tell stories. People seem to get it that way. They can relate, I guess. I usually tell about accidentally putting a piece of my gluten-free bread in the toaster after being gluten-free for many months. It made me really sick. I emphasize, "Just the crumbs set off the autoimmune reaction!"

pricklypear - I think this is intensely creative. I had no idea people cooked meat with soda! It's truly American cuisine. I don't eat beef, but what is good with chicken? love2travel - hope your postings mean that you're feeling better again. I had a friend come over tonight, and served: -roasted beet & fennel soup -spinach risotto She's not vegetarian, but didn't notice the lack of meat.

How does everyone make a roux without wheat flour? I substitute rice flour for the wheat flour. It works out alright. But a chef would have to consciously choose to make this substitution. Not sure if rice flour is lying around in kitchens to be commandeered for this purpose. I am surprised by how many prepackaged soups include wheat flour, even brands that are conscientiousness enough to include a gluten-free label on some kinds. Wouldn't you just substitute the flour in your roux (or whatever other option) so that you could use the gluten-free label on more of your soups? Someday I hope that this at least will change.

I believe they do. After I've been glutened (or have experienced symptoms from another intolerance), I sweat gobs after taking a detox bath. (For comparison, I've taken the same detox bath and not sweated at all afterwards.) This seems to indicate that the toxins are leaving my body.

I am proud I looked up a recipe online for Singapore Carrot Cake, and it looks totally doable. I'm having quinoa with roasted vegetables (sweet potatoes, green pepper, tomato, eggplant, onion) - easy and good for an early Sunday supper. Also, it's vegan, no lactose. Note that quinoa has protein so it's actually quite a filling meal.

Nice ... I love when people surprise you!

I went to SA last year. It was a great trip. I'm still in recovery and didn't want to stress my gut, and SA is one of the few places outside of North America and Europe where I felt safe traveling. SA is as industrialized as any Western country. Of the cities I visited (Jo-Burg, Durban & CT), Cape Town is the most progressive, and it was easy to find specifically gluten-free foods, servers who understand "gluten-free", and a wide variety of 'ethnic' (ironically, meaning non-Western) cuisine. You'd have no trouble whatsoever. I highly recommend "Africa Cafe" in Cape Town for a special night out where you can order scrumptious dishes from an 'all you can eat' gluten-free menu. Here's what I wrote at the time of my trip: I just returned from a trip to SA, where I visited Jo-Burg, Cape Town and Durban. I wanted to comment that I found gluten-free food with no more or no less difficulty than in the states (and I live in NYC). I tried researching options before I left, and found little information online. Once I was there though, to my surprise, I found many options and a range of people who knew what "gluten-free" meant. (Of course, I also encountered many people who had no idea what I was talking about.) Restaurants that catered to tourists in Cape Town had a high awareness of "gluten-free." I even had a gluten-free menu handed to me at one of these. Remarkably in Cape Town, I stumbled into a bakery with gluten-free products and also discovered a health food store with a wide variety of gluten-free products. In Durban, the owner of my (moderately-priced) b&b served me gluten-free bread. Generally, groceries in the cities I visited carried gluten-free products at about the same rate and the same cost (high) as in the states. But most importantly - and significant to someone coming from the states - foods were all labelled with allergen information. I ate prepared foods from Woolworth's a lot for that reason. South Africa's ethnic diversity also made eating out easier. There are a wide variety of Indian restaurants (especially in KwaZulu Natal). And native African food does not use gluten. For example, traditional South African food features pap, which is corn-based. I also ate Ethiopian food and pan-African food, which were naturally gluten-free (in both cases, my server could confirm this). I'd actually recommend SA as a place to travel for someone with gluten issues. The tourist track is well-equipped to deal with gluten intolerance, and generally the country is very hospitable to us gluten intolerant folks. Whatever frustrations I had there were equivalent to what I've felt in the states. Actually, slightly less so thanks to the SA system of labeling for allergens.

I'm glad to hear the SCD is working for you. I never bought the book, and I did fine with the SCD diet. However, I didn't have any baked goods the whole time I was on it.

I can recommend this cookbook (Incredibly Easy Gluten Free Recipes) to begin with. I felt really bad when I first started with gluten-free cooking, and this cookbook was easy and helpful at introducing me to my options. I was introduced to all kinds of dishes and foodstuffs (quinoa, polenta, tapioca, rice noodles, etc.) which I now make/use all the time. You won't regret it, especially since it's also cheap. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/incredibly-easy-gluten-free-recipes-staff-of-publications-international/1016463089 Personally, I held off on the baking for a long time, and concentrated on learning to cook naturally gluten-free dishes well. You can easily make naturally gluten-free desserts too, if you know what to make.

St. Patrick's Day brunch! -twice baked potatoes with shallots & tarragon plus set egg -roasted tomatoes -mashed turnip with chives -braised green cabbage with thyme -slices of extra sharp cheddar -& green tea (ok, that's my little joke) It was surprisingly hard to plan a St. Patrick's Day meal without meat (or beer), but I did it!

Here's a discussion about Tazo teas at Starbucks: