Saturday, August 28, 2010

The difference between Gluten Intolerance and Wheat Intolerance

Hi all,

I just need to clear this up once and for all. The staggering difference between having a Gluten allergy/intolerance or having a Wheat allergy/intolerance. Rest assured that they are NOT the same thing!
I for one have a Wheat intolerance but my friends, family and colleagues ALWAYS mistake this with having a Gluten intolerance or allergy.

Let me give you the run down on the differences:
While wheat is a grain, gluten is the sticky protein that binds the dough. Gluten is found in wheat and other grains such as barley, rye, malt, and oats. In breads and baked goods, they come together as a package. This being the case, it is possible to have an allergy or intolerance to one and not the other.


If you are allergic to gluten, then you will need to stay away from wheat products since they contain gluten. However, if you are allergic only to wheat, you can still enjoy other grains that have gluten in them.


Wheat intolerance: 
Wheat Intolerance is when you have difficulty digesting wheat. With this being said you are still able to enjoy foods that have gluten in them (ie: spelt bread, kamut bread). You'll have symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea and other fun things.


Gluten intolerance:
This means that you are sensitive to the gluten, a protein found commonly in wheat, barley, rye and oats. A person with gluten intolerance could develop a inflammatory condition called Celiac disease.

What the heck is Gluten?
Gluten is composed of the proteins glutenin and gliadin. They exist in the grass-like grains wheat, barley, rye and spelt.

Signs that you may have an intolerance or allergy to wheat or gluten respectively:
Signs of an intolerance include digestive disturbances such as vomiting, diarrhea, gas, constipation and bloating.  More severe will be allergic reactions such as eczema, headaches, fatigue, chest pains or anaphylaxis. Allergy symptoms will usually come on very quickly after ingestion of even a small amount of wheat or gluten. The symptoms of intolerance may not show up at all, or be delayed(like my intolerance's).
Some people with intolerance's can have small amounts of wheat or gluten with no problem, only having issues when they eat large amounts of the aforementioned ingredients. Gluten intolerance or allergy has also been tied to autism and other behavioral disorders.

With this all being said I hope you all now know the differences. Also allergies/intolerance's can happen at any age, whether you were free of allergies in the past doesn't mean you cannot have these issues in the future. I use to have mild eczema growing up, it would be worse for me in the summer months but now that I have cut out the wheat, the symptoms no longer exist. :-)

Ahhhhhh FREEDOM!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Csi9PEncI

Oh and one last note:
Wheat is listed in the top 8 food allergens along with peanuts, tree nuts, milk, fish, shellfish, eggs and soy.

The lovely uses of "Spelt"

OK, so I didn't make my risotto or rice last night instead we opted for leftover's.
However yesterday I had a special delivery from my favorite bakery in Ohio. Berlin Natural Bakery.
http://www.berlinnaturalbakery.com/
They make all my yummy Spelt products since I can no longer eat traditional wheat, spelt is a superior alternative. I mean it tastes way better than the processed stuff and is easy on my digestive system (ie: NO BLOATING!).
I decided to experiment with a lot of baking this year so I purchased a 5lb bag of white spelt.
Ta Da!
Now I can make my own spelt tortillas, cakes, cookies, bread...you name it. It has a smaller gluten content then traditional over processed wheat. (Remember I'm not Gluten intolerant, just Wheat Intolerant). I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is celiac. Spelt is a cousin of wheat.
This excerpt is straight from the Berlin Bakery website:



info@berlinnaturalbakery.com Berlin, Ohio 330-893-2734 | Copyright © 2007 Berlin Natural Bakery. All rights reserved.

Here's to YOU SPELT! You beautiful grain. Now I can have all the Bahama rice veggie burger's on spelt buns that I want at a barbecue thanks to you. Oh yeah and pizza, the food of the gods. :-)

This morning I had scrambled eggs with green tomatoes and white onion. I sprinkled some doctor cow cashew cheese on top and have two pieces of sourdough spelt bread with earth balance and raspberry jam.


 Now it's time to exercise!


Today spelt is recognized throughout the United States as an alternative grain. One that is far superior nutritionally to other common wheat(s). It is no longer sought after only by those with wheat sensitivities.
We call spelt the feel good grain. We hear those words time and time again from our customers. We just plain feel good when we eat your products. More then likely that's due to the fact that we don't use ingredients that are altered by anything other then Mother Nature itself. Our products are all natural with no additives or preservatives. The delicate temperament of this ancient grain requires highly skilled bakers to produce a quality loaf of bread. We bake only small batch breads (100 loaves per batch). Small batch baking yields the highest quality and consistency and if it's great taste you are after, you'll find abundance in every bite.
Spelt in comparison to wheat(s)
The Many Nutritional Benefits of
  • Approximately 30% higher in Thiamin (Vitamin B1)
  • Approximately 25% higher in B6
  • Approximately 45% higher in Vitamin E
  • Higher in unsaturated fatty acids (mainly Linol acid and Linoleen acid) which are important for regeneration of nerve cells.
  • It is warming and supports good blood circulation
  • It is higher in water solubility, making it easier to digest and aiding in the nutrients being more easily absorbed by the body.
  • Approximately 10-25% higher in protein, promoting fitness strength, muscle expansion and endurance. Many endurance athletes find spelt to be invaluable during training.
  • It has a higher percentage of Amino Acids
  • It has a higher level of L-Tryptophan which in turn promotes and aids in the production of serotonin.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Father's Curried Potatoes and Peas

This recipe is a childhood favorite, my Dad makes with half and half, which of course is unwise for me to cook with nowadays unless I want that sexy Buddha belly. :-)

Here is a Vegetarian/Vegan/Allergy Free (granted that you are not allergic to cashews) version of my Dad's classic dish.

Ingredients:
4-5 medium sized potatoes (I have an intolerance for white potatoes so use Purple, Sweet or Red potatoes). Cut potatoes into 4-6 pieces each.
1 package of frozen or fresh peas
1-2 tablespoons of curry power ( I like using more like 3 tablespoons )
2 tablespoons of butter (I use Earth Balance Soy Free natural buttery spread)

1/4 cup of half and half (I use Mimic Creme)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:
Boil the potatoes and peas in separate pots until done (I steamed my peas and cooked the potatoes for 25 minutes)
In frying pan or wok, heat butter(earth balance) until it starts to bubble.
Add curry powder and saute' for about a minute. (maybe add a bit of chili powder for an extra kick)
add half and half (mimic creme-unsweetened) and stir to combine
Add potatoes and cook until sauce is hot and starts to thicken slightly. Be sure to coat the top of the potatoes with the sauce.
Add peas and cook until everything is heated.
Add salt and pepper and serve.

I made this last night and it was a hit with Adam. I didn't add the chili powder this time, but will for the next time. Tonight I may make Baked Spinach and Asparagus Risotto with a sprinkle of Dr. Cow Cheese, or I'll make something similar with Jasmine rice. I haven't decided yet.
Here are some photos of our meal: I also sauteed some Quorn Chik'n with herbs (garlic power, basil, rosemary, thyme).

Erewhon Brown Rice Cream

Just finished having breakfast. Who knew being allergic/intolerant to so many foods would be so delicious?
I had Erewhon's Brown Rice Cream which brings me back to my childhood when my mom use to make me farina with two cinnamon sticks.

I ran out of cinnamon sticks so I added cinnamon powder, almond milk, water, raw sugar and frozen raspberries. Mmmmmm Mmmmm Good, move over campbell's soup!
Erewhon also makes a Rice Crispies type of cereal, gluten free and wheat free.
http://www.erewhoncereal.com/usmills/search.php?brand=1

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Delicious Allergy Free Meat Alternatives

Being a Vegetarian for me was a snap. I never really liked meat ever since I was a child so the switch was effortless.
My dad introduced me to the world of Soy. Soy milk, Soy hot dogs, Tofu, Soy Veggie Burger's. This miracle bean called "Soy" was every vegetarian's dream. I gobbled up everything soy, from the items I mentioned and let's add in edamame for good measure.
When I looked at the allergy list from my Doctor and one of the allergy foods was soy, needless to say I was devastated.
What the heck was I going to do with all those Morning Star Farms, Yves and Tofutti Products I had packed away in my freezer as if there was a nuclear war abound?
The lovely and talented Allergy free Adam was able to eat up all of my soy products since I preferred to live without the "bloatiness"(Not a real word I know, but I like to use it in this case for emphasis).
Venturing out into my now soy-free world, Adam and I decided to go to the supermarket to find alternatives and what we found were dismal at best.
Everything and I mean EVERYTHING vegetarian had SOY in it and if it didn't, it at least contained one of the other 13 allergies/intolerance's.
Oy Vey........
In my many supermarket/health food store adventures I came across two brands that have meatless alternatives I can imbibe on.
1- Quorn Chik'n Tenders and Quorn Beef Style Grounds.
These lovely products are made out of Mycoprotein instead of Soy. Mycoprotein is derived from mushrooms.
http://www.quorn.us/products/Chik%27n_Tenders.aspx
http://www.quorn.us/products/Beef-Style_Grounds.aspx


2- Bahama Burgers, Rice Meatballs and Rice Sausage
The first Rice based Meat Alternative.
http://www.bahamariceburger.com/


The song "I'm in heaven" or whatever it's called keeps dancing around in my head! Mouth salivating.......Mmmmmmm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYHZh-xnqhE
Ahhhh sing it Fred!

10 Minute Allergy Free Lunch

After watching countless cooking shows, I came across Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations" a few weeks ago. In this particular episode he went to the iconic city of Rome. There he had a pasta dish made with butter (yum), lemon (double yum) and Parmesan (this goes way over the yummy scale). So basically he had a meal of everything I cannot eat (save the lemon).
I thought to myself (as I often do), how can I make this dish Canella friendly? Well I did. For my allergic colleagues out there here is the recipe. You can make it in about 10 to 15 minutes.

Allergy Free- Lemon & Chives Butter Pasta
Ingredients:
Quarter packet of Trader Joe's Rice Sticks (Thai Style Flat Noodles)
1/2 Lemon
a dash of dried (or fresh) chives
2 tbsp of Earth Balance Soy Free butter substitute
Fresh ground pepper to taste

1- Boil the rice pasta for 10 minutes (like it says on the packet)
When the pasta is about 2 minutes away from being done, heat on low a small skillet with 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance Soy Free butter substitute. Drain the pasta and scare it in cold water, drop the pasta in the skillet and squeeze 1/2 a lemon over it, lightly tossing the pasta to get all the fake buttery goodness and real lemony goodness all around. Sprinkle a dash or two of dried or fresh chives on top and toss it again and add a bit of freshly ground pepper.

Presto! You have a Italian inspired lunch, with a little bit of flare thrown in. Now if you want to keep it strictly Italian then throw in fresh basil instead of chives and sprinkle on Daiya Cheese (fake)Mozzarella style shreds and let it melt on top in the skillet on a low flame.

Mangia!

Serving Size: 2

Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheese

Today I've been home working on that Language Video and the Casting session I have this weekend.
I was impatiently awaiting the arrival of the...::::Drums roll please:::: "Dr. Cow Cashew Nut Cheese". http://www.Dr-cow.com/about-us/
Now before I found out about my Milk Allergy (which includes the delicious and equally nutritious cheese) I was a cheese Fiend (capital F). There was no way in hell I would ever give up cheese, no no no no no!..... Boy was I wrong! :-) I feel great since I've given the stuff up! No more Buddha belly. Really, giving up all those foods that were bad for me created my now svelte figure.
OK end of Rant...back to the artisan raw "fake" yet real cheese.
I starred at the clock probably every 10 minutes with glee waiting for the UPS guy to ring my bell.
*DING DONG*! He's here!
I run to the door, there is my beautiful box with what I know is delicious cheese that cost me $6.99!!!!
I run back into my house, immediately call my husband Adam up to share the news...we open the box together on the phone. There is a white Styrofoam box within the larger cardboard box, with tape all around it. Oooooo It's like Christmas! I peel off the tape and open the Styrofoam lid. There is some packing paper in the way of me and my darn Cashew Tree Nut fake Cheese!!!!!!!...I rip open the paper...and then...there are cooling packs on top of my cheese. EGADS! Where is this THING!..I proceed to peel back the ice packs...for the.......what....wait? Is that IT?!..I pick up a handsomely wrapped piece of cashew nut cheese....it's smaller than the palm of my hand (I have small hands).... What the ****, I blurt out on the phone with Adam. This thing is tiny! I can eat this in one sitting. I peel back the wrapper to reveal a brown caramel looking structure in the form of cheese.
I take my knife and cut the smallest piece to taste, not wanting to eat all my rations. Hmmmmm this tastes quite delicious actually but damn can you make a larger product? You know this is America where we eat in excess! OK maybe I don't but I want more cheese for that price. I'm not saying I'll never buy it again, well of course I'll buy it and Dr. Cow knows this because it's delicious, truly. But really I wanted to use it in some of my recipes but it's too small! I'll figure something out. Perhaps make my own fake cheese?
I hang up the phone with Adam, call my dad (who is vegetarian, but eats cheese) and give him the lo-down on Dr. Cow.

Well Mister, Doctor, whatever you want to be called.....you get a thumbs up in taste but a raspberry in size! Thank Goodness for Daiya Cheese, I can still make my pizza's on spelt crust and my fake grilled cheese spelt sandwiches.


With all this being said however the cheese is seriously good. For those of you who are not allergic to tree nuts (i'm only allergic to delicious peanut butter, bye bye peanut butter sandwiches) I would give it a shot, just be aware of the size of this specialty product.
Here is their website:
http://www.dr-cow.com/about-us/
I'm sure I'll come up with an appropriate recipe soon. In fact I may make my allergy free Vegan Shepards pie and crumble the Dr. Cow Cashew Cheese on top.

Num Yummy!

A Carefree Life


Once upon a time there was a care free maiden named Canella who would delight in the prospect of going out to eat. Sure she was a vegetarian but she lived in NYC and there is an abundance of vegetarian delicacies to satiate her palette. One day she met her fair Prince Adam and together they would conquer all of the restaurants in NYC, Vegas, San Francisco, you name it!

Then on a dark and stormy night  Canella realized that food had become her enemy. Her stomach bloated out like she was an evil ogre and her body writhed with gaseous fumes. Her fair Prince Adam begged her to see the town Wizard for a potion that would make all the unsightly stomach problems go away. Canella obliged her prince and what came next was a wicked turn of events that spiraled out of control into a Foodie Nightmare!!!!!!!


OK now back to regular old NYer speak..........Or at least "Canella Speak".


I found out that I had allergies/food intolerance's to 14 different food items.
Let me break them down for you:
Milk, Wheat, Barley, Beef, Chicken, Chocolate, Corn, Orange, Peanut, White Potato, Soybean, Oat....boy are my hands getting tired................Rye, Shrimp, Codfish, Pork and Strawberry. So basically EVERYTHING I've been eating for YEARS and YEARS except for of course the Beef,Fish,Chicken, Pork (having been a vegetarian since my teens years).
How could this be? Well the body changes and since most of these are "just" food intolerance's my body just dealt with them for years and years until I turned 29 and it could no longer take the abuse.


This blog is dedicated to all you people who get the sorrowful nod from your friends that say "Well what DO you EAT?". To which I reply "PLENTY!".
Since I am someone who loves to cook, I had to find inventive ways to get my protein (since I use to eat soy with everything) and other nutrients into my body.


This has opened up a whole new world of culinary delight for me and has fired up my synapses.


To all of you out there with 5o billion allergies/intolerance's you can safely come here for inventive recipes and friendly chit chat.


Welcome to "OMG I'm Allergic to EVERYTHING".