Eating Asian

Ok, so, my initial advice to people who just found out: change your diet. I don't mean use rice flour, I mean, CHANGE your diet.

I'm sorry, but it's really difficult to make pasta taste and feel like pasta when it's not semolina. You're going to spend a lot of money on "ready-made" or "boxed food" items that make 2 cups of food and still don't taste great.


So, think Asian. Think Mexican. Google countries where wheat cannot grow because of the climate and eat food from those countries. I have to say, I would never have tried Thai or Somalian if I could eat a pizza every night (Oh, don't worry- I have a pizza for your fix, too, but you'll have to check back).

What I'm saying here, is that, even with a good fake gluten- substance, there's nothing like the real thing. somethings can't be faked well. Like pasta. I know, there's actually some good pasta out there, but there's nothing like an udon noodle. Or lasagna. The greatest secret to not feeling like you have a disease but that you have a dietary condition, is to seek out food that you don't have to omit, substitute, or abstain from. My favorites are Japanese and Chinese restaurants. Really Asian. I would say that Thai is, too, but there's not a restaurant within walking distance. sorry. But I do LOVE phad thai. (this is a stir-fried rice noodle dish. it tastes like sin. oh my god).

Rules of Asian Restaurants for the GF seeker:
1. ask if they use flour or cornstarch or tapioca starch. Many cuisines from south-east Asia will use tapioca starch because flour is not natively available.
2. make sure they are using rice vinegar and not distilled- but again, this is usually the case because wheat (what "white distilled vinegar" is made from) is not grown in the jungles of south-east Asia or the desert.
3. Ask for mochi or pudding instead of the fortune cookie. Mochi are "moon cakes", found in, most commonly, Japanese restaurants, but they are found in Chinese restaurants, too. They are this little sweet rice dough ball with this red bean paste inside. No lactose, no yeast, no gluten. and if they are deep fried, the rice gets crispy like a donut. Ask for them at your local restaurants.
4. Glutinous Rice does not have gluten in it. another name for this is "sticky rice". It's perfectly safe. it's named AFTER the glutenious affect in wheat, but it HAS NOT GLUTEN IN IT.
5. Before putting sugar in your tea, make sure there's not a fortune cookie in the sugar shaker.


stay tuned for Indian, Pakastani, and Afgani

happy eatings!
the irish lass