Notes on current research via the EU ... - Gluten Free Guerr...
Notes on current research via the EU .. useful to check out the link:
This looks promising I like the quick and inexpensive, I laughed at the results within 15mins and thought if this were a restaurant my dinner would be cold...LOL
Seriously I think that this is great and as for restaurants what I've thought that they ought to do is prepare gf food in advance, when they are quiet and freeze individual portions and have a separate cooker to keep the meals gf so this would work then.
I'd like to see an application that just plugged into a mobile phone and gave an instant reading. That would give me peace of mind, because it's the fear of the unknown with restaurants/cafe's and the fear of being made ill.
Hi Jerry and Tony62, This is one reason why Coeliac Disease does need a higher profile.
People on the whole just assume that we cut out gluten and well what if we have some occasionally - no harm done - we just have none the next day. This is the myth that will carry on burning like a flame unless we go all out to expire it. I can't tell you how many times recently I have had said to me 'oh well that's okay -no problem you just look for those free from ranges in the supermarket and it's all sorted!' Or words to that effect. This is what people think and that is because we all let them carry on thinking this way!!!
Hi Tony62, You may well be right in much of what you say. I was intrigued to read somewhere that it was necessary to add the codex wheat to make some of the gluten free food items taste better. I like you try to read everything and avoid what I feel will cause a problem to my health. We can't afford not to can we?
One of my other concerns is the amount of soya that seems to be being used. This is for various reasons not just that it might be genetically modified. I can remember many years ago (I used to stay school dinners) they began to introduce soya into the meat to make it go further. I remember how my small tummy would become rounded and feel uncomfortable for several days afterwards. I now do try to steer away from it because I feel that having coeliac disease appears to make me prone to bloating so I don't need added help.
It would be nice however if some of the rarer grains could be added to some foods, if not in a gluten and wheat free flour as there seems to be quite a lot of goodness in some of the grains. My daughter had a go at making a loaf of bread totally from Teff flour which she purchased from a shop at a mere £1.45, I believe. Sadly, the Teff on its own produced a 'sandy' or 'gritty' loaf to it's perhaps a grain that needs to be added to other grains - unless it was the variety of Teff that she purchased. I know that as with most grains there are many, many varieties and I'm not sure whether there is any knowledge as such, in this country regarding which varieties would suit the Western pallet.
All the GF cookbooks I've seen say use a mix of flours to get acceptable results, especially for bread. Teff is a rather strong grain to use. This website has plenty of grain mixing to keep you busy if you want to bake!
theglutenfreelifestyle.com/...
If you need recipes to use the Teff you have, Google the Innovative Solutions website.
BTW I think all Soy is GM due to the amount of pesticide needed.
Hi Jacks, Thanks for the link and information. I have checked out both the link, which is very informative and the 'Innovative Solutions Org' website. They appear to be sadly still charging a significant amount for Teff flour for individual customers. I have on occasion used rice flour or added rice flour to other mixes but I find I can always taste the rice. I love rice pudding and even enjoy brown rice for breakfast or basmati with some meals but I must admit I find rice flour in cakes, bread and pastries rather off-putting. I know that it's just a personal thing because many people really enjoy it.
I have not yet tried out tapioca flour or other similar options as they do not appear to sell them around here but I always have my eyes open when we visit other towns on the chance that they will be available from somewhere.
I gather that this organisation supplies pharmacies with gluten free prescription products?
As yet, I have not been offered or asked for any prescription products related to coeliac disease.
Thank you once again for the information.
I have used rice flour more than anything but added ground almonds to give it a bit of substance and 'cause I like the taste. I have some Teff that was bought for me and remembered reading somewhere that it was too overpowering to be used alone. I think the cost is because it comes from Ethiopia (though I could be wrong). Sorry I don't have prescription foods so don't know about supply.
Re other grains - the biggest choice I've ever seen was in Hipercor, a large supermarket chain in Spain - about 15 types of GF flour (and an enormous amount of lactose free milk and 'real' cheese!).
How wonderful that they should have a large supply of grains in Spain.
I also use ground almonds. I often add crumbled walnuts and almond flakes which I soak for about half an hour in a little walnut oil and a tablespoon of boiling water with a little set honey stirred into it. I usually also add some fruit to keep the whole thing moist. Sometimes, I use compote, sometimes a variety of dried fruits, occasionally jars of fruit like cherries. I've also found that soaked dessicated coconut adds both moisture and texture.
I must admit out of the flours that I have tried, I do like the ones from Doves which seem to mix well with everything I throw in. I've noticed that gluten free baked items appear to cook much more quickly than wheat, so I have to watch out if I am using a standard recipe and be ready to whip things out of the oven before the allotted time that the recipe books recommend. Lol!
I suppose, regarding Teff - it it probably an acquired taste as I believe that it was mostly used for flat breads. I know that it is much smaller than any other grain as there are approx 150 teff grains to one grain of wheat - so perhaps they do not always grind it as finely as they should. I have read somewhere that each different sort of teff bakes with different textures and flavours and some are suited to heavy bakes whilst others cook much more lightly. The trouble is the web is full of information that is often either made up or embroidered a little.
I once bought some amaranth grain. I had read how pumped full of vitamins and minerals it was I was expecting it to be so nice and rich. I found that it was difficult to clean and full of black seeds that I tried to take out (hadn't got a clue what they were). Then I washed it, cleaned it, strained it then boiled it with a pinch of salt. After cooking it I began to eat it .. only two mouthfulls later, I found myself crunching on what appeared to be grit or gravel - I couldn't see anything but felt that if I kept crunching I would break all of my teeth. So I didn't eat it in the end. Perhaps I was just a little unlucky. Perhaps I cleaned it wrongly. Apart from Wikipeadia having a list of its nutritional content I haven't been able to find much more about it.
