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Hidden sources of gluten...the game is afoot
I was out having sushi with a friend the other day that I hadn't seen in a while , and discovered during this visit that she was also gluten-free. However, I also discovered (since we were eating sushi at the time) that she did not realize that soy sauce contained gluten. As long-time readers may know, when I have sushi I tweak my order to be rice-free, soy-free and gluten-free by ordering hand rolls with no rice, and dipping my sushi into wasabi mixed with a little water instead of soy. Putting water in my wasabi looks weird, but hey, I live in LA where weird is an art form, so I get the occasional odd look at the most. :)
Anyhow, it moved me to blog a quick reminder about hidden sources of gluten out there. Most people are good with avoiding wheat and wheat products, but there are lots of unlikely places where gluten may be hiding. Remember, gluten is not only in wheat (all kinds -- including spelt, kamut, durum and semolina), but it's also in barley, oats, rye and triticale.
Here are some hidden sources of gluten to avoid that you may not have thought about:
- soy sauce (you can get wheat-free tamari which is like soy sauce, the brand is called San J and you can get it in Whole Foods and other health food stores)
- baking powder (Clabber Girl and Calumet are gf)
- vanilla (McCormicks and Nielsen-Massey are gf)
- cosmetics and toiletries (listed as wheat protein, esp prevalent in lotions and haircare products)
- caramel color (frequently made with barley)
- brown rice syrup (frequently made with barley)
- licorice whip candy (Red Vines used to be my favorite --oy!) and other candies may use wheat as a filler
- some alcoholic beverages: obviously rye and beer, but also vodka and bourbon are usually made from rye and wheat. There are a few vodkas made from potatoes, and a Japanese one made from rice (NOTE: I just did some followup research on the gluten in alcohol question, and apparently alcohol that is distilled should elimnate gluten, so my original statement was wrong. HOWEVER, colorings and flavorings could be added (caramel color, etc.) that could have wheat, which should be called out as an ingredient. So net net, check all alcohol labels, especially darker ones).
- I recently learned that most wines have gluten due to the aging in oak barrels, apparently something in the glue has gluten. However there are apparently now wines available that are aged only in metal barrels. Learned this from a celiac who needs to be the most stringent.
- modified food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, textured vegetable protein
- processed meats (generally try to avoid processed food as much as possible)
- pre-bottled marinades
- canned soups
- some flavored potato chips (bbq esp)
Anyhow, you get the idea. Basically if something has a soft or creamy texture, there's a likelihood that it contains gluten. Be a label detective! I'll add to this list when I think of more. What have been the most surprising places gluten has hidden from you? Please share by adding a comment section (until I get a discussion board up)!
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Cool eats in the heat
You may have heard that the Los Angeles area is currently battling some huge brush fires that happen annually here. We thought that we might have successfully avoided a big one this year, but no such luck, this one is currently burning 140,000 acres of land. Huge. I have friends who live in the areas nearer to the fire who are affected by the heat, smoke, weird filtered sunlight, poor air quality, large ashes falling and even electronic interruptions due to the damage to the cell, cable and satellite towers in the area. We're all affected -- the heat and poor air quality makes everyone cranky and feel slightly depressed. Also for those of us with respiratory allergies, we need to hunker down indoors and turn up the HEPA filters on days like these!
At work, I talk on the phone to people from all over the country and have been very touched by complete strangers who ask if we're okay. LA is a large city sprawled out over a very large area, so it's difficult for some people to comprehend the distance between the opposite sides of the county. But it's still very sweet that people are concerned -- it makes me feel good about people again, even when I'm also talking to complete jerks in the same day. :)
Anyhow, we were hot, sticky and hungry when dinnertime rolled around, and I didn't feel like cooking anything that put me too close to the stove for too long. So after a quick look into the fridge and a check into epicurious.com, I pulled together a Mediterranean style antipasto-type combo (also called a mezze). We had cold shrimp cocktail (this is not Mediterranean, but stick with me here), garbanzo bean hummus with cucumber chips (instead of pita), and black Nicoise olives. It would have been more authentic to make a shrimp and tomato salad, but that was nixed since this is a tomato-free zone. This was quick, easy finger food ready in a hurry, and only a few minutes of cooking time to boil the shrimp. (If you had precooked shrimp you'd get away with ZERO cooking!) Plus, an extra bonus is you eat all of this with your hands, so less dishes! Ta da.
Here's my recipe for hummus. This is cheaper, tastier and much fresher-tasting than the pre-made stuff you buy at the store. I always keep a few cans of garbanzos in the pantry (about $1 a can!) and with my trusty Cuisinart can whip this up as a snack for company in 10 minutes. For another gluten-free alternative, serve with tortilla chips.
Quick Hummus (garbanzo bean dip)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed free of bean starch in the can
1 tsp. finely chopped shallot or garlic
1/4 cup of a fruity olive oil (I'm currently using Spanish olive oil)
2 Tbsp. light vinegar (champagne, white balsamic or white wine) or lemon juice if you can have it
1 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste) optional
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with parsley if you're serving it to company!
Optional: pomegranate molasses (available in Middle Eastern stores)
Put the garbanzos and shallots/garlic in a food processor, and roughly puree. With the motor running, add the olive oil and vinegar/lemon juice. Add more oil if you like a smoother dip -- I personally like mine a little chunky. Add tahini is you're using it, and salt and pepper to taste. If you can find pomegranate molasses, try drizzling a little on top of the hummus to add a tart/sweet taste. I learned this from Claudia Roden's excellent The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, I believe it's a Lebanese style addition.
Serve with cucumber chips or gluten-free crackers or pita. Delish! And enjoy the fact that you spent less time at the stove.
Thank you to all the firemen out there protecting us. Be careful out there people.
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