How to Make a Tastier Sandwich

The upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. .... so when you make a sandwich, don't just take the meat from package to gluten-free bread.  Separate the meat and fold it so that the meat is layered with air in between.  This gives the sandwhich more surface area, and your toungue more texture and interest.  The sandwich will actually taste better.  

Gluten-free Fries? Maybe. Maybe Not.

French Fries are yummy.   But sometimes a little extra yummy is a wheat or corn flour coating.  Frozen potatoes (at home or in restaurants) can be coated with some kind of flour, and the corn flour they are coated with could have been processed wtih wheat flour.  Sigh. In addition (sign again), most restaurants use the same fryers for wheat coated chicken (etc.), as they do their french fries, so the flour gets on the naked potato. 

But don't be blue about your maize dunked potatoes.  There are several restaurants that have a gluten-free fryers. In Grand Rapids, The Blue Water Grill, some locations of Outback are a couple joints that accommodate french fry loving gluten-free folk. And some frozen products mark their taters as "gluten-free".  Read the labels and contact the company to find out more about their processing.

Do you have a favorite restaurant or brand that has truly gluten-free potato goodness?  Tell us.

How to Add Extra Elasticity to Gluten-free Baking

Gluten-free flours tend overall to be very refined and starchier than wheat flours, and because they are missing that vital protein for structure and elasticity, it is imperative to add extra protein or binders into gluten-free bread recipes.

KYRA BUSSANICH, pastry chef & owner of CRAVE BAKE SHOP says, ‘

“Sometimes I simply add additional egg whites to help with structure & elasticity;  sometimes I use xanthan gum, and sometimes I use psyllium seeds. I've heard of other places also using gelatin for stretch, but I don't prefer to go that route.”

Read more about gluten-free baking & possible replacements:  http://www.tenderfoodie.com/blog/2012/5/18/kyras-baking-class-replacing-common-ingredients.html

Top Hidden Allergens: Strange Places You Find Egg

Ovotransferin, livetin, and Albumin.

Did you know that these words meant eggs?   Or that cholesterol-free egg substitutes contain egg?

A law put into place in 2006 by the FDA demands that any of the top 8 allergens be listed in plain English.  This includes egg.  However, there are foods that are not covered by this law, so it is good to become familiar with these terms, so that your intuition can perk up if you see them.  Better yet, if you are allergic to eggs or shopping for someone who is allergic to eggs, take this list with you.

Ingredients  / Products that usually Contain Eggs:

Albumin

Apovitellin

Cholesterol free egg substitute (e.g. Eggbeaters®)

Conalbumin

Dried egg solids, dried egg

Egg, egg white, egg yolk

Egg wash

Eggnog

Egg (whole)

Fat substitutes

Globulin

Livetin

Lysozyme

Mayonnaise

Meringue, meringue powder

Ovalbumin

Ovoglobulin

Ovomucin

Ovomucoid

Ovotransferrin

Ovovitelia

Ovovitellin

Powdered eggs

Silici albuminate

Simplesse

Trailblazer

Vitellin

May Contain Egg:

Artificial flavoring

Lecithin

Natural flavoring

Nougat

This list was supplemented with one from Kids with Food Allergies. 

Those with PEANUT ALLERGIES CAN CROSS REACT to FENUGREEK & LUPIN

While called a “nut”, peanuts are actually legumes. They grow underground, as opposed to nuts like walnuts, almonds, etc. that grow on trees (and are sometimes referred to as "tree nuts").

Like beans and peas, peanuts, are edible seeds found in pods and belong to the single plant family, Leguminosae.  Some Tender Foodies who are allergic to peanuts experience a cross-reaction to other legumes, although this is not always the case. 

A recent study (May, 2012) conducted in Norway found a direct & serious cross-reaction in peanut allergic mice to the spices Fenugreek & Lupin, both members of the plant family Fabaceae – which is a legume family  Here’s the heart of the study:

Lupin and Fenugreek are examples of so-called “new” and “hidden” allergens which have been introduced to Norway, for instance in ready-made meals, over the last 10-15 years. Lupin was introduced as a supplement to wheat flour in various bakery products because of its ability to promote good baking. Fenugreek is used as an ingredient in foods such as curry, chutney and spiced tea and is well known in Asian dishes. Packaging often does not show whether Fenugreek is an ingredient, as the consumer information merely says “spices”. Both Lupin and Fenugreek can lead to serious cross-reactions in patients with peanut allergy, in contrast to other legumes such as soya and peas.

Source:

Norwegian School of Veterinary Science;  http://www.veths.no/en/Home/News/News-stories/Cross-reactivity-between-peanuts-and-other-legumes-can-lead-to-serious-allergic-reactions/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120515052531.htm

UPDATE 8/27/2014: 

FDA has just issued a warning about lupin as a new ingredient in gluten-free foods.  Read more.