mbrookes

I seem to remember the same thing happening with "fat free" a few years back. Foods that had NEVER contained fat were suddenly advertising themselves as fat free. Just a way to cash in on diet de jour. With the new publicity for gluten free brought about by fad dieters, we will probably see more opportunists.

BethM55, I see no reason why yellow cornmeal wouldn't work. I use the white mainly because I grew up with it.

HelpMe, using the cornflower will give a more "cakey" texture, which again is more Yankee. I do use cornflower and yellow meal when frying catfish.

Gumbo is almost always made with a roux (flour and fat) so I had resigned myself to never again eating one of my very favorite foods. Then...Eurika! I discovered by accident (conversation with a server) that the gumbo in one of my regular restaurants(Sal and Phil's, Jackson, MS) does not use a roux. They thicken with cooked down okra. The gumbo is wonderful, and I have eaten it several times with no reaction. If you find yourself in Jackson, try their gumbo. They also will grill their redfish with no flour, just seasonings.

I love those people!!!!

Our local Thai restaurant (Thai House, Jackson, MS) is really good as well as safe. The owner came out and talked to me about it. There is only one section on the menu that I can't have, the battered and fried things. Soy sauce is on the table, but not used in cooking.

I use Olay face wash and moisturerizer regularly with no problem. Course, I don't eat it!

I hope y'all know how lucky you are to have Whole Food near-by. The closest one to me is 4 hours away in New Orleans. I may make a run down there and stock up on all the goodies I hear about from y'all.

Try this. I'm a deep South cook and I make cornbread all the time.

1 cup plain white cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

Beat it all up by hand. Pour into a preheated 7 inch iron skilet and bake at 425 for about 20-25 minutes.

Some people add a litle sugar, but that's more Yankee than Southern. Preheating the skillet while the oven warms up will give you a good bottom crust. The batter should sizzle when you pour it in.

If keeping buttermilk is too much trouble, get powdered buttermilk and add water, as the package directs you. Not quite as good as fresh buttermilk, but better that sweet milk (that's Southern for regular milk)with vinegar.

Let me know how that works for you.

My 3 blood tests were negative, positive and indeterminate. Fortunately, my GI didn't like that and did the endoscopy. Waaay positive. Going gluten free has saved my life. I am the person I used to be, and I like me much better. So does everyone else.

As for mixed drinks, anything that has a gluten-free mixer. For instance mixed with pure fruit juice, tonic, club soda should be OK. Be careful on Bloody Mary mix. Lots of it has soy sauce. All distilled liquor is gluten free unless something is added back after distillation, like some of the flavored vodkas.

I'm surprised so many of you can wear sterling silver with nickle allergies. Most US made sterling is hardened with nickle. I can't wear most sterling.

Birch Hills is another company that makes nickle free jewelry. I buy it at Stein Mart.

You only learn by asking. CC means cross contamination. Something that has touched gluten touches your gluten free food. It can be as blatant as a piece of bread on your plate or as subtle as a spoon used to stir pasta, rinsed off and used to stir a gluten free dish.

For a crumb crust, try making crumbs from MiDel Ginger Snaps in a food processor. Then make it just like a graham cracker crust.

Thank you so much for the link to the doctor talking about gluten problems. Every family member, friend and acquaintance of a Celiac should have to watch that. It would solve a lot of problems for many of us. Thanks again!

In the US, modified food starch HAS to say wheat, it that's where it comes from. That is very unlikely.

As to the list your dietitian gave you, it may be woefully out of date. The one I got from the dietitian at my doctor's prohibited all vinegar, liqour, artificial food color and flavor among other substances now known to be gluten free.. Thank goodness I now know better.

I have been gluten free for over three years now and am doing great, except that I am at an all time fat. I joined a gym and work out three times a week. I am eating the same food, but amaller portions. After two months I haven't lost an ounce, and I'm not losing inches either. My trainer has no clue why. What do y'all think? Is this wierd or norman?

I tried the Carol Fenster one and the part under the filling was fine. The part sticking out was like concrete! I am going to try the GFP one today.

Home popped is so much better. Try it this way:

Put a little oil (whatever kind you handle best) and three kernels of popcorn in a heavy bottomed pan. Turn the heat to high. When those three have popped, add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan. Put the top on and shake until the popping stops. Then add whatever seasoning you like. I use melted butter and salt.

Sam's has pickled asparagus the is gluten-free and wonderful. Also, you could make an anti-pasta tray using rolled ham slices, olives and picked onions, fresh veggies and anything else you like.

I can't stand the taste of cilantro, so no problem. I probably wouldn't like bugs either!

Has anyone tried Carol Fenster's crust that uses sorghum flour? I was thinking of tryin it. Recs?

One thing in your favor is that you are going tp Colorado. A lot of food that I order comes from Colorado, so obtaining safe food should not be too hard.

Be honest with her. Why would you want a girl friend that you can't be open with? And you may ne surprised. She may have issues that you have not yet been exposed to.

I have been free for 3 1/2 years and got glutened last Tuesday. It is the worst of my complete experience... diarreah, nausea, severe headache. Finally this afternoon I feel a little better, but I am so bloated I can barely wear my clothes. Is this normal? I have been glutened before, but never anything like this.

I served the blueberry ones for breakfast to gluten eating house guests and they raved. The best comment was "I thought you couldn't eat this. Please don't make yourself sick on our account"

Try a rich raisiney rice pudding with rum sauce. I use the same rum sauce I used to have with bread pudding, just thicken with cornstarch instead of flour.

An easier solution to the soy sauce problem is La Choy. I contacted the company even though the label sounded safe. They said it is gluten free.

As to the whiskey, sour mash types (jim Beam, Jack Daniels) bother me, so I use a regular whiskey such as Old Charter or Weller.

How about sharing that recipe? Sounds interesting. I don't really like chicken, so I look for ways to dress it up.