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carpy1985

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jan 1, 2012
Messages
39
Location
England
Hello guys and girls :)

My names Andrew, i am a rather chirpy and full of life kinda guy and I'm a total Geek!

Finally got a decent set of prestige pans and a nice seasoned wok for Xmas (I like practical presents what can I say) and now I've started to really delve into cooking a lot more!!

I live in England and am 26. Like to cook but have always kept things simple! Don't like crunchy veg but can only eat crunchy fruit for the most part haha

Also I am wheat and gluten intolerant (been 6-7 years wheat free) and can't eat artificial colours and flavourings thanks to my eczema!

Really hoping to expand my taste buds and try new things!!

My latest adventure has been fresh (but farmed) salmon!

Hope you all had a nice Xmas and new year!

Andrew :)
 
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Good, Enthusiasm is required.

'Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.' - Julia
 
Welcome to the forum Carpy. :)

Get a good knife block set to go with your prestige pans! :) And keep them sharp.

If you like your wok get into Asian cooking. I seldom see much wheat or gluten in Asian cooking. (I'm not going to go into the exceptions in the Introduction forum.) You can build amazing Asian dishes and never go into wheat/gluten at all.
 
Enthusiastic is certainly a word for me haha maybe overly so!!!

Asian & Gluten Free Cooking sounds interesting! might have to do a quick google on that to see what is involved!

im more of an indian food rather than chinese food (spicy vs sweet i boil it down too) kind of guy!

also Chinese food almost always invariably has wheat in i have found where indian food seldom does - just what i've seen over the years!

i have a decent knife set (i think!!) and got a nice knife sharpener from Santa Claus for Christmas too so it sounds like im onto a winner so far!

Like this:
'Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.' - Julia
Is that Julia as in Julie and Julia type Julia? Julie & Julia (2009) - IMDb
do love that film!
 
Good grief. Eczema and artificial food colorings? Never heard of the connection.

Welcome to DC. I think you'll find we have something for everyone. We even help each other with personal problems via the "off topic" line.

Can wheat/gluten intolerant people eat rice noodles and bean threads?
 
If you ever have the chance to have wild salmon, you will never go back to farmed. I would think Scotland would be sending some of theirs south of the border. Or maybe they don't want to share it. I know they have a fleet that catches it.
 
Good grief. Eczema and artificial food colorings? Never heard of the connection.

Had this since birth so its no dramas anymore :) just means ive never had things like coke or smarties etc - not really missing anything tasty lol

Welcome to DC. I think you'll find we have something for everyone. We even help each other with personal problems via the "off topic" line.

Sounds like a friendly community! normally i wouldnt join a forum unless i was a frequent visitor (important to say thanks!) but when i seen you had an iPhone app i thought you must be a pretty serious community to go to the effort :LOL:

Can wheat/gluten intolerant people eat rice noodles and bean threads?

I can eat rice... noodles and anything pasta related are a no go but there is a plethora of alternatives available especially since the "Atkins" celeb club have all turned their attention to the latest 'FAD' which is Gluten Free!! RESULT!!

as for bean threads - dont even know what they are! if it helps i cant eat beans/baked beans but to be fair i dont like baked beans anyway lol
 
also Chinese food almost always invariably has wheat...

No, that's incorrect. It depends on what you cook. If you eat something with wheat noodles then it has wheat, noodle recipes are only a small part of Chinese cooking. Most of my own Chinese cooking is served with white rice. Most Chinese food I've eaten in restaurants has no wheat.

When you cook your own Chinese food you pick which recipe you cook, and you control which ingredients you use. For example a simple stir fry served over white rice should satisfy your gluten free requirement, and can be quite delicious.
 
My only (limited) experience of Chinese food is pre made or takeaway and upon checking ingredients or with the chef it always includes wheat flour as the 'thickener'.

I appreciate making things yourself allows a greater level of control - to be fair this is the exact reason why I have early started to get into my cooking a lot more as you raise a really good point about not having to miss out on Chinese food if it's made differently based on my needs :)
 
In my experience cornstarch is more common as the thickener in Asian foods. I don't know if you can have it, but I use a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved into a slurry with water (maybe a half cup) or a combination of water, seasonings, and soy.
 
Addie said:
If you ever have the chance to have wild salmon, you will never go back to farmed. I would think Scotland would be sending some of theirs south of the border. Or maybe they don't want to share it. I know they have a fleet that catches it.

Funny you should say that as I read about the difference between farmed and wild a few days back and decided I wanted to try it to see what the difference was like taste wise!

On my trip to the supermarket today I looked at the fresh farmed and it still had bits of foil stuck to it - enough to put me off! So I frequented the frozen fish section and got some Youngs Wild Salmon (checked it was Pacific and not Norway lol)

Will frozen vs fresh wild be any different?!
 
Claire said:
In my experience cornstarch is more common as the thickener in Asian foods. I don't know if you can have it, but I use a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved into a slurry with water (maybe a half cup) or a combination of water, seasonings, and soy.

I think in Pre made and takeaways its just cheaper and easier to use wheat - or at least that's the impression I get!

Corn flour should be good. Might have to buy some in! I have wheat free flower so I'll have to see what is in that! Normally rice corn or soya flour.

EDIT: corn starch! Need to learn the particulars!
 
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I was just going to add what Claire mentioned. I have never seen flour used as a thickener in Chinese cooking. It is almost always cornstarch they use, usually a cornstarch and water mixture that can be ladled into the wok as needed.

Also Carpy, don't eat wheat noodles but most noodles I've seen in Chinese food is rice noodles. I've seen wheat noodles used in some regional Chinese cooking, and also in some Japanese cooking.

I do a lot of Chinese and Thai cooking, and I never reach for the flour. Where Americans eat wheat products Asians typically eat rice products. I presume rice is okay for those who must avoid gluten.


Note also that you can purchase rice flour and other kinds of flours that do not contain wheat. However they are not a direct substitute. What you use depends on what the recipe calls for.
 
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Welcome to DC! I live in England too. Have lived in the same city all 20 years of my life, and can't wait to get out!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy yourself here, I know I certainly do. I got a new set of (pink) knives, new chopping boards and new electric whisk for a birthday present off my grandparents, and they're probably one of the best gifts I've ever received. Practical presents are always the best ones!
Hope to see you around!
Kerry
 
Gourmet Greg said:
I was just going to add what Claire mentioned. I have never seen flour used as a thickener in Chinese cooking. It is almost always cornstarch they use, usually a cornstarch and water mixture that can be ladled into the wok as needed.

Also Carpy, don't eat wheat noodles but most noodles I've seen in Chinese food is rice noodles. I've seen wheat noodles used in some regional Chinese cooking, and also in some Japanese cooking.

I do a lot of Chinese and Thai cooking, and I never reach for the flour. Where Americans eat wheat products Asians typically eat rice products. I presume rice is okay for those who must avoid gluten.

Yeah Rice is like the holy grail for me lol

I think you make a good point in the 'proper' Chinese food is rice flour and (lazy?!) American/English styles include wheat.

I'm just going off my own experiences here though!
 
kezlehan said:
Welcome to DC! I live in England too. Have lived in the same city all 20 years of my life, and can't wait to get out!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy yourself here, I know I certainly do. I got a new set of (pink) knives, new chopping boards and new electric whisk for a birthday present off my grandparents, and they're probably one of the best gifts I've ever received. Practical presents are always the best ones!
Hope to see you around!
Kerry

Yeah I love practical presents :D

Thanks for the warm welcome - certainly clearing up some pre conceived myths about food and I've been here for less than 24 hours lol

I live in Widnes near Liverpool!
 

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