Gluten free in Hong Kong: Part 1

 Hello everyone! 

I hope all of you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Years! I was fortunate enough to be able to spend both holidays in Hong Kong with my family, this time including my aunt and uncle. It was so much fun revisiting after about 5 years since my last trip and spending time seeing all the beautiful Christmas decorations and experiencing the holiday cheer. The only difference between this trip and my trip 5 years ago was that this time, I had the challenge of eating ALL gluten free. 

Luckily enough, Hong Kong has LOTS of delicious, naturally gluten free goodies for you to enjoy! I will attempt to document my trip, my struggles but also successes as well as tips and tricks for eating gluten free. 

First off, and this is an important point, cross contamination is inevitable. Although I would love to say that all the naturally gluten free food is 100% safe to eat, truth is, it's not. In a place where the word, 'gluten free' pretty much doesn't exist, you're going to have to prepare the Pepto Bismol if necessary or eat very carefully in order to limit the amount of exposure to gluten especially if you're going to eat out. If you are planning on visiting Hong Kong, or any Asian country, and you don't speak the language, it is wise to bring a friend who can communicate with the chef or at the very least, can pick out some foods that are safer to eat for you. 

Okay, so let's begin, shall we? :)

As you may or may not already know, most long haul plane flights have specialized diet selections, including gluten intolerant meals. Make sure to select for a gluten free meal for the plane ride over and back so that there's no confusion in what you can and cannot eat once you're on the flight. Here are some sample pictures of what my meals looked like: 

Steamed veggies, rice, and a chicken breast with tomato sauce

Yay for gluten free on the plane!

The meals to and from Hong Kong were pretty basic: some starch, protein, grains, fruits, salad, and dessert. On the way back, I was surprised to find a gluten free dinner roll that was lightly sweetened. Put some butter on it and bam! delicious ;)  

Once my sister and I met up with the fam in HK, we were extremely jet lagged but happy to be there! The day we arrived, it also happened to be my 21st birthday, and my family was sweet enough to buy me a gluten free Haagen Dazs mango ice cream cake! I didn't even know they sold these!

What's better than ice cream? When it's put into a cake! 

After about 2 days of rest, we were ready to hit the streets and have some adventures! 

Besides the shopping and tourist attractions that make HK a great place to visit, the FOOD is just incredible! Looking back on the trip now... my most vivid memory is eating, and eating, and more eating! So can you still enjoy all the great food while eating gluten free? 

Absolutely! 

While visiting HK, rice will be your best friend. Rice and anything made of rice is generally a safe bet and a good way to go while dining and snacking. The only thing to really worry about is sauces, especially soy sauce. Most all dishes that are usually bland have soy sauce to flavor the dish, whether it is steamed fish or dim sum. If this is the case, make sure to find a way to communicate with the waitstaff to keep the soy sauce separate from the main dish. Also, if there are other people in your party that don't eat gluten free, make sure to get a good helping first or set out a separate utensil to avoid as much cross contamination as possible!

Fresh steamed fish from the harbor! Usually has soy sauce, so get a helping for yourself first. 

Surprisingly enough, I did not experience any stomach pain or other ailments I had during my previous trip, like diarrhea or feeling like I needed to vomit. This trip was mostly pain free, but for first time travelers to Asia, be cautioned that you will probably experience some discomfort and sickness due to different bacteria in the water and food. HK is pretty safe though, in comparison to China, but if you are still worried, make sure to bring some Pepto Bismol to soothe your stomach especially if you feel sick due to some small contamination. If you have very severe reactions to small amounts of gluten, I would advise you to be even more careful with what you eat. I, luckily, had the option of cooking some of my meals, but for those living in a hotel, that might be more challenging. You may have to eat at restaurants that are aware of gluten and celiac disease, which is usually at large chain hotels. This is probably a very pricey option for most people, but remember that your health is most important, so do what you feel comfortable doing.   

If you're not severely sensitive to gluten, like myself, you can get away with picking food on the menu that has the least amount of contamination. Here are some sample meals that I had while in HK:

Chicken and mushroom with rice with a side of Chinese broth

A simple meal at most HK cafes: chicken breast with veggies and rice noodles in clear broth. 

Preserved duck egg and pork congee. A delicious gfree option! 

Pan fried whole chicken with rice, corn and steamed veggies

Mushroom, bean sprouts, gai lan and rice noodles in fish broth with iced coffee 

Another great thing about HK is that if you're strapped for cash, there are meals as low as $3 (or around HK$24) that include the main dish, a side dish as well as a drink. These meals are usually eaten by most HK residents before they go to work and during tea time (normally around 3-5pm) when prices are lower. This is akin to  Happy Hour in the States. 

Stay tuned for part 2 when I talk about desserts and my experience at the Ritz Carlton for high tea! 

-Kris   

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Gfree Halloween Candy Chocolate Chip PB Cookies

Just go ahead and reward yourself with some of these candy crack cookies!

Need ways to get your chocolate, peanut butter, and Halloween candy fix? Just make some of these candy crack cookies...they're pretty decadent, but what the hell its the holidays you can indulge :) 
Enjoy the pics and the recipe!

Ingredients:
11/2 cup creamy Peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt


 2 cups of Chocolate Candy (I used combinations of white and milk chocolate chips and fun sized Butterfingers, chopped)

2/3*cups of Brown Rice flour

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350. Stir the sugar, peanut butter, baking soda, yogurt together. Add most of the flour to the wet mixture, then add chocolate and Halloween candy. If mixture is too wet add rest of flour, if mixture is too dry add a bit of water. Cookie dough should be extremely chunky (duhhh, its 50% candy LOL).
Using 2 spoons to dollop the cookie dough on to 2 large baking sheets. Bake for 14 minutes. 

Use up some of that Halloween candy loot

Any type of left over Halloween candy is fine

Or whatever type of chocolate you like

Good enough to eat right now! 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Xoxo,

~ T 

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Why I think Celiac disease is a White Man's Disease

(Disclaimer: First, before all of you think that I'm racist or anything of that sort, I want to clarify that this article is just my personal opinion from the things I've observed on my now 2 years of happy gluten free living and eating. All of the ideas/thoughts here are not meant to offend or upset anyone. )

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So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that celiac disease is a white man's disease.

You may ask, how and why have I even come to this conclusion?

As an Asian American diagnosed with celiac disease, I represent a small community of non-Caucasian persons who suffers from this autoimmune disorder and must commit to a strict gluten free diet. In general, I find that many of the people around me who become diagnosed or know someone who has celiacs is indeed of Caucasian descent.

Is it such a coincidence that celiac disease mostly strikes the Caucasian race? Well, perhaps not.

Scientists and researchers can now definitively state that celiac disease affects persons of mostly European descent (especially Northern Europe) more so than any other type of race. In fact, it was thought in the past that celiac disease was uncommon to rare among other races. 1

Although celiac disease predominantly affects those of European descent, what can possibly explain the statistics that celiac disease is on the rise among other races? 2003 statistics from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center says that 1 in 236 African-, Hispanic-, and Asian-Americans have celiacs. 2 That was only in 2003. Imagine the numbers now!

Still to this day it is unclear why celiac disease enjoys targeting our Caucasian friends more so than other races, but there is one thing for sure: the gluten free market is definitely geared towards whites. And not just any whites- rich, trendy, fad-diet-following whites.

Celiac disease is the new hot disease to have (if there ever was one). Celebrities left and right are self proclaiming that they have gluten sensitivity and that it feels SO much better after they didn't eat that bagel. Although I don't necessarily like that fact that celiac disease and gluten free diets are losing medical importance when in the hands of American celebrities, I do appreciate that because of the gluten free craze, my gfree friends and I can enjoy a very impressive selection of gluten free foods in our local supermarkets. Well, that is, if we go to more upscale American supermarkets.

Let me break it down for you.

Reasons why Celiacs is geared towards Affluent Caucasians:
1) Most gluten free foods are expensive (I am excluding foods that are naturally gluten free)- almost double the price.
2) Those expensive foods are only found in specialty stores or upscale American supermarkets- certainly none are found in Asian or ethnic supermarkets
3) Mostly upscale American restaurants have gluten free menus; the same applies for American specialty bakeries
4) Celiacs/food allergies are pretty much unknown to ethnic races

Point 4 may be a little confusing for some people, so allow me to elaborate. As a Chinese American, I can say that most Chinese people (and probably other Asian races) are completely unaware of food allergies beyond the general types- peanuts, seafood, eggs, dairy, etc. (tangent-Actually, there are SO many people that think that celiacs is an anaphylactic thing, which is a bit frustrating. I once had my boss say that it wasn't that serious because I wasn't going to die after I eat gluten...frustrating... but that's a different story for another time). I've even heard that some Chinese parents refuse to admit that food allergies are even a legitimate concern let alone a source of extreme danger and even death. Even though it is understandable that they may not know about food allergies (since food allergies are relatively new concepts), they cannot deny much longer that food allergies could become the next "Type II Diabetes" in seriousness and prevalence.

The world is changing and so are the diseases that afflict the people that live in this world. We have to educate ourselves and keep our minds open and accepting to new ideas.

At the end of the day, I am incredibly blessed and thankful to have gluten free food at my fingertips. I applaud restaurants, supermarkets, small bakeries and all businesses that have dedicated themselves to serving gluten free customers. As the gluten free market grows, I hope one day that we can get more promotion among other races besides Caucasians so that in the future, if I happen to walk into a Chinese restaurant or ethnic place, perhaps I'll see a list of gluten free options on their menu or in their store.  

Works Cited
1) Celiac Disease Statistics: http://www.celiac.com/articles/1164/1/Celiac-Disease-Statistics/Page1.html
2) Celiac Disease Facts and Figures: http://www.uchospitals.edu/pdf/uch_007937.pdf

For your reading pleasure: Article entitled "Celiac: the Trendy Disease For Rich White People" http://www.science20.com/science_20/celiac_trendy_disease_rich_white_people-93422

   

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Apple Oat Raisin Drop Cookies Recipe

So... I was in the kitchen the other day and I wanted to make some portable breakfast goodies to eat on my drive to school. Theses kitchen sink cookies are moist, hearty, and sweet enough to provide enough energy till lunch!

Ingredients

Dry:
1 cup Brown Rice flour
1/3 cornstarch
1/2 White Rice Flour
1 tsp of Guar Gum
2/3 cup of Gluten Free Whole Oats
2 packets of gluten free Apple Spice Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal
1 tsp of Cinnamon
1/2 tsp of Salt
2/3 cup of Raisins

Wet:
1 Egg
2/3 cups of Greek Yogurt
1/3 of Peanut Butter
1/4 vegetable oil
2/3 cup of Sugar
1/2* cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl well. Whisk flours so that they are well incorporated, especially the Guar Gum.
Blend all the wet ingredients together, except the water. We will  use the water to thin out the batter if it is too thick.
Gradually add the dry mix into the wet and beat until well combined. If the batter is too dense add water accordingly. The batter should be chunky and relatively thick.
Using 2 spoons to "drop" teaspoon sized dollops of the dough on 2 large baking sheets. Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool. Store in the fridge or for a week at room temperature in a sealed container.

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Gfree Haul #2! The October edition

It's time for.... Gfree Haul #2... the October edition!

Anyway, this post is all about the snacks that I've been munching on this month and want to share with all of you lovely gfreers out there.

So, without further ado...

MUNCHIE 1: Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies

Even before I was diagnosed, I wasn't a frequent buyer or eater of Oreo cookies-but when I did get the chance to eat them, boy, did they satisfy my chocolate cravings! Let me tell you now that these cookies taste THE SAME as the regular Oreo cookies...so all you gfree Oreo fans out there, get excited to once again experience the crunchy, creamy dream of these chocolate cookies. Only thing with these cookies is that the sweetness ratio is still the same and I'm not a huge fan of foods that are too sweet, so I'll take out 1/2 point. Rating: 4.5/5

MUNCHIE 2: Trader Joes Crunchy Curls- A Potato Lentil snack

Okay, so this snack I'm divided about. The picture on the front looks incredibly good, but the product itself... meh, it's alright. It certainly deserves the title of being "crunchy" but these curls didn't wow my taste buds. They have a kind of peppery taste and you can definitely taste the lentils. The only thing I like was that the curls aren't dripping with oil like most chips- its light on oil so it will decrease your chance of getting heartburn while you're eating these. Conclusion: if you're not a fan of lentils or pepper, my advice is to stay away from these. But if you like the latter, and you happen to be vegan and gfree, well then, this may be the perfect snack for you!

Rating: 2/5 

MUNCHIE 3: Glutino Gluten Free Original Crackers

 I absolutely am in love with these crackers. I was always a big fan, in my gluten days, of those Carls water table crackers, and these totally have replaced them. These crackers are SO addicting. They have a bit of a sour aftertaste, that is not unpleasant (kinda like sourdough...?) and they are perfectly crunchy and just the right circumference to stuff the whole cracker in my mouth. Too bad the box only has two packages. I can easily finish one bag in one sitting and be tempted to open up the next one right afterward. These are a must try for all cracker fans and they work great as appetizers with different toppings- peanut butter, salmon, cheese, you name it!
Rating: 5/5

What are some awesome gfree snacks/food that you are eating this month and are raving about? Leave us a comment!

Okay, that's all for now! Keep checking back to see more updates on our blog- some recipes are coming up soon as well as new thought provoking articles and much more. T and I are working hard to get them out for you so please continue supporting us! :)

-Kris

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Eating Out: Mel's Diner, Bento Box, Cooking Papa's, Panda Express?

First of all I would like to apologize for my lack of posts. The last few weeks have been overwhelmed with midterms at school and work. But, I will say that because of my lack of time to prepare food, I have been eating out more often than I should (^_^). So today's post will be all about on-the-go gluten free options at restaurants that don't typically serve gluten free foods.

Mel's Diner:
This kitschy American Diner was my first "diner" experience. Did you know they serve "Breakfast All Day"?! So what's a gfree girl suppose to do at a diner?! Well, most burgers, sandwiches, and dinner plates specials are off limits. So... I chose the 3 Egg Omelette Scramble called Tex-Mex with hash browns instead of an order of toast. IT WAS DELICIOUS! Filled with ham, peppers, onions, mushrooms, cheese,
and topped with rancheros sauce. Along with the breakfast for dinner omelette I decided that in order to have the true diner experience I had to get an milkshake J 
The Creamy dreamy Creamsicle Milkshake was calling my name. Plus it gave me a good excuse to sneak a few hot salty fries from my dining partner and dip them in the creamsicle shake!

Tex Mex Omelette Scramble 

Creamsicle and Strawberry Shake

Waitress was super sweet and gave us a side of fruit!

Bento Box:
I have eaten here a couple of times now and I always order the $8.99 Bibimbap. I know I know its a Japanese restaurant and I order a Korean dish?! What???!! Okay to my credit Japanese cuisine is not my favorite AND most Japanese food contains gluten. So, the verdict?! Bento Box makes a mean Bibimbap. Is it the best? No, but its pretty good for $8.99! Nice variety of vegetables and the beef is always super tender and juicy mmhh makes my mouth water.

My all time fav: Bibimbap!

Friend's Rainbow Roll at Bento Box

Panda Express:
Nearly impossible, but I ate here (even if it wasn't much of a meal)! I would argue that 98% of the menu contains gluten EXCEPT white steamed rice and a couple of their sauces. The sweet & sour sauce and the plum sauce does not contain gluten. So that's exactly what I did, I ordered white rice and got the server to give me a side of their sauce. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. And if the company you're eating with questions whether or not what you're eating is filling enough tell them it isn't!!  Then get them to take you out to frozen yogurt or Jamba Juice afterward :P LOL, that's what I did.

Steamed White Rice

Side of Sweet & Sour Sauce

Cooking Papa's:
This joint makes true authentic Chinese/Hong Kong Style cuisine in the bay area. I was at a family gathering and due to the craziness and lack of time everyone decided that it would be less stressful just to get takeout! In general Asian food has a lot of cross contamination so I was super careful on the delicious yummies that I chose. All of which were bomb.com! Here are some of the pictures I took.

Homemade Chinese Veg was Gfree!

Rice and Rice Noodle Dish was Gfree

Arial Shot!

Nom Nommers!!  

Until next post!

~ T

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Dating, Love and Being Gluten Free

Hi everyone!
 Kris is back! Yep, I have somehow managed to survive this dreadful midterm season with my mind still somewhat intact, although the extent to which is questionable...

Anyway, I wanted to share with all of you my opinions on something that may not seem at ALL related to eating and living gluten free and that is the topic of DATING.

But, let's kick it up a notch and talk not only about dating, but dating while being gfree. I can't take 100% credit for thinking of this topic as it was already extensively discussed in GlutenDude's blog post, however, I would still like to offer some of my ideas and viewpoints. So, let's go!
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Let's face the truth: dating is hard with a food allergy.

Anyone who has a food allergy or knows someone who does has a pretty good idea about what types of challenges arise when eating out. The obstacles almost quadruple when you're eating out with someone that you may potentially have an interest in. What are some of these challenges? For example:

• The person who has the food allergy has to be in control of selection of restaurants pretty much all the time
• Eating a dish you may not be 100% sure is gluten free may make you sick or seriously hurt thus leading to embarrassment and worse, hospitalization
• The other person doesn't express any interest in learning about your diet
• Dining cards have a certain kind of negative stigma (what I mean by this is the idea of "fussiness" that may cause annoyance to your date, although if that was the case, I certainly would end the date early!)

These and many more may and probably do plague the minds of gluten free eaters everywhere (and this can also be extended towards all people with food allergies!)

Dating already has the inherent pressure of trying to impress your date with the least amount of embarrassment as possible, but when you add having to deal with a food allergy on top of that...you can imagine that it can get messy really quickly.

I have also heard of concerns not really related to eating out such as Why would someone date me if they can date someone who is healthy? or I can't relate to people who don't have the same food allergy or who understands what I deal with on a daily basis. 

All of these concerns are legitimate, BUT I would encourage my fellow gfreers to not set limits to who they should date simply because of their food allergies. Remember, food allergies do not define who you are as a person but it is simply something that you must avoid for your health. Never think that you are not "worthy" to date someone simply because you have an illness or condition. Whoever your interest happens to be, they should be someone who can appreciate, respect, and love you for who you are and that includes your food allergies and diet. If your interest does not show any concern for your allergy and your health, you should probably reconsider this person as the "one", if you know what I mean.

So how do we, as steadfast gfreers, abide by our gfree eating laws while still managing to have a good time with our potential interest? Here are some tips that I hope can help you out!

TIP 1: Surprise them!
 If he/she can't surprise you with a date at a restaurant of their choice, surprise them! If you have the choice of restaurant and they don't seem to have a preference, make the choice for them and I'm sure they will love whatever you surprise them with. You can rest assure that the food is safe for you and I guarantee your efforts will make your date smile.

TIP 2: Be 1/2 full before your date 
Group date and not sure where you're eating? Eat beforehand and bring snacks in your bag!

TIP 3: Order before you go
 If you don't like the stigma or the time it takes to explain the dining card/gfree diet to the chef, make plans to go beforehand to a restaurant that you trust and tell them the specifications for what foods are safe for you to eat. So, when you get there with your date, you can get your food all ready to go without the hassle and explanation! (Make sure to choose a restaurant that you trust can prepare your food with minimal cross contamination).

TIP 4: Minimally explain, maximally listen
If your date expresses interest in learning about your diet or celiac disease, feel free to give them the basic rundown. Don't be a motormouth and go into the specific details of your symptoms because they are not your doctor or counselor, so withholding some information would be to your benefit. Remember, you're trying to impress him/her! ;)

TIP 5: Always offer to pay
If your meal is specially prepared and perhaps costs a bit more than your date's meal, do not expect him/her to pay for your meal! If they offer to pay, you can accept within limits, but make sure to get the bill the next time around! Dates love when you at least offer to pay even though they have already planned to pay beforehand.

TIP 6: Be understanding.
Celiac disease and gluten free diets are still unknown to most of the population with the exception to those in the community. If your date has never heard of it at all, don't immediately judge or dislike them for not knowing. Remember, that perhaps you were once in the group that was in the dark about this condition too!

TIP 7: Never sacrifice your health to impress your date. 
Your health is your number one priority, no matter how cool or good looking your date is, always make sure that whatever you consume is safe. Don't take chances so you won't get sick!  

I hope that these tips and some of my personal life advice on love and dating can help some of you get out there are start your dating lives without fear of having to deal with the issues involving food allergies and your health. When you break it down, it's really not that bad.

What are some of your tips on dating and eating out?

Think positive, eat safely, and take care.

Until next time,
Kris

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