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Emma Thackery wrote:
> In article >,
> (Alex Rast) wrote:
>
>
>>at Mon, 04 Apr 2005 01:50:16 GMT in <emma-8F2DC4.20501603042005@news-
>>50.dca.giganews.com>, (Emma Thackery) wrote :
>>
>>
>>>Unfortunately, I can no longer eat barley....
>
>
>>None are even remotely close, neither in terms of texture nor taste. Millet
>>has a much milder, milky flavour. It is a small, spherical grain, about
>>half the size of a rice grain. When cooked, if you use 2 cups water/cup
>>millet, it is fluffy. At 4 cups water/cup, it becomes mushy, a kind of
>>porridge.
>>
>>Kasha (buckwheat) has a strong, earthy flavour. It is very fluffy indeed
>>and cooks very quickly. Its shape is unique, sort of a wedge/triangle about
>>the size of a wheat berry. Kasha is very popular in Russian cuisine. Use 2
>>cups water/cup. Any more and it just dissolves into a paste. Excellent with
>>mushrooms.
>>
>>Amaranth is the most dissimilar. It's a tiny grain, about the size of a
>>mustard seed. Cooked, it has a gelatinous, almost slimy texture and a taste
>>very strongly reminiscent of grass. It's much more porridgelike and you
>>need 3 cups water per cup.
>
>
> Thanks so much! That is very helpful. At least that gives me some idea
> how to work with these grains and what they're like, though I have to
> say that Amaranth doesn't sound the least bit appetizing.. lol. I've
> been scouring the web looking for recipes that include kasha and millet.
> But so often, what you find on the web is/sounds either tasteless
> (poorly seasoned) or includes processed ingredients that contain gluten.
> But I have found a few to try and surely once I have the taste and
> texture set in mind, it will be easier to start substituting.
>
> For soups with barley, I've already tried wild and brown rice which
> works fairly well. I use a great deal of brown rice now (25# each month
> or so) but, despite how great it is, the family does tire of it after
> awhile. I'm also thinking of experimenting with oat groats (McCanns
> which are generally uncontaminated by wheat). They take awile to cook
> and might also be a sub in some instances.
>
> But I realize that sometimes, depending on one's tastes, there are just
> no acceptable substitutes. For instance, while rice pasta does not
> stand up well against tomato sauce, it's just fine for most Asian and
> other dishes. So sometimes, those of us with these food problems just
> have to learn to eat differently.
>
>
>>Is the problem that you're gluten intolerant?
>
>
> Yes, I was diagnosed this winter with celiac disease. Going to a
> gluten-free diet was like a miracle. For those who are unfamiliar,
> Celiac is an inherited auto-immune disorder that causes quite an array
> of symptoms including extreme digestive problems, malabsorption
> syndrome, arthritic symptoms, osteoporosis, and a host of other
> frequently misdiagnosed maladies. Only a small percentage of those who
> carry the gene actually acquire the condition, however, and it affects
> mostly people of northern European and Irish heritage. Incidence in the
> US is now 1:130. In Ireland it is 1:80. On average in the US, it takes
> 11 years for people with Celiac to get diagnosed. The term "gluten" is
> kind of a misnomer, even though it is the accepted terminology, since
> even rice has gluten though it is a different type than is in wheat.
> The offending protein is actually GLIADIN which is found in rye, barley
> and all wheat relatives including tritcale, spelt and kamut. It is also
> found in oats contaminated by wheat which is frequently the case.
>
>
> Thanks again, your insights are very helpful 
>
> Emma
I was about to ask about oats (I don't think oats contain gluten) but
you mentioned it in this follow-up message. Have you tried whole
groats? You could rinse off any wheat dust.
What about brown rice?
I've thought about adding a bunch of large-pearl tapioca to chicken
broth and calling it "Chicken Eye Soup" ;-) It would probably be more
convincing in a "Fish Eye Soup".
Best regards,
Bob
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