It'za nightmare

Here's another restaurant nightmare.

This time it's Pizza Hut and the story comes from NOTmilk (website: http://notmilk.com & newsletter: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/notmilk/.

Got Pizza Hut? Got Silicone!Once upon a time, it used to be a beautiful day
inthe neighborhood...that no longer applies to theworld of 2006.Good morning,
boys and girls. Can you say:Polydimethylsiloxane?Polydimethylsiloxane is a
substance that is manufactured byDow Chemical and is primarily used in
food-manufacturingfactories as a de-foaming agent for commercial
boilers.Polydimethylsiloxane is not approved for use as a foodadditive, yet,
Pizza Hut is using this silicone-basedchemical as a stabilizer for cheese on its
patentedpizza products. Some of those pizzas go directly to yourchild's schools
and are served at lunchtime.In order to preserve their frozen pizzas, Pizza
Hutclaims that their silicon emulsifier is a necessarypreservative and
emulsifier.Although the package does not list its own secret formula,it does
list "other additives" under the guise of this patent:Patent # 4894245A review
of the United States Patent Office website confirmsthis story that was first
reported on page 5 of the February,2006 issue of Pete Hardin's "Milkweed." The
actual patent:http://tinyurl.com/7d6t8The
following is included in the online patent:"A silicone emulsifier (Dow Corning
FG-10) is mixed with waterto form a 0.05% emulsifier solution. This solution is
sprayedon the frozen cheese granules at a rate of 1.75 parts ofsolution per 100
parts by weight of cheese."Our children are eating silicon in school
cafeterias.Silicon is not an approved substance for human consumption.Neither is
Polydimethylsiloxane, or formaldehyde whichresults as a byproduct when frozen
silicone-sprayed pizzais subjected to heat. Polydimethylsiloxane breaks down
intoformaldehyde when subjected to heat in excess of 150 degreescentigrade.
As guardians for all children, should we continue allowingschool kids to naively
ingest silicone and formaldehyde?How dangerous is formaldehyde? The National
Cancer Institutereports:"Formaldehyde has been classified as a human
carcinogen(cancer-causing substance) by the International Agency forResearch on
Cancer and as a probable human carcinogen by theU.S. Environmental Protection
Agency." Write a letter to your local school board. The healthof our children is in great jeopardy.http://themilkweed.com/Current.htmRobert
Cohenhttp://www.notmilk.com/

McDonald's gluten fries

I'm going to post a copy of an article just written on the McDonald's fiasco regarding the dairy and wheat in its french fries that it had not disclosed to the public. This is very disturbing. My daughters cannot eat wheat or dairy and have serious reactions to both. McDonald's claimed its fries were clear of both allergens. My family has spent countless hours trying to figure out why my daughters were breaking out with rashes, getting sick, etc. We ruled out the fries based on the company's info. I'm also concerned about the type of oil the fries are cooked in. I believe, based on seeing the oil firsthand, that it contains soy, which the company does not disclose. Here's the article:

Fury At Milk And Wheat In McDonalds' French Fries

20 Feb 2006 -- When McDonalds serves its French Fries, everyone believes
they contain just potatoes and cooking oil - even people who are vegan (eat no
animal product at all) or allergic to wheat. We trust the company and believe
everything they say. Because that is what they have been saying - that their
fries are gluten-free. It has been revealed that McDonald's fries do contain an
animal product - Milk. They also contain wheat. There are thousands and
thousands of people around the world who are allergic to wheat (mainly because
of the gluten in wheat). Surely, out of respect for people who get ill when
consuming wheat, the company could have let us know that wheat and milk were
being added to its French Fries. So far, three people in the USA are suing
McDonald's because of this. Debra Moffatt, from Chicago, has celiac disease. She
cannot consume gluten, which is present in wheat. If she consumes wheat she
experiences serious gastrointestinal problems. Mark and Theresa Chimiak have a
5-year-old girl who is gluten-intolerant. The little girl, Annalise, became
seriously ill after eating French fries in McDonalds. Mark and Theresa, from
Florida, are also suing McDonald's. Nadia Sugich, a vegan, is also suing
McDonald's. Vegans do not eat any animal products at all (vegetarians include
dairy and eggs in their diet, vegans don't). Had she known the product contained
milk she would not have touched them. What many people find incredible is that
McDonald's claimed its fries were free of gluten and milk. It has just added in
its web site that its fries do, in fact, contain wheat and milk ingredients -
now that people are starting to take it to court. What is the consumer to do if
claims made by fast food centers are completely untrue? How can a parent protect
a child if that child has a serious allergy? One minute they claim something is
not present, then they say it is after lawyers start saying they are going to be
sued. Now, McDonald's Vice-President is saying that wheat and milk were added to
enhance the flavour of the French Fries. There is nothing wrong with that. What
is wrong is not telling people about it. Even worse, is telling people there is
no gluten in a product when there is - that is dangerous. Apparently, there is a
third ingredient we knew nothing about in McDonald's French fries - a trans fat.
Here are some comments from our readers:“I am vegan. I have eaten their
vegetable burger with fries for many years. I will never do it again. I really
hope their vegetable burgers were animal free.” “I really do not know where to
take my children any more. I thought these companies had to work under certain
rules - rules laid down to protect the public.” “I cannot believe they would
deliberately add a potentially dangerous ingredient and still claim their
product is free of it. I cannot eat gluten, I get very ill if I do. Each time I
go out to eat now, I am going to feel uneasy.”

Written by: Christian Nordqvist Editor: Medical News Today

Snowflake fries

Yep, the lotus root worked. I promised to update how some of my potato alternatives worked and I'm happy to report that the lotus root was successful (see my previous post, "Potato or potato," from 2-17-06). The lotus root, as you can see from the photo, has air chambers, giving it a pinwheel or "snowflake" shape if sliced. So, I decided to fry some and call them snowflake french fries. The lotus root is easy to work with. You cut off the ends, slice it like a potato and then cut as you desire. Most people stir fry them, enjoying them as a crunchy addition to their meals. I may try that next time. Frying is trickier because they cook quickly and it's easy to overcook. I fried in a pan set at medium-high for about 4 min. each side, thinly sliced. Actually, I turned them when I could see the edges starting to brown. You want that tan-brown color rather than the deep brown. Add some sea salt and ketchup.

Potato or Potato?

So, I've been on a mad quest to find alternatives to potatoes for my daughters' diets. The reason is one cannot eat rice due to an intolerance. They can handle quinoa 1x or 2x a week, but no more. One's very fussy about the gfcf breads I've tried -- so, no stuffing. And, due to the rice intolerance and a corn intolerance, standard noodles aren't an option either (we are trying some Asian noodles now -- tapioca, sweet potato, etc. -- and I'll post more on that later).

The kids just can't eat potatoes everyday. One, I'm afraid they will build up an intolerance to the potatoes if they eat it 3x a day. And two, I don't want to get stuck on a food. Thus, my search for potato alternatives.

I've found some and am in the middle of experimenting. I thought I'd share.

Taro root: found this at the Asian grocery. You peel this, plunge in cold water, boil, and then slice thinly, dice or cut into sticks to cook. I fried these like french fries and the kids didn't notice the difference. Yep, it worked. These are a little tricky to handle. I've read they can irritate the skin while handling in the pre-cooked stage, so I wore plastic gloves. No rash. Also, they tend to get sticky when they cool. I served these warm so I didn't encounter that problem either. I don't know if it would make much difference though if I had prepared mashed taro root. I plan to try it. I paid $1.49/lb for these.

Malanga: have not found this yet, but 2 local Asian grocers carry it. From what I've read, this may be the most promising as it closely resembles a potato, without the fussiness of the taro root. I'll let you know when I get them. Also, priced at $1.49/lb.

• Lotus root: I just bought a few of these to try but have not yet cooked them. I believe these have "air chambers" in the middle, so if you were to slice one, it might appear like a snowflake. I'm hoping the fun snowflake appearance of these entices my kids, or that I can mash them. I'll be experimenting this week. Also found at the Asian grocery at $1.49/lb.

Plantains: a restaurant owner I came across in the Asian market told me about these starchy vegetables. These also look promising and might be sold in an Asian or Latin American grocery. I've also seen them in big cans at the Latin American grocery.

Yucca: The same restaurant owner also suggested yucca, which is very similar to potato. These are sold at both Asian and Latin American markets.

So, I'll post again as I experiment and discover which ones work and what doesn't work.

Quinoa stuffing

I was involved in a message board discussion yesterday and today at GFCFrecipes about how to get more protein in a child's diet if they're picky about meats. One way is to introduce the quinoa or amaranth grains into the diet -- if you can find a good recipe for the child. I haven't mastered amaranth yet, but I do make a quinoa recipe that the kids love. It's called "broccoli circles." This is from my posting:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa grain
• 1 cup broth -- I use homemade chicken broth.
• 1 cup water
• margarine -- I use ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/2 medium onion
• 3-6 celery stalks (depends on preference - I use 3)
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper (I skip this)
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes

Now, bring water and broth to boil. Add quinoa. Bring to boil. Cookover medium heat for 12 minutes OR until quinoa has absorbed all theliquid. (When cooked, quinoa will "pop" open, thus creating the "circles.") In a skillet, melt the margarine or ghee, cook chopped onion and celery about 10 minutes. (I dice the celery in smaller pieces) In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, onion mix and the spices.

I got this recipe from Bob's Red Mill's website. It says you can use this to stuff a turkey. However, my kids used to love eating broccoli pieces but cannot anymore because of one daughter's food intolerance. When this recipe cooks, the parsley pieces sticking to the celery gives the appearance of broccoli. When the kids saw it, they called it broccoli and then they saw the quinoa and said, "circles." So, "broccoli circles."

The co-op shop

So I've talked a lot about good products to use in cooking special meals. Here's a good way to find these foods and others in your neck of the woods. Find a food co-op in your area by using the Co-op Directory Service, an online guide that lists food co-ops in each state. You'll find it at http://www.coopdirectory.org/.

At most co-ops, you'll pay an annual or quarterly fee to join the co-op. That entitles you to a discount, say 2 percent for example, on all purchases. At many co-ops, you can by products in bulk and save much more. At mine, I save 20 percent on bulk purchases, which is one way I can afford to buy special foods for my girls on a tight budget. I'll post more later about the other places I shop and find good deals. If money is not a problem for you, shop at Whole Foods all you want. If I shopped there for everything, I'd go broke.

Gee, Ghee!

Ever hear of ghee? What about clarified butter? Well, that's what ghee is. It's essentially butter without the dairy. It's very popular in Indian cooking and can be found at an Indian grocer. I also find it at my local food co-op.

I think ghee is best used to saute. It holds up well in the pan, unlike other fake margarines. It smells great, too. And, it's gluten-free, dairy-free (casein-free), hormone free, non-hydrogenated, free of transfatty acids and salt free. So, for us folks on strict diets due to allergies and other medical resaons, this stuff really fills a cooking void.

The only downside to ghee is that it really isn't a spread. It's actually very hard. And, I don't think it has much taste. My kids don't have much alternative, so I melt some ghee and brush it on a roll or bread for them.

I buy Purity Farms brand ghee for about $10.