how a chinese-american lives gluten-free

i'm athena from the sf bay area, and i created this blog as a resource to help others who also have celiac disease/gluten sensitivity.

[nomianjin]

product review: daiya plant-based mozzarella shreds

If you’re dairy intolerant and you miss cheese, you can try Daiya’s plant based mozzarella shreds. They melt like real cheese when they are heated up! You can enjoy cheese pizzas again. Plus, they’re gluten free (and soy, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, and shellfish-free!).

These shreds do not taste like “real” cheese they have their own creaminess, but it is not going to be the same as a milk based product. In addition, when you melt them, they may not lose their shape as quickly as you might expect. In this case, you can tap the shreds with a spoon- if they are stretchy and soft, then you are ready to eat!

My favorite way to eat these shreds is to melt them in between some gluten-free tortillas for a quesadilla. It is so easy to make on days when I’m too lazy to cook. You can scramble eggs with this cheese for an extra-creamy breakfast concoction! Also, be sure to look at all the recipes on Daiya’s website. They have lots of suggestions as to what you could make with their cheese.

I have found that after opening, this product goes bad pretty quickly. It will have a sour, off smell. Here is the full ingredients list (taken off their website) if you are curious as to what such a product could be made of: Filtered water, tapioca flour, expeller pressed non-GMO canola and/or safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegan natural flavours, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, yeast extract, citric acid (vegan, for flavour), annatto (for colour), titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral).

[nomianjin]

product review: pamela’s gluten free vanilla cake mix

This. This here is my absolute favorite gluten-free cake mix right now. I love how strong the vanilla tastes, and I love how soft the crumb is. It is so easy to get amazing results with Pamela’s gluten free cake mix. 

I usually bake the entire mix if I want to make a cake. You can go on Pamela’s website for recipe ideas but one of my favorite things to do with this cake mix is make cake pops. If the cake cracks for any reason when you try to take it out of the pan, you can just crumble it all up with your fingers. Mix the crumbs up with frosting until it reaches the consistency where you can mold it with your hands and it will hold its shape. Then, dip the balls into chocolate or candy melts and let them set until hard.

You can simply frost the cake with your favorite buttercream or whipped cream, and add fruit if desired. Coconut frosting goes really well with this cake mix, too.

I get my Pamela’s vanilla cake mix from my local Sprouts market but I know it is also available from Walmart and Amazon.

[nomianjin]

product review: krusteaz gluten free honey cornbread mix

This cornbread mix goes well with a glass of milk or crumbled into a hot bowl of chili. You can eat it plain, too, since the mix is so sweet on its own that you don’t need to add honey. Normally I bake half the bag of mix (otherwise I can’t finish it all before it goes bad), so if you also choose to do so make sure you halve all the milk, eggs, oil, etc. Half the bag makes exactly six standard muffins.

If the time on the box is not enough for baking, add another five minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out cleanly. The resulting cornbread is soft and melts in your mouth. You can add your favorite shredded cheese into the mix for a cheesy cornbread, or you can make a casserole dish with this mix.

This mix might not be authentic “southern cornbread” due to how sweet it is but it is a delicious and easy mix. It is available at Target, Walmart, and Amazon for around $4.

[nomianjin]

recipe: gluten free angel food cake with cream and fruits

This is more of an assembly manual than a recipe, but...

Start off with your base. There are gluten free angel food cake mixes that exist (Betty Crocker and Kinnikinnick) but you can also buy a frozen cake from your local Whole Foods Market.

Take your angel food cake and slice it horizontally (knife parallel to table), forming two or three layers. If you feel that the cake is dry, feel free to apply some simple syrup (1:1 ratio sugar and water, microwaved or boiled) with a spoon or brush. 

For the whipped cream, you will need up to 8 oz. of heavy whipping cream. This amount will vary depending on your tastes and the size of your angel food cake. Use a metal mixing bowl and electric beater to whip the cream until it forms peaks. You can add sugar to your whipped cream if you would like; however, I usually just let the fruits act as the sweetener in this recipe.

Speaking of the fruits, you can use any of your favorite fruits. They can be diced up and mixed in with the whipped cream. You can also put a layer of whipped cream on the cake first, then put some sliced fruit over it. Otherwise, you can put whipped cream in the cake and garnish with whole fruits like berries. Other decoration ideas include a drizzle of melted chocolate or jam.

This recipe works well with devil’s food cake, bundt cakes, or even pound cakes. 

[nomianjin]

recipe: mayak kimbap, a.k.a. korean “narcotic” seaweed rolls

These are easy to prepare and even easier to eat! You might find yourself eating them as you roll them, though. They make a perfect lunch or picnic finger food. Plus, they’re vegetarian!

Cook as much rice as you need (you can use excess rice for other meals, too), but you will only need about a cup to two cups of rice for this recipe. 

Start off with one bundle of spinach with long stems. Don’t use the tiny leafy spinach, that’s not going to work in this recipe. Wash the spinach thoroughly- there is usually a lot of dirt stuck in the stems. Boil a big pot of water and blanch the spinach for up to a minute. Make sure the thickest part of the stems are cooked until they are flexible, but do not overcook. Then take them out and dump them in cold water. Drain, and squeeze out the water until the spinach becomes a tight ball. Put this ball into a clean bowl. Run a knife through the spinach two or three times. Next, add your seasoning! You can use freshly minced garlic (1 clove) or use garlic powder (to taste) like I do. After that, pour in up to a tablespoon of sesame oil. As you mix the spinach, your kitchen will be filled with an amazing fragrance!

*Note: you can replace the spinach with cucumber. Cucumber can be kept fresh for longer than the seasoned spinach, which will go bad quickly.

Next, julienne some carrots into thin matchsticks. I like to buy thicker carrots so that they are easier to chop up. Fry them on medium-high heat with plenty of oil- they absorb a lot of oil as they are frying, and you don’t want to end up with dry carrots. Cook them until they become soft and flexible, then set them aside on a plate. You can drizzle in some sesame oil at the end if you want extra flavor.

The final ingredient is the easiest. Buy some danmuji/takuan (yellow pickled radish) from your local Asian grocery store. You can buy the precut version or you can cut them into strips yourself. Take the strips and further cut them in half, both lengthwise and through the center.

Take your gim/nori sheets and cut them into four equal sized squares using scissors. Scoop out your freshly cooked rice into a bowl, and mix it with a teaspoon or two of sesame oil. 

Spread a thin layer of rice onto the gim with your rice scoop. Then, put on some spinach, carrot, and one piece of danmuji on the rice. Do not overfill because it will be impossible to roll. When you roll, make sure the end of the gim is sealed tightly. 

Repeat until all the ingredients are gone. It is okay if there are still some ingredients left over, you can enjoy them as side dishes with rice later. 

[nomianjin]

review: Tai Pan BBQ Express Dim Sum in Fremont, California

I’ve been a loyal customer at this hole in the wall since I was little- the ladies who work here have watched me grow up. They are all quite friendly and are always happy to chat you up while you wonder which dishes you should order. The only downside is that this establishment is not dedicated gluten free, so please don’t take the risk to come here if you are extremely gluten intolerant. 

Anyways, there are exactly two items I come here for. The first is their fish porridge. It does not taste fishy at all, despite its name. There are extremely soft, flaky white fish chunks in the porridge, which is made up of rice and some sort of rich broth. The rice and broth are cooked until they form a thick porridge that is packed full of umami flavor. It is addicting to eat- one bite is never enough! 

Tai Pan shut down about a year ago for remodeling and rebranding (it used to be called Dragon BBQ) and on the opening day I went there with my father. The ladies recognized me immediately and surprised me with a free container of this porridge. 

The other item I can’t get enough of is their 糯米糍, which are glutinous rice balls covered in shredded coconut. Tai Pan offers ones filled with red bean paste as well as peanuts. Personally, I enjoy the red bean rice balls more, and I always make sure to pick up a pack of them whenever I’m in the vicinity. There are three rice balls per container, and they are generously sized (about half a fist in size). The combination of the fragrant coconut, the sweet red bean, and the chewy texture of the rice ball is incredible. These often sell out early, though, so make sure you come early if you want to get some.

Tai Pan also offers many fried foods like fried fish and rice balls, but I usually avoid them because of breading/cross contamination in the fryers. They have a wide variety of prepared foods that you can get in a takeout container. I have no idea what ingredients they use but the majority look like they contain some kind of sauce that is not gluten-friendly. 

Note: They only accept cash. There are several banks nearby. Also, don’t count on sitting down and eating there. There are three tiny tables and Tai Pan is usually full of people standing in line. Most people go there to buy takeout to enjoy elsewhere.

You can find Tai Pan BBQ Express Dim Sum at 39486 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538, next to the Little Caesars Pizza. They are open every day.

[nomianjin]

recipe: kielbasa, bell pepper, onion, ketchup stir-fry

This easy recipe takes almost no time to assemble. It is perfect for those days where you’re starving and want a hot meal quickly. This pairs amazingly with a bowl of rice.

Heinz tomato ketchup is gluten free, but Hunt’s ketchup is not. These are the two brands I encounter most frequently at my local grocery stores.

The kielbasa I use is from Bar-S. I believe that all the U-shaped sausages from Bar-S are labeled gluten-free. The other brand offered at the store is Hillshire Farms, but it is not labeled gluten-free.

To start off, dice half an onion and half a bell pepper into even cubes, up to 1′’x1′’. You can use as much sausage as you would like, but I usually use 1/4 of it if I am just cooking for myself. Slice it into disks. You can cut them again into half-moon shapes if you like smaller pieces, but it is not necessary.

Drizzle some olive oil (or any oil of your choosing) into a frypan over high heat. Toss all your ingredients in when the oil is heated up. Continuously stir-fry with a spatula until the onions and bell pepper are soft and cooked through.

Turn off your heat. Grab your bottle of ketchup and squeeze about two tablespoons worth (or to your taste) into the stir-fry. You do not need to add salt because both the kielbasa and the ketchup are salty. Mix until everything is lightly coated in ketchup.

You can plate your dish or you can pour it as a blanket of ketchup-y goodness over a serving of freshly steamed rice. It is a good side dish to accompany bland foods. Garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds if you’re feeling fancy!

Enjoy!

[nomianjin]

recipe: korean zucchini pancakes

My family has two different versions of zucchini pancakes. Both are delicious and use virtually the same ingredients, but they differ in their preparation.

1:

These are delectable. They don’t have that unpleasant, squash-y zucchini taste- they just taste like fried food. Plus, they’re super easy to make and are 100% gluten free! They are known as “hobak jeon” in Korean.

You can use either the short Korean zucchinis (white and green skins) if you want a smaller portion. These can be found at pretty much any Asian grocery store. The long green zucchinis you see at most American grocery stores work just as well, but I usually can’t eat so much.

To start off, rinse the zucchini but keep the skins on. If they don’t have skins, they will just become a mushy mess at the end. Then, chop the zucchini into disks, about a quarter-inch thick. Lay these disks out and sprinkle salt over them. This will allow some of the water in the zucchini to come out so they are firmer after cooking.

In a shallow plate, dump in some gluten-free flour to form a uniform layer across the surface of the plate. Start off with a third of a cup if you want exact measurements. I’ve been using Pillsbury’s Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour for these. My mother orders this flour from Walmart’s website, but I believe it is also available on Amazon. Other multi-purpose gluten free flours should work just fine as well.

Dip every zucchini disk into the flour, and make sure both sides are evenly coated. If there is too much flour, tap it off back into the plate. You should still be able to see the zucchini underneath the flour. 

Next, crack an egg into a bowl and beat it. Dip the flour-coated zucchini into the egg, and then let any excess egg run off into the bowl. I like to use a fork or chopsticks for this part, otherwise your fingers will get really sticky.

Pour oil into your frypan and heat it up on high heat. Drop in your zucchini slices and hear them sizzle! When the zucchini can be easily lifted from the pan (no uncooked egg sticking to the pan), you’re ready to flip. If you think the zucchini are browning too quickly, turn the heat down to medium. The zucchini are done when they are soft in the middle (I usually poke them with a chopstick).

Enjoy with the traditional dipping sauce (a 1:1 ratio of soy sauce and vinegar). 

2: 

For this second pancake, start off by shredding all of your washed zucchini with a vegetable grater. You can use one large zucchini if you are making it for one or two people. It doesn’t matter how coarse or fine your grater is.

Put the grated zucchini into a bowl, and toss it with some salt. Wait for twenty minutes or so. This will allow the water to release so your pancakes don’t end up mushy (trust me, I’ve made that mistake!). At the end of the twenty minutes, dump the water out and squeeze the zucchini.

Crack an egg and dump one generous spoonful of gluten free flour into the zucchini. For flavor, my mother likes to add garlic salt and Chinese five-spice powder into the mix.

Stir it all together until it becomes a cohesive “batter.” Now, heat up your frypan and pour in a tablespoon of oil. You can make a big pancake that fills up your whole pan or you can make several smaller pancakes.

When the bottom of the pancake no longer sticks and is fully cooked, you can flip over your pancake. Both sides should be nicely browned by the time it is done.

You can eat this with the traditional Korean dipping sauce or you can eat it with some ketchup.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe!

[nomianjin]

review: shanghai flavor in fremont, california

This was one of my absolute favorite restaurants before I had to go gluten-free. 

Nowadays, if I want to go there, I’m limited to a few of their (still delicious!) dishes. There is definitely cross-contamination at this restaurant, as it is not dedicated gluten-free, so please order at your own discretion. (If your sensitivity is severe, please don’t come here!!) In general, look at pictures of dishes on the menu (if available) and avoid all dishes that look like they have brown sauces. You can look at people around you and see if there is anything that looks plainly seasoned. Chinese restaurants (in my experience) usually don’t have gluten-free soy sauces, oyster sauces, etc. 

The restaurant is narrow and there aren’t many places to sit so there may be a line out the door on some nights. In addition, the parking lot is shared by all the other businesses in the plaza so during peak hours it may take a while for you to find parking. I have found that if you go early for dinner, around the opening time, it is usually fairly empty. You can also order takeout over the phone and pick it up at the restaurant for your enjoyment at home. The waitresses who work there are very efficient and on top of things- they will make sure your glass of water is always topped up.

My father, who is also gluten-free, enjoys their 马兰头 (”Bean Curd w/ Vegetable”, under the Appetizers section of their menu). It is a traditional Shanghainese cold dish made of mixed finely diced bean curd and a wild vegetable known as Indian Aster (Kalimeris indica). It is seasoned lightly, with sesame oil, sugar, and salt. Barring the fact that the restaurant itself is not gluten-free, this dish is safe for those with gluten allergies. Personally, I am not a fan of how Indian Aster tastes so I usually skip this dish.

One of the most popular and traditional dishes at this restaurant is their 上海咸肉炒饭, A.K.A. Shanghai Style Veggie & Salted Pork Rice. The veggie that they use is bok choy, which is diced up into small pieces and fried with the rice. The salted pork is fatty, salty, and delicious. It is also diced finely and mixed into the rice to add umami to this dish. You can opt to order this dish instead of getting a bowl of plain rice. It will serve 2-4 people.

Another one of their most iconic dishes is their 葱油鸡, which often sells out early. It is half of a boiled chicken, chopped into large, uniform pieces. The chicken is boiled until it is just done, so it is extremely tender. When the dish arrives, the chicken will be chilled and the spring onion sauce (finely chopped spring onion, oil, and a bit of minced ginger) liberally poured over it will be warm. The sauce is pretty salty because it is the only seasoning on the plain chicken. Though the sauce is oil-based, the spring onion is very refreshing and prevents the dish from being too heavy.

To round out your meal, you can order a soup. My family always orders the 腌笃鲜, or salted pork w/bamboo shoot soup. This is a famous Shanghainese dish as well. The soup is what Chinese people refer to as 高汤, which is pretty much just soup stewed with bones until it turns very rich and milky. There are tender pieces of bamboo shoot and savory chunks of salted pork in the soup. The flavor combination is just incredible!

Two dishes I do not recommend are the 麻婆豆腐 (Mapo tofu) and the 青椒土豆丝 (Green pepper w/shredded potato). Mapo tofu is not a Shanghainese dish. Shanghai Flavor’s mapo tofu is far too sweet (sweetness is a trait of Shanghainese cuisine) and it also has a strangely medicinal taste. On the other hand, their stir-fried shredded potatoes are not to my liking due to the strong taste of vinegar that is added. Personally, it is too sour but if you enjoy sour foods then this may be the dish for you!

Again, Shanghai Flavor is definitely not suitable for those who are sensitive to cross-contaminated gluten. If your gluten sensitivity is not too severe, you should definitely try out some of their authentic Shanghainese dishes!

Shanghai Flavor is located at 46132 Warm Springs Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539, inside the Times Square.

[nomianjin]

review: amia bakery in fremont, california

A friend recommended this bakery to me when I told her I couldn’t eat gluten. The first time I came here, I was ordering a cake for my birthday. I told them I wanted a gluten-free cake and they handed me their gluten-free menu. I noticed that they have several other options such as sugar-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. 

Their gluten-free menu was surprisingly extensive. They have cakes like opera cake, tiramisu, and cheesecake. Ultimately, I settled with a white cream cake with strawberries. They filled out an order sheet and gave me a copy. You can choose buttercream balloons or roses in the color of your choosing for decoration. 

On the day I was to pick up the cake, I realized that the baker had accidentally circled “egg-free” on the order sheet. I asked them about it and they confirmed that my cake was egg-free. They gave me two options: they could make another cake for me that was gluten-free or they could give me a refund. I wasn’t going without a cake on my birthday, so I asked them to make me another one.

Amia Bakery is located in the Fremont Hub, and there were many other stores along the strip mall. I did some shopping for birthday decorations in the nearby dollar store. A brisk half an hour passed, and my cake was ready for pickup.

Even though it was simple, I thought the decorations looked great. The roses were arranged nicely and the cream piping along the edges was evenly done. There was an even layer of cake crumbs on the side of the cake. When I opened the cake box, I smelled the fragrance of freshly baked cake and whipped cream. I couldn’t wait to dig in.

Although the service was somewhat questionable (the workers seemed to be new), the cake was undeniably delicious. It did not come with candles or a cake knife, which I was used to receiving, but that might just be something Asian bakeries do. Even my sister and mother, who can both eat gluten, enjoyed it. The crumb of the cake was coarse but the buttery fragrance made up for it. The cake was not overpoweringly sweet, which I appreciated.

Inside the cake, there was a layer of diced strawberries mixed with whipped cream. The tartness of the strawberries balanced out the sweetness of the cream. 

Though the cake was fairly expensive ($40 for an 8′’), it was well worth the price.

The second time I ordered from Amia, I did so over email. I received a very prompt response within an hour, even though they were already supposed to be closed. The baker confirmed my specifications (I ordered the same thing, except with balloons rather than roses), and within a day I had a confirmed cake order. They were very straightforward and made the process go smooth as silk. I think they can make your cake in a day, but I set my pickup date two days after I initially sent the email.

On the day I was to pick up the cake, I pulled up to their storefront and was immediately greeted by a worker. I paid for the cake there ($42 for a 6′’, I think prices went up) and then headed home. 

This second cake was decorated exactly as specified in the email. My only complaint is that the cake was less moist this time, but it still tasted quite rich. 

Overall, I would recommend Amia Bakery if you are gluten-intolerant. The price is worth it if you want to indulge in gluten-free baked goodies every once in a while. If you are not located in Fremont, it is worth the drive. You can order gluten-free custom cakes in the design of your choosing or even wedding cakes there. The location is very convenient if you want to do some shopping in the nearby stores (Trader Joes, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pet Smart).

Amia Bakery is not a dedicated gluten-free bakery. Their statement regarding allergies can be found on their website, but I will put it here as well. “We strive to provide products for individual with certain dietary needs. Despite taking precautions such as washing, sanitizing and segregating some of our equipment, we however can not guarantee that the product is completely free of all allergens since the products made here is in a facility that does contain dairy, eggs, nuts, wheat and other allergens.” This means if you have extreme gluten intolerance, don’t risk it.

You can find them at 39095 Fremont Hub, Fremont CA, 94538 or you can visit their website.

[nomianjin]

intro + mission statement

“民以食为天.” This is a Chinese idiom that means food is the most important aspect of people’s lives. Suddenly having to follow a gluten-free diet affected the foods I could eat. Many of the most popular Chinese foods like meat buns, noodles, and dumplings are all wheat-based foods. Gluten is even hidden in many staple sauces and seasonings that we use in our cuisine. 

But as a person who loves food and looks forward to savoring each meal, I absolutely could not be content with my situation. 

I went to every grocery close to my house and skimmed every aisle for gluten free products. I was determined to try everything out and broaden the variety of foods I could eat. Of course, I experienced a lot of disappointment with gluten-free imitations that could not compare to their regular counterparts. However, along the way, I discovered several new restaurants and cuisines that I could enjoy. In addition, I learned many valuable lessons about how to be gluten-savvy when I was eating out. 

This blog, nomianjin (mianjin = gluten in Chinese), is my take on living a new, gluten-free life. Food is still one of the most important parts of my life- being gluten-free shouldn’t mean giving up the foods I have always loved. It shouldn’t mean I need to compromise on taste or quality It only means I should take a different approach to making my favorite foods.

I hope that people, both new to a gluten-free lifestyle and more experienced, can find something of help to them on this blog.

- Athena