Oodles of Wheat-Free Noodles

In the right side of the bowl, pictured above, they look like water chestnuts but are in fact a decadent Korean noodle, or brown "rice cake" that we use occasionally instead of pasta. Tonight, we had an array of fresh veggies and a spicy sauce with ginger, garlic, chives and cilantro. But, Lizzie wanted hers with good old tomato sauce just like traditional pasta, and it was delicious both ways. Rice noodles can be handy for those seeking to be gluten free. Traditional rice stick (like Pad Thai) or wide rice noodles (like Chow Fun) are great in a variety of dishes (even with Italian flavors) and bean thread (made from mung beans) is chewy and works well in brothy soups with lemongrass. Buckwheat soba noodles from Japan and potato based gnocchi also can be completely gluten free and yummy. These long standing traditional noodles are often tastier than the nouveau grain noodles you can find in stores now. Quinoa noodles, soy flour noodle, pea noodles and a host of other high protein noodles tend to be sticky but not chewy and are difficult to cook properly despite that they do offer more fiber and protein than rice based noodles. Tapioca flour and corn flour and starches are rampant in the gluten free aisle but these tend to be empty calories, lacking fiber and protein. I am all for tapioca pudding, vegan of course, but I don't want tapioca flour in pasta or cookies and crackers so much. For many, being gluten free means a big increase in corn consumption. If the corn is organic, minimally processed and not genetically modified, maintaining some of its protein and fiber, I think it can be a good flour substitute in packaged pasta as well as in traditional German noodles like spaetzle. Another thing to watch out for is lupin flour (derived from a grain) because it might cause dangerous allergic reactions in those allergic to peanuts. So, whether it is Celiac's disease, a gluten intolerance or allergy, a wheat driven fatigue, or just a desire to take a break from wheat which has become an irritant for much of the population, there are many suitable options. The wheat avoidance going on now might be due to so many factors in our food supply, partly to do with the quality of the wheat itself which has been compromised through hybridization and processing, and partly due to our revved up auto immune systems on guard because of anything from diets high in genetically modified foods, toxic exposures, processed foods, medications and stress, or due to our population's leaky guts which allow large partially digested proteins to pass through the wall of the colon where they are attacked by antibodies causing chronic inflammation. For those who do not have a problem with wheat, it does not need to be a daily staple; it does not need to be processed into bread and pasta; and it does not need to be mass produced factory food. A nice wheat field, with an older variety, served as bulgar, whole wheat berries, or even a traditionally fermented bread made from local freshly ground flour...(Just so you know, Cayuga Organics does sell locally grown wheat flour at the New York farmer's markets.)