sarahannep's Profile

You ask: So, is this a safe ingredient for a gluten-free diet — or an industrial additive to be avoided? Have you ever cooked or baked with xanthan gum? What do you think about it as an ingredient?

I cannot comment as to whether xantham gum is safe or not - but, according to the FDA is GRAS. It is an all-natural product used widely in thousands of cosemtics, food products, and in medicine, etc. Whether it is safe in the long run, I cannot comment.

Yes, some people may be allergic or sensitive to xanthan gum, as with ANY ingredient.

A recipe will bake because it is carefully balanced between tougheners and tenderizers, plus a host of other variables have an impact on it.

I am not convinced that a blanket statement of: you don't need gums in gluten-free baking as long as the ratios are right, apply. Yes, a recipe will bake. But, that's not the whole point! What about other attributes? Xanthan gum plays a role in a gluten-free baking recipe - a greater role in some classes of recipes than in others..

I know from my developing hundreds of recipes, muffin and quick-bread recipes, such as pancakes, - and now gluten-free recipes because I am Celiac - they have greater latitude and fail less when it comes to recipe substitutions and exceptions. It's because of their ratio and type of ingredients and their use of the muffin mixing method.

Same with yeast doughs - but, some gluten-free recipes without xanthan gum crack horribly and become visually unappealing and taste horrible, as a result.

Fine butter cakes, using the creaming method, are always trickier and may not turn out so well without the help of gums.

However, more experimentation is needed.

Basically, whether or not you use xanthan gum in your recipe - which is really a stabilizer, mouth-feel enhancer, textural improver - is up to you. It all depends on how you want to final recipe to look, taste and feel when you eat it.......because when you take away the gluten proteins, your familiar recipe becomes something else.....

And, if you are allergic or sensitive to it, well that's another story.

But, if you aren't, I believe in baking all-natural gluten-free recipes, too - and if I need to add all NATURAL gums so my recipe looks MORE appealing to ME, has a great mouthfeel, is pleasing to eat, and tastes great, too - isn't that part of the whole experience, too?

It's MY choice.

Thanks so much, junklover~!

Thanks ll! I appreciate your comments.

Actually, a lot of the furnishings in my home were picked up at sales! And, the marble tables are surprisingly very reasonable.

So often people think that my furnishings are so out-of-reach and so expensive, but they aren't! I wait for sales to happen and scrounge around and really do a lot of research before I purchase.

I know designers and good design and how to put together an interior that looks expensive, but really isn't. Yes, there are some expensive items scattered about, but all in all, most of the items have been purchased on severe mark-downs, on ebay, craig's list, last call, going out-of-business sales, from artists before they become big, outdoor art events, juried art shows, etc. One just has to have an eye for good stuff and has to know how to put together things so the room looks expensive....I have been doing this type of decorating for eons!

The Italian marble tables are really reasonable. I represent the artist who makes them. They are from the United States! He comes from a long line of Italian artisans.....

The lamps from Gumps' were purchased on sale.

The couch was purchased on a final mark down at ABC Carpet and Home. I found it stuffed in the back of the room and just knew it would fit in the apartment.

The green Italian chair was marked 75% off and is 20 years old. Kids and dogs have jumped all over it!

The chairs in the dining room are from Crate and Barrel. (chandru - leather is great with four kids and two dogs! I have found through the years it holds up the best!)

The bed frames come from Charles P Rogers and the linens came from final mark downs at Restoration Hardware. Decorative bed pillows cost $40 each - all silk with Swarovski crystals at Saks - 80% off after Xmas sale....I found one and they called other stores and found more for me! (Saks has the best sales after Xmas! So does Neiman Marcus. The more expensive stores have wonderful stuff and really give deep discounts on the best merchandise after Xmas!)

A lot of the art work was purchased just when the artists were starting out, so the prices are very inexpensive - such as $100 per print. You have to have an eye for hunting out artists before they become big! I do.....

You just have to know where to look and how to put everything together so it looks expensive! I have the dimensions of the whole apartment and colors in my head - when I see something reasonable and unusual, I buy it.

That's my secret - I just follow my instincts and do not spent a ton of money like many of you think.....I pick things that I find and buy what I like when I see it. Then, I place objects d'art together in a room. I am constantly looking for things - everyday of my life and every where I go.....It never ends.......But, I like to find things that are unusual and not common. That's how I collect!

So, I know I make it look easy and it all looks so expensive, but most of it isn't. You'd be so surprised. One has to know how to put it all together and find things so it looks like a million bucks, as I do!

mollybb,

I think you should invite one of the editors of this blog to post pictures of your apartment. You are free to send them to AT. Are you afraid? I'd love to see it. It takes guts to show the whole world where you live! Then, we all can make blunt and petty anonymous comments about your apartment! We have a right to, according to you! To quote you, "This is the internet, after all!"

I mean, 99.9% of the chairs, furniture, wall paper, kitchen appliances and other decorative items, not to mention some of the upscale ingredients in the kitchn used to bake incredible recipes with on AT are also advertised in Elle Decor and Vogue Living......Have you looked lately?

What about some of the upscale advertisers who pay thousands of dollars on a monthly basis to AT so you can come here for free and make petty anonymous comments? ..... I have a feeling that you have AT's demographics mixed-up - you can tell who AT's visitors are by their type of advertisers!

P.S. By the way, I have been appalled by some of your petty anonymous comments and misspellings.

I just checked, we did pay the heating bill, so the furnace is ON!

sammie2,

We love the cold, harsh look! HA! You should have read my post above: (We cannot have rugs because our adorable dog in one of the pics is a 4-month old puppy and they will get ruined quickly and we have severe dust allergies, too!!)

Thanks, paulmuscat. Your post means a lot to me!

I meant to write "least expensive" place...

Thanks, Christopher and Art! Great suggestions! (We cannot have rugs because our adorable dog in one of the pics is a 4-month old puppy and they will get ruined quickly and we have severe dust allergies, too!!)

The floors are a part of the original building! Bad choice on the part of the architect because they dent and scratch really easily - the floor is soft and is very hard to maintain! (I wish there were more practical architects/designers around who designed for real people who actually live in their spaces...gghhrrr!) The floor will have to be replaced in a few years, I suspect.....

I can expand the kitchen within the space we already have....I already have some ideas....

Thank you, lettuce227! Well put!

When I left home, I started out in a teeny, tiny dorm room at college, and sought out good design even then.....I built my own bookshelves, painted the walls, made my own curtains and so on. So, good interior design can start at any time.....You need not have money to be able to design a wonderful space....

But, that's not the point. Good manners are appropriate at all times.....