francophile03

laartista, when you say you felt sick right after eating the Chinese food, are you referring to the MSG that they must have cooked with? Because some people have reactions to the MSG. I believe that most of the Chinese places in the SF Bay Area don't cook with MSG again.

LoveItaly

Interesting Nina. Wonder if it is true.

Neil, having grown up in the SF/Bay Area chinese food was as common as potroast and potatoes. It makes me so mad I can't eat it anymore due to the corn problem..as I love Chinese food.

Even in the 1970's there were a few Chinese restaurants in Italy, such as in Milan so they have been there quite awhile but now the Chinese restaurants are showing up in sort of "out of the way" towns and small villages.

And as here, there is a resentment as so many Italian companies are outsourcing their work to Asia as well as Eastern Europe. And from what I have been told a lot of companies are hiring undocumented workers from China to work in factories in Italy. So a lot of anger and hard feelings among the Italians as their way of live is changing.

In that you have spent a lot of time in China Neil I hope you get the opportunity to eat in one of the restaurants in ChinaTown in SF. It would be interesting to hear what you think of the food compared to the food in China.

Nina66

LoveItaly - is the corn problem because all Chinese food is cooked in corn oil? When I was in Weight Watchers they said that Chinese food was one of the worst foods for dieters because most of dishes were fried - in lots of oil.

I got so hungary from partaking in this thread, that DH just left to get take out.

Nina

LoveItaly

Hi Nina, about 20 years ago I discovered (after a trip to the hospital, sigh) I am terribly allergic to corn and any corn product. My paternal grandfather was also.

I didn't realize it but it seems as though all Chinese restaurants (in the US, I have no idea about restaurants in China) cook with corn oil. And they thicken their sauces with corn starch. I have contacted restaurant after restaurant and as of this date I have not had any success in find any Chinese restaurant that does not use the products.

So my days of enjoying Chinese food in ChinaTown are over with, sob.

I have no idea what the Chinese restaurants in Europe use..probably corn I would imagine.

I always thought Chinese food was healthy and low fat but I guess not.

If you are having Chinese takeout tonight..enjoy a few bites for me, please!!

CAPH52

I know that cornstarch for thickening is quite common in Chinese food. But I thought most Chinese food was cooked in peanut oil? That's what most cook books recommend for wok cooking as peanut oil has a high burning point.

FauxSteMarie

When I had German food in Germany, they put mayonnaise on the side.

That did put me off ever going to a Chinese restaurant in Germany again. I know the Germans use mayo with everything, but. . . .

LoveItaly

Hi CAPH, when I had a wok and prepared Chinese style food at home peanut oil is excatly what I used. I "think" that restaurants use corn oil as it is so much less expensive. You cannot believe the corn products that are in most of our prepared (canned, frozen marinated etc) food in our grocery stores. It is impossible to buy any kind of soda, even the "diet" soda has corn in it. But wine works, lol! Take care, I hope you and your family have enjoyed this summer!

CAPH52

Hi LoveItaly! I've read some very negative things about high fructose corn syrup lately. So I've been watching for it on labels. It's everywhere! You have my sympathy/empathy. It's hard enough <b>trying</b> to avoid it. It must be miserable <b>having</b> to avoid it!

Nina66

LoveItaly, you have my deepest sympathy. I had no idea that corn was in so many things. Now I understand why you were asking about corn fed beef when I recommended Prather beef a while back.

I'm a diabetic, so I know what it is to _have_ to avoid or watch your diet - mainly sugar and carbs. Take those out and what else is left?

You are in good company with your corn allergy .... right now they are testing my little pup Zebby for several food allergies, and corn is one of the major suspects, along with wheat, chicken, beef, and lamb. Maybe you two could have lunch one day - although his table manners leave a lot to be desired

By the way, you didn't miss a thing with our take out tonight. We have been getting Chinese food from this restaurant, which is about 3 blocks away, for years. Tonight was the first time that several of the dishes weren't very flavorable.

Nina

LoveItaly

Hi darling CAPH and Nina66, I have lived with this problem for something like almost 20 years..so I am use to it.

CAPH, high fructose corn syrup in the opinion of a lot of medical people is why American's are having a weight problem.

And Nina, my doctors have told me over the years I more or less eat like a diabetic..which is a good diet. Not that I have a choice in the matter. Now your dear little Zebby, WHAT will he be able to eat for heavens sake? But I would love to have lunch with him, I can only imagine how adorable he is. And yes, Nina, that is why I was interested in Prather Beef.

BTW, it was interesting today as some friends are in SF now. One is a diabetic. His restaurant choices and favorite dishes is exactly like mine. With some people it is hard to join them for a meal as their food is so different than what I can eat. That is one of the joys I have when I am in Italy, it is so much easier for me to eat in Italy, except I can't have the polenta which I love. Hugs to both of you!!

Clifton

I don't recall the name, but there's a good little Chinese/Asian place in the small town of Clifden, on the coast of Co. Galway, Ireland.

By the time you've made it around the island, as far out on the edge as Clifden, something different may be just the thing, as it was for us. Still don't remember the name, but it's the only one in town. Slightly north of center, and about two streets parallel to the main road (upwards). Ask around, anyone should be able to point you. Nice dumplings. A deck overlooking the sea and the town below when it's warm.

TylerTraveler

I met my Turkish friend in a Chinese restaurant. The food was terrible but the company was great!

Nina66

LoveItay, poor litte Zebby is eating a hypo-allergic kibble. It contains only venison and potatoes. His hypo snacks look like soda crackers, all white an bland looking, but he loves them. That's not saying much as he also loves leaves, dead flowers, twigs and tiny pieces of paper! He misses his little pieces of cheese.

Nina

Nina66

Sorry for the name typo LoveItaly. It's very late and I have no idea why I am posting at this hour - my fingers and my brain are almost asleep. Time for my body to follow.

Nina

WillTravel

Does anyone know of any Buddhist Chinese restaurants anywhere in Europe? These are vegetarian, and in Vancouver, I generally prefer them to the Chinese restaurants that serve meat. But then again, I have several Chinese restaurant favorites that serve meat too.

I tried Chinese food twice in Europe - once in London and once in Malmo, Sweden, and in both cases, it was quite disappointing compared to even the cheapest Chinese restaurant in Vancouver.

Neil_Oz

I read that there's scarcely a food product in an American supermarket that doesn't contain some corn, one way or the other. Even much of the meat is cornfed. Having seen the vast areas planted with corn I can believe it. We use only olive and peanut oil at home, but the cheaper oils on sale in Australia are canola - or something mysteriously labelled &quot;vegetable&quot;. I'm pretty sure that's what our Chinese restaurants would use for frying.

LoveItaly, we do pretty well for Chinese food - like California and Vancouver we have large Chinese, mainly Cantonese, communities. And like California, they've been here since Gold Rush days. It's only in the last few decades that &quot;Anglo&quot; Australians have got used to eating Chinese-style, though, i.e. sharing dishes and using chopsticks. I still know some older people who insist on using a knife and fork - this is probably the stage that Europeans are at.

In China we spent most of our time in the northeast, and not much of the ordinary restaurant food we had matched the better Cantonese restaurants in Australia. We found much of the northern food oily, especially a ubiquitous eggplant dish. Beijing Duck though is always a fine meal, as was the most expensive (US$12 per head excluding wine) meal we had in Beijing. Further south, around Shanghai, the situation improved and I was particularly impressed by the Hangzhou speciality &quot;beggar's chicken&quot;, which traditionally is wrapped in lotus leaves and encased in clay (now more commonly a salty bread dough) before being baked - fantastic!

Sorry, another thread hijack.

LoveItaly

Hi there Neil, I really need to go to bed, seems like so many of us in California have stayed up so late tonight.

Beggers chicken, we use to have a Chinese restaurant in the next county that served that, if you called in and ordered it 24 hours in advance. A truly fantastic dish and it was baked in clay. The owners were from the area of China where the food is quite spicy, I can't remember where, well I can sort of but I can't remember how to spell it..starts with a S..think you know where I mean. Their potstickers were fabulous also. Actually all of their food was.

Neil, my Australian father always ate even his hamburger with a knife and fork (I would get so embarrassed as a kid) but when he went to a Chinese restaurant he was the only one in the family that properly ate with chopsticks, lol. I finally learned how, but doubt if I could now.

I am assuming that in Australia your cattle are grassfed? I need to leave the US I do believe. Take care Neil.

trafaelwyr

So far I've eaten Chinese food in Paris, London, Budapest and Zurich. It all seems pretty much the same. Then again, I really like Chinese food so it's really hard for me to discern between the cities I've eaten in.

GreenDragon

I've eaten in Chinese restaurants in London, Perth (Scotland), and Tralee (Ireland). All three were better than the cheap takeout we get at home

The best, IMHO, was the place in Tralee. I don't recall the name, but the decor included a bamboo mat embroidered with a panda in silk. The prawn dish I had was absolutely incredible, and I still remember it 4 years later...mmmmm....