For most people, a wedding reception isn't that much to get excited about - and if you follow a special diet for health reasons, like I do, you're likely to assume you must eat before you arrive at the venue, so you don't starve when there's not one thing you can eat there. So when a gluten free friend of mine explained that most of the food at her upcoming swanky wedding reception at Swan Coach House, was going to be gluten free, I was thrilled for her. You see, my friend originally picked out her menu right before her Celiac diagnosis so everything had to reviewed and revamped to be gluten free. Luckily most everything on the first menu was easily modified to be safe for the Bride, and they would seemingly be wonderful tasty dishes!
My husband and I have grown to know the engaged couple quite well over the past year, and even though they are much younger than us, they are lovely, sincere, and very fun people whom we adore hanging out with. Therefore, we were honored to be invited to their wedding, which was mostly attended by family members and dear friends of many years. One of the guests had known the Bride since they were only four years old!
As the big day approached, I got a little obsessed and excited thinking about the fact that I'd actually get to enjoy the food at the wedding reception. To tell you the truth, when I ate gluten I don't ever remember eating any stellar food at any wedding - ever. No matter how fancy a wedding was, not one meal or dish stood out in my mind as memorable. Why then was I thinking about how great it would be to eat at this event? I'll try my best to explain it, in case some of you reading this are glutenoids (people who consume gluten).
When most people attend a company holiday party, a friends birthday or anniversary party or a wedding reception, they just eat whatever is being served - assuming they don't have any food allergies to worry about. When we attend such functions we have to employ all kinds of tricks and tips to insure we don't try and eat the white linen tablecloths that drape the lovely tables, or gnaw our own arms off in desperation. This is because in the US, gluten is in everything and on everything (the food I mean) and that's just a fact we have to accept and be prepared for, every time we leave our homes. You know that AMEX commercial 'never leave home without it?' - well, our saying is 'never leave home without food'. From pretzels, crackers and energy bars to dried fruit, nuts and salad dressing packets - if it's gluten free, shelf stable, and edible we try to keep it on hand at all times. We just never know when we'll be stuck out in public without anything safe to eat. Sure we can always find convenience store and grab a soda, candy bar and chips but that's really not a meal - or very healthy for that matter.
So actually, it is a very big deal to attend a function - any function - where I can actually eat and enjoy the food. I have been gluten free for over two years and have attended many events where my food options were surprisingly varied and delicious. But this past Saturday night I attended the best event of them all. Not only did I get to witness my friends exchange their vows and meet their wonderful families, I got to feel like every other guest at the reception following the beautiful service. I really don't miss gluten at all...OK - I guess I'd be psyched if Krispy Kreme brought out a gluten free doughnut...but I do on occasion miss being 'normal' when it comes to food. Not only do I sometimes feel like an alien invaded my body, but many times people treat me like they believe that as well. And that is the only bad part about having Celiac for me.
I wake up every day feeling incredibly blessed that I found out what was wrong with me, and that by eliminating gluten from my diet, I feel better than ever! I only wish that others out there who are still suffering, were as fortunate as me. For now, I'll have to settle on doing my part to drive Celiac diagnoses' in the US. With the current NIH plan addressing this issue, we're looking at another ten years of widespread suffering. We can't just sit around and wait for the government to do this for us.
Oh yea, I should probably tell you about the food at the wedding reception. It was so overwhelming that I forgot to take pix, even though I had permission from the wedding photographer to do so. There was a huge gorgeous Salmon with cucumbers decorating it like scales (darling), roasted seasonal vegetables, stuffed chicken with goat cheese and sun dried tomato, rosemary potatoes, spring mix salad with balsamic dressing, baked brie and another type of fantastic baked cheese, scrumptious fresh fruit and even a gluten free bread basket which included homemade banana nut bread. And all of this was gluten free and absolutely delicious! The chocolate sauce for the fruit could not be confirmed to be safe so we skipped it. There were gluten crackers and dinner rolls which were easy to avoid. There were three wedding cakes - the main wedding cake contained gluten, as did the Groom's cake (a precious GA Tech yellow jacket), but there was a miniature replica of the main cake that was gluten free and chocolate to boot! The Bride is a chocoholic so that was only fitting. The gluten free wedding cake was of course beautiful (just like the large cake was) but it was also very good - moist with a great 'real' texture to it and the butter cream frosting complimented it perfectly as well!
In the end, since I didn't have to worry even slightly about the food, we had a perfectly wonderful time at the party. I felt liked I'd actually moved to Europe or something. It was totally amazing to just go enjoy something like that - not stress about what's in this or that dish...driving the servers crazy with a zillion questions about gluten - or worse explaining to them what the word gluten even means...lol! This party will go down in my book as another 'gluten free event of a lifetime', right along with the Gluten Free Cooking Spree. Of course, the wedding reception was even better because we didn't eat out of tasting sized cups (lol!) and we even got to dance! By the way, the reception was full of glutenoids and you know what? They all loved the food as well. I'm sure many of them didn't know they were eating mostly gluten free...lol!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
These are a few of my favorite (gluten free) things!
In my gluten free circle, I'm known as a bit of a food snob. Basically that means that I have high standards for my gluten free food. Something can't just be edible for me to eat it. If I don't love a product, I'm not spending my hard earned money on it - period. Several of my dinner club members, and a few of you, have asked me to post a list of my favorite brands of products. Many of the following items listed are made in dedicated gluten free facilities but not all of them are, in case that matters to you. I'm only listing products that I LOVE and most companies listed offer more than what I buy from them. Below are my favorite products in two catagories. My fave ready-made shelf stable and frozen product lists will be in my next post.
Gluten Free Mixes:
Gluten Free Naturals - cornbread mix, yellow cake mix, brownie mix (crust top), pizza crust mix, bread mix (NEW!) and THE best pancake mix on the market, regardless of gluten content. The yellow cake mix makes a fabulous pineapple upside down cake - recipe on their website.
Breads by Anna - bread and pie crust mixes, the latter being the only crust that I've tried that is indistinguishable from those containing gluten.
123 Gluten Free - pan bar mix, pound cake mix, biscuit mix and brownie mix (fudge type). Gluten eating kids and adults love the pan bars, and they make great mini cupcakes with frosting.
Gluten Free Pantry - all purpose flour blend and scone mix. Their flour is great for coating crab cakes, chicken and shrimp and works well as a thickener for sauces, soups, etc. It can also be used for quick breads - just use a tablespoon less of it than regular flour, per cup.
Sylvan Border Farm - lemon poundcake mix. I have to ship this from CA and it's worth every penny!
Bob's Red Mill - chocolate cake mix (use chocolate milk to overpower the bean flavor). I use Silk chocolate milk and get rave reviews from gluten eaters every time.
Pamela's - pancake and baking mix (used for quickbreads, homemade brownies - not pancakes) and choclate chunk cookie mix. I make cookie bars instead of cookies and have to hide them from gluten eaters if I want some for myself! The recipe for bars is on the package.
Namaste Foods - spice cake mix. I add in raisins, nuts and 1/2 cup of natural unsweetened applesauce for the best spice cake ever! Also makes a great zuchinni bread - recipe on bag. Don't add applesauce when making bread.
Gluten Free Bakeries
Everybody Eats - French baguettes and deli rolls
Celiac Specialties - cinnamon buns, powdered sugar doughnut holes and doughnuts
Joan's GF Greatbakes - bagels (all varieties) and English muffins
The Grainless Baker - premade pizza crusts, graham crackers, choclate creme cakes (like a whoopie pie)
A Bountiful Harvest - various cookies and cakes
Gluten Free Mixes:
Gluten Free Naturals - cornbread mix, yellow cake mix, brownie mix (crust top), pizza crust mix, bread mix (NEW!) and THE best pancake mix on the market, regardless of gluten content. The yellow cake mix makes a fabulous pineapple upside down cake - recipe on their website.
Breads by Anna - bread and pie crust mixes, the latter being the only crust that I've tried that is indistinguishable from those containing gluten.
123 Gluten Free - pan bar mix, pound cake mix, biscuit mix and brownie mix (fudge type). Gluten eating kids and adults love the pan bars, and they make great mini cupcakes with frosting.
Gluten Free Pantry - all purpose flour blend and scone mix. Their flour is great for coating crab cakes, chicken and shrimp and works well as a thickener for sauces, soups, etc. It can also be used for quick breads - just use a tablespoon less of it than regular flour, per cup.
Sylvan Border Farm - lemon poundcake mix. I have to ship this from CA and it's worth every penny!
Bob's Red Mill - chocolate cake mix (use chocolate milk to overpower the bean flavor). I use Silk chocolate milk and get rave reviews from gluten eaters every time.
Pamela's - pancake and baking mix (used for quickbreads, homemade brownies - not pancakes) and choclate chunk cookie mix. I make cookie bars instead of cookies and have to hide them from gluten eaters if I want some for myself! The recipe for bars is on the package.
Namaste Foods - spice cake mix. I add in raisins, nuts and 1/2 cup of natural unsweetened applesauce for the best spice cake ever! Also makes a great zuchinni bread - recipe on bag. Don't add applesauce when making bread.
Gluten Free Bakeries
Everybody Eats - French baguettes and deli rolls
Celiac Specialties - cinnamon buns, powdered sugar doughnut holes and doughnuts
Joan's GF Greatbakes - bagels (all varieties) and English muffins
The Grainless Baker - premade pizza crusts, graham crackers, choclate creme cakes (like a whoopie pie)
A Bountiful Harvest - various cookies and cakes
My criteria for buying gluten free products (more than once) is pretty simple - I have to think it tastes like a gluten containing version of it, or better. When gluten eaters enjoy them as well, that's just the icing on the (gluten free) cake! I've served most of the products listed above to gluten eaters, including kids. Most of them had no idea they were gluten free, or what the word gluten even means. They just knew that the cakes, cupcakes, brownies, cookie bars, pan bars and doughnut holes were delicious.
When people (who eat gluten) actually ask me for the recipe of something I have to laugh, because I know if I put a sign saying 'gluten free' by the food, most people would not even try it. Over the years there have been more horrid products than goods ones, so the misperception that all gf food is bad is understandable. If you're following the gluten free diet and eating food that tastes like dirt (yes they still make products like that), then you need to get to a Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Wegmans or your local co-op or health food store asap! The days of eating bland, gritty and tasteless gluten free food is so last century. Contrary to the funny line in the cancelled ABC tv show 'Cavemen', all gluten free cookies do not taste like dirt...lol!
I really believe that people who are miserable on the gluten free diet fall into two categories - they either havn't tried the best products out there or they have much deeper issues to deal with, that are most likely not about food at all. Certainly, I agree that we have to pay way too much for great gluten free food in this country and that has to change. But don't tell me there isn't any good gluten free food available. Instead just say that you can't or won't spend the money on the best products out there. It's true that the US is about 10 years behind most European countries in terms of variety for gluten free foods, as well as dining out options. The only way this will change is if we all ask for better options, more gluten free menus...whatever we want. Why not do your part? What's that saying I love....'be part of the change you want to see in the world'. Yeah...do that!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Afternoon Tea at the Four Seasons - Gluten Free Style!
Just over two years ago when I was told I'd have to follow a gluten free diet forever, one of the first things I knew I'd greatly miss, was Afternoon Tea service at the Four Seasons in Atlanta. It wasn't so much about the food, which was perfectly delightful, but it was more about the pomp and circumstance of it all. You see, having Afternoon Tea is a rather regal thing to do - and you don't have to be wealthy to enjoy this special treat. After considering the traditional tea menu, I sadly realized that most every bite offered was now off limits to me forever. I could still have the tea of course, though some teas contain barley. So you even have to check the gluten content of tea.
While researching my visit to London in 2006, I found out almost every single place there that served Afternoon Tea, offered a gluten free menu with advance notice. In my previous post about the trip I noted how fabulous the sandwiches in London were, and that my husband was sure they could not be gluten free and tasty at the same time. They in fact turned out to be both! When I returned home I set out to find someone here to offer me a gluten free version of Afternoon Tea. Surely this would be possible considering London is not exactly the culinary capitol of the world. If they could do it, surely we could do it better here.
While researching my visit to London in 2006, I found out almost every single place there that served Afternoon Tea, offered a gluten free menu with advance notice. In my previous post about the trip I noted how fabulous the sandwiches in London were, and that my husband was sure they could not be gluten free and tasty at the same time. They in fact turned out to be both! When I returned home I set out to find someone here to offer me a gluten free version of Afternoon Tea. Surely this would be possible considering London is not exactly the culinary capitol of the world. If they could do it, surely we could do it better here.
The Executive Chef at the Four Seasons (mentioned in my Cooking Spree post) offered to make me gluten free food for the Afternoon Tea service served there. I tried it and found it surprisingly good so we recently took our Gluten Free Dinner Club there for an event. The event itself was lovely and most of the food was very good. The salmon crepe cakes were heavenly as were the chocolate covered strawberries and the lemon curd and Devonshire cream. The cheesecake was divine and I don't even like cheesecake particularly. The bread served for the tea sandwiches was from Whole Foods and I didn't find it very appetizing. I feel sure the Chef will come up with some awesome gluten free bread for us eventually. Since his gluten free Southern cornbread is amazing, I know he can make a decent gluten free bread if he chooses to.
Here are some photos I took of a couple of our members (father and daughter)
and a close up of our dessert plate. The cheesecake had a nut crust that was about the best cheesecake crust I've ever had...oh and best cheesecake too!
You too may enjoy this special treat with a two day notice at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta. You might even want to request a small cup of gluten free lobster chili with corn muffins to start. That's what several of our members did for our event. Knowing I'd be full from the tea treats, I ordered my chili to go, and savored it over the next two days!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Dr. Fesano comes to Atlanta!
Somehow, through a strange twist of fate, the Atlanta Metro Celiacs support group booked Dr. Allesio Fesano to speak at the 2008 kick off meeting. The meeting was last Saturday and snow was expected mid morning which usually means no one, and I really mean no one that isn't on their way to work, leaves their home. Too dangerous driving in bad weather and all that...lol! Well in all fairness I should mention that we Atlantans, for the most part do not know how to drive in the snow or ice, so the fact that most of us stay home during the rare snow or ice storm is actually a very good thing. I could barely believe I was going to get to see the esteemed Dr. speak and maybe even meet him briefly....what a treat for our group!
I got up early on Saturday and checked the weather/traffic/roads, and to make sure the meeting was not cancelled. For all I knew flight delays and cancellations could have kept Dr. Fesano from even arriving the night before. No blanket e-mail had been sent out indicating this happened so the show would go on. Thank goodness! The snow would not arrive until 11 am or so and we'd already be in the meeting by then. At least I could make it there - I'd worry about getting home when that time came. Nothing was going to keep me from getting to this meeting - period. I was concerned that no one else would show up and how horrible that would be....the auditorium seats several hundred and we surely should be able to fill it up with such a respected speaker - under normal weather conditions that is. Luckily I was not the only person excited to see Dr. Fesano in person. We had people driving in from others states for the event. With them and those in our group that made it, we did pretty much fill up the space. Yea!
Dr. Fesano has a lovely Italian accent (he's from Italy of course) and has a great sense of humor and was very entertaining to say the least. It's hard to think someone could make learning statistics about Celiac disease fun but Dr. Fesano did just that! He told of how he started his Celiac Center and why he did it - what type of specialists he got to staff and run it, etc. The bottom line was he knew we had a LOT of people in the US who had Celiac. Problem was that doctors here didn't know much, if anything, about Celiac so how could they be diagnosing it properly? Answer of course is they were not diagnosing it, almost at all. Dr. Fesano didn't think this was fair to us - those with Celiac whose lives could be greatly improved by going on the gluten free diet. And so his journey to prove how many Americans have Celiac began.
Fast forward to when the study about the prevalence of Celiac in the US is complete. Ok, so now we know that about 1/100 of us have Celiac. To date less than 10% that have it, know we have it. To say I consider myself one of the lucky ones that does, is quite an understatement. It's one of the greatest blessings of my life. Certainly Dr. Fesano deserves some credit for my own diagnosis. His work set the tone for doctors in the US to start testing for Celiac, even though we still have a long way to go, of course.
Dr. Fesano's insightful and informative talk was eye opening in several ways. It's likely that most of you already know the National Wheat Association has a powerful lobby in Washington but I never knew that was true about the Barley Growers of America...interesting, huh? Well regardless of their power, apparently they were no match for Dr. Fesano. It was his work and that of his center that led to the new labelling law requiring companies to list the word 'wheat' on food labels. He testified on Capitol Hill so often many Senators knew to turn the other way when they saw him...lol! So now when you see 'wheat' on a label, you can think of Dr. Fesano as you put it back on the shelf and find a gluten free version of the product.
Many of you are wondering about the magic Celiac pill. Yes it's still being developed by Alba Therapeutics but there might not ever be a day that you can just pop a pill and call Dominos Pizza. Only time will tell - it might be that medication can just reduce the effects of gluten which would greatly help those with severe reactions, so they could feel safer eating out and travelling. Most interesting to me was the fact that eventually there will be a vaccine for Celiac. This will only work for infants and is 15-20 away from being available. Still, it probably means that my niece and nephew that have the Celiac gene, will be able to keep their kids from ever developing Celiac - very good news indeed!
Another intriguing fact about Dr. Fesano's findings is that a current study that is not quite complete has a very good chance of proving that babies who are kept off gluten for a full year after birth might have a much lower risk of developing Celiac in the future. This is compared to infants that are given gluten at the normal age of six months. Certainly the study needs to be completed to be sure. But if it were me having a child, knowing I had the gene (or disease) myself, I'd certainly keep the baby off of gluten for an extra six months. It's not like that would harm the child in any way. You have nothing to lose and maybe a LOT to gain.
I could go on and on but neither of us have the time for that. The take away for me is that we all have Dr. Allessio Fesano to thank that the US medical community is finally getting educated on Celiac, for an improved Celiac panel test his center developed, and for the new label laws (current and on the horizon) that make all our lives easier. In the end, Dr. Fesano just wants us to have the quality of life we deserve. Just like the Ceiacs in most of Europe. I kept thinking throughout the talk that Dr. Fesano must have Celiac himself, or maybe his kids did, but apparently that is not the case. He's just a good guy - period. Oh and of course he's brilliant too! If every doctor was more like him we'd sure have a much better world in which to live. So thanks Dr. Fesano SOOO much - for coming to Atlanta and letting us know there is actually someone out there that cares about us. To learn more about Dr. Fesano's research and how you can help, click here.
In closing I'll leave you with this thought. If you can get a Big Mac in parts of Europe and Australia WITH a gluten free bun - for goodness sake - surely this is possible in the good 'ole USA. Remember to ask for what you want in life - even if it's just a burger with a bun!
I got up early on Saturday and checked the weather/traffic/roads, and to make sure the meeting was not cancelled. For all I knew flight delays and cancellations could have kept Dr. Fesano from even arriving the night before. No blanket e-mail had been sent out indicating this happened so the show would go on. Thank goodness! The snow would not arrive until 11 am or so and we'd already be in the meeting by then. At least I could make it there - I'd worry about getting home when that time came. Nothing was going to keep me from getting to this meeting - period. I was concerned that no one else would show up and how horrible that would be....the auditorium seats several hundred and we surely should be able to fill it up with such a respected speaker - under normal weather conditions that is. Luckily I was not the only person excited to see Dr. Fesano in person. We had people driving in from others states for the event. With them and those in our group that made it, we did pretty much fill up the space. Yea!
Dr. Fesano has a lovely Italian accent (he's from Italy of course) and has a great sense of humor and was very entertaining to say the least. It's hard to think someone could make learning statistics about Celiac disease fun but Dr. Fesano did just that! He told of how he started his Celiac Center and why he did it - what type of specialists he got to staff and run it, etc. The bottom line was he knew we had a LOT of people in the US who had Celiac. Problem was that doctors here didn't know much, if anything, about Celiac so how could they be diagnosing it properly? Answer of course is they were not diagnosing it, almost at all. Dr. Fesano didn't think this was fair to us - those with Celiac whose lives could be greatly improved by going on the gluten free diet. And so his journey to prove how many Americans have Celiac began.
Fast forward to when the study about the prevalence of Celiac in the US is complete. Ok, so now we know that about 1/100 of us have Celiac. To date less than 10% that have it, know we have it. To say I consider myself one of the lucky ones that does, is quite an understatement. It's one of the greatest blessings of my life. Certainly Dr. Fesano deserves some credit for my own diagnosis. His work set the tone for doctors in the US to start testing for Celiac, even though we still have a long way to go, of course.
Dr. Fesano's insightful and informative talk was eye opening in several ways. It's likely that most of you already know the National Wheat Association has a powerful lobby in Washington but I never knew that was true about the Barley Growers of America...interesting, huh? Well regardless of their power, apparently they were no match for Dr. Fesano. It was his work and that of his center that led to the new labelling law requiring companies to list the word 'wheat' on food labels. He testified on Capitol Hill so often many Senators knew to turn the other way when they saw him...lol! So now when you see 'wheat' on a label, you can think of Dr. Fesano as you put it back on the shelf and find a gluten free version of the product.
Many of you are wondering about the magic Celiac pill. Yes it's still being developed by Alba Therapeutics but there might not ever be a day that you can just pop a pill and call Dominos Pizza. Only time will tell - it might be that medication can just reduce the effects of gluten which would greatly help those with severe reactions, so they could feel safer eating out and travelling. Most interesting to me was the fact that eventually there will be a vaccine for Celiac. This will only work for infants and is 15-20 away from being available. Still, it probably means that my niece and nephew that have the Celiac gene, will be able to keep their kids from ever developing Celiac - very good news indeed!
Another intriguing fact about Dr. Fesano's findings is that a current study that is not quite complete has a very good chance of proving that babies who are kept off gluten for a full year after birth might have a much lower risk of developing Celiac in the future. This is compared to infants that are given gluten at the normal age of six months. Certainly the study needs to be completed to be sure. But if it were me having a child, knowing I had the gene (or disease) myself, I'd certainly keep the baby off of gluten for an extra six months. It's not like that would harm the child in any way. You have nothing to lose and maybe a LOT to gain.
I could go on and on but neither of us have the time for that. The take away for me is that we all have Dr. Allessio Fesano to thank that the US medical community is finally getting educated on Celiac, for an improved Celiac panel test his center developed, and for the new label laws (current and on the horizon) that make all our lives easier. In the end, Dr. Fesano just wants us to have the quality of life we deserve. Just like the Ceiacs in most of Europe. I kept thinking throughout the talk that Dr. Fesano must have Celiac himself, or maybe his kids did, but apparently that is not the case. He's just a good guy - period. Oh and of course he's brilliant too! If every doctor was more like him we'd sure have a much better world in which to live. So thanks Dr. Fesano SOOO much - for coming to Atlanta and letting us know there is actually someone out there that cares about us. To learn more about Dr. Fesano's research and how you can help, click here.
In closing I'll leave you with this thought. If you can get a Big Mac in parts of Europe and Australia WITH a gluten free bun - for goodness sake - surely this is possible in the good 'ole USA. Remember to ask for what you want in life - even if it's just a burger with a bun!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Sugo = Gluten Free Heaven!
Well, our Meetup event last night did not disappoint and even though it's difficult to believe, it was even better than I could have ever imagined. Truthfully, I'd been a little nervous that all our rsvp's would not show up - 50 people on a week night is quite a turn out and 21 of our 'yes' rsvp's were newbies that had never attended an event before. Statistically speaking, about 50% of new people don't show up. For instance, if we have 10 newbies signed up for an event, we can safely assume 5 or 6 of them won't make it - never changing their rsvp, for reasons unknown to us. But last night my fears were totally unfounded and by 7:05 pm, we had over 40 people in our private room at Sugo. We had a few stragglers who were caught in traffic (some driving well over 20 miles to the restaurant) but by 7:3o or so, we had 46 people there to experience an abolustely amazing event!
Earlier in the day, Fred from Sugo had called me to reconfirm the head count and to inform me that they had prepared special tapas dish for us. It was their signature Moussaka, only made with gluten free breadcrumbs. If you read my previous post, Fred was cooking this dish at the Whole Foods food demo. That night, I didn't bother to hang around to taste it because of course I couldn't, as it's normally full of gluten. Needless to say I ordered this dish to start my meal last night and it was obvious why it's won awards in the tapas catagory at some food competitions. It is out of this world delicious - even when prepared gluten free!
But I should back up and start at the beginning. I arrived early to find the private room wonderfully decorated with candles on the tables and white decorative lights about....it was really quite charming and lovely in almost a surrealistic way. To say the owners and staff at Sugo treat our group (and all their patrons) like royalty is an understatement. It's one of the few places in the Atlanta area that makes you feel like family whether you dine there every week or twice a year. When you dine out in family run establishments in Italy, they make you feel like family and you get that same feeling at Sugo. When everyone in our group was seated, Fred Sr. (also known as Mr. "C") gave a short speech on the origins of the dishes so lovingly prepared for us that night. Besides some fabulous descriptions of the evening's offerings, he shared the story of his family - how a Greek married an Italian, and how they also married Green and Italian cuisines to create spectacular exclusive dishes. You can even watch Mr. "C" explain it in this video.
Some of the dishes offered besides gluten free lasagna were : Pasta and Meatballs (the size of your fist for real), the Three Tenors (divinely prepared lamb, pork tenderloin and homemade sausage), Pesce del Giorno...oh and a fabulous duck dish - Anatra di Sugo - that one of our members proclaimed to be one of the best dishes he's ever had! There were several other entrees offered and well as scrumptious salads which were drizzled with the best balsamic vinegar and an olive oil made from olives never touch the ground! To top off the meal, many of us could not resist the Bomba dessert. This is a vanilla and chocolate gelato ball with a cherry and hazelnut center, which is coated with a dark chocolate shell...it's one of Sugo's most popular desserts and it's naturally gluten free - no modifications needed. Simply put, Bomba is the bomb! Forgive me - I realize I'm a little too old for that phrase, but I could not resist...lol!
Now, if you'd like a gluten free meal like the one described above you have two choices. You can come to Atlanta and dine at Sugo - assuming you don't live in the area, or you can talk to your local Italian restaurant (don't bother with chains) and see if they'd be willing to try and feed you safely. If they will, it's up to YOU to make sure they understand exactly what that means - check ingredients, cross contamination issues - the works). But it never hurts to ask and that's all it took on my part to make this memorable night possible for our Gluten Free Dinner Club. Try it - you have nothing to lose and think about what you might gain - fabulous gluten free meals...and I promise you that is aboslutely priceless!
In the end, last night's event was our best attended dinner ever. In large part this was due to us being offered gluten free lasagna but over half the attendees ordered something besides lasanga. As one of our new members put it (and I'm paraphrasing here) - "I will be at tonight's dinner even if I have to push my car up a hill in pouring rain"- lol! Well obviously he was really determined to be there and just joined our group that day. I'm happy to report that he made it and as far as I know there was no car pushing involved...lol! But even if he'd really had to do that, he would have been rewarded supremely for his efforts. It was a gluten free experience we won't soon forget, and we'll keep pushing until those are more common than infreqent events in our lives.
Have a lovely weekend everyone! Oh and I've been asked to post photos on my site and I fully intended to start with this post but I was so overwhelmed by everything last night, I never took my camera out of my purse. I promise to do better next time!
Earlier in the day, Fred from Sugo had called me to reconfirm the head count and to inform me that they had prepared special tapas dish for us. It was their signature Moussaka, only made with gluten free breadcrumbs. If you read my previous post, Fred was cooking this dish at the Whole Foods food demo. That night, I didn't bother to hang around to taste it because of course I couldn't, as it's normally full of gluten. Needless to say I ordered this dish to start my meal last night and it was obvious why it's won awards in the tapas catagory at some food competitions. It is out of this world delicious - even when prepared gluten free!
But I should back up and start at the beginning. I arrived early to find the private room wonderfully decorated with candles on the tables and white decorative lights about....it was really quite charming and lovely in almost a surrealistic way. To say the owners and staff at Sugo treat our group (and all their patrons) like royalty is an understatement. It's one of the few places in the Atlanta area that makes you feel like family whether you dine there every week or twice a year. When you dine out in family run establishments in Italy, they make you feel like family and you get that same feeling at Sugo. When everyone in our group was seated, Fred Sr. (also known as Mr. "C") gave a short speech on the origins of the dishes so lovingly prepared for us that night. Besides some fabulous descriptions of the evening's offerings, he shared the story of his family - how a Greek married an Italian, and how they also married Green and Italian cuisines to create spectacular exclusive dishes. You can even watch Mr. "C" explain it in this video.
Some of the dishes offered besides gluten free lasagna were : Pasta and Meatballs (the size of your fist for real), the Three Tenors (divinely prepared lamb, pork tenderloin and homemade sausage), Pesce del Giorno...oh and a fabulous duck dish - Anatra di Sugo - that one of our members proclaimed to be one of the best dishes he's ever had! There were several other entrees offered and well as scrumptious salads which were drizzled with the best balsamic vinegar and an olive oil made from olives never touch the ground! To top off the meal, many of us could not resist the Bomba dessert. This is a vanilla and chocolate gelato ball with a cherry and hazelnut center, which is coated with a dark chocolate shell...it's one of Sugo's most popular desserts and it's naturally gluten free - no modifications needed. Simply put, Bomba is the bomb! Forgive me - I realize I'm a little too old for that phrase, but I could not resist...lol!
Now, if you'd like a gluten free meal like the one described above you have two choices. You can come to Atlanta and dine at Sugo - assuming you don't live in the area, or you can talk to your local Italian restaurant (don't bother with chains) and see if they'd be willing to try and feed you safely. If they will, it's up to YOU to make sure they understand exactly what that means - check ingredients, cross contamination issues - the works). But it never hurts to ask and that's all it took on my part to make this memorable night possible for our Gluten Free Dinner Club. Try it - you have nothing to lose and think about what you might gain - fabulous gluten free meals...and I promise you that is aboslutely priceless!
In the end, last night's event was our best attended dinner ever. In large part this was due to us being offered gluten free lasagna but over half the attendees ordered something besides lasanga. As one of our new members put it (and I'm paraphrasing here) - "I will be at tonight's dinner even if I have to push my car up a hill in pouring rain"- lol! Well obviously he was really determined to be there and just joined our group that day. I'm happy to report that he made it and as far as I know there was no car pushing involved...lol! But even if he'd really had to do that, he would have been rewarded supremely for his efforts. It was a gluten free experience we won't soon forget, and we'll keep pushing until those are more common than infreqent events in our lives.
Have a lovely weekend everyone! Oh and I've been asked to post photos on my site and I fully intended to start with this post but I was so overwhelmed by everything last night, I never took my camera out of my purse. I promise to do better next time!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Gluten Free Lasagna - finally!
To be honest, when I ate gluten, I rarely ate lasagna out and I'd never made it at home. But when you're told you can't have something, you want it all the more, of course. So shortly after I was diagnosed with Celiac, I started making homemade lasagna with gluten free noodles. The recipe I use came from a friend in my Gluten Free Dinner Club and it's about the best lasagna I've ever had - even if you use sauce from a jar. I never pretended to be a gourmet chef, after all. Even though I absolutely LOVE my lasagna, I still wanted someone else to make the dish for me - at least once. As I always say - you have to ask for what you want in life, so that's exactly what I did.
Our Whole Foods Market had a free wine tasting in September and the cooking demo was to be presented by a local restaurant that has an awesome gluten free menu. Sugo has the best Italian food in the Atlanta area. It's a small family owned company with three locations in the Atlanta suburbs. Actually their menu is quite unique because they blend both Italian and Greek recipes from the old country and when you dine there, you think you're in the old country - it's that fabulous! During a lull in the food demo at Whole Foods, I introduced myself to the Chef who is the son of the owner. I only knew his Father and was frankly expecting the Father to be doing the demo. To my delight, Fred the son, is as charming as the Father, so when I asked if he'd make our dinner club some gluten free lasagna, he agreed to. I just had to tell him what noodles to buy - done.
Well, it's been three months since I asked for gluten free lasagna and now the night of bliss is almost here. Tomorrow night we will have 50 dinner club members dining at the Duluth Sugo location. Sugo also prepares gluten free / dairy free dishes for people with both intolerance's, but 22 of us will have the lasagna. This will be the largest gathering for our members ever and we are super excited to kick off the year with such a bang! Can you imagine? Gluten free lasagna in a restaurant in Atlanta, GA? The next closest place this is possible (in the US) is New York City!
Our Whole Foods Market had a free wine tasting in September and the cooking demo was to be presented by a local restaurant that has an awesome gluten free menu. Sugo has the best Italian food in the Atlanta area. It's a small family owned company with three locations in the Atlanta suburbs. Actually their menu is quite unique because they blend both Italian and Greek recipes from the old country and when you dine there, you think you're in the old country - it's that fabulous! During a lull in the food demo at Whole Foods, I introduced myself to the Chef who is the son of the owner. I only knew his Father and was frankly expecting the Father to be doing the demo. To my delight, Fred the son, is as charming as the Father, so when I asked if he'd make our dinner club some gluten free lasagna, he agreed to. I just had to tell him what noodles to buy - done.
Well, it's been three months since I asked for gluten free lasagna and now the night of bliss is almost here. Tomorrow night we will have 50 dinner club members dining at the Duluth Sugo location. Sugo also prepares gluten free / dairy free dishes for people with both intolerance's, but 22 of us will have the lasagna. This will be the largest gathering for our members ever and we are super excited to kick off the year with such a bang! Can you imagine? Gluten free lasagna in a restaurant in Atlanta, GA? The next closest place this is possible (in the US) is New York City!
I'll be sure and post back after our event how everything went but I'll tell you this now. Since I've already enjoyed fabulous gourmet gluten free meals many times at this establishment, I can highly recommend Sugo to anyone who loves authentic Italian cuisine, with a little Greek thrown in for luck! This is true whether you eat gluten or not, by the way. It's bellisimo!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Gluten Free Goodie Swap - like being a kid in a gluten free candy store!
This event is hosted by the Atlanta Gluten Free Dinner Club, which I'm an assistant organizer for. Last year when I attended this event I overdid it. It was the first party I'd attended in eleven months where I could eat everything there. Well, that's not completely true since I'd been to the gluten free Thanksgiving Potluck lunch the month before, but there were probably only six or so desserts there. In any case, I ate way too much sugar and was uncomfortably full at the goodie swap last year. So this year I watched myself. I had the best gluten free pound cake I've had to date. It was made from a mix called Sylvan Border Farms. It was certainly indistinguishable from any gluten containing version I've ever had. You can make many different variations with the mix, according to the lady who brought it. Oh and I split a piece of this cake with my husband...that's how I cut back on my intake this year. I'm sure I still had way too much sugar but the gluten free goodie swap only comes once a year, after all.
There was so much glorious gluten free food laid out on the table, which was about thirty feet long, it was hard to believe it was all safe for us to eat! There were homemade cookies, more cookies and then some more sent from a bakery in PA - The Grainless Baker, carob rice cereal bars, lemon bars, chocolate cake, Swedish raspberry bars, almond bars, pecan pralines, brownies, cheesecake squares...I honestly can't list everything because there was too much to remember. Mostly I remember how great everything I tried tasted, and I remember all the big smiles on the faces of everyone there. As our members entered the room and saw this huge assortment of gluten free goodies - well the look on their faces was priceless. I think the adults were as excited as the kids that were there. I certainly was anyway.
Our goodie swap inspired me to throw a little holiday get together for some gluten eating friends. I now love baking so I made all the food myself and guests were asked to bring only wine. We had Namaste spice cake, Bob's Red Mill chocolate cupcakes (the trick is to use chocolate soy milk to overpower the bean flavor), rosemary spiced pecans, chocolate butterscotch fudge (Kroger's butterscotch chips are gf), chex-type party mix and several other treats! Everyone loved the food and several neighbors were not even familiar with my diet so they had trouble understanding that I made baked goods without wheat flour...lol! But I did and everything I made was simple to make. We did have a few left over treats so I sent them to work my husband on Monday. One co-worker who will remain nameless said the fudge was better than his wife's! And that she could never know that...lol!
So don't go around thinking you have to do without anything this most gluten filled season of all. You can pretty much have all your favorite holiday treats, even if you do have to make them yourself. For sixteen years of my eighteen year marriage, I avoided the kitchen except when figuring out where new dishes could be stored. Now you can't keep me out of the kitchen! There is just something really special about creating fabulous food with your own hands - even if you are using a baking mix. I even perfected my husband's family recipe for pumpkin bread...finally after several disappointing tries. And of course, I could not use a gluten free mix for that. When the bread is baking it actually smells like Christmas to me. The holiday season will quickly pass but remember, you can have glorious gluten free goodies all year long!
There was so much glorious gluten free food laid out on the table, which was about thirty feet long, it was hard to believe it was all safe for us to eat! There were homemade cookies, more cookies and then some more sent from a bakery in PA - The Grainless Baker, carob rice cereal bars, lemon bars, chocolate cake, Swedish raspberry bars, almond bars, pecan pralines, brownies, cheesecake squares...I honestly can't list everything because there was too much to remember. Mostly I remember how great everything I tried tasted, and I remember all the big smiles on the faces of everyone there. As our members entered the room and saw this huge assortment of gluten free goodies - well the look on their faces was priceless. I think the adults were as excited as the kids that were there. I certainly was anyway.
Our goodie swap inspired me to throw a little holiday get together for some gluten eating friends. I now love baking so I made all the food myself and guests were asked to bring only wine. We had Namaste spice cake, Bob's Red Mill chocolate cupcakes (the trick is to use chocolate soy milk to overpower the bean flavor), rosemary spiced pecans, chocolate butterscotch fudge (Kroger's butterscotch chips are gf), chex-type party mix and several other treats! Everyone loved the food and several neighbors were not even familiar with my diet so they had trouble understanding that I made baked goods without wheat flour...lol! But I did and everything I made was simple to make. We did have a few left over treats so I sent them to work my husband on Monday. One co-worker who will remain nameless said the fudge was better than his wife's! And that she could never know that...lol!
So don't go around thinking you have to do without anything this most gluten filled season of all. You can pretty much have all your favorite holiday treats, even if you do have to make them yourself. For sixteen years of my eighteen year marriage, I avoided the kitchen except when figuring out where new dishes could be stored. Now you can't keep me out of the kitchen! There is just something really special about creating fabulous food with your own hands - even if you are using a baking mix. I even perfected my husband's family recipe for pumpkin bread...finally after several disappointing tries. And of course, I could not use a gluten free mix for that. When the bread is baking it actually smells like Christmas to me. The holiday season will quickly pass but remember, you can have glorious gluten free goodies all year long!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Tis the season for gluten....
I hope you all not only survived, but thoroughly enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday - and that you were able to stay healthy in the process. I ate too much fabulous gluten free food and made my favorite pie crust ever! I decided to try the Breads by Anna pie crust and it was out of this world. You need to cover it with foil 20 minutes into the baking time but besides that, it's very similar to a gluten crust. Even though it's a dairy free mix and does not call for butter - it was flaky! Not sure how that happened but I won't ever try another gluten free pie crust, besides this one, again.
So now that the holiday season is in full swing, I've been thinking about the many little things that happen during this time, that can make the life of someone who is living gluten free, pretty annoyed and/or depressed. Things like there are cookies in the breakroom at work every other day that are not gluten free, and work lunch celebrations at places that don't offer gluten free menus or any gluten free food besides a bland salad. Here is what I suggest you do, to keep from feeling left out of all the holiday cheer and gluten filled gluttony. Think about what treats you enjoy and then make several things to keep in the freezer, to be plucked out on your way to work when you know there will be something going there - for which no food will be provided for you. This could be brownies, fudge, a cake, cookies - whatever you like! If you don't bake, then get some ready made gluten free things like Whole Foods GF Bakehouse chocolate chip cookies or even one of their pies. My husband who can eat gluten if he wants to, is addicted to their gingersnap cookies! I don't even like this type of cookie but I think the gluten free version is fabulous. The important thing is you need to have something tasty ready to grab, in case you feel left out in any given social situation, this holiday season.
If you're going shopping with friends, remember to pack snacks in your purse. When they want to stop for coffee and grab a cinnamon bun, you'll be able to enjoy right along with them. Of course, this is a rule I follow all year long - not just during the holidays. I wouldn't dream of meeting my gluten eating friends for coffee without packing a scrumptious treat in my bag. I actually rarely even eat what I bring - but it's knowing that it's there, in case I want it, that's important.
I was at a holiday business lunch today and had a little homemade fudge with some hot tea after the meal. I never order dessert at lunch but my fudge was left over from Thanksgiving weekend and it was the perfect end to my meal. Some people are too timid to take food into restaurants, worrying that the staff or Chef will be offended. Here is what I have to say about that - when they start offering me more than ice cream or sorbet for dessert, and gluten free bread or crackers - then and only then will I stop taking food into their establishments.
Did you know that in many restaurants in Ireland have you two types of bread? Yes - they offer you gluten free or regular bread....just like servers here offer you water in a restaurant. Also, in Sweeden, some places have separate pastry cases for their gluten free goodies. When we had Afternoon Tea at The Dorchester Hotel in London last year, the sandwiches were made with homemade gluten free bread that I've yet to find anything like in the states. The bread was so good that we were sure it wasn't gluten free - but it was. This is just simply not okay with me and the other several million gluten free people in the US. Until things change over here, our community is not going to stop pushing for change.
Okay - back to the holidays and navigating them safely gluten free. When you're invited to parties, ask the hosts in advance what is being served. If there isn't going to be much, or anything for you to eat, let them know you'll be bringing your own food. Then share your food with others unless you have way more than you need to get full on yourself. Remember most of the other guests will have plenty to nibble on. And don't put your dish on the main table or others will get crumbs in it, rendering it unsafe for you to eat from again. I usually find there is a cheese tray so if I take my own crackers - if the gluten crackers are in a separate basket of course. If you are worried about offending your hosts with your specials requests, all I can say is don't be. If people really want me at their party, they will do a little something to accomodate me or I won't go - it's that simple. I would do it for them and if they don't feel the same way - I probably shouldn't be spending time with them in the first place. Life is too short to hang out with people who aren't considerate of your needs....way too short.
Attending the company holiday party....oh how stressful this can be. Last year was my first gluten free holiday season so I had to ask HR at my husband's work if any of the food served at the holiday party was gluten free. Luckily Wolfgang Puck Catering does the party food at the GA Aquarium and they had plenty of great food for me to eat. I had to skip the pasta bar and rolls, but I had chicken, beef, shrimp, rice, salad a few other things. They didn't have much in the way of gluten free desserts (only ice cream or sorbet) so I snuck in a little chocolate pecan bark I'd made the night before. My husband was thought the chocolate was going to be confiscated but apparently the metal detector didn't have a chocolate x-ray coponent to it...lol!
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the party including the food, and I must say that seeing the Aquarium at night without a zillion kids running around was THE WAY to see it! I have to admit that I found it quite hilarious that with about 2200 people at the party, I was the only one who inquired about the gluten status of the food. I felt really lucky since about 22 of those other attendees have Celiac and just don't know it yet. And that's not counting the gluten intolerant set. If you add them in, you might be looking at almost 50 people....all eating gluten at a party and some of them going home and not feeling well and not knowing why. And many others are 'silent' Celiacs. They have no outwward symptoms - they are the ones I really feel sorry for. They have no way of knowing what damage they are doing to their bodies every day, unless they get an intestinal cancer that their Celiac caused. Hopefully one day routine Celiac testing will be the norm here, like it is in many countries.
I'll admit that this is the season of a lot of gluten, but if you take the time to plan accordingly, you can enjoy yourself and a lot of gluten free treats as well. And sometimes it's nice to eat something decadent and not share it with others. Let someone else see how it feels to do without for a change. Heck - it might even do them good. Most people don't mean to be inconsiderate - they just don't go around thinking about our food intolerances, just like we didn't do that when we ate gluten. But if you're lucky like me, and have friends that go out of their way to accomodate your dietary needs - well those are the friends you want to keep close to your heart. Those friends are 'keepers'!
So now that the holiday season is in full swing, I've been thinking about the many little things that happen during this time, that can make the life of someone who is living gluten free, pretty annoyed and/or depressed. Things like there are cookies in the breakroom at work every other day that are not gluten free, and work lunch celebrations at places that don't offer gluten free menus or any gluten free food besides a bland salad. Here is what I suggest you do, to keep from feeling left out of all the holiday cheer and gluten filled gluttony. Think about what treats you enjoy and then make several things to keep in the freezer, to be plucked out on your way to work when you know there will be something going there - for which no food will be provided for you. This could be brownies, fudge, a cake, cookies - whatever you like! If you don't bake, then get some ready made gluten free things like Whole Foods GF Bakehouse chocolate chip cookies or even one of their pies. My husband who can eat gluten if he wants to, is addicted to their gingersnap cookies! I don't even like this type of cookie but I think the gluten free version is fabulous. The important thing is you need to have something tasty ready to grab, in case you feel left out in any given social situation, this holiday season.
If you're going shopping with friends, remember to pack snacks in your purse. When they want to stop for coffee and grab a cinnamon bun, you'll be able to enjoy right along with them. Of course, this is a rule I follow all year long - not just during the holidays. I wouldn't dream of meeting my gluten eating friends for coffee without packing a scrumptious treat in my bag. I actually rarely even eat what I bring - but it's knowing that it's there, in case I want it, that's important.
I was at a holiday business lunch today and had a little homemade fudge with some hot tea after the meal. I never order dessert at lunch but my fudge was left over from Thanksgiving weekend and it was the perfect end to my meal. Some people are too timid to take food into restaurants, worrying that the staff or Chef will be offended. Here is what I have to say about that - when they start offering me more than ice cream or sorbet for dessert, and gluten free bread or crackers - then and only then will I stop taking food into their establishments.
Did you know that in many restaurants in Ireland have you two types of bread? Yes - they offer you gluten free or regular bread....just like servers here offer you water in a restaurant. Also, in Sweeden, some places have separate pastry cases for their gluten free goodies. When we had Afternoon Tea at The Dorchester Hotel in London last year, the sandwiches were made with homemade gluten free bread that I've yet to find anything like in the states. The bread was so good that we were sure it wasn't gluten free - but it was. This is just simply not okay with me and the other several million gluten free people in the US. Until things change over here, our community is not going to stop pushing for change.
Okay - back to the holidays and navigating them safely gluten free. When you're invited to parties, ask the hosts in advance what is being served. If there isn't going to be much, or anything for you to eat, let them know you'll be bringing your own food. Then share your food with others unless you have way more than you need to get full on yourself. Remember most of the other guests will have plenty to nibble on. And don't put your dish on the main table or others will get crumbs in it, rendering it unsafe for you to eat from again. I usually find there is a cheese tray so if I take my own crackers - if the gluten crackers are in a separate basket of course. If you are worried about offending your hosts with your specials requests, all I can say is don't be. If people really want me at their party, they will do a little something to accomodate me or I won't go - it's that simple. I would do it for them and if they don't feel the same way - I probably shouldn't be spending time with them in the first place. Life is too short to hang out with people who aren't considerate of your needs....way too short.
Attending the company holiday party....oh how stressful this can be. Last year was my first gluten free holiday season so I had to ask HR at my husband's work if any of the food served at the holiday party was gluten free. Luckily Wolfgang Puck Catering does the party food at the GA Aquarium and they had plenty of great food for me to eat. I had to skip the pasta bar and rolls, but I had chicken, beef, shrimp, rice, salad a few other things. They didn't have much in the way of gluten free desserts (only ice cream or sorbet) so I snuck in a little chocolate pecan bark I'd made the night before. My husband was thought the chocolate was going to be confiscated but apparently the metal detector didn't have a chocolate x-ray coponent to it...lol!
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the party including the food, and I must say that seeing the Aquarium at night without a zillion kids running around was THE WAY to see it! I have to admit that I found it quite hilarious that with about 2200 people at the party, I was the only one who inquired about the gluten status of the food. I felt really lucky since about 22 of those other attendees have Celiac and just don't know it yet. And that's not counting the gluten intolerant set. If you add them in, you might be looking at almost 50 people....all eating gluten at a party and some of them going home and not feeling well and not knowing why. And many others are 'silent' Celiacs. They have no outwward symptoms - they are the ones I really feel sorry for. They have no way of knowing what damage they are doing to their bodies every day, unless they get an intestinal cancer that their Celiac caused. Hopefully one day routine Celiac testing will be the norm here, like it is in many countries.
I'll admit that this is the season of a lot of gluten, but if you take the time to plan accordingly, you can enjoy yourself and a lot of gluten free treats as well. And sometimes it's nice to eat something decadent and not share it with others. Let someone else see how it feels to do without for a change. Heck - it might even do them good. Most people don't mean to be inconsiderate - they just don't go around thinking about our food intolerances, just like we didn't do that when we ate gluten. But if you're lucky like me, and have friends that go out of their way to accomodate your dietary needs - well those are the friends you want to keep close to your heart. Those friends are 'keepers'!
Happy holidays everyone - and good luck staying gluten free in this gluten filled world of ours!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Surviving your first gluten free Thanksgiving
I'm going to share a secret that I'm not proud of with you - I moved my biopsy (looking for evidence of Celiac) out a month, just so I could have one last holiday season without having to figure out how to make the food gluten free. The thought of having to learn what gluten free meant, and survive the holidays all at the same time was just too overwhelming. My only outward symptom of Celiac was anemia - hence I had no energy so I wanted to start anew in January, and that is exactly what I did. By the time my first gluten free Thanksgiving rolled around, I was a bit of a gluten free pro, and I not only enjoyed the entire holiday season - I enjoyed it more than I had in years, since I felt better than I had in years.
The first thing I checked on was the turkey. Though you might think that's silly - how could there be gluten in turkey, right? Well, I don't know, but gluten hides in so many things, it's better to be safe than sorry. And when a Butterball customer service person told me there was corn gluten in their frozen turkeys, so I should stick to their fresh ones, it was fairly unsettling. Yes, corn contains a certain gluten, but not the kind people with Celiac have to avoid. You can see how daunting one's first gluten free Thanksgiving can be, when you can't get correct information from the Butterball hot line - they are after all the turkey experts. Well, apparently not as it pertains to gluten. Of course, you have to throw out the gravy packet that comes with the turkey, but the turkey itself is gluten free, as are most other turkeys (but not all) you'll find on the market today.
Okay - now we've got our meat pinned down as safe, but what about my favorite of all holiday dishes - the cornbread dressing? Without that delectably savory dish, the holidays just would not be the same - for me anyway. As far back as I can remember, I've been eating almost the same cornbread dressings (both recipes of two Grandmothers) for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yes, in the South we are strange - we have basically the same meal for both holidays and everyone who is not from the South makes fun of us for it. When I learned to make one of my Grandmother's dressing recipes, I found out she actually used the Aunt Jemima cornbread mix. Yes - you guessed it - it contains wheat, as most such mixes do unless they are specifically marked gluten free. No worries though - I now make homemade buttermilk cornbread as the base for my dressing. None of the other ingredients contain gluten and no one can tell the dressing is gluten free - they just know it's delicious, which is all that matters.
The other dishes we generally have are either naturally gluten free, or can be easily modified to be so. You can use a gluten free flour blend (not one that contains bean flours) in your sweet potato casserole topping and no one will be the wiser. I never liked gravy when I ate gluten, so I didn't bother to try any of the gluten free gravy mixes available on the market. Personally, I don't think you can modify the classic green bean casserole to taste good gluten free, so I prefer to do without it these days. If you know something I don't about making this recipe great, and gluten free, please share it with me. I did learn how to make awesome fried onion rings but that was the only part I perfected. The only time I ever used canned cream of mushroom soup was for this casserole, so trying to recreate a recipe for a dish I made twice a year seemed a bit obsessive.
By far, the toughest challenge for me was making a gluten free pie crust. I made a heavenly gluten free pie crust for the Thanksgiving Potluck last year sponsored by our local support group. I made and took mini pecan pies to the event, and before I could turn around they were all gone. Had I not saved two pies at home, I would not have gotten to enjoy the fruit of my labor. If you think it's a lot of work to make a pie crust from scratch, or even a mix, like I do, try making 24 mini crusts. I won't be doing that again anytime soon...even though a member came up and hugged me when she found out who made the pecan pies. She thought they were fabulous, as did most everyone else who was able to swipe one before they vanished. The pie recipe also came from one of my Grandmothers. When I was old enough, she handed me a bottle of Karo Syrup and showed me the recipe on the back....lol! Years later, my husbands Grandmother told me her secret of cutting the sweetness of this pie, just a bit, with a half teaspoon of lemon juice. It really works but this pie has a candied pecan pie taste. If you want something with more butter and less sugar, use another recipe.
The first thing I checked on was the turkey. Though you might think that's silly - how could there be gluten in turkey, right? Well, I don't know, but gluten hides in so many things, it's better to be safe than sorry. And when a Butterball customer service person told me there was corn gluten in their frozen turkeys, so I should stick to their fresh ones, it was fairly unsettling. Yes, corn contains a certain gluten, but not the kind people with Celiac have to avoid. You can see how daunting one's first gluten free Thanksgiving can be, when you can't get correct information from the Butterball hot line - they are after all the turkey experts. Well, apparently not as it pertains to gluten. Of course, you have to throw out the gravy packet that comes with the turkey, but the turkey itself is gluten free, as are most other turkeys (but not all) you'll find on the market today.
Okay - now we've got our meat pinned down as safe, but what about my favorite of all holiday dishes - the cornbread dressing? Without that delectably savory dish, the holidays just would not be the same - for me anyway. As far back as I can remember, I've been eating almost the same cornbread dressings (both recipes of two Grandmothers) for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yes, in the South we are strange - we have basically the same meal for both holidays and everyone who is not from the South makes fun of us for it. When I learned to make one of my Grandmother's dressing recipes, I found out she actually used the Aunt Jemima cornbread mix. Yes - you guessed it - it contains wheat, as most such mixes do unless they are specifically marked gluten free. No worries though - I now make homemade buttermilk cornbread as the base for my dressing. None of the other ingredients contain gluten and no one can tell the dressing is gluten free - they just know it's delicious, which is all that matters.
The other dishes we generally have are either naturally gluten free, or can be easily modified to be so. You can use a gluten free flour blend (not one that contains bean flours) in your sweet potato casserole topping and no one will be the wiser. I never liked gravy when I ate gluten, so I didn't bother to try any of the gluten free gravy mixes available on the market. Personally, I don't think you can modify the classic green bean casserole to taste good gluten free, so I prefer to do without it these days. If you know something I don't about making this recipe great, and gluten free, please share it with me. I did learn how to make awesome fried onion rings but that was the only part I perfected. The only time I ever used canned cream of mushroom soup was for this casserole, so trying to recreate a recipe for a dish I made twice a year seemed a bit obsessive.
By far, the toughest challenge for me was making a gluten free pie crust. I made a heavenly gluten free pie crust for the Thanksgiving Potluck last year sponsored by our local support group. I made and took mini pecan pies to the event, and before I could turn around they were all gone. Had I not saved two pies at home, I would not have gotten to enjoy the fruit of my labor. If you think it's a lot of work to make a pie crust from scratch, or even a mix, like I do, try making 24 mini crusts. I won't be doing that again anytime soon...even though a member came up and hugged me when she found out who made the pecan pies. She thought they were fabulous, as did most everyone else who was able to swipe one before they vanished. The pie recipe also came from one of my Grandmothers. When I was old enough, she handed me a bottle of Karo Syrup and showed me the recipe on the back....lol! Years later, my husbands Grandmother told me her secret of cutting the sweetness of this pie, just a bit, with a half teaspoon of lemon juice. It really works but this pie has a candied pecan pie taste. If you want something with more butter and less sugar, use another recipe.
This year I'll be adding a new dessert to our Thanksgiving meal menu - a spice cake that is the best spice cake I've ever tasted, let alone made. Okay, it's the only spice cake I've ever made, and it is of course a mix. In a previous post I mentioned my first attempt at making a gluten free cake - a nasty vanilla cake that we threw out as it was not edible. The maker of that product, Namaste, also makes a spice cake mix that everyone is always raving about it. I finally took the plunge and bought their spice cake mix, but when my husband saw the bag he reminded me of the cake 'incident' from over 20 months ago. I promised him if he hated it, I'd never buy it again. Well, he ate more of the cake than I did and he can eat gluten! I love to find out how gluten free kids like something, so I gave some to my friend Kerry's kids to try. It didn't even have icing on it so I told them it was like a breakfast bread or snack. They both enjoyed it thoroughly even without icing - they are 7 and 9 years old. That convinved me - this is the best spice cake mix on the market - including those than contain gluten. I prepared the mix as stated, then added a half cup of unsweetened applesauce and the same amount of raisins. Next time I'll add nuts as well. The cake tasted great for a full five days - that is unheard of for gluten free baked goods as most of you know. Another variation I've read about it is to add canned pumpkin so I'm trying that next week. I'll let you know how it turns out with my homemade cream cheese frosting.
Last but not least, I was raised eating canned cranberry sauce and I still eat, and serve it, during the holidays. Both of Ocean Spray's sauces are gluten free, as are most other brands. So go forth and bravely enjoy your first gluten free Thanksgiving dinner, with all (or most all) the trimmings. And if there are going to be two dressings where you're eating and one contains gluten, don't put them next to each other. The spoons can be swapped by mistake too easily. I can't think of a worse time to be glutened, than the holidays. It will take a little extra planning on your part, and possibly some nagging of your in-laws about what goes in their dishes. But if you take the time, you can have at least as good a Thanksgiving dinner as you've ever had, if not a better one. After all, you are probably feeling better than you have in a while as well!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The Gluten Free Cooking Spree comes to Atlanta!
Once I felt comfortable with my new diet and gluten free life, I wanted to do something to help others who were going through what I did, upon getting that dreaded Celiac diagnosis. I researched several national groups, that are all doing great things for the Celiac community, but I chose to align myself with The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. They are a non-profit organization, founded and run by Alice Bast, whose heartbreaking Celiac story really touched me. Alice decided no one should ever go through what she endured, and vowed to make a difference. And oh what a difference she's made! You see, Alice is a 'think outside the box' kind of person. She came up with the brilliant idea of having an 'Iron Chef' type competition - only with gluten free food. She even thought to get doctors involved in the cooking!
Here's the basic concept - you team a local chef, a medical doctor and media representative up on cooking teams, and give them only gluten free ingredients, which they use to create fabulous gourmet dishes. Then you let a panel of judges (a medical doctor, media representative and a child with Celiac) choose the winning dish. The doctor of the team that wins, gets funding for a Celiac awareness campaign, for the hospital they are affiliated with. It's the perfect storm of Celiac awareness - we need doctors to stop resisting testing for, and diagnosing Celiac (they hate to prescribe restrictive diets). We need Chefs to learn how to cook gluten free food not only safely, but creatively as well. Last but not least, we need the media to publicize this effort so word gets out to everyone possible.
Last night, the Atlanta Gluten Free Cooking Spree was held at CNN Center in downtown Atlanta. The venue was perfect since the CNN meeting space allowed people to wander by the event, and wonder 'what in the world is a Gluten Free Cooking Spree?'...lol! You can find a write up of all the dishes made at http://www.celiaccentral.org/ later this week. I'll just say that though everything I tasted was fabulous, I was shocked that the Maine Lobster Chili didn't win the contest. It's one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth - gluten free or not! Chef Robert Gerstenecker from Park 75, at The Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, created that entry, and I could have eaten it until I made myself sick - seriously. Chef Robert you were robbed!
Event attendees not only got to taste all the dishes the competing teams made, but also many other gluten free foods, from vendors all over the country. Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse goods were well represented - including a pecan pie that I hate to admit rivals my own homemade version. There was a vendor I'd never heard of from CA - Azna Gluten Free - who had everyone raving over her cinnamon muffins and various scones. Bountiful Harvest Bakery (http://www.bountifulharvest.net/) from Chattanooga, brought scrumptious cakes made with almond flour, which were also sugar free. My absolute favorite pasta joint, Saba (http://www.saba-restaurant.com/), served up two yummy pasta dishes - one was dairy free as well. Chow Baby (http://www.therealchowbaby.com/) handed out tiny Chinese take out boxes with a spicy noodle dish - complete with chopsticks! The Brazilian Cheesebread Company (www.braziliancheesebreadco.com) was there with their addictive cheese rolls in several flavors. And last but not least, there was a local restaurant I've never patronized called Ritters (http://www.rittersrestaurant.com/), serving a vegetarian pasta dish and chocolate cake. The latter was the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted in my life. It's not just the best gluten free chocolate cake - no - it's the best chocolate cake ever - period.
Outside of a support group meeting, the event last night was the first major social event or party I've attended, since my Celiac diagnosis in early 2006, where I could eat all the food offered. No playing 20 questions with the server - just walking up and asking for a sample of whatever looked tempting and eating it. You know - like most people do every day, everywhere they go. It was a little slice of gluten free heaven, to say the least. So for me, Christmas came early this year indeed. I literally felt the same excitement, in seeing all the delicious food that I could actually eat, that I felt when I was a young child creeping into the living room on Christmas morning, to see what Santa had brought the night before. Oh and meeting Dr. Sanjay Gupta and chatting with Heidi Collins (both of CNN) was just icing on the (gluten free) cake. The entire evening was a magical and exuberant experience - one that I will never ever forget!
Thanks to both Alice Bast, and CNN's Heidi Collins (the NFCA's National Spokesperson) for being a part of this fantastic night. Also, special thanks go out to two NFCA staffers - Vanessa Maltin, whose enthusiasm for for helping others is contagious, and Stephanie Kleinman, whose dedication and hard work behind the scenes helped make this magical night come to fruition. Ladies - you all did a terrific job and you deserve a gigantic pat on the back. Atlanta's gluten free community is most appreciative of your efforts, and we thank you for including our fair city in your fabulous event!
Here's the basic concept - you team a local chef, a medical doctor and media representative up on cooking teams, and give them only gluten free ingredients, which they use to create fabulous gourmet dishes. Then you let a panel of judges (a medical doctor, media representative and a child with Celiac) choose the winning dish. The doctor of the team that wins, gets funding for a Celiac awareness campaign, for the hospital they are affiliated with. It's the perfect storm of Celiac awareness - we need doctors to stop resisting testing for, and diagnosing Celiac (they hate to prescribe restrictive diets). We need Chefs to learn how to cook gluten free food not only safely, but creatively as well. Last but not least, we need the media to publicize this effort so word gets out to everyone possible.
Last night, the Atlanta Gluten Free Cooking Spree was held at CNN Center in downtown Atlanta. The venue was perfect since the CNN meeting space allowed people to wander by the event, and wonder 'what in the world is a Gluten Free Cooking Spree?'...lol! You can find a write up of all the dishes made at http://www.celiaccentral.org/ later this week. I'll just say that though everything I tasted was fabulous, I was shocked that the Maine Lobster Chili didn't win the contest. It's one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth - gluten free or not! Chef Robert Gerstenecker from Park 75, at The Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, created that entry, and I could have eaten it until I made myself sick - seriously. Chef Robert you were robbed!
Event attendees not only got to taste all the dishes the competing teams made, but also many other gluten free foods, from vendors all over the country. Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse goods were well represented - including a pecan pie that I hate to admit rivals my own homemade version. There was a vendor I'd never heard of from CA - Azna Gluten Free - who had everyone raving over her cinnamon muffins and various scones. Bountiful Harvest Bakery (http://www.bountifulharvest.net/) from Chattanooga, brought scrumptious cakes made with almond flour, which were also sugar free. My absolute favorite pasta joint, Saba (http://www.saba-restaurant.com/), served up two yummy pasta dishes - one was dairy free as well. Chow Baby (http://www.therealchowbaby.com/) handed out tiny Chinese take out boxes with a spicy noodle dish - complete with chopsticks! The Brazilian Cheesebread Company (www.braziliancheesebreadco.com) was there with their addictive cheese rolls in several flavors. And last but not least, there was a local restaurant I've never patronized called Ritters (http://www.rittersrestaurant.com/), serving a vegetarian pasta dish and chocolate cake. The latter was the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted in my life. It's not just the best gluten free chocolate cake - no - it's the best chocolate cake ever - period.
Outside of a support group meeting, the event last night was the first major social event or party I've attended, since my Celiac diagnosis in early 2006, where I could eat all the food offered. No playing 20 questions with the server - just walking up and asking for a sample of whatever looked tempting and eating it. You know - like most people do every day, everywhere they go. It was a little slice of gluten free heaven, to say the least. So for me, Christmas came early this year indeed. I literally felt the same excitement, in seeing all the delicious food that I could actually eat, that I felt when I was a young child creeping into the living room on Christmas morning, to see what Santa had brought the night before. Oh and meeting Dr. Sanjay Gupta and chatting with Heidi Collins (both of CNN) was just icing on the (gluten free) cake. The entire evening was a magical and exuberant experience - one that I will never ever forget!
Thanks to both Alice Bast, and CNN's Heidi Collins (the NFCA's National Spokesperson) for being a part of this fantastic night. Also, special thanks go out to two NFCA staffers - Vanessa Maltin, whose enthusiasm for for helping others is contagious, and Stephanie Kleinman, whose dedication and hard work behind the scenes helped make this magical night come to fruition. Ladies - you all did a terrific job and you deserve a gigantic pat on the back. Atlanta's gluten free community is most appreciative of your efforts, and we thank you for including our fair city in your fabulous event!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
The connection between Celiac and mental disorders
Most people who know anything about Celiac, know it usually affects the digestive system in some way. People are typically misdiagnosed with IBS for instance. In my case, my only outward symptom was anemia. But once diagnosed, I was able to connect the dots, realizing my intermittent painful bloating and stomach aches were all due to me eating gluten. As I delved into more Celiac research I discovered some interesting peer reviewed, and published medical studies, that noted connections between some mental disorders and undiagnosed Celiac. A few of them are : anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, dementia and even schizophrenia. I'm no doctor and can't begin to list everything listed in the studies and please understand - all people with these conditions do NOT have Celiac, of course. But some do, and in many cases, one can't rely on a US doctor to figure this out. In many cases, patients who adhere to the gluten free diet get rid of all their symptoms and also get off rx meds they might be taking for the issue. Worst case they can reduce their doses, and therefore any side effects of the drugs.
Recently there was a listserv posting regarding an article about Celiac and schizophrenia. Some studies indicate that almost 25% of patients with that disorder benefit from being on a gluten free diet because they in fact, have Celiac disease. Think about that if you're supposed to be gluten free and are tempted to cheat on your diet. There is no way you can know how gluten will choose to attack your body. The way it reacts this year, won't necessarily be the same next year, or the one after that.
Most of you are probably aware that many kids who have Autism, do very well on the gluten free/casein free diet - some returning to 'normal' behavior patterns eventually. But you might not know this - a few US doctors believe that a percentage of the kids thought to have Autism, have been misdiagnosed and actually have Celiac disease. No one is suggesting it's a huge percentage, but how is this happening in America? This is ridiculous, unbelievable and so very sad for all those parents out there struggling to pay for expensive therapies when some of them have kids who just need to go off gluten to lead healthy, happy lives. What is going on? It seems to be very hard to get tested for Celiac in many places here. People are having to demand to be tested and doctors are so reluctant to look for Celiac, it's crazy!
In many parts of Europe, testing for Celiac is routine - when you test for it, you find it in one percent of the population - it's that simple. When a doctor isn't looking for something, they surely won't find it. And that's what is happening here in the US. Docs are told they'll never have a patient with Celiac so they never do - to their knowledge anyway. This has GOT to change and people with Celiac are the ones who need to be speaking up and talking about Celiac and gluten until everyone in the US knows what those words mean.
October is Celiac Awareness Month so if you have Celiac, or are gluten free for other health reasons, please do your part by telling people about it at least once this month. Or else, please don't complain that it's hard to eat out here or find great food. Gluten free fairies aren't going to bring delectable gluten free goodies to your local grocery store by chance. You have to ask for what you want in life - even if it's just fabulous gluten free food! I have rarely asked a food store to carry something for me, that they weren't able to get eventually. Ask and you shall receive - it really does work - even for gluten free food!
Recently there was a listserv posting regarding an article about Celiac and schizophrenia. Some studies indicate that almost 25% of patients with that disorder benefit from being on a gluten free diet because they in fact, have Celiac disease. Think about that if you're supposed to be gluten free and are tempted to cheat on your diet. There is no way you can know how gluten will choose to attack your body. The way it reacts this year, won't necessarily be the same next year, or the one after that.
Most of you are probably aware that many kids who have Autism, do very well on the gluten free/casein free diet - some returning to 'normal' behavior patterns eventually. But you might not know this - a few US doctors believe that a percentage of the kids thought to have Autism, have been misdiagnosed and actually have Celiac disease. No one is suggesting it's a huge percentage, but how is this happening in America? This is ridiculous, unbelievable and so very sad for all those parents out there struggling to pay for expensive therapies when some of them have kids who just need to go off gluten to lead healthy, happy lives. What is going on? It seems to be very hard to get tested for Celiac in many places here. People are having to demand to be tested and doctors are so reluctant to look for Celiac, it's crazy!
In many parts of Europe, testing for Celiac is routine - when you test for it, you find it in one percent of the population - it's that simple. When a doctor isn't looking for something, they surely won't find it. And that's what is happening here in the US. Docs are told they'll never have a patient with Celiac so they never do - to their knowledge anyway. This has GOT to change and people with Celiac are the ones who need to be speaking up and talking about Celiac and gluten until everyone in the US knows what those words mean.
October is Celiac Awareness Month so if you have Celiac, or are gluten free for other health reasons, please do your part by telling people about it at least once this month. Or else, please don't complain that it's hard to eat out here or find great food. Gluten free fairies aren't going to bring delectable gluten free goodies to your local grocery store by chance. You have to ask for what you want in life - even if it's just fabulous gluten free food! I have rarely asked a food store to carry something for me, that they weren't able to get eventually. Ask and you shall receive - it really does work - even for gluten free food!
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