2013 GFAF Expo this weekend!

This weekend is my favorite weekend of the year - Gluten Free Weekend!  I will be attending the 2013 Gluten Free and Allergen Free Expo in Schaumburg, IL - a close drive from Chicago.  The expo is on April 20 and 21 with early bird admission starting at 9:00am both days.  Otherwise, the expo is open to the public from 10:00am until 4:00pm.  Early bird tickets are $35.00 and regular tickets are only $20.00.

Some tips and tricks for making the most out of the expo:
Bring a bottle of water to drink - you will be trying lots of tasty treats and sipping some water between sampling and staying hydrated is a must.
Wear comfortable shoes - you will be walking around, chatting with genius vendors who make your new favorite gluten and allergen free goodies, meeting new friends, sharing secrets of the diet and more.  Treat your feet well!
Bring a camera or a smart phone - I use mine to take pictures of products I want to find in my local grocery store and websites to visit. I find this much more convenient than digging through my bag for a pen!
Plan on learning something new - there are so many wonderful presenters this year sharing more information on the gluten free diet.  Be sure to check out the class schedule here.  I am most excited for Kim Koeller's Safely Eat Out and Travel presentation on Saturday.  I heard her speak last year and it is inspiring me to travel the world!

Over a hundred and fifty vendors will be attending the expo this year.  Don't miss out!  Ticket prices are a steal considering how many samples you will try and coupons you will receive from the various vendors.

I am excited about attending the expo this year.  I was dairy free for around four years and over the past few months, I have grown out of that intolerance.  More of the expo's samples are available for me to try but I still need to enjoy things in moderation.  In addition to being gluten intolerant, I have been on a low fructose diet due to fructose malabsorption for just over a year now.

Follow me on Twitter during the expo at https://twitter.com/windycitycookin or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WindyCityCooking

Check out my earlier recaps of previous expos:
2011 GFAFExpo
2012 GFAFExpo and Nourished - Blogger's Conference

See you there!!

Sushi Making Class

One of the coolest things I have done lately is take a sushi rolling class.  Part of my plan of continuing my education is taking cooking classes.  (Official culinary education is too expensive for me, but that doesn’t prevent me from taking classes offered on Groupon, Living Social, and the Wilton cake decorating classes!)   I decided to take Sushi Making...Just Roll with It through IWisshLessons.  When I registered for the class, my signature line identified me as a gluten and dairy free blogger, but I failed to come outright and say that I could not consume those two allergens.   Upon arriving for the class (which was held at a downtown bar), I informed the ladies from the company that I was gluten and lactose intolerant.  They went through the ingredients and could not think of anything that would cause me trouble expect for the soy sauce.  Of course, I brought my own, thanks to San-J’s single serving soy sauce packets.  Only when we got to the final roll was any red flag raised regarding allergens – crabmeat.  Thankfully I pretty much memorized the lists of forbidden foods on the gluten free diet over the past two years, so I avoided the crabmeat (imitation crab is often bound together with wheat) and asked for more cucumber sticks.  Everyone was very accommodating and our instructor was excellent.  She is a sushi chef at a nearby restaurant and was great with making sure everyone knew what we were doing.  I went to class solo, but there were couples and groups of friends learning sushi rolling together over a glass of wine or bottle of beer.

Our first roll was an extremely basic Cucumber Roll.  We laid out our seaweed and spread the sticky rice over it, filling it completely except for a small section at the top.  Then we laid the cucumber sticks on the rice and rolled it as tight as possible.  Next, we cut the sushi into equal sized pieces.  (Hint: if you dip a knife in water first, you'll get a cleaner cut.)

The second roll was a California Roll that appeared to be inside out.  It started much like the first, but we added toasted sesame seeds.  Then it was flipped upside down and then the fillings were added.

The final roll could have been made one of the two previously shown ways.  We had spicy tuna added to our ingredient repertoire.  (It was quite spicy, too!)  If we wanted, we could enter our sushi into a friendly competition, judged by the I Wish representatives and the instructor.  The competition was based on presentation.  As a blogger who almost always has her camera attached to her wrist while doing anything food related, I understood presentation.  I carefully plated my sushi and submitted my plate.  Although I lost, the instructor exclusively pointed mine out as “exceptionally rolled”.  Go me!  Maybe I have a knack for this sushi thing after all!

Overall, I recommend taking a sushi class.  The I Wish lessons were well presented and the company’s reps were great about making sure we had the necessary supplies throughout each step.  (Although they didn’t have to be so stingy with the paper towels – I didn’t realize just how much one needs to rinse their hands off after touching the sticky rice!)

Dining Out Gluten Free

For our July Gluten Intolerance Group Meeting (shameless plug: our meetings are the first Monday of the month at 8:00pm at the South Loop Whole Foods), we talked all about dining out gluten free.  Here are the tops and tricks we shared as well as a list of some fantastic Chicago restaurants!

Dining Out Tips and Tricks

Research/Call Ahead!
A quick internet search can find reviews from other gluten free diners to see if a restaurant can accommodate food allergies and intolerances. The best source, however, is calling the restaurant. Some places can even provide gluten free bread (sometimes at an additional cost) with advance notice. Call the restaurant between 2:00 and 4:00pm so they are not in the middle of a mealtime rush and can thoroughly answer your questions. When making reservations, leave your name along with your food allergies, then the restaurant is better prepared. Major chains have their allergen lists readily available online. It is best to dine early in the evening to avoid the dinner time rush.

Come prepared!
Whether it is a piece of bread, bag of crackers or cookies, or single servings of San-J’s gluten free soy sauce, come prepared for your meal.

Speak up!
Upon arriving at the restaurant, inform the host or hostess that you have a food allergy. Ask if they can accommodate you, or if a manager or chef can assist you before you even sit down. When talking with your server, it often helps to have a script that is tailored towards your diet and needs. You are your own advocate! If you have gluten intolerance or simply enjoy a gluten free diet, it may be better to use terms like “gluten allergy” or “Celiac disease” to add weight to your request. Ask questions about how the food is prepared. You’ll never know if they carry gluten free beer unless you ask. You may even be surprised by the vast selection!

Substitute!
Remember: plain is okay. Many sauces contain wheat as a thickening agent. Perhaps drizzled olive oil can boost the flavor? Want to spruce up a plain baked potato if you are dairy free? Ask for some chopped chives. Substitute with different vegetables or grains. Make sure stocks and broths do not contain gluten.

Use a restaurant card!
Triumph Dining sells ten laminated cards (American, Chinese, French, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese) cards that are tailored to each cuisine. All cards are written in two languages and are conveniently broken into sections including “I cannot eat”, “Please check” and “I can eat” as well as detail cross contamination concerns. Triumph Dining also sells disposable dining cards (American), Gluten Free stickers, a restaurant guide and much more!
You can always write your own restaurant card detailing your specific allergies or intolerances.

Know what to order!
Ordering a salad without the croutons is an easy choice. But what about chicken wings? Although they can be baked, many restaurants fry them in oil with those containing wheat. Ask how the food is prepared. Are any red flags raised?

Confirm your order!
When your food arrives, ask if it is gluten free. And yes, you can send the food back if it contains gluten, but make sure that it is a new dish and the server did not simply remove the piece of bread from the plate.

Trust your gut!
If you suspect your food is not gluten free, do not feel obligated to eat it. Always trust your gut.

Tip well and review!
Tip well so the server and restaurant will look forward to customers with food allergies returning. Politeness also goes a long way – help pave the way for future gluten free guests by being an outstanding restaurant patron. Be sure to review the restaurant on sites such as Yelp.com so other people can enjoy the food and service there.

More resources:
Delight Magazine: Ask the Chef
Living Without: Inside Look at Eating Out
Triumph Dining - restaurant cards
AllergyEats - online search for restaurants
GIG - Gluten Intolerance Group's restaurant search
GlutenFreePassport - fantastic resource that includes apps, books and much more. Great for travelers.

Great Chicago Restaurants for Gluten Free Diners

Chipotle
Various locations.
Peanut and tree nut free; dairy is only used in cheese and sour cream. Gluten is only in their flour
tortillas and (if avoiding distilled vinegar) red tomatillo salsa. Employees change gloves upon request.
http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/special_diet_information/special_diet_information.aspx

DaLuciano’s
8343 W Grand Ave, River Grove, IL 60171
Gluten free Italian food.
http://www.dalucianos.com/

Ethiopian Diamond
6120 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660
Gluten free bread is available for $2.00 extra, call ahead 24 hours.
http://ethiopiandiamondcuisine.com/

Foodlife and Mity Nice
Water Tower Place 835 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
Upon arriving, ask for their gluten free menu from the host/hostess. This upscale cafeteria style
restaurants has many gluten free options. Mity Nice, whose entrance is through Foodlife, has several
gluten free options, including buns.
http://www.foodlifechicago.com/
http://www.mitynicechicago.com/menu/

Lady Gregory’s
5260 N Clark, Chicago, IL 60640
Wilde Bar & Restaurant
3130 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
Gluten free menu, complete with appetizers, beer, sandwiches, burgers and more.
http://ladygregorys.com/images/LGs_Menu_GlutenFree_June2012.pdf
http://www.wildechicago.com/IMAGES/WILDE_GlutenFree_2012.pdf

Marcello’s Father and Son Restaurants
645 North Ave, Chicago
2475 N Milwaukee, Chicago
1911 Cherry, Northbrook
Gluten free menu includes thin and crispy pizza as well as pan pizza, pasta, and dessert pizzas.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marcellos.com%2Fpdf%2FAbbe's_Gluten_Free.pdf

Ranalli’s of Andersonville
1512 W Berwyn, Chicago, IL 60640
Gluten free menu, complete with pasta, sandwiches, pizza and more.
http://ranallispizza.com/main/?page_id=53

Rose’s Wheat Free Bakery
2901 Central St, Evanston, IL 60201
Dedicated gluten free bakery with extensive café menu.
http://www.rosesbakery.com/

Senza
2873 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
Dedicated gluten free restaurant opening at the end of July.
http://senzachicago.com/

Wildfire Chicago
159 W Erie, Chicago, IL 60654
Gluten free menu includes pizza, steaks , sandwiches and more.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?
url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wildfirerestaurant.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fmenus%2FILGlutenFre
e11.11_0.pdf

Here are some more restaurants that our members at the meeting have recommended!

Leona's Pizza
Gluten free thin crust pizza at various locations throughout the city.
http://leonas.com/detail/328/1/world_class_pizza.html

RPM Italian Restaurant
52 W Illinois, Chicago, IL 60654
Full page gluten free menu.
http://rpmitalian.com/
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Frpmitalian.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F02%2FGluten-Free2.pdf

Weber Grill
539 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654
They even have gluten free buns!
http://www.webergrillrestaurant.com/locations/?chicago&mcid=0&scid=3&id=79

Zapatista Cantina
Northbrook, Lincoln Park, South Loop locations
They have a gluten free menu - their soft corn tortillas are hand made.
http://www.zapatistacantina.com/index.php?section=12

Fresh Farms International Market
2626 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60659
Great selection of foods in this grocery store; the deli staff has even thoroughly cleaned the meat slicer for one of our members!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fresh-farms-international-market-chicago

Jason's Deli
1258 S Canal St, Chicago, IL and 195 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL
Gluten free menu and their online ordering section  clearly states gluten free options.  A drop down menu selects under "preparation detail" for "preparer change gloves".
http://www.jasonsdeli.com/restaurants/il/chicago/naperville-deli

HomeMade Pizza Co
Lots of Illinois locations
They carry gluten free pizza for you to make at home.
https://www.homemadepizza.com/locations/illinois.html

For those with Smart Phones, be sure to check out our members' recommended apps:

Find Me Gluten Free
iEatOut Gluten & Allergen Free
iCanEat OnTheGo Gluten & Allergen Free

Major Thanks

Major thanks goes to Swirlz Cupcakes for proving these yummy gluten free and vegan mini cupcakes for our meeting!  The quickly emptied box shows how much our members loved them!

Coming Up Next with GIG:

New to a Gluten Free Diet?  Or are you the top Celiac Chef in your family?  Come join the Chicago Chapter of the Gluten Intolerance Group every month at 8:00pm in the Whole Foods South Loop (1101 S Canal St, Chicago) classroom.  Meetings are always free and open to all.
Our next meeting is August 6 - Morning Fuel Ups.  This meeting is all about revamping your bowl of cereal and discovering some new family favorites for even the most hectic mornings! From bagels to doughnuts and from waffles to oatmeal, learn more about the best options for your breakfast plate.
Follow the Chicago chapter of GIG on Twitter at @ChicagoGIG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GIGofGreaterChicago

Let's keep this list going!  What are your favorite restaurants for gluten free dining in Chicago?  What tips did we miss?  What app can't be missed?

Mother Butter's Popcorn

“Everything is gluten free.”

“Really?”

I am forever in the habit of second guessing people's gluten free claims (do they even know what gluten is?).  I assumed popcorn would be gluten free naturally, but once you start adding flavors, risks increase for cross contamination or even flat out gluten joining the food, the chance of everything decreases dramatically.

I spoke with Tim Donelley at the Daley Plaza Farmer’s Market (who did not let the 99 degree weather on Thursday stop him from selling his food to hungry Chicagoans.)  Everything they make at Mother Butter’s is gluten free because his wife needs a gluten free diet.  A few years ago, they turned to cookbooks their food from scratch.  They went through old family recipes and found recipes for desserts and caramel.   It was the best caramel they ever had.  They realized that it was very easy to make things the right way – without any additives or processing.  Their family-owned popcorn business was soon born.

The Donelley’s research everything they use.  They investigate to make sure there are no fillers or gluten in any of their purchased products.  What a relief for those of us who are gluten intolerant/sensitive/allergic and are looking for a safe and super tasty snack.  No artificial sweeteners or shortcuts are used in their food.  They use real cheddar cheese, pounds of cashews, and pure white truffles in some of their different popcorn flavors, for instance.

At the farmer’s market, only one of their popcorn varieties is dairy-free: their white truffle salted.  No truffle oil here – they use real pure white truffles.  It makes it a bit pricier, but oh my goodness!  I have never had popcorn that tasted so rich in my life!  As much as I am a chocoholic, I would glad have a bowl of Mother Butter’s white truffle popcorn for a sweet treat any day!  This is the kind of popcorn that deserves to be eaten with a fine glass of wine!  (I quickly ate my way through a bag - I meant to share but turned into a hoarder instead.  I can't believe I wasted so many years of my life with bad popcorn!  Their popcorn is one of the best things I have ever eaten!)

Be sure to check them out.  Their bags do offer a warning: all popcorn is made on the same equipment that processes nuts.  In their store, they can make more varieties dairy free.  On their website, you can order popcorn by the gallon – up to 6.5 gallons!  Their popcorn (and fudge, nuts and more) would make great gifts – they even offer options on their website for wedding party favors!  These will be a great gift to give people a taste of Chicago’s finest.

Their store is 2 blocks east of US Cellular Field – 17 W 35^th St, Chicago, IL 60616.  Grab some delicious gourmet bites before a White Sox game.  Check them out at their store, their website, or on Facebook!  Or ask for a sample at the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market!

Delightful Pastries

When I was filming a story on gluten intolerance with NBC at the farmer's market near the start of my gluten free journey, they wanted me to go to a vendor and have someone tell me no, they did not sell anything gluten free.  Way to set me up for rejection.  I went to the Delightful Pastries stand and was positive they would tell me I could not buy anything.  So I asked, hopeful for rejection for a good news story.

They had TWO gluten free items.

Way to turn the rejection tables on me!  I was stuck finding another vendor who would politely tell me no.  And then coming back to their stand later and buying some cookies.

Delightful Pastries is a family run bakery  based in Jefferson Park, Chicago.  They have been in business for over ten years and just opened a second location in Old Town.  At the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market, I spoke with Olga about their gluten free cookies.  They have two options: Flourless Chocolate Pebbles and Macaroons (with the macaroons coming in a wide variety of flavors).  I couldn't keep up with the macaroon options as Olga rattled them off: passion fruit, chocolate, caramel, raspberry, Parisian almond...  They are also dairy free.  What sets them apart from other bakeries, Olga said, was they they do not use any artificial flavors or food coloring.  "We use real products to color our food.  Its pure, its healthy and it tastes good."  When the bakery makes macaroons, that's all they make the entire day. What a great way to prevent cross-contamination!!

I bought some raspberry and some coconut macaroons.  Both macaroons were filled with flavor.  The coconut ones were still soft a few days later.  The raspberry ones had me craving more - I could not stop at just one!  These are cookies that I would buy again.  They are very elegant and would make great gifts because honestly, who doesn't like cookies?  Especially ones with super short ingredients lists, no artificial flavors and locally made.

Their website lists even MORE gluten free options: chocolate truffles, meringues, and fruit jellies.

Have you tried anything from Delightful Pastries before?

Lehman's Orchard

Next up for Farmer's Market Thursdays, celebrating the vendors who sell at the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market in Chicago, is Lehman's Orchard.

Lehman's Orchard is 61 acres of a family operated farm in Michigan (55 of those acres are for fruit!)  They kick off the farmer's market season with strawberries and by the time fall hits, they will be selling pears, sauces and relishes.  From a variety of fruit to nut butters (nuts are not grown on site) to cider to sauces, they seem to do it all!  Their farm even has a winery - 100% of the fruit used in the wine is grown on site and all the work is done by their employees. 

I recently spoke with Steve from Lehman's Orchard.  When asked about his favorite product, he said it changes with the season.  Right now, he told me, "The raspberries are pretty tasty.  I haven't had them in a while."  I agree!  Raspberries and blueberries just started and we are at the tail end of the strawberry season, Steve told me.  Raspberries are one of my personal favorite fruits (we grow them in my mom's garden), but Lehman's Orchard has twelve different varieties!  There are black raspberries, white (golden) raspberries and ten different kinds of red ones (although Steve says it is harder to tell the red raspberries apart.)

With so many different products available, it is easy to make healthy choices to eat locally.  I'm excited to use their apple cider vinegar in my recipes.  Their trail mix mas been fantastic as a quick and tasty mid-afternoon pick-me-up while at work!

You can like Lehman's Orchard on Facebook - they are great with updating what they are selling that week.  After seeing them for a few years at Daley Plaza, I can vouch for their ever changing selection.  It's like a new store every week!

What have you bought from Lehman's Orchard?  What products to you love?  Have you tried any of their packaged goods or are you too distracted by their tempting fruit?

Smits Farms Herbs

Nothing beats turning a great recipe into a suburb recipe with the addition of some fresh herbs.  One of the staples at the Thursday Daley Plaza Farmers Market is Smits Farms.  I have been buying herbs from them for the past three years.  No other stand sells so many ready to use herbs.  Smits gets major props for conveniently labeling all their herbs, which is always tempting me to try something new.  They also sell a large variety of herbs in pots, ready to find new homes in your garden.

One my most recent visit to their stand, I spoke with Kayla from Smits Farms.  Their farmer's market stand is filled with a great variety of herbs, flowers, and later in the season, a lot of vegetables, like corn and tomatoes.  The farm has been family run for around twenty years and is located in Chicago Heights.

 Her favorite herb is basil.  "I really like pesto - later we will have a ton of basil.  It's super good," she says.

One of the biggest misconceptions about herbs is that people think they are never going to use it.  That's not the case - you can always use it for something, Kayla told me.  Her three favorites herbs are bail, cilantro and dill.

"Come and smell them.  They smell pretty good," Kayla says, inviting everyone to check out their delicious herbs.  Their prices are great - some of the lowest prices around for fresh herbs.  With only a few dollars, you can easily enhance the flavor in any dish.

Daley Plaza not your scene?  Don't worry - Smits Farms is part of nine Farmers Markets in Chicago in 2012!

What are your top three herbs?  Mine are basil, tarragon and flat parsley.

Salsas Vallartas

Every Thursday, I attend the farmer's market in Daley Plaza in the Loop.  Earlier last week, I (very easily) convinced a co-worker to come with me to shop for veggies and more on our lunch break.  My co-worker is a real trooper - even in the pouring rain without umbrellas - we did not let the storm ruin our quest for delicious food.

Each week while the downtown Farmer's Market is in session (click here for the calendar), I am going to spotlight a different vendor.  First up is Salsas Vallartas!

Salsas Vallartas sells salsa (of course), guacamole and hummus.  Their products are all natural with no preservatives - which quickly sets it apart from the supermarket varieties!  Give me all natural products any day! I spoke with Eliza from Salsas Vallartas - the only product I needed to avoid as someone who is gluten and dairy free was the Spinach and Feta Cheese - it obviously contains cheese.  That is actually one of her favorite types of hummus - and actually the product that sets them apart from other hummus makers.  Dairy lovers - check it out!  Her other two favorites are Cilantro and Jalapeno ("goes well with tortilla chips and beer") and Three Peppers - "The fusion of the three peppers keeps it smoky - medium - not over the top."

Eliza's dad has been in the food industry for over 15 years and all of his recipes come from his family - great-great-great grandma, actually!  They use very authentic ways of cooking.  Salsas Vallartas is bringing big taste with their products to the community while still maintaining a small-town feel in this bustling city.  Everything is made in a small kitchen in Lincoln Park.  In addition to the Daley Plaza farmer's market, they attend others as well, such as the one at Clark & Division.

It's fairly easy to incorporate hummus into your diet - use it on wraps, with chips, with veggies and more!  Uses salsas with omelets or as marinades.  Couldn't be easier!

I tried a few varieties of their salsas and hummus.  Everything was very tasty - after deciding between many tasty options, I ended up buying their lemon hummus.  The hummus and salsa are $5.00 a tub.  It seems like a lot of money, but the quantity is easily two or three times the supermarket varieties with more flavor, quality, and natural ingredients.  The hummus lasts for about a week and a half - everything is labeled with the "best by" date.  Check them out at the next Farmer's Market!  (Note: the chips they use for sampling are labeled "gluten free" on the bag.  Win!)

And as for my co-worker who weathered the storms with me?  She bought hummus as well and introduced her family to something tasty that they now love.  (And we got drenched in the rain.)

 Have you tried Salsas Vallartas before?  What's your favorite salsa or hummus?

Farmer's Market Asparagus Soup

It's my favorite time of the year!  Farmer's Market Season!  Time to leave the office and enjoy some time in the sun while shopping for fresh veggies, fruits, sweets, plants and much more at Daley Plaza.  The 2012 Chicago Farmer's Market at Daley Plaza (50 W Washington, in front of the courthouse) runs from May 24 to October 18 every Thursday from 7:00am until 3:00pm.

On my first visit of the year last Thursday, I bought some herbs to fast track my city garden.  Planting from seeds is great, but the reality is I miss having fresh herbs available at home, so the plants will tide me over while my other plants slowly grow.  I'm adding parsley, basil, tarragon, chives, parsley, oregano and more to the herb starting line up - including the newcomer chocolate mint!  It smelled so good (like chocolate) I could not pass it up.  And yes, I was that girl with the flat of herbs on the bus later that evening...  To some, I may have looked silly or crazy, but the reality is I've toted far weirder things on the bus (empty child's wheelchair tops the list).  And these herbs are crucial to the tastiness of my food!

I was also tempted by fresh (and super cheap) asparagus so I bought two bunches at the farmer's market.  Once I got home, I made Cream of Asparagus Soup, using this recipe from Skinny Taste.  Keep it gluten free by reading the labels of chicken stock for hidden culprits and keep it dairy free by subbing Earth Balance for the butter and coconut milk for the sour cream.  Normally I use homemade stock, but Pacific Natural Foods was very generous in providing me some samples of their gluten free and dairy free goodies.  I tried their gfcf organic free range chicken broth - one spoonful put my homemade version to shame!  The rumors are right: quality ingredients really do make a difference in foods!  With organic chicken broth and local asparagus, I was pretty much guaranteed a high quality, tasty soup.  It did not disappoint!  The soup is extremely simple to prepare and even hits the spot on the hot summer-like days we have been having.  It was a relatively hands off recipe until the end when I spent about a minute blending everything together with my immersion blender.  I've never made soup with asparagus before but I'm glad I branched out and discovered something new for my recipe box.  This soup really is worth trying!

For more information on Chicago's Farmers Markets, check out this really helpful link from explorechicago.com.  This season, I will be spotlighting a different vendor from the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market!  Check back weekly for this fun feature.

Gluten Free Communion

One of the few times when I don't want to panic about gluten or dairy sneaking its way into my food is during communion.  When I first started attending Urban Village Church in Chicago, I always had a mini panic attack.  What if they didn't have gf communion?  Are they handling it correctly?  Is it really gluten free or does it have minute traces of wheat like wafers from the Catholic Church? (I will not take communion at a Catholic service after reading articles like this and this where the answer to "Is it safe?" is "Probably".)  Every week, with eagle eyes, I would silently watch the celebrant and make sure he or she did not break the wheat bread over the gluten free wafers.  After a year, one day, the unthinkable happened: while walking to the serving station, someone realized he had too much to carry (half a loaf of wheat bread, a cup, and a plate of gf wafers) and he put the wheat bread on top of the wafers.  As he passed me, we both realized what happened.  I rushed to the serving station and said that the wafers were no longer gluten free.  I sat out from communion that day and prayed, thanking God that I narrowly escaped a gluten reaction.

The innocent action (who can blame him?) opened up a new conversation about how we literally handle the gluten free communion.  We decided that the next week, I would make one loaf for the church: gluten free, vegan, and top 8 allergen free.  I had a recipe in mind and made one of my favorites: the house bread from Flying Apron Bakery's book.  I made it with pumpkin, a perfect fall bread.  The bread was a little difficult to tear in half, but the real difficulty came when breaking off pieces for people.  Growing up, I always had wafers.  The whole tear-off-bread-while-people-wait was new to me.  And after mixing that with a dense bread, there were crumbs everywhere on the floor!  Thankfully our church regularly declares that communion is messy - you will bump into other people - there will be crumbs.  Many people were thankfully goodhearted over the bread - they had no idea what to expect from a wheat free bread - but I knew that there was a better fit out there.

I was determined to find a recipe that worked.  As much as I love the idea of everyone sharing one loaf, the cost and difficulty for me to make a loaf a week was too much. I searched the Internet until I found a recipe that met my needs.  Brittany Angell of RealSustenance.com has a super easy gluten free and vegan quick bread formula.  She says it has endless flavor possibilities and she is right!  The formula was there, I just followed it with foods that worked for me and my needs and out came communion bread!  The below recipe is top eight allergen free (wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, shellfish free, fish free) and vegan.  Surprisingly, the most challenging allergen for me to avoid was soy.  All of my cooking sprays had soy and I needed the dough to actually leave the pan in one piece.  A quick snip of parchment paper to line the loaf pan did the trick!

The recipe below makes four loaves of bread, perfect for a month of communion.  The bread freezes exceptionally well.  Before baking, I always switch over to clean kitchen towels and make sure there are no nuts or peanuts around (I already have a dedicated gluten and dairy free kitchen).  I bought my mini loaf pans from Michaels during an after Christmas sale.  They are exclusively used for communion bread.  I make sure when I run my dishwasher that no peanut or nut dishes are in the same load, for extra precaution.

The bread itself is quite tasty and breaks apart easily and does not crumble to pieces when dipped in grape juice.  I've enjoyed it outside of church, too!

The mini loaves are at the Urban Village Andersonville location whenever I am there. (1602 W Ainslie St at 10:30am on Sundays)  Other Sundays, they use wafers from Ener-G.  I've previously made Namaste Food's sugar free muffin mix for communion as well with great results.

Gluten Free, Top 8 Allergen Free, Vegan Communion Bread

Makes enough communion bread for 4 weeks.

2 cups gluten free all purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour)
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t of xanthan gum or guar gum
3/4 c sugar

1/3 c vegetable oil
3/4 c of rice milk or coconut milk + 1 t apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 330 degrees.  Line four mini loaf pans with parchment paper.
Whisk together all the dry ingredients.
Add in the wet ingredients and mix with a hand mixer.
Pour in the mini loaf pans and bake for 35-45 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).
Let rest in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Once completely cool, individually wrap the loaves in tin foil and place in a freezer bag, squeezing all the air out first, then storing in the freezer.

To defrost:
The night before, take a mini loaf from the freezer and store in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic container or bag.  In the morning, move from the refrigerator to the counter.  The loaf will be perfect in time for service!  (Assuming about 2 hours passes from rolling out of bed and communion time.)

Some tips on avoiding cross contamination when handling gluten free communion:

• The standard definition for gluten free is less than 20 parts per million.  Imagine a million grains of rice.  Now imagine that 20 of them are red.  How tiny is that amount!
• Do not handle wheat bread and then handle gf bread!  Make sure your hands are clean (I'm a huge fan of soap and water - it gets any residual crumbs off the hands).
• Have a dedicated gf cup and plate.  It is especially helpful to have separate storage containers and towels.
• If your church literally breaks bread (tears it in half), keep the gf elements out of the "crumb zone".
• When serving, offer the plate to the recipient and have them tear off their own piece.
• Everyone's sensitivities are different.  Just because one person who is gluten free since it helps them feel great does not have an issue with cross contamination does not mean that the next person has the same sensitivity level.  Err on the side of caution: always assume a super sensitive person.
• Now for the hardest one: if despite best intentions, something went wrong and the gf communion was cross contaminated: say something.  Example: someone dips wheat bread in the gf cup.  Not safe for those who need a gf diet.  I'd rather have someone say "no, you can't have that" rather than go home, feel sick, take a nap and take the next day off of work because I'm mysteriously sick.  (It has happened: all of my sick days this past year occurred on Monday after Sunday reactions.)

Every week, I've turned around and caught glances of strangers taking part in the communion celebration with the gluten free loaf.  It seems like every week, one or two new faces try the loaf, and not just because they are curious about gluten free breads!  One thing that brings me great joy is nourishing others through food.  To see so many people being able to participate in something that was previously forbidden due to dietary restrictions really fills me up with such happiness.  This is my contribution to bringing our church community together and growing even stronger as we move through the journey together.

Two great entries from a gf pastor's perspective at GlutenFreeJesusFreak include what to offer for communion and a few different ways of offering gf communion. 

What does your church do?  Do you have any more tips to add on serving gf communion?

T's Bar in Andersonville

Dining out in a large group can sometimes be a pain. I've learned to flag down the waiter on his first trip to the table (while everyone else is just picking up the menu) and hand over my Triumph dining card, explain that I'm gluten and lactose intolerant, and ask for suggestions. It's a rhythm I'm used to at this point. When dining out with a large group after church one Sunday, the rhythm was interrupted. The waiter said the head chef just stepped out but as soon as she returned, she'd be over to talk with me. A few minutes later, the head chef and I were talking about food I liked and how she was going to prepare it! Normally, I'll settle for a plain chicken breast and veggies when out, but she was getting excited about the flavors and her excitement was contagious. We talked through a dish - salmon over a bead of steamed spinach with tomatoes and roasted pumpkin seeds. About ten minutes later, she stopped by the table again and asked if I would like a plain potato - she was making them for mashed potatoes and at that point in the process they were safe for me to eat. The food arrived along with everyone else's and was delicious. I had a colorful plate with food that was created with me in mind. The food was wonderfully seasoned and I cleaned my plate. And when the check came, I was pleasantly surprised by seeing my order as "chef's special" - listed at the same price of the other entrees.

I am extremely happy to have such a positive dining experience at a neighborhood bar restaurant - especially one that my church friends frequent! T's Bar and Restaurant is located at 5025 N Clark in Chicago in Andersonville. Their menu is awesome and inspiring - I'm planning on making chili tots myself so I can have a gfcf version! Even as just one face in a group of over a dozen, I had amazing service and I cannot wait to return!

Other restaurants take note - this is how gluten free dining should be!

Sunday Concert in the Park

When I first moved to Chicago during the summers while in college, I heard of this magical place called Ravinia Festival where people spend the day sitting in the park with their picnic tables and tablecloths, drinking wine, and listening to live music. I went to the free concerts in Millennium Park a few times and my friends would point out who there also goes to Ravinia (matching sets of lawn furniture and vases of flowers on top of the table cloth on the low wooden table is a

giveaway). I've always wanted to see Rufus Wainwright perform. When a friend posted about going on Facebook, I jumped at the chance. We would invite a few other people and make a day of it - delicious food included!

Michael got the ball rolling - he was going to make a roasted sweet potato salad. One of his roommates is gluten free so we knew what was off limits and how to safely cook. Thomas picked up some Asian treats (off limits to me) and mango spears (devoured by me). I wanted to do a pasta salad with summer vegetables, but a trip to the Asian grocery store moved me away from an American classic dish towards a rice noodle Asian dish. When stirfrying the noodles with the vegetables, I had an overwhelming sense of dread - rice noodles stick together. With a little ingenuity, I portioned out the noodles into zip lock containers so everyone had their own. I could say I went this route to prevent extra dishes and serving utensils (we were carrying everything on the Metra) and so the food would fit in my small cooler. Not because I momentarily forgot that gf dishes don't always behave like their wheat counterparts. Never!

One of the best parts about the day? It was amazing to be with friends and have great conversation and meet new people, eat a picnic feast during an unusually cool August day, listen to soothing live music, drink blueberry wine and people watch (grapes are a BIG hit at Ravinia). But this was my favorite:

Just relaxing.

Existing and taking it all in.

Glorious.

Rib Fest 2011

Yesterday two of my friends and I went to Ribfest at Lincoln/Damen/Irving Park in Chicago. The festival is exactly what the name implies: dozens of different varieties of ribs. As soon as we got there, one of the boys asked, "You're not still on your vegan diet, are you?" Fortunately for him and a relief for me - adding meat back into my diet increased the number of foods I could eat. By a lot.

We bought out tickets and started looking at all the stands. For $6 worth of tickets, you can get a sampler size - three rib bones. At every stand, I paid attention to what was on the menu and how people were handling the food. Sandwiches? I'll pass. No gloves? No thanks. I tried ribs from Corner 41 Bar & Grill. When I asked if they were gluten and dairy free (including soy sauce in my description since that was likely to be the biggest offender at an event like this), the man assured me that they were, rambled off a very comforting list, down to the vinegar used. I was sold. The ribs were very tender and delicious and had a slight kick to them.

It was really great to be able to eat at a street festival. As we ate our way up and down the festival, I ended up getting another sampler of ribs (nervous, however, since it took three people to answer my gluten free question, but the third one spoke with enough authority to comfort

me), corn on the cob, and strawberry lemon aid. The 28 Day Healthy Eating Challenge was getting to me - I needed my veggies. I was really frustrated that I couldn't have corn on the cob and asked at one stand if they put butter on it. Then my friend suggested I ask for it without butter. I did, it wasn't the same since I didn't have butter glistening on my chin, but you know what, corn is still tasty! We later passed by a huge crowd gathering around grilled asparagus. I'm craving vegetables! What happened? Three years ago, I would have just eaten ribs and ice cream. Now I am having semi-balanced food at a festival - meat, corn, fruity non-alcoholic beverages, and the rice crackers I stashed in my purse for some carbs!

My friends and I are planning on visiting some more street festivals this summer. I'm still impressed at how many options there are, even for people with food allergies and intolerances! (Now just to avoid people with their overflowing cups of beer...)