Thinking about going gluten free?

A lot of people have been asking me if the gluten free diet is right for them.  Their doctor may have recommended it or they just don't feel great.  Here's my advice and nuggets of knowledge for people before venturing into the gluten free diet, a gluten free introduction before Gluten Free 101, so to speak.  Remember: I am not a doctor or nutritionist.  I am a very well read gluten free blogger with a Bachelor's degree in Theatre and Creative Writing who is passionate about helping people.  I literally read every book the Chicago Public Library had on gluten free within my first three months on the diet.  My gluten free diet started in June 2010.  I have been lactose free since spring 2009.

Trust your gut.  Literally.  Listen to your body.  Do you need to take a nap after eating a piece of bread?  Are you sent into the a fit of stomach cramps after a cupcake?  Are things "unusual" in the bathroom after a bite of wheat?  What symptoms do you have?  Write everything down.  Even the stuff that you don't think matters - everything in your body is all connected.  It does matter.  Everyone's symptoms are different.

Know thyself.  Are you okay with going on a gluten free diet for the rest of your life without a confirmed diagnosis of Celiac Disease?  I had the following tests done and my results were always negative: blood work, stool testing, upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, and allergy testing (skin testing).  The only test left was the gene testing.  By the time my doctor suggested it (a new one at this point - I saw four gastros in less than two years), I knew I needed to be on a gluten free diet and was rocking it for over a year and a half.  She stressed to me the for the rest of your life part.  "Forever is a long time at your age."  (I'm 27 years young.)    Honestly, the only thing a positive gene test would change would be to require all my paternal relatives to get tested as well since it is likely from my Italian side of the family.  If the test were negative, I would still eat a gluten free diet.  It cost thousands of dollars to figure out that I did not have Celiac Disease and only one week on a gluten free diet to realize that it solved all of my problems.  (I started the diet on Monday and by Friday was back to normal.  For more on how the gluten free diet flipped the light switch in my body, check out this NBC clip: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/health/Gluten-Free-Diets-Help-More-Than-Just-Celiac-Patients-110238099.html)  For me, I spent so much time, effort, agony and money and was literally wasting away.  I had nothing else to try but a gluten free diet.  It saved my life.  I'm stubborn enough to stick with something and am passionate enough to do all the research and whatever it takes to keep my body going in a positive direction.  Officially, my gastro wrote down "gluten intolerant" in my chart.  I later found that there was a fancier name for it: NCGI - Non Celiac Gluten Intolerance.  Yes, you can have gluten intolerance without Celiac Disease.  The treatment is the same.  The diagnostic tools aren't defined yet.  Here's my simple test: do you feel better off gluten?  If yes, then stay off it!!!  
Remember: you need to be eating gluten if you want to have your doctor run tests!  Do not start a gluten free diet unless you are okay with never having an official test done to confirm your diagnosis.

No cheating.  When I told my dad that I was going to be gluten free, he asked if I could have a roll with dinner if I was gluten free all week.  Nope.  Not even a bread crumb.  My reactions were pretty mild when I was cross-contaminated or ate the wrong food (why in the world would people put malt in cereal?) my first few weeks of going gluten free.  After that, my reactions got more severe.  Now, if I am glutenized, I miss a day of work, spend five days having my body recover, lose two pounds and get either a cold or migraine (my immune system goes into hibernation after a reaction...)  My mildest gluten hangover is much worse than my worst alcohol induced hangover.  I can't try a piece of my brother's wedding cake next month - not even a sliver.  And when that bread basket goes around the table, I lean back in my chair and let people pass it over me so I don't touch it.

Have a "last meal".  My original expirement was going to be one week off gluten, one week on gluten, then report to my doctor how I felt.  It turns out that I felt so great off gluten that I didn't want to go back on.  I knew I needed to try it again to make sure that no other factor triggered the radical change in my body.  I only made it one meal on gluten.  My "last meal" was ravioli from Whole Foods (finding some that were dairy free was a royal pain two years ago) and a (soy) ice cream sandwich.  After that in June 2010, I never consciously ate gluten again.  For me, it immensely helped to be emotionally ready to move to a life without gluten.  Most of the time, I enjoy the diet.  The negative feelings I have tend to have (and they are rare, but worth noting so you don't think the diet is all sunshine, rainbows and frosted cupcakes) are rejected (going to a party without anything but a glass of wine to eat), annoyed (why the bleep did you put gluten in this food?), sad (I'll never eat Jimmy John's again), and nervous (concerned about safe food options at unknown events).

Eating isn't as spontaneous.  You will become a label sleuth.  Gluten free means more than just wheat free.  You need to be free of malt, barley, rye and most oats.  Oats make the list due to cross contamination issues since they often share the same fields and equipment as wheat.  Did you know that beer and soy sauce contain gluten?  Did you know that companies like Bard's Beer and San-J offer even better alternatives than the original variety?  When dining out, I use restaurant cards to inform my server and chef of my food intolerances.  Almost all of my meals outside the comfort of my kitchen have been fantastic!  Check out some tips and tricks on dinning out.

Gluten is everywhere!  In your lipstick, shampoos, and even medicine!  (Gluten and lactose are often binders on medicine - lactose is especially common.  If you are considering a gluten free diet, call the manufacturer and ask if the product if gluten free.  There's nothing worse than a raging headache made worse by ingesting gluten.)  Companies are being much more proactive about labeling things as gluten free every year.  At my dentist, the fluoride they used said "gluten free" right on the front!

You'll eat healthier.  That's not to say that you'll stop eating bread, cupcakes, donuts, and cookies.  There are plenty of those out there - and they taste wonderful!  But they are pricey so you'll find yourself reaching more for fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth.  I increased my vegetable intake a crazy amount after going gluten free.  Diets like the paleo diet are great for meal inspiration.  Paleo is also known as the caveman diet - so you eat what our foremothers and fathers could hunt and gather.  It is naturally dairy and gluten free!

You'll try new foods.  Have you ever tried millet before?  Tastes great!  (Yes, Mom, this is the same grain that you feed your bird.  But mine is cooked!)  I love using brown rice flour for coating chicken - it has much more flavor than wheat flour.  The diet had me trying new things - like summer squash!  (I know, not a radical thing for most people, but I never tried it before going gf.)

You'll be part of a growing community.  When I first figured out I had NCGI, I felt like an impostor.  Could I go to Celiac events and meetings?  Was I any less gluten intolerant than other people since that had a biopsy test they could point to?  The answer is no.  No matter how you found out or what your doctor says, you can proudly wear the gluten free label.  I am the co-leader of the Chicago chapter of the Gluten Intolerance Group.  I "like" a lot of companies on Facebook and stay up-to-date with their latest products - and even snag some coupons!  This week, I have pizza plans with two other gluten free gals.  My life isn't slowing down on a gluten free diet!

You'll get crafty in the kitchen.  There are so many recipes to try!  With the convenience of fast food taken away, I learned how to cook great tasting meals.  I normally cook 4-6 servings at a time and freeze the leftovers in individual portions so I can have homemade frozen meals at my fingertips.  I work over 50 hours a week and have time to work, cook, clean, and enjoy my life!  If I can do it - any one can!  (I was a horrible cook before going gluten free - but an amazing baker.  Now I can proudly wear my chef's hat and my baking apron in the kitchen.)

You'll use social media in new ways.  I have a blog, facebook page, pinterest account and twitter account...in addition to a social media-free day job!  It can be a lot, but I feel fantastic and inspired being part of this larger community.

https://pinterest.com/windycitycookin/

https://www.facebook.com/WindyCityCooking

@windycitycookin

What advice would you give to someone considering a gluten free diet?  Anything you wish someone told you before you started?

Two Years, Two Hundred Entries

I’m at blog entry #200 and just a few days over my the two year mark of blogging at Windy City Cooking: Living Lactose and Gluten Free in Chicago.  My original mission was, “Hey look, Ma! I’m eating!”  I’ve come a long way.  Now it's "Hey look, strangers! I'm making really delicious things.  Mom, want to read my blog, too?"

Three years four months dairy free.

Two years gluten free.

Five months low fructose (well sort of).

Dairy free has been going great.  I am fortunate that I can tolerate sheep and goat cheeses.  I have started scratching the surface of my limits with my dairy intolerance and was pleased to find that I can enjoy Creamy’s sugar free lactose free ice cream that contains dairy.  Despite my mom’s wishes, I have not gone further and seen if I can tolerate some butter or cheese.  It normally can take half a day to a day to recover from a dairy reaction and I have not ever been bored enough to give it a shot.  My life is too busy to hit pause over a piece of cheese!

Gluten free gets easier every month.  More companies and restaurants are joining the party.  The online community is growing.  I was fortunate enough to attend Nourish, the gluten free blogger convention, this spring.  I met so many new people who share my diet and have never been happier to be a part of this exciting, passionate community.  Earlier this year, I also became the co-chair of the Chicago Chapter of the Gluten Intolerance Group.  We meet the first Monday of the month at the South Loop Whole Foods at 8:00pm.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest happenings.

Being low fructose has undoubtedly been the hardest restriction yet.  Going vegan for a month was a breeze in comparison.  I used to drink a can of Coke a day (39 grams of sugar) and two servings of fruit juice (easily 60-80 grams of sugar) in addition to eating fruit and sweets.  I stopped buying juice and switched over to diet soda.  At the recommendation of a few dietitians, I then kicked the diet soda habit as well.  After a month of being low fructose (probably 5-10 grams of sugar a day), I lost about five pounds and was dizzy from the weight loss.  I was paranoid about what I was eating and in essence, stopped snacking and unintentionally cut a lot of calories.  How I felt from the weight loss was about how I felt on over 100 grams of sugar a day.  With my doctor’s blessing, I added fructose back into my diet.  Currently, I’m mostly juice and soda free; I’ll still dip my gluten free communion bread into grape juice at mass and I will continue to enjoy fruity cocktails or wine at bars on a special occasion basis.  Throughout the past months, I have figured out what an acceptable level of sugar is in my diet: about 30 grams.  I still have one symptom with that level of sugar, but am working with a natural health doctor to minimize it.  I am fortunate that I have the freedom to choose how much fructose is in my diet, unlike my “must avoid all things” restrictions with gluten and lactose intolerance.  Shockingly, I have been able to tolerate a frosted cupcake much better than I can six raspberries.  I make as many of my meals as I can low fructose so I can use my available allotted grams of sugar towards sweets.  Does that make me a bad person or a genius?

Having food intolerances was shockingly one of the best things that happened to me.  I am in touch with how my body is feeling and better understand the relationship between my body and food.  Food used to exclusively be fuel.  Now, it is delicious and I look forward to eating.  Blogging has been great fun and has challenged me to make better food choices as well as up the ante of my cooking.  My first year out of college, I filled my grocery bags with packaged goods.  I only bought raw meat once – the rest of my meat came from frozen, pre-cooked chicken patties, chicken fingers or hamburgers.  I spent that year as the costumer for Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding and ate pasta with tomato sauce, Italian sausage, and French bread with a glass of Coke every time we had a show (up to 5 or 6 times a week!).  Not a single meal I made that year would have been safe for me to consume with my newfound restrictions.  All of my intolerances started after an emergency appendectomy almost four years ago.  There is a chance that I was always predisposed to these intolerances and the surgery was the trigger to flip the switch on.  It took a while to name all of the issues.  It took several doctors before someone finally mentioned Celiac Disease to me and only after the negative results, did I create a one week gluten free experiment.  Miraculously, I felt fantastic without gluten in my diet.  As soon as I ate wheat again, my symptoms came rushing back.  Officially, I have Non Celiac Gluten Intolerance.

Looking back on pictures of me before, during and after my gluten eating days are pretty funny.  Not only did my hair dramatically change (not pictured: the months of being a blonde or a red head), but I can see it in my eyes that I was very sick and detached with reality in 2010, right before learning what “gluten” meant.  I’m alive and well!  And better than ever!  Now let’s not add any more restrictions next year…

And yes, that Chicago wind really does love my hair.  Why do you think I'm Windy City Cooking?

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?

Gluten Free Labeling Law

An open letter to the FDA:

I urge you to make clear, standardized gluten free labeling a priority. The proposed labeling guidelines are excellent, but time is of the essence for gluten free consumers!

Almost immediately after an appendectomy, I started having abdominal pain that no doctor could figure out that soon grew to a laundry list of problems. In the six months leading up to my gluten intolerant diagnosis, my medical bills (before insurance) soared over $20,000.00. My only treatment to prevent excessive bowel movements, extreme abdominal pain, nausea, brain fog, migraines, grogginess, lack of energy, difficulty breathing, chest pains, raised lumps on my abdomen, and more is to maintain a strict gluten free diet.

Every month, more manufacturers are providing gluten free labels on their products so I am thankful to have started the diet a year ago. There is currently no standardization on gluten free labeling, which means that despite a colorful "gluten free" label taking up prime space on the front of a package, the entire ingredient list must be read for offending allergens. Products are labeled gluten free that are made on the same equipment as wheat. Others only declare that “no gluten ingredients are used” but does not provide any indication of efforts set forth to prevent cross-contamination, let alone using wheat flour to prevent items from sticking together. There should be a uniform symbol, such as the Kosher symbol, that easily demonstrates that a product tests below 20 ppm for gluten, wheat, barely, rye, and oats and efforts are made to prevent cross contamination.

The widely accepted definition of gluten free means free of wheat, barely, rye, and sometimes oats. Since regulation is not yet in place, any manufacturer can label a product as gluten free. Tasty Bite recently labeled their Barley Medley as gluten free, even though barley is listed as one of the first two ingredients (behind water). Their mistake was thankfully easily caught by informed consumers, but what of “natural flavoring” that can currently easily hide malt flavoring without any allergen declaration?

Gluten free labeling needs to extend beyond the supermarket shelves and into the pharmacy. Before I take any medicine, I need to call the company and ask if gluten is used as a binding agent otherwise what is supposed to cure me can cause considerable damage to my health.These phone calls, which often can only be placed during the manufacturer’s business hours which are impractical for the average 9-5 worker, can easily take twenty minutes or more and I have even had to wait three days to get confirmation on a product’s gluten status.

With the gluten free diet, my health has dramatically improved and I feel better than ever. Every reaction I have to gluten now has me wondering if I simply need to take the rest of the day off from work or if I need to head to the emergency room. Standardizing and regulating which products are labeled gluten free is essential for the health of so many individuals, whether they have Celiac disease, non-Celiac gluten intolerance, wheat allergies, or have found their health improves on this diet.

Thank you,

Michelle R

www.windycitycooking.blogspot.com

For more information on how to register your comments, visit Gluten for Punishment's blog entry. You can also visit the official FDA site on the gluten free labeling. Be sure to leave your comment before the deadline of October 2, 2011! (My comment was a little on the long side, so the FDA got a shortened version of the above.)

Valerie's Mexican Fiesta

For my sister's birthday this year, she wanted a Mexican Fiesta. Having themed family parties is always fun - there's a variety of foods to eat all fitting neatly under one theme. And having a party at my mom's house means I can have some say in how much gluten there will be. There was only one offending item: flour tortillas. For appetizers/munchies (my family is big on grazing on food throughout the afternoon, so much so that on family party days, my siblings and I never really ate a proper lunch), we had veggies, fruit, and corn tortilla chips with five different kinds of salsas and a few dips, guacamole, and hummus. Since nothing contained gluten that was out, I was free to dip my food from the bowl like everyone else.

For the main course to our fiesta (yes, I appreciate the irony that in celebration

of my sister's Independence Day birthday we had Mexican food - even if it was watered down Mexican) we had tacos - there were two different kinds of corn shells - tostadas and the traditional crispy corn variety - and soft shell flour burriotos. I was in charge of cooking our rice - I used Guy Fieri's Mambo Rice recipe from foodnetwork.com to great fanfare from the family. It was made with basmati rice, gluten free chicken stock from Sam's Club and loads of fresh ingredients finely chopped. This was an easy rice cooker dish - the ratio of liquid to rice was spot on! My mom meanwhile grilled the meats and my sister made her "spicy corn" dish - made two ways - with or without butter. Everyone loved the build your own taco idea and the easy dishes naturally lent themselves to more time with the family and less time in the kitchen.

My sister decided that she didn't want a cake this year. My mom wanted me to find a recipe with rhubarb that I could eat since she harvested some from her garden. After twenty minutes of surfing the internet, I only found gluten-free recipes rather than naturally gluten free options (except for the compote). Another trip to foodnetwork.com and we were eating Mexican Brownies, again from Guy Fieri. Brownies were the easiest since I was able to buy Bob's Red Mill mix and dump the bag into the bowl rather than try to measure everything out (I have a lot of dairy-free substitutions at my mom's house but not that many flour options other than white rice flour.) I did my best to combine the two recipes, always defaulting to Bob's instructions when there was a discrepancy. The required about 5-10 minutes longer than recommended and due to the liquid from the rhubarb compote, I omitted adding water. For the brownies, you could really taste the chocolate - I used Baker's chocolate - and they turned out to be very rich and decadent. We even successfully passed them off to some of my sister's friends and no one noticed that they were gfdf (made with a vegetable oil spread stick to keep it dairy free) - they just tasted different because of the extra chocolate, rhubarb, and cinnamon. This must be the way to go with gf baking! Make something so different that no one can compare it! Overall, it was a great party with lots of delicious food and company to celebrate my sister's latest trip around the sun! Happy Birthday, Valerie!

2011 Chicago Gluten and Allergen Free Expo

Delicious foods in an environment full of "yes"? Don't mind if I do!

I spent Saturday at the 2011 Gluten and Allergen Free Expo (in Lisle, a Chicago suburb). This was obviously my first gluten free expo (I am now about 10.5 months gluten free) so was excited by the classes offered in addition to the vendor fair. I chose the Essentials track and was ready for learning opportunities and taste testing to supplement all my book and blog reading about how to live a full life full of rich foods on a gluten free diet.

My morning started with a breakfast buffet and I was thrilled to try Udi's gluten free bagels for the first time! My first bagel in over a year! They were delicious - even untoasted! (I was too nervous to use the toaster that was available.) Then I went into a room full of other gluten free people and started the day.

Jasmine from my local chapter of the Gluten Intolerance Group in Chicago (meetings are the first Thursday of the month at the South Loop Whole Foods at 7:00pm) MC'd the morning's events. We started with an extremely educational and exciting presentation by physician Dr. Stephen Wangen, author of Healthier Without Wheat. I was excited to learn that he is gluten intolerant (non-Celiac)! There's more of us out there! In fact, a larger percentage of people are gluten intolerant non Celiac than are Celiac! When I first found out I was ncgi, I thought I was in the minority! Hearing Dr. Wangen speak was the missing piece from speaking to any of my doctors about being gluten intolerant. Without even having the chance to read his book, I know I am going to be highly recommending it! I can't wait to read it myself!

Perhaps my favorite part of the day was when Silvana Nardone, author of (my personal favorite cookbook) Cooking for Isiah and blogger at dishtoweldiaries spoke and baked. She made Jalapeño Popper Waffles and Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Doughnuts. Needless to say, these were my first gf doughnuts and (non-frozen) waffles. And they were delicious! Her recipes are easy to follow and have me itching to break in my waffle iron and start experimenting. The best recipes are ones that inspire you to create more and bring the recipe to new heights with different flavor combinations! Slivana said that the recipes she creates need to be these three things: fast, easy, delicious. She reminded all of us that we shouldn't stop at the first failures - there will be a lot of failures - and that we should be persistent! Where's my apron? I've got to get to work!

Next up was Anne Byrn, the Cake Doctor, who recently wrote The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten Free. She enhances box mixes and can even turn a small gf mix into a two layer cake! Quite the feat with the small boxes that are available! Anne even said that many of her recipes in this book include dairy free options as well and all the frostings can be made dairy free! She mentioned that gluten free cakes do not refrigerate well, so it is best to freeze them then when they are needed, thaw and frost. She made a Honey Bun Cake, Gluten-Free Lemon Bars and a Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting for us - all were very delicious!

Marlisa Brown, a chef, registered dietitian, and author of Gluten-Free Hassel-Free talked about the importance of whole grains in your diet. Grains and flours in plastic bags were passed around the room so we could feel and smell the different options available. She made Sun Butter Oatmeal Granola Bars and Falafel with Tahini Sauce. Both were very good and filling. After going home, I bought ingredients so I can make both of these dishes myself. I'm at my "scary skinny" point so am hoping that by adding things like bars into my diet, I can gain some weight and look healthy again. Marlisa raised a very good point - most people select the same foods over and over - just in different combinations. I'm itching to spice up my food repertoire with more whole grains now!

We then had about a two hour break for lunch and the vendor fair. Lunch was served buffet style - everything was gluten and dairy free. There were salads with plenty of toppings for personalization, chicken breasts, breaded chicken tenders, beef, and bread. The lunch was okay - the real treat was the dessert. Cheesecake and cookies! (As if I didn't already have enough sugar that morning!) The cheesecake was heavenly. I can't compare it to a traditional dairy-filled cheesecake because I never had one before! But the gfdf option was amazing!

The vendor fair was amazing! I was fortunate enough to go to a mini-version of the vendor fair with the University of Chicago Celiac Screening last fall. Otherwise I would have been so over-whelmed! There were nearly seventy vendors represented, offering tastings of their food, free sample packages, and coupons! There was information galore! Writers and bloggers had their books available for purchase! I took a picture of everything I ate and looking through the photos, it was an insane amount of food! The vendors were great and were able to quickly point me towards the options that were also dairy free. I had Magner's Irish Cider that was really tasty (I was never a beer drinker, so am excited to add a cider into my drinking varieties), Zema's Madhouse breads full of a wide variety of grains, San-J sauces and crackers, an insane amount of cookies from Kinnikinnick foods, the newest products from Enjoy Life Foods and much, much more!

After eating more than a normal week's worth of sugar in a matter of hours, it was time to head back into the conference room for even more treats! Lee Tobin, the chef and baker at the Whole Foods Bakehouse, taught us how to make Chocolate Eclairs (with Chocolate Ganache and Pastry Cream) - completely dairy free as well!!! - and gluten free fig bars. His demonstration was filled with pointers along the way, from making sure to add the eggs one at a time to emulsify fat to how to properly fill a pastry bag. I really loved that these were not traditional drop cookies - I learned techniques that would otherwise be scary to me (like piping an eclair or folding a fig bar) and made them completely accessible.

Our last presenter of the day was Beth Hillson, founder of the Gluten-Free Pantry and president of the American Celiac Disease Alliance. She reminded us that attitude is three-quarters of the battle. With substituions - anything is possible! Beth gave us loads of ideas of how to use wraps, enhance cupcakes and muffins and more! She even gave us the secret to help prevent wraps from breaking - warm them up (she used a pan) and then flip it and then (off the pan) add a moisture barrier, like cream cheese, hummus or mayo.

I had a great time at the expo and highly recommending going! It was a lot of fun and I left with a lot of resources, a full stomach, and a few new friends in the gluten free community who shared some great advice!

How Do I Cook Gluten Free For You?

Is this your first holiday being gluten free? Does someone want to cook for you but they do not know where to start? Are you looking for the right words to explain how to cook gluten free to someone who has no idea what gluten is?

I’m going to try to help! Disclaimer: I have been gluten free for just over 6 months. In that short time, I’ve explained to a lot of my friends and family how to safely prepare some delicious gluten-free foods! This is my attempt at providing some accessible tips that you can share!

How Do I Cook Gluten Free For You?

What is gluten? Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barely and rye that provides elasticity in food. Oats often make this list because they are cross-contaminated (grown in the same fields, ground on the same mills…it IS possible to find certified gluten-free oats!).

So what is off limits? Wheat, barely, rye and most oats. And anything prepared with those foods. Many processed foods in colorful packages contain gluten. Some hidden sources of gluten include beer, licorice, some broths and bouillon cubs and most popular soy sauces. Some obvious sources are pasta, bread, bagels, cookies, bread crumbs, croutons, waffles, pancakes, pretzels...

So all I have to do is read a label? Depends. Some companies are GREAT with labeling “gluten free” on the front of the packaging. Sometimes you can find the gluten-free claim next to the ingredients list. In the United States, companies are required to declare wheat as an ingredient because it is one of the eight major food allergens. Gluten is not! Some cereals, for instance, do not identify wheat in their ingredients, but they contain malt flavoring so they are not gluten free. The easiest option is to buy many whole ingredients – such as rice, fruits, vegetables, eggs, oil, and most meats. When in doubt, pick up your phone and call the phone number listed on the packaging – you can quickly get an answer from the company about whether it is gluten free or not. The representatives are knowledgeable and can answer questions about cross-contamination risks (such as if the factory lines are dusted with flour to prevent foods from sticking!). A quick internet search of the product you would like to buy and the word “gluten” will trigger a flood of responses – from bloggers raving about delicious foods to people on message boards complaining that they got sick.

Where do I find gluten free food? Some grocery stores have a section or part of an aisle with gluten free foods while others have their gluten free pasta next to their wheat pasta. Big box grocery stores like Jewel and Dominicks (Safeway) are great. Meijer and Super Target carry many products. Specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes carry the widest variety, often at the lowest prices since popularity of gluten free foods is higher. Stores like the Woodman’s (a grocery store popular in the Midwest) have half an aisle dedicated to gluten free! If you are lucky, there will be tags next to the product to catch your eye that this is a gluten free product. Whole Foods uses purple tags. Trader Joes has a gluten free (gf) symbol. Gluten free bread is often found in the freezer section. Udi’s is the best bread – just buy a loaf and defrost it on your counter overnight and it is good for a week!

Well what can you eat on a gluten-free diet? The same food as anyone else, just a few ingredients in the grains section of the food pyramid are different. There are spaghetti made with rice or corn, soy sauce without wheat (San-J is my personal favorite – they even label Gluten Free right on the front!), waffles, corn tortillas, tapioca flour rolls, bagels, pizza crusts, chocolate chip cookies and so forth! Obviously, eating lots of fresh, whole fruits and vegetables are easy choices. There are some fun gluten free foods like quinoa that are delicious and are fun and easy to make if you are feeling adventurous! The internet is full of recipe sites and food blogs offering tasty ideas from low key to gourmet.

I have no idea what to make! Just remember, you are only cooking ONE meal. It does not have to be a culinary showpiece. Keep it simple. Keep your ingredients list to a minimum. ASK lots of questions if you aren’t sure – I’ve been navigating the gluten free diet so can offer some suggestions, including preferred brands! Most restaurants offer a bowl of fruit as their gluten free dessert option.

But my recipe calls for a tablespoon of flour! You can use corn starch instead! There are some great gluten free flours out there – try substituting white rice flour. If you need more than a little bit of flour, sometimes a combination of flours will provide the right flavor profile. There are all-purpose gluten free flour mixes for sale.

Now I’m in the kitchen – what now? Cleanliness is key. Wash your hands, especially after handling any wheat products. Gluten intolerance is a parts-per-million sensitivity. A little speck of gluten can make someone sick. Everyone’s responses are different – some people are non-symptomatic Celiacs while others get sick almost instantly and need a few days to bounce back from a reaction. In the end, no amount of gluten is good for someone with gluten intolerance or Celiac disease. Make sure all your prep bowls, measuring cups, knives, and so forth that you will be using are clean. AND NO WOODEN SPOONS OR CUTTING BOARDS! Those are extremely difficult to get clean and can quickly cross-contaminate an otherwise gluten free dish. If you do not have dedicated gluten free appliances, avoid using things like a toaster, pizza stone or other stoneware, waffle maker or bread maker to make a gluten free product. If deep frying anything, make sure the oil is fresh – you don’t want specks of bread crumbs leftover in the oil coming into contact with your gluten free food! When baking foods in the oven, lay down parchment paper or aluminum foil. It will help protect food from cross contamination and make clean up a breeze! Same goes for the grill!

But I want to serve gluten too! If you’re preparing gluten free and gluten filled foods at the same time, always make the gluten free version first. (Making two types of French toast? Fully cook the gluten free version before cooking the wheat version.) Keep the food on separate plates – preferably ones that look different. If you are having trays of crackers, cheese, and fruit, be sure to lay out the other food before you touch the crackers. And no mixing gluten free crackers with their wheat filled counterparts!

Wow – there’s a lot to think about. I know. Thanks for making me a gluten free meal! I’ll help with the dishes!

P.S. Also dairy free? Instead of butter, use a vegetable oil spread or Earth Balance vegan butter. Use Crisco in cookies. Many foods can be cooked with vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil. Use rice or soy milk instead of cow’s milk. Ask a vegan what he or she uses! Many vegans have found AMAZING and creative recipes that do not use any dairy. (Okay, if you don’t know a vegan, google what you would like to make and the word vegan – the vegans even figured out how to make dairy-free fudge that is to die for!) Tofu is a popular substitute. Instead of milk chocolate, use dark chocolate. (Oh darn, you HAVE to eat super rich chocolate? Poor you.) Also, some lactose intolerant people are able to tolerate goat cheese or lactose free cheeses. This is something that is wildly different for every person – always ask first – never assume!!

Do you have more suggestions? Let's keep this list going