Tag Archives: Gluten-free diet

Going to Someone Else’s Thanksgiving While Gluten-Free

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there is more to thanksgiving than food

Are there any holidays more centered around food than Thanksgiving in America? Every holiday seems to have some sort of traditional food associated with it, but we all know Thanksgiving is all about the feast. Having a disease that is controlled solely by limiting the consumption of certain foods can make Thanksgiving pretty difficult to fully enjoy. It doesn’t help that a lot of traditional Thanksgiving dishes (stuffing, gravy, pie…) are made with wheat. There are a lot of really great recipes out there for gluten-free Thanksgiving dishes, but those only really solve the problem for gluten-intolerant folks if they are hosting the dinner or are somehow willing/able to cook the entire meal themselves. As a twenty-something with family in the area, I have so far only been a guest to Thanksgiving meals. In light of this, I think I am fairly qualified to offer some advice to those of us who are not cooking Thanksgiving dinner, but still would like to enjoy the holiday.

Try to lose the attachment to the food part of Thanksgiving. I don’t want to delve into a lot of boring thankfulness clichés, but there is more to Thanksgiving than just the food. Yes, people can go on and on about what they are most excited to eat, how they are fasting and exercising in anticipation of the meal, pinning or compiling recipes, and even making timelines (that start three weeks ahead of time!) to make sure all of that food gets cooked. That is a lot of frenzy. And it is easy to get caught up in it. But what about hanging out with the younger kids, if there are any, at your party? Or catching up with relatives? Maybe your group goes for a fall walk or plays football or makes some sort of craft? If you don’t, maybe this could be the year that you start a non food-centric tradition?

Bring something. I have made gluten-free pumpkin pie and brought it to a Thanksgiving before. This might be tacky, but I’ve also brought my own gluten-free gravy. I would check with your host first to make sure they are okay with it, but most likely they will be glad of it. Especially because they may already be feeling guilty about the lack of gluten-free options for you and others at their party. If money is an issue, vegetable sides are usually pretty cheap to make. Try to bring something that requires minimal additional preparation or can be covered while it is heating, because space in the kitchen will probably be limited, and also there will likely be lots of gluten flying around that you wouldn’t want to end up in your food.

If it’s appropriate, ask your host about what ingredients are in certain dishes. This one is a little touchy, because you don’t want your host to feel like you are guilt-tripping them for not feeding you. But if there is a quiet moment, ask them nicely if they would mind telling you the ingredients of a few things that you think have a good shot at being gluten-free. Remember though, that they are not running a dedicated kitchen and so will likely not be paying attention to cross-contamination from spoons, sieves, drips, or splashes.

And try to remember:

Thanksgiving is not the only day of the year for eating. The thing is, there is no sort of magical cooking force-field around this day that only allows certain foods to be prepared on it. If you are really, really sad about missing out on one of your favorite foods at Thanksgiving, you can make you own gluten-free version of it the next day.

Happy celebrating!

Quick and Easy Gluten-Free Dining // Chipotle

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I have a new job. Well, I suppose it isn’t all that new since I just had my 3-month review (I did quite well, thank you :) ). But during this little new phase I have had to find new emergency options (ok, they maybe are also kind of treat options for bad or stressful days too) near my new work location. Thus far, one of my favorite options is the local Chipotle. They explain what may and may not be problematic for gluten-free people here, on their website. From what I gather it may be wise to ask your server to change their gloves. I think this may be especially important given that I have seen many workers there reach for the “default” option of a flour tortilla before taking an order. Far be it from me to ever criticize someone for efficiency, and in their position, I would likely be making the exact same motion,  but in the gluten-free world we have to watch out for these poor efficiency mavens, and correct their course in a friendly manner before the rest of the workday is ruined by digestive travails.

I think at this point I should mention that large, wheat-filled tortillas are dragged down the counter, not entirely shielded from contact from the food grade plastic and stainless steel by the aluminum foil that will eventually entomb their delicious burritos.  I feel pretty safe with my standard burrito bowl option, the cardboard boat-like structure safely sailing my meal past any visible contaminants.

But on to favorites. This is what I typically order:

A burrito bowl, with white rice, pinto beans, chicken, all three salsas and hot sauces, sour cream, no cheese, and sometimes lettuce. Also, there is a “secret” item here (sort of in the manner of the “short” drink size at Starbucks ; readily available at all of then but never on a menu…), the “kid’s chip.” It is this perfect little serving size of chips that comes in a cute little bag, and it isn’t on the “adult” menu.

I get all three hot sauces/salsa in an effort to get more vegetables and spice in!

Happy Dining!

Ruebens the Right (and Gluten-Free!) Way

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Sometimes it is really fun to spend a lot of effort making a fancy version of something that is usually very simple. That is what I decided to do after I saw this at my local PCC:

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ImageGluten-free bread that tastes like rye bread, made by Wheatless in Seattle! I immediately hatched a plan to make elaborate Ruebens. I needed a real slab of corned beef:

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That beauty needed to be cooked, covered and surrounded by water in the oven, for about 2 1/2 hours. While it was cooking I sauteed Sauerkraut to dry it out, and I sliced some Swiss cheese. I also picked up some Thousand Island dressing by Annie’s.

ImageI of course buttered the bread slices before making them into sandwiches to get that lovely golden color when they cooked. Also, only in the past few years have I made sure to always use softened butter for this sort of thing. Life is too short to try to spread cold, hard butter (Especially since many gluten-free breads are more crumbly that their gluten-containing counterparts)! And, of course, a fancy sandwich is only complete with a big, crunchy pickle spear. I made these pickles myself (so of course they were a little spicy and garlicky)! Image

ImageOh man these turned out well. The “rye” bread had that distinctive slightly sour, dill-esque taste that adds a little kick to a Rueben, and it had very good texture as well. Unfortunately, the price is a little high for my budget, so I don’t think I will be making this bread a regular part of my menus, but it was fun to put so much effort into a simple sandwich!

Manini’s Gluten-Free Pasta Review

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manini's gluten-fre pasta with pesto and sundried tomatoes

The boyfriend and I were craving pasta somethin’ fierce the other day, so we headed over to the trusty local Central Market to find some things to throw together in a carb-y pile of delicious. We were so pleasantly surprised to see Manini’s Gluten-Free pasta in the refrigerated gourmet Italian section! Apparently we really are lucky, as their website states that their fresh line of pasta is only available in select grocery stores in the Northwest at this time. Sometimes (OK, usually) I really do love living here!

manini's gluten-free pasta in container

There were several flavors available, such as lemon-thyme, or the roasted garlic that we decided to try. There were also little flat squares for making homemade ravioli, lasagna noodles, spaghetti, and tri-colored rigatoni.

We got some pesto and sun-dried tomatoes from the olive bar section (Central Market really is an awesome grocery store), grabbed a good-looking (on sale, of course) bottle of wine, some cured meat and cheeses from the cuttings basket, and hurried home to toss together our Italian Feast.

This pasta cooks really fast. I kept checking it to make sure I didn’t over-cook it. The package said to cook it for about three minutes in salted water with olive oil in it. I think I cooked it for about 4 minutes, but I think I like my pasta a bit more cooked than most people do. While the water was coming to a boil, I arranged the cheese and meat (coppa, my favorite!) on a plate. While pasta was boiling, I warmed the pesto and sun-dried tomatoes in a little pan. Then, I drained the pasta, tossed the sauce in, then put it on two plates and crushed some black pepper and scattered some crushed red pepper over the tops. A basil leaf garnish, and we were ready for some back deck fine dining!

This pasta has that delicious, fresh home-made pasta texture that I remember my parents making with one of those pasta cranks that seemed to be really popular in the nineties (any one else know what I’m talking about? I used to love turning that thing for them when I was little!). It really elevated the sauce to something special. I don’t think I would choose the roasted garlic flavor again for pesto, though. It made the overall taste thick and heavy, and it was a bit of a relief whenever I came across a sun-dried tomato. I would certainly use this pasta again, but with a light, chunky tomato or marinara-style sauce. All told, this meal took a maximum of fifteen minutes to make, and it was SO tasty. Of course, eating outside makes everything taste better!

Happy Eating!

Are Oats Gluten-Free? The Oat Dilemma for Celiacs

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are oats gluten free?

There still seems to be some confusion swirling around regarding whether or not oats are gluten-free. Hopefully this summary of what I have learned over the years will prove helpful for those of you trying to figure this sometimes confusing world of gluten out!

The short answer:

Oats are gluten-free.  In their natural form, they do not contain the protein that harms people with celiac disease and is present in wheat, barley, and rye.

The long answer….

Oats that are not grown in a dedicated field, and processed in a dedicated facility, cannot at this time be considered gluten-free. Crop rotation (4th grade history, anyone?) is said to have been invented/advocated by the first US president George Washington (although it looks like the ancient Romans, as well as some Asian culture came up with it first. For more details, here is a nice Wikipedia article). In general, this is a very good practice, as it prevents the soil in the fields from being stripped entirely of nutrients, and allows for more plentiful harvests. For those of us who are sensitive to gluten, however, this practice has allowed the dreaded “contamination” to infiltrate almost every single batch of oats grown and harvested, as the fields are often alternated between wheat and oats. There is no way to ensure that a few “volunteer” wheat plants don’t pop up during the oat rotation, and make their way into the harvest, and thus into our stomachs.

As if that weren’t enough, oats are also usually processed in the same plants that wheat (aka flour) is processed in. This means that there is a lovely flour/gluten coating on all of the machinery that makes oats and other grains fit to eat (for the rest of the population, anyway).

All that being said, there are some brands of oat growers/processors that grow their crops in dedicated fields, and process them in a dedicated facility. Bob’s Red Mill and Trader Joe’s, are some examples.

BUT….

There are a very few Celiacs (my little sister included) who are quite allergic to oats, regardless of their gluten status. This is thanks to a protein called Avenin, which in some celiacs mimics the effects of gluten. See this article and this article for some of the super geeky science-y details. I will warn you though, the sample sizes in these studies are quite small, which affects how valid the results of a study are.

So, as you can see, the issue is still a little convoluted. From personal experience, I can tell you that I eat certified gluten-free oats without any problems, as can other Celiacs that I know. My sister, however, cannot, and from my research, I have found that she is not alone.

Seattle Sans Gluten // Borsalino’s Pizza and Pasta

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Borsalino’s is my current favorite place to get gluten-free pizza. They are located right after (or before, I suppose, depending on which way you are going) the University Bridge. They also deliver! They have an extensive gluten-free menu that includes pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and garlic bread. The gluten-free items do cost a little bit more than their gluten-containing counterparts, so be prepared to pay a little extra. The boyfriend and I have been trying to branch out, but we can’t seem to help getting Greek gyro meat on our pizza (the Zorba is fantastic, and it comes with tzaziki sauce!) The gluten-free pizza crust is a bit sweeter than glutenous crust, but the texture is really good. This place has the feel of a classic American pizza place, right down to the fake grape vines and brick walls. That’s a bit of a rarity in Seattle!

Gluten-free garlic bread

Gluten-free pizza crust close-up!

So nice to go out for a gluten-free pizza!

Happy dining!

Gluten Free Dining // PF Chang’s updated Menu

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If you follow me on twitter or Facebook, you probably know I’ve been kind of freaking out over the new additions to the gluten-free menu at PF Chang’s. They’ve added seven (seven!) new items to the gluten-free menu. Some are old classics that they brought back, and some are totally new! Here are some pictures from my first go-round with the new menu:

A lot more options on the menu!

The Dali Chicken. This was (and is) my favorite dish here. I’m so glad they brought it back, and it’s gluten-free! This is probably their spiciest dish, even without adding chili paste and oil. Again, I’m a fiend for spiciness but if you aren’t, consider yourself warned!

This is the crab fried rice. It has non-typical fried rice ingredients in it, such as asparagus and bacon. This was ok, but I don’t think I’ll be ordering it again. It’s just a bit plain for my taste.

There were some other, more salad-y items in addition to the other new entrees, but the boyfriend and I just couldn’t bring ourselves t make a trip to P.F. Chang’s without getting lettuce wraps!

These guys already had a great gluten-free menu and service for those who can’t eat gluten, and now we have even more choices there! Thank you, PF Chang’s!

Seattle Sans Gluten // Blue Moon Burgers

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One of my new (to me) favorite fast, cheap, and extremely delicious restaurants is Blue Moon Burgers. They have a thorough, easy to understand gluten free menu; I did not feel the lack of gluten at all.

Eeeee!

Waiting. That’s New Grist Beer in the background.

Gluten-free onion rings.

Fries, made in a dedicated, gluten-free fryer.

The Blue Bayou. The blue cheese is pretty intense!

The gluten-free buns are really tasty. I mean, look at it!

The El Diablo Azul. You have to substitute fresh jalapenos for the jalapeno bottle caps for this to be gluten-free, in addition to the gluten-free bun. This one is pretty spicy (which, of course, I loved), so only order it if you are ready for some heat!

The person who helped us at the counter informed us that they use only one spatula for their Blue Moon Sauce, so we ordered our sauce on the side (they put uncontaminated sauce in containers for their gluten-free customers).

Really and truly, this place (we went to the Fremont location) was absolutely fantastic. The buns (From Jensen’s Bakery- nice work, guys!) were soft and chewy, the patties nice and lean and perfectly cooked, and the toppings were flavorful and fresh. The onion rings were perfect. Crispy and crunchy on the outside (I think they use crushed up Chex), and nicely cooked, sweet onions on the inside. The person at the counter who helped us was very knowledgeable about their gluten-free options, so I wasn’t worried at all about contamination. I will be making this a regular stop throughout the summer. Something about warmer weather just makes me crave all-american food, and this place does it right!

Happy dining!

Cheesefest! or, Washington Artisan Cheesemakers Festival

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Image from their Facebook page here.

I am going to Cheesefest in Seattle on Saturday! I am SO excited. There will be a whole gaggle of local cheesemakers there, as well as local cider and wine (beer, too, but obviously that is not of much interest to me!)

I am going to bring these crackers with me, because cheese is often served with crackers, flatbread, or bread, and it is unlikely that it will be gluten-free (also, I find it wise to have some sort of starch on hand when alcohol is present). I’ll put them in an easily accessible container so I’m not conspicuously getting out a giant box of crackers all the time. And if a particular cheesemaker is serving their cheese samples without any bread at all, I’ll just eat it the way they served it. I want to respect their vision for their cheese! And one more thing: if there is a cheese that is being dipped/cut into and then spread onto bread or crackers, I will stay away! Or, if they aren’t too busy, I will explain my intolerance and (nicely!) ask if they have a fresh one that hasn’t been opened or contaminated yet.

Can you tell I love cheese? Because I do. Hope to see you there (tickets are going fast!) and watch out for my recap!