The chefs at the A Kitchen, two of whom are gluten-free, whipped up this nice plate of sauteed veggies for me for a work lunch last week. I had called a couple of days before after perusing the menu and not seeing anything that particularly screamed gluten-free and vegetarian. The woman on the phone gave me the "Oh yeah, there's plenty on the menu that you can eat." It wasn't true and I knew it, since I was looking at their menu online. But it was a work lunch and I had to go and I figured I'd just make them work that much harder when I arrived. Or I'd get a salad.

So I told the server when we arrived that I needed a gluten-free vegetarian dining experience. She was the one who told me that two of the chefs were gluten-free and she asked me enough questions about my needs to make me feel reassured that they knew what they were talking about and how to prepare the food. A Kitchen has an open design, so if I'd wanted to go watch the food being prepared, I could have. In the end I got a plate of sauteed veggies that they had on hand for their menu items -- carrots, mushrooms, ramps, yellow beets, broccoli rabe, and maybe some asparagus -- with a side salad. For the table we got two orders of fried potatoes, one of which we asked they make gluten-free. In all the food was fresh and delicious though not earth-shattering. My colleagues reported that the gluten and non-gluten spuds were similar in flavor, though those dusted in flour were apparently a little crunchier. Despite not being an "OMG that was the best!" sort of experience, it is so nice to have a reassuring dining experience from the server to the chef, whom I thanked for a nice gluten-free experience on my way out. I liked his answer: "My pleasure! I'm gluten-free too!" Or maybe he said, "No problem! I've got celiac too!" I can't quite recall. Whatever he said, it was just the right thing.

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I recently had a econversation with a Facebook friend and follower about slow recovery even on a gluten-free diet. I compiled a collection of other possible food sensitivities that may contribute to non-responsiveness. Since my presenting symptom was anemia which hasn’t significantly improved even though I’ve been gluten-free for nearly two years, I have done some reading and research on what else might be going on. I know that many people with celiac are dealing with multiple food
sensitivities. I’ve listed some below.

*Lactose intolerance: Excerpted from http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/symptomsofceliacdisease/a/Lactose.htm: Lactose intolerance is very common in people with celiac disease, but lactose intolerance in celiac disease often improves after patients have been on a gluten-free diet for awhile. Several studies have shown that untreated celiac patients have high rates of lactose intolerance. As their intestines heal on the gluten-free diet, however, their lactase-producing cells begin to function again and their tolerance for lactose-containing foods improves. In fact, some researchers recommend that patients who are lactose intolerant when they are first diagnosed with celiac disease should be retested for the condition after they’ve been gluten-free for a year. The gluten-free diet may have helped improve their lactase production to the point where they no longer need to avoid dairy products.

*Fructose malabsorption: Some fruits, vegetables and legumes that contain FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) could be the culprit. Here’s a very readable article about it, and what foods to avoid. http://www.celiaccentral.org/celiac-disease-in-the-news/Celiac-in-the-News/161/month--201004/search--FODMAPs/vobid--2556/

*Nightshade vegetables: Nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant) can be a problem especially for folks who had undiagnosed celiac for a long time. Here’s a blog post with an additional link for more info:
http://healthygf.blogspot.com/2010/03/trouble-with-nightshades.html This one would be a huge challenge for me, especially given all the salsa I eat!

*Lectins: There are also some indications that lectins are the problem. Lectins are proteins found in ALL foods, but more so in all grains (not just wheat), nightshades, dairy and legumes. Yikes! Here’s an article that tells more: http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html

*Coffee: Apparently there is a protein in coffee that cross-reacts with gluten: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/gluten-issues-or-celiac-dont-drink-coffee/
Crikey.

This is a lot, I know. Besides waiting and seeing how well you heal on the gf diet, it could be that the best way to proceed is to do an elimination diet. Get advise from your doctor, of course, but I like the info on Livestrong.com, so here are their suggestions: http://www.livestrong.com/article/283008-elimination-diet-instructions/ 

In my ecookbooklet and elsewhere in my blog I talk about a 14 day detox/cleanse from PEERtrainer that I thought was pretty helpful. It suggests eliminating foods that tend to create health challenges: Gluten (of course), soy, eggs, corn and peanuts. Most folks connect this sort of thing with weight loss, but I think it could also help with restoring good gut health. http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?Clk=4653136

I guess the real moral to the story is that our bodies are whole systems and that there may be no one single solution to finding our ways to optimal health. Because my numbers and my recent endoscopy and colonoscopy indicate that my GI system has healed, I don’t think my anemia situation is related to the above issues, so my investigation continues (Next stop, the gynacologist. Promises to be as much fun as the GI doc!)

Anyone out there with stories and a about slow healing even on a strict gf diet?

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Recipes for Health and Weight Loss and other updates, offerings, tips and more! (I never sell or share my mailing list.)]

My boys (not average, I've been informed, but I think typical is accurate)
recently sampled two gluten free frozen pizzas. They were nearly identical in
size -- about 10 inches across -- despite Udi's larger box. Three Bakers claimed
that their pizza was 3 servings at 250 calories each, Udi's said their pizza was
2 servings at 320 each. Either way, this is no diet food. I read ingredients
more closely at the end and discovered that Three Bakers contains gelatin,
making it not a vegetarian food, and frankly, if I had realized that at the
outset, it wouldn't have been part of the taste test. But I didn't, and I did,
and so there you have it.

While I don't want to spoil the ending on the taste test, I will say that both pizzas were way better than Amy's gf vegan pizza, whose crust was a little too thin and easy to overcook, and with the vegan cheese just not very tasty. It's not really comparing apples to apples in that case, but I think my experience with Amy's helped me decide that I'd need to relax how strict I am with cheese. Any pretty much the only dairy I eat these days is cheese on pizza, and now and then some Greek yogurt on my
brother's recommendation as a possible solution to staving off my propencity for snacking in the evening.

But I digress. On with the taste-test!

Visit the home page and sign up for the mailing list to get So What CAN You Eat? A Gluten-Free Paleo Vegan (mostly) Recipes for Health and Weight Loss and other updates, offerings, tips and more! (I never sell or share my mailing list.)

The Philadelphia Gluten-Free Potluck Meetup Group joined with the Greater Berks County Gluten Free Social and Support group (and unofficially the Gluten-free in Delaware County Meetup group, since we have three crossover members!) for lunch  at Tomato Bistro at 102 Rector Street Philadelphia's Manyunk neighborhood (19127) for pizza and fun yesterday. We had a good time as always, laughing, sharing and talking about FOOD! Thanks to Jessie and Cathy for organizing, and thanks to Cathy for always remembering to take pics (and I'm sorry I didn't remember to offer to take one with her in it again this time.)

Corley came along (he LOVES pizza), and even though he got his very own whole gluteny pie, I did ask him on camera what he thought of the gf white pizza. Short and sweet, here it is.

I enjoyed the pizza, and it was fun being with a group of gf folks so we could order a bunch of different kinds and all get to try them. The pies are decidedly gourmet. The one that I didn't try had duck on it, and we had a fig and bacon sans the bacon, a margarita pizza, a veggie pie that we made up (asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, onions and some other stuff) and a fancy white pizza. It was all very good, but I especially appeciated the care they took in preparing and serving it to avoid cross-contamination with glutenous pies. They even brought out never-been-used-before disposable pizza cutters for us to us (I brought one home, so maybe not so disposable.)  Oh, and the salad was delish!

One challenge my family has is deciding where to eat out as a family. The boys' favorite place is Olive Garden because of the endless breadsticks and salad in addition to a big serving of cheesy pasta. Olive Garden does have a gf menu, but frankly their gf vegetarian pasta options are nothing I want to spend $10 on, and so when we go there I eat copious salad with dressing on the side and wish I had better gf options. Corley allowed that Tomato Bistro would definitely be a place he would be open to going out to eat at with the family (Jules Thin Crust Pizza most definitely DID NOT get that vote -- the pizzas were too skimpy and fancy for my voracious and basic pizza eating kids), so that is truly a ringing endorsement.

A final word is that I actually like the crust at Seasons and Uno's Chicago Grill better, but family experiences at both weren't that great and they didn't get the "Best Place to Take a Mixed Gluten Requirement Family Award." I'm not sure Tomato Bistro will get that award either (eating with a family in Manyunk has challenges that are not related to Tomato Bistro at all, like crowds and parking), but it's definitely still in the running. All in all, a nice and delicious outing at a place that really knows how to take care of its celiac and gluten intolerant customers. [Oh, and Sunday Nights are Gluten Free Nights at TB -- I'll have to check it out sometime!]

Another gluten-free product review. Scott does like a nice bowl of granola, so here he samples Bakery On Main's Fiber Power granola and Udi's Original Granola. I paid about the same amount for them at Martindale's, but Udi's typically runs a bit less. Scott was definitive in his choice, but I have to admit that I disagree with him. I liked the other one MUCH BETTER. Watch and see what pleases an 8-year-old. And say hi to our dog Bugsy.

Here are two kids who know what they like and more important, what they DON'T like to eat. Watch them sample two equivalent gluten-free pastas made with jarred (but delicious) sauce plus a little sprinkle cheese. Do note that the Trader Joe's is $1.99 for a 16 oz bag, and the Bionaturae is $4.26 for a 12 oz bag. Just sayin.

[Corley agreed to participate in the video only if I gave a plug to HIS website: http://mastermagicianslearnmagic.weebly.com/magic-tricks.html He and his peeps are all about magic these days, and they've amassed quite a following in the tween set.]

[May is Celiac Awareness Month, and I’m giving away copies of my ecookbooklet: So What CAN You Eat? Gluten-free Paleo Vegan (mostly) Recipes for Health and Weight Loss, to all who join the mailing list. Visit the homepage here. 19 fast, easy recipes!]

I've been thinking about my high school math teacher a lot lately. I expect high school is difficult for everyone, or at least it feels that way. For me, my homelife challenges seemed enormous, my older brothers who had been my anchors were moving on and moving out, and I was feeling pretty alone. Because my school district was small, I had the fortune of having this gifted math teacher for 7th grade and then again for Algebra 1 (10th grade) Algebra 2 (11th grade) and some other higher math thing (Algebra 3/Trig?) for my senior year. Plus, when I dropped out of Chem 2 because of an unresolved conflict with another student, I signed up to be her teacher's aide for that open period. In addition to teaching me most of what I still know about math (I made a sine wave joke at a staff meeting at my Day Job yesterday and got good laughs from the other former math nerds in the room), I have no doubt that this wonderful woman, who took an interest in me and encouraged and supported me through some of my most difficult times, helped shape my future in astounding ways. I know I wouldn't be where I am today without her help back then. I saw her 10 years ago when I went home for my class reunion, but other than me sending her holiday cards intermittently, we haven't been in touch. She taught thousands of kids over the years and I know from my friends who were my classmates that she was very inflential in their lives also, so it's okay that we aren't penpals or anything. But when someone crosses my mind as much as she has been lately, I know I need to take some sort of action. This morning I dropped a postcard in the mail to thank her again. It made me feel good.

You have probably heard that there is some science to confirm that the practice of gratitude can boost your mood. I've known it for awhile now, but I've gotten out of the practice of it. Today I stepped back in. I invite you to do the same.

[May is Celiac Awareness Month, and I’m giving away copies of my ecookbooklet: So What CAN You Eat? Gluten-free Paleo Vegan (mostly) Recipes for Health and Weight Loss, to all who join the mailing list. Visit the homepage here. 19 fast, easy recipes!]

We had a little bit of a dust-up in the comments on my blog post Gluten-free product recommendations from an expert.
Since I was passing along the recommendations from another writer, I couldn't defend the recommendations made, which makes them no less valid but certainly tougher to discuss beyond acknowledging the differing opinions.

After GF Dougie's guest blog post about compliance challenges as a kid with celiac, I thought it would be helpful to have real live kids do short gluten-free product reviews on video. I have two kids who do not have celiac and whom do not live gluten-free, though they are very supportive of me. They bring with them to the testing a totally typical kid palate and they will be able to honestly rate whether the food really tastes good and not just "tastes good for gluten-free." The goal is to find stuff that is genuinely enjoyable, not just edible. So here is our first in a series, comparing Barbara's Puffins to EnviroKids Gorilla Munch, both comparably-priced corn-based gluten-free cold breakfast cereals. (A special thanks to my 8-year-old son Scott for giving it a whirl. My 10-year-old son Corley isn't a cereal eater, so it didn't make sense to do this review, but as we move into pizza, pasta and mac and cheese, he will definitely be part of the conversation.)

I won't spoil the result, but after the taping Scott went on to eat another bowlful of the winning cereal. I have to say I agree with his recommendation!

[May is Celiac Awareness Month, and I’m giving away copies of my ecookbooklet: So What CAN You Eat? Gluten-free Paleo Vegan (mostly) Recipes for Health and Weight Loss, to all who join the mailing list. Visit the homepage here.
19 fast, easy recipes!] 

1) I'm cooking most of my own food, so I know what goes into it

2) I'm more likely to just get a salad (with dressing on the side) when I eat at a restaurant that doesn't have a gluten-free menu, helping me meet my weight management goals

3) I can't succumb to the temptation of workplace pizza or doughnuts when they appear

4) I'm more mindful of the nutritients and calories I'm putting into my body

5) I've gotten to experiment with new foods and have found some new things to add to my list of favorites, and they are healthy (Beets! Brussels sprouts!)

6) I've befriended nutritional yeast as a replacement for some of the B vitamins I lost with enriched carbs, and I LOVE it!

7) I've come up with new ways to prepare vegetables and make them satisfying as the MAIN dish

8) I've begun using condiments in interesting ways (yellow mustard on broccoli is delicious!)

9) Nuts and beans are great protein sources, AND they make good dips, spreads and hummuses (or is that hummi?)

10) (This should be number 1!) I generally feel so much better and have so much more energy!

What gifts have you found from having to live gluten-free?

[May is Celiac Awareness Month, and I’m giving away copies of my ecookbooklet: So What CAN You Eat? Gluten-free Paleo Vegan (mostly) Recipes for Health and Weight Loss, to all who join the mailing list. Visit the homepage here. 19 fast, easy recipes!]

When I first went gluten-free, I had a little help from a friend about what to buy, but mostly I looked at the shelves and freezer cases of the gluten-free replacement products and didn’t know where to begin. Corn pasta or quinoa? Tapioca bread or some mixed grain thing? More often than not, I let a major deciding factor be that of price. I figured if I started with the least expensive and kept moving up the scale until I found something palatable, then I would eventually identify my go-to purchases. With the exception of Udi’s bagels, I had very few Eureka! moments (well, other than if you add enough milk, eggs and cinnamon to make bread pudding a girl can actually choke down a loaf of tapioca bread…). If I had to do it over again, I’d have sought out the advice from a real gluten-free foodie, bought what they buy, and just stuck with those except when feeling adventurous or wanting to try something new.

Not long ago I asked the celiac listserv for their recommendations for stuffed pastas and egg noodles and got some great suggestions. One woman who replied gave me this feedback on the new bread from Kinnikkinnick. She and her daughter, both gluten-free for more than 10 years, are passionate about food. They have done lots of product reviews and, in fact, her daughter was once gluten-free food editor for Foodista. I asked if she would share their go-to gf recommendations and she gladly put together this list, asking for no credit or attribution, but just wanting to help people navigate the world of gluten-free products for maximum enjoyment and satisfaction.  Here are her suggestions (and note her full disclosure for being a sales rep for Glutenfeeda) and also my full disclosure that I haven't tried most of these suggestions, (but I plan to!):

Hi Claire:

Here is my very short  list of the gf essentials  in our house. We are foodies and do like to cook. We are not huge bakers but do bake! And in the interest of full disclosure, while I have been a Celiac for over a decade I do work for a manufacturer as a sales rep... Glutenfreeda.

Our favorites in the pantry: pretty slim but we are foodies and this is all we truly need
* Jules Gluten Free Flour (for anything and everything using standard recipes)
* Kinnikinnick Panko Crumbs
* Pamela's Cornbread ( I use the traditional recipe but bake it in a iron skillet)
* Pamela's Pancake Mix (but generally we make crepes with corn starch or I use almond flour)
* Better Batter Brownie Mix (in a pinch but I prefer my old Ghiradelli brownie recipe using Jules Flour)
* Gluten Free Mama's Pie Crust Mix (truly fabulous)
* Better Batter Flour nice to have on hand if you make homemade egg rolls, or Fry Bread..the rice blend lends itself very well for frying
* Dakota Lakes Gourmet Coating .. just nice to have on hand . I often mix it with the Panko Crumbs for a spiced coating on chicken tenders or baked fish..

Frozen:
* Feel Good Foods Egg rolls and dumplings
* Garlic Jim's pizza when I am too lazy or in a hurry to make Pizza Dough with Jules Flour 
 
Bread and Pasta:
* Kinnickinick Buns and Bread (frozen)
* La Veneziane pastas (pantry)
* Orgran Spirals (pantry) 

We're Jewish so...
* Eena Kadeena Mock-zah Ball Mix
* Eena Kadeena Mandel Cookies 

Not marketed as gf but essential for our lifestyle (aka to busy to make from scratch):
* Cream of Buckwheat (Wolffs')
* Wolff's Kasha
* Sweet Rice Flour
* Rice flour wrappers for sushi and spring rolls
* Corn Starch for crepes (sweet and savory)
* Almond flour (mainly because I prefer almond flour pancakes)
* Lundberg's Risottos and Rice blends 

If I had kids at home still: I would probably also stock the K-Toons, or the plethora of cookies out there but now I just make up batches of my favorite recipes , roll them into balls and freeze for bake on demand.

And I do eat our oatmeal often, as well as the burritos and pizza wraps Glutenfreeda Oatmeal, Burritos, Pizza Wraps and Granola :-) 

That's it...I cannot think of one thing that I cannot make with the above on hand. I use any recipe I come across from Liebowitz's "to die for"  German Chocolate Cake to Curtis Stone's Cheese Biscuits.

So Thank you, anonymous gluten-free food aficianado for sharing your list and hopefully making life easier for others!