What do you mean you can't eat wheat???

A few years ago when my business colleague and friend, Debbie, told me she had been diagnosed with Celiac disease, I didn’t have any idea what she was talking about. What do you mean you can’t eat wheat??? No bread? No pasta? No pastries??? No way! You must be kidding!

But she wasn’t, and this was serious business. Today it almost seems fashionable to not eat wheat, but for those suffering from Celiac disease, eating foods containing gluten has serious medical consequences.

Wheat is Hidden in Many Food Products

When Debbie told me of her diagnosis, I flashed back to all the meals I had proudly served her loaded with gluten. I had been happily poisoning my friend, what a terrible thought! Although I had no way of knowing, I still felt awful.

Now that I was aware of her gluten intolerance, I had to educate myself about the disease and what foods she could and could not eat. We were soon having her and her husband for a holiday dinner, and I was determined to make her a meal that was as good as ever.

It wasn’t a simple task. Not only is gluten found in obvious foods like baked goods and pasta, it is also in foods that one would never suspect. It is hidden everywhere. As a thickener it can lurk in all kinds of processed foods. It is important to check labels very carefully.

The only places to buy gluten-free foods used to be natural food markets or online stores. Today it is much easier as most grocery stores now carry a wide variety of gluten-fee products.

I’m not an expert on gluten-free cooking and baking like the people that need to do it every day. But I have managed to serve up some pretty fine dinners for my friend, including Thanksgiving dinners complete with stuffing and pumpkin pie.

Here are some of my tips for those that occasionally need to cook for a guest that cannot tolerate gluten:

General
• It is always better to make dishes from scratch to ensure that they are gluten-free.
• Be careful of cross contamination. Make sure counters, work spaces and pots and pans are clean and free of any wheat residue. Better to use metal utensils for stirring and disposable cutting sheets for chopping. Wood and plastic can harbor hidden gluten particles. Also, toasters and toaster ovens are usually full of bread crumbs. Instead put the item to be toasted or warmed on a clean baking sheet lined with foil and use the oven.
• Also to avoid cross contamination, don't use butter, jam, mustard, mayo, etc. that has had a knife or spoon dipped in it that may have been used to spread on a wheat product.
• Buy a premixed GF flour blend. I use an Authentic Food’s GF blend and my friend uses Jules Nearly Normal GF blend, but other brands, like Bob’s Red Mill, are widely available.
• Pamela’s Products are also widely available. I like to have their Baking and Pancake Mix on hand to whip up quick biscuits or muffins.
• Look for recipes that call for 1/4 cup of flour or less. That way a GF blend can usually be substituted for the regular flour with little change in texture or taste.

Hors D’oeuvres
• For easy hors d’oeuvres serve a fruit and cheese plate with GF crackers. (Put crackers in a glass bowl instead of a wicker basket that may have had wheat crackers in it.) Edward & Sons brown rice crackers and Blue Diamond nut crackers are very tasty and are available in many grocery stores.
• Put out raw vegetables and corn or rice chips. Make your own dip (be aware, some sour creams, especially the reduced fat versions, have wheat in them).
• Serve cooked shrimp with a GF cocktail sauce.
• Add a bowl of olives or nuts, don't use the coated kinds of nuts.

Main Meal
• GF breads still aren’t the best, but Udi’s has some of the best bread choices.The sandwich bread can be ground into bread crumbs, used for canapés, used for filler in meatballs, etc. I recently used it for Gazpacho and it worked just fine. If you can find their French Baguette, you can serve it plain as you would any baguette (or you can use it in many other ways such as creating crostinis or using it to dip in a fondue).
• Rice, quinoa, polenta and potatoes are good side dishes. (Stay away from prepared rice mixes as the seasoning packets generally contain wheat.)
• Be careful when using condiments, such as soy sauce, they can be loaded with wheat. Make a simple vinaigrette rather than buying bottled salad dressing.
• Store bought broths, stocks and soups often have wheat, look for ones that say gluten-free.
• To thicken gravy or sauces, either substitute the flour with a GF blend, or mix a little cornstarch and water together, then gradually add to the simmering sauce until it reaches desired thickness.

Dessert
• Fruit, sorbets, homemade custards, crème brûlée, are good choices for dessert as they are naturally gluten-free. Accompany them with store-bought GF cookies, which are readily available.
• When making pies, use gluten-free cookie, graham cracker or nut crusts. I used Pamela’s GF gingersnaps in the crust for my Thanksgiving pumpkin chiffon pie. Just the other day I used Dr. Schar’s GF shortbread cookies for a berry pie crust, and have previously used coconut macaroons as well.
• There is always the standby, flourless chocolate cake.

I know this is a long list of things to look out for, but don’t be intimidated, just be aware of all the hidden gluten in foods and around the kitchen. There is no need to be fancy, friends aren’t looking for a gourmet feast, they just want to enjoy a meal without the worry of getting sick. And they will very much appreciate the effort.