Teaching the Next Generation of Gluten Free Chefs

The Gluten Free Guide recently posted an interview with Chef Richard Coppedge of the Culinary Institute of America. He teaches classes in gluten-free baking to both chefs-in-training and lay people, and is considered a leader, innovator, and inspiration in gluten-free baking by many. Here is an excerpt:

How did you become interested in adapting your gourmet recipes to be gluten-free?
I was teaching in the pastry program and there was a curriculum change. One of the classes included lessons on gluten-free baking. I did some research on the topic and asked many questions of various people. One thing led to another. Before I knew it, I was meeting Bob and Ruth of Bob and Ruth's Gluten-Free Dining and Travel Club, and doing demonstrations and tastings for the many patrons of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

What kind of training does a CIA student receive with regard to gluten-free baking?
Every student takes a class on advanced baking principles. Students learned about celiac disease and how to adapt recipes to be gluten-free. At the end of the semester, they produced nine different gluten-free products and discuss with their peers what they did and how they did it. Celiac disease is also discussed in nutrition classes but only in terms of presenting the dietary restrictions and not in a hands-on kind of way.

Please tell us about your students in your Saturday gluten-free baking classes for nonprofessionals.
I offer three different basic gluten-free baking classes and they are always sold out. I have also offered a gluten-free holiday baking class and next fall...(more)

For more of the interview visit: The Gluten Free Guide to NY

Gluten Free Oats

There is continuing debate about oats and whether or not they should be included in the definition of gluten. As of now, there is no consensus amongst the leading health agencies and institutions on whether oats should be excluded from a gluten-intolerant person’s diet. Much research suggests that up to 50 grams of oats per day can be tolerated by people with Celiac or gluten intolerance. So, one argument is that including oats in the gluten definition would deprive people of products that contain oats and no other source of gluten. The flip side is that if oats are not included in the definition, people who cannot tolerate 50 grams of oats per day risk contamination by ingesting a product that is “gluten free”.

Oats themselves do not contain gluten, but the manufacturing process normally exposes them to it as they usually share manufacturing facilities with other grains such as wheat and rye. Thankfully, several companies have now started to successfully produce gluten free oats. Gluten Free Oats (www.glutenfreeoats.com) and Bob’s Red Mill (Bobsredmill.com) are two of those companies.

Here is a delicious gluten free recipe for Oatmeal Chip Cookies:
• Heat oven to 450.
• In food processor, mix 1 egg, 4 T melted butter or oil (Peanut oil, Almond oil or Walnut oil work well,) 3/4 c brown sugar, 1 T. GF vanilla, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp allspice
• Add and mix 1 ½ c GF oats, ½ c rice flour, 1 full tsp baking powder
• Add and mix to your taste ½ c (or more) chocolate chips, ½ c raisins, ½ c chopped walnuts
• Place heaping teaspoons of cookie dough on greased cookie sheet. You will have about 24 cookies
• Bake 350 degrees for 11 – 15 minutes. Check cookie color and smell after 11 minutes, and increase time as needed.

Enjoy from GFDelights.com!

FALCPA and Gluten: How Labeling Laws Effect You

FALCPA, the Food Allergy Labeling Consumer Protection Act was passed in 2004 and went into effect on January 1, 2006. It requires that companies list any and all of the eight top food allergens present in each of its products in clear language in the ingredients section of the product’s label. The eight allergens are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and soy. Wheat makes up a large portion of the gluten in gluten-containing foods, but unfortunately, under FALCPA, rye and barley (and sometimes oats), which are the other gluten-containing grains, do not have to be disclosed. So, while FALCPA certainly helps those with Celiac disease and gluten allergies in determining which products to avoid based on the presence of wheat, there is still no such assistance for products that contain barley or rye or ingredients derived from these two grains.

In response to FALCPA, the FDA has been working on a definition of “gluten” and regulations that will dictate a company’s right to voluntarily label their products “gluten free.” A summary of the key points of the current proposal can be read here. The full proposal can be read here and a final ruling is required this coming August; so stay tuned. The ongoing discussion is very detailed and would be impossible to layout in a concise blog posting, so I just want to discuss a few concerns I have after reading through the very dense proposal.

First, according to the current proposal, the FDA is considering allowing companies to voluntarily label any product that contains fewer than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten “gluten free.” This will certainly help gluten intolerant shoppers in determining which products have little to no gluten, but what about those people who cannot tolerate even 19 ppm of gluten? Another concern is that someone consuming several products in the course of a day, week, or month containing fewer than 20 ppm of gluten could inadvertently accumulate a substantial (and harmful) amount of ingested gluten and therefore experience adverse effects. By the way, 20 ppm has been chosen because that is the minimum level at which the FDA believes gluten can be consistently and accurately detected by current analytic processes.

Second, the FDA is debating whether or not to allow companies to label naturally gluten free foods such as rice “gluten free” by including a label that says “All rice is gluten free” (so as not to mislead consumers to believe that rice Brand X is gluten free while rice Brand Y is not, simply because Brand X chose to include the “gluten free” labeling, while Brand Y did not). But, with this labeling, what if rice Brand Z’s processing plant is a not a gluten free dedicated facility? This labeling seems dangerous because a consumer may now incorrectly assume, based on the FDA’s labeling laws, that all rice is gluten free, while in reality the production process of each brand may not uphold the gluten free integrity of the product.

For a continuing discussion on gluten labeling laws, check GFDelights.com frequently. We will update you with any new regulations as they are enacted.

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Gluten Free Ice Cream!

I don’t know about you, but once it gets warm out (to be honest, I should say, once it’s above freezing) I have a hard time getting through a week without some ice cream. Ice cream is one of my favorites and with Spring only a couple weeks away, I’m already looking forward to lots of ice cream eating, right through till it gets cold again next fall (who am I kidding, I eat ice cream year round). Alright, you caught me. I’m trying to use the arrival of Spring to justify writing about ice cream, but I’m actually eating a bowl right now and the temperature outside is in the low 30s. I just want to write about ice cream because it tastes SO GOOD!

The good news about ice cream is that many brands, such as Ben and Jerry’s, say their flavors are wheat and gluten free, except for those containing obvious gluten sources. So, Chocolate Fudge Brownie is not ok, but plain Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Coffee are! Most of the companies I contacted were very helpful in providing me with the names of their gluten free flavors, so calling one up to inquire about a new flavor in your market’s freezer should prove fruitful for you too. There are lots of gluten free ice cream flavors out there—too many, in fact, to list here (isn’t that great news?).

Here are some flavors in which you can safely indulge: Haagen Dazs’ Vanilla, Coffee, Strawberry, Extraas™ Rocky Road and their Banana Strawberry Frozen Yogourt Bar are gluten free. Edy’s Grand Fruit Bars, Butter Pecan, Cherry Vanilla, Chocolate, French Vanilla and Neopolitan and Edy’s Slow Churned Butter Pecan, Caramel Delight, Fudge Tracks, Mocha Almond Fudge and Vanilla Bean are all gluten free. Turkey Hill’s Banana Split, Butter Pecan, Chocolate Marshmallow, Rum Raisin and a host of others are gluten free. Starbucks’ Coffee flavor is gluten free, as are Java Chip Low Fat Latte and White Chocolate. Dove Ice Cream, with the exception of Chocolate Chip Brownie Affair is ok!



So what about toppings for your frozen delight? Fruit and nuts are always safe and Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips are ok, but their white chocolate chips are not. Delicious Organics makes gluten free caramel and raspberry syrups as well as gluten free chocolate and rainbow sprinkles. You can order some here. Barkat also makes a delicious gluten free cone that passed a taste test by the pickiest of ice cream connoisseurs—kids (meaning they didn’t pause for a second while devouring their cones to question whether they were anything but standard ice cream cones)! So stock up online for those spring and summer birthday parties and barbeques! Happy ice cream eating from GFDelights.com!

Gluten Free Valentines

Valentine’s Day is one of the sweetest of the year and thankfully there are plenty of gluten and wheat free goodies and recipes so that those of us stricken by Cupid and Celiac can enjoy the day. Classics like Hershey’s Kisses, Necco’s Conversation Hearts and M&Ms are confirmed gluten free. Check out this list of gluten free candies and be sure to double-check with the manufacturer before indulging your sweet tooth or giving a gift to your valentine. In addition to lots of sweets, there are some cute non-edible gluten free gifts here.

The recipe below is from a Celiac listserve. Look how beautiful the cookies turn out; what a romantic and delicious gift! Visit GFDelights.com to find a restaurant where you and your sweetheart can enjoy a stress-free gluten free Valentine’s dinner! From all of us at GFDelights.com, Happy Valentine’s Day!



In an electric mixer, beat 1/3 cup unsalted, softened butter, softened and 4-oz. Philadelphia cream cheese together until fluffy.
Whisk together 2 cups Beth’s All-Purpose Flour (Gluten Free Pantry), 1 cup sugar, ½ teaspoon Rumford baking powder, and ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel. Beat 1 cup of flour mixture into butter mixture.
Add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Beat in remaining 1 cup of flour mixture.
Cover and chill dough for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375° degrees.
Divide dough in half. On a well-floured (rice flour) surface, roll half the dough at a time to ¼ inch thick – or thinner (keep remaining dough refrigerated).
Using a 2 ½ inch cookie cutter, cut dough into circles. Using a small heart-shaped cutter, cut out centers from half of the cookies. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Do not overbake. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on cutout cookies. Spread 1 teaspoon raspberry jam on each of the solid cookies; top each one with a cutout cookie.

A Gluten Free Super Bowl

Super Bowl Sunday 2008: New York Giants v New England Patriots, obscenely overpriced commercials, pizza and beer! It’s not a holy day, but it sure is a fun one if gathering with friends on the couch and watching football all afternoon is your thing. If you’re throwing a Super Bowl party, attending one or just watching the game with friends or family, chances are there will be pizza, beer and snacks on the menu. Throwing the party gives you complete control over what is served, but if you’re going to a party, offer to bring along some gluten free options so that you’re not left out of the festivities. Here are some simple ideas and easy recipes for enjoying the day gluten free.

If the party’s at your place, consider making your own pizza instead of ordering it from the local pizzeria. Not only will your pizzas be delicious, healthy and wheat-free, but you’ll also be avoiding pizzerias on their busiest day of the year. No ordering days in advance, no lost or incorrect orders and no late deliveries of cold pizza whose cheese is stuck to the box instead of the pizza.

If you’ve never made pizza before, don’t worry...it’s really quite easy! Pick up some frozen gluten free pizza dough from the supermarket. Whole Foods carries several brands, including Amy’s Kitchen (which is delicious) and Ener-G-Foods. Amy’s Kitchen also makes some great gluten free tomato sauces and Simply Natural’s Organic Tomato and Basil Sauce is fantastic and gluten free. You can also make a simple marinara sauce at home:

• Add a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 1-2 cloves of minced garlic to a saucepan over medium heat
• Once the garlic turns golden brown, add a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• Once heated, add about 10 fresh, torn basil leaves, a couple stems-worth of fresh, chopped oregano leaves and, a handful of fresh, chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper
• Adjust heat to low and simmer

Stick the rolled out dough in the oven for a few minutes to allow it to crisp and remove it just as it starts to brown. Spoon your sauce onto the rolled out dough, add some gluten free cheese like Sargento’s Mozzarella and Provolone blend, top with your favorite toppings and follow the frozen dough’s instructions for cooking time and temperature.

If you’re attending a party, a more portable option is to make mini pizzas on gluten free pita bread. Cut a slit in the pitas to prevent them from puffing up, toast them lightly, cover with sauce, cheese and toppings and bake at about 200 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Make several with different toppings, cut them up and bring as an appetizer (if you don’t think there will be other food options available to you, bring another pita pizza for yourself as a meal).

Once the pizza’s been enjoyed, bring out some baked, not fried, buffalo wings. Try this delicious recipe:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake 20 chicken wings for 45 minutes, or until fully cooked and crispy.
• Mix 1/3 c melted butter, 1 (12 oz) bottle of Franks Red Hot, 1 (8 oz) can of crushed tomatoes, 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder and 4 dashes of cayenne pepper in a pot and boil over medium temperature for 5 minutes.
• Dip cooked wings in sauce and coat well. Place coated wings on broiler pan and bake 10 minutes, then dip again in sauce and bake another 10 minutes.

After the pizza and wings, set out bowls of gluten free snacks to munch on during the game. I just tried Riceworks’ Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps which are very tasty, come in several flavors including Wasabi and Sweet Chili and are wheat free, gluten free and Celiac friendly. Your go-to gluten free corn chips, salsa and guacamole will be crowd-pleasers as well. Making your own guacamole is a simple and beautiful dish to bring to a party:

• Chop up 4 avocados, 2 plum tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 shallot and ½ a jalapeno (increase or decrease according to your guests spice tolerance) in a bowl
• Add salt and pepper to taste and the juice of about half a lime and stir
• Refrigerate for a couple of hours so the flavors blend

Lastly, throw together a trail mix of nuts, raisins, a crunchy gluten free cereal and a little brown sugar. Put out this sweet munchy mix as a healthier dessert after the pizza and chips have been devoured.

As for alcoholic beverages, gluten free beer is pricey so hopefully there are only a few beer drinkers with a gluten intolerance at your party. If you’re attending a party, bring a 6-pack for yourself so you can indulge like a true football fan. Below are some gluten free beers. The links I’ve included list retailers where you can purchase the products. You can order online at some sites, although not in time for the Super Bowl.

Ramapo Valley Brewery: Passover Honey Beer
http://www.ramapovalleybrewery.com/outlets.htm

Lake Front: New Grist
http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/national_locations.html

This last one is not yet available in the US, but for you Canadian Super Bowl viewers, I’ve tried Fort Garry Brewing’s Nubru, a new gluten-free beer that is pretty good. It’s available in Winnipeg liquor stores and is slowly widening in distribution. A six-pack costs $17.60 CAD (I told you it was pricey!)

4 Ingredients for an Easy Gluten Free Super Bowl Party

• Homemade pizza
• Baked, not fried, buffalo wings
• GF chips and salsa and homemade guacamole
• Sweet dessert munchy mix
• GF beer

GFDelights.com hopes these ideas make your Super Bowl Sunday a fun one! And keep them in mind for any future parties you throw or attend...it’s really quite easy to entertain gluten free!

Living Easy Gluten Free

Welcome to Living Easy Gluten Free, GFDelights.com’s blog! While the focus of GFDelights.com is providing centralized, easy access to gluten free accommodating restaurants and their menus, this blog’s purpose is to discuss all aspects of living gluten free. Going out to dinner or attending a friend’s party—these are commonplace events that may at first seem unblog-worthy. But those of us who have had to adjust or completely reinvent our everyday routines on account of a gluten allergy or Celiac diagnosis know that what were once stress-free activities now have the potential to be anything but.

Every week we’ll be looking at another aspect of life from the gluten free perspective. Whether it’s dining out, travel, health and beauty, social events, or gluten free current events, we’re here to share what we’ve learned from our experiences in the hope that we can make your gluten free lifestyle more enjoyable. If you’ve been recently diagnosed and don’t know where to start, or if you’re a seasoned pro and are just looking for a few tips, let us help you live easy gluten free!

Let’s start with the most basic of weekly activities: going out to dinner. Most people love eating out; it’s fun, it’s easier than cooking...or is it?!? Unfortunately, for those of us who have to worry about ingesting gluten, dining out can be anything but fun and easy. Sometimes waiters think they know what gluten intolerance is and try their best to help, but in reality their understanding is limited and the consequences of eating hidden ingredients that contain gluten can be disastrous. Then there are servers who don’t appear to care enough, resulting in having to send back your meal time and again, which can be frustrating and embarrassing, not to mention unappetizing. Too often what starts off as a promising night on the town ends with a gluten intolerant diner who is aggravated and hungry and in the worst case, ill.

I’ve painted a rather bleak picture, but the good news is that with some planning and practice, the above situation can usually be avoided. First, if this isn’t a spontaneous event and you have the opportunity to call the restaurant ahead of time, do so. After making your reservation, ask to speak with the manager and explain your dietary needs in detail, using your gluten free restaurant card as a guide. Ask for a list of specific ingredients in any dishes you’re considering (if you have internet access to the menu, for instance) and inquire whether the chef has experience cooking for gluten intolerant diners. Ask that a note be included with your reservation if the same manager will not be present when you arrive. Calling ahead of time will answer your questions and alleviate the stress of having to explain your dietary restrictions in what can be a dark, loud and rushed atmosphere. By calling ahead, you are also giving the manager, the chef and the wait staff (if the manager is particularly vigilant) the opportunity to prepare—a generous gift in the often unpredictable and frenzied restaurant industry. Know that if you are able to call between the lunch and dinner rushes, you will have a much more relaxed and attentive listener.

When you arrive, ask to speak with the manager, announce yourself to him or her and request that they communicate the details of your earlier discussion to your server (always have your gluten free restaurant card on hand to clear up any confusion). In doing so, you now have a waiter who has been briefed on your situation so that you have less explaining to do and more time to enjoy yourself. Moreover, your server is more likely to pay attention to detail and make a strong effort to succeed when getting instructions from their boss versus from you. You also have made an ally in management to assist with any problems that may arise that evening and with whom to touch base before or during any future visits. Be sure to always thank the wait staff and manager at the end of your meal if he or she was particularly helpful. Showing your appreciation can go a long way in securing future cooperation and hassle-free dining. Following this simple advice is a great way to establish a network of local places where you can dine with confidence and in comfort. The more you prepare ahead of time, the more enjoyable your experience should be and as you frequent particular spots, the more effortless the process should become for both you and the establishments.

Don’t be afraid of taking such an assertive approach. You may feel uncomfortable at the prospect of being a “fussy” customer, but doing so will benefit both you and the restaurant. Not only will you have a pleasant, healthy dining experience and be able to enjoy time with family and friends outside the confines of your gluten free kitchen, but the restaurant will also profit from having you as a satisfied customer. When a restaurant does an excellent job accommodating you, you will tell your friends, email a gluten intolerance listserv and maybe even blog about it, increasing the restaurant’s business and helping anyone in search of a non home-cooked gluten free meal. Feel free to add your reviews to the restaurant profiles on GFDelights.com’s list of gluten free accommodating restaurants. If you’ve discovered a place that’s not yet on our list, send us an email and we’ll add it!

6 Tips for an Easy Gluten Free Night on the Town

• Call ahead
• Bring your gluten free restaurant card
• Announce yourself to the manager upon arrival
• Have the manager speak directly to your server about your gluten intolerance
• Thank members of the staff who were particularly accommodating
• Spread the word! Tell your friends and GFDelights.com about your find.

We hope you’ll visit again for more tips on Living Easy Gluten Free!