Some great news from Wildfire in Chicago via The Chicago Tribune.

Chicago and suburban locations of Wildfire restaurant are teaming with the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center to present a series of gluten-free wine dinners this week.

Every evening from Nov. 8 through 12, Wildfire restaurants will feature a four-course, four-wine dinner composed of gluten-free ingredients.

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Below is a fantastic article that is being re-posted in its entirety with permission from Amy Leger of The Savvy Celiac. It’s a very timely list of questions and tips for non-celiacs to think about before attempting to prepare a gluten-free meal for their guests or family members with celiac disease. Thank you for a great post Amy!

Well whether we like it or not, the holidays really are upon us. Many of us are already thinking about Thanksgiving dinner — some may be contently planning knowing they’ll be cooking their own gluten-free dinner, while others may be “white knuckling” it until Thanksgiving, worried they’ll get glutened by a well-meaning friend, family member or co-worker. I, myself do not have celiac disease, although my daughter and brother do, and my dad eats gluten -free, and when I attended the General Mills blogger summit this week, I was really struck by a common word people were using: fear. Fearful to get glutened, fearful (in some cases) to allow others to cook for them, fearful (in some cases) about being impolite and speaking up if they can’t eat something. It’s one thing to avoid a food because you’re on a diet for weight loss, it’s another thing to be scared of eating anything from a spread that could have a hidden “landmine” of gluten.

This post is for the people who want to cook for celiacs and the celiacs who want to drop them a casual hint :)

I have complied a list of things for these well-meaning family and friends to consider when offering to cook gluten-free for a person who has celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

1. If you don’t understand it, please don’t do it. We are okay with it!
   It took many of us months and years to understand the gluten-free diet, cooking strategies and ways to prevent cross contamination before we really felt comfortable with it. We don’t expect anyone to be an expert in a day. And as a result that makes us fearful that any gluten-free food you make will actually contain gluten. This is something some folks will never say to you for fear of being impolite.

   Gluten-free means no wheat, barley, rye, oats (that aren’t guaranteed gluten free –hint if the ingredient label only says “oats” or “oat flour’ — it’s not guaranteed gluten free), spelt, durum, brown flour, malt, and more as reported by the Celiac Sprue Association. Corn, potatoes and rice are okay (unless the person is particularly sensitive to that as well).

2. If it’s baked and found in a mainstream grocery store, it’s probably not gluten-free
   Yes, our grocery stores have come a long way when it comes to carrying gluten-free products. But the only actual grocery store chain that is baking its own gluten-free bread is Whole Foods. Any other grocery store is bringing in gluten-free bread or baked goods.

   IF they have gluten-free bread, you usually will find it in the health food section freezer –not the bakery and not the bread section. Pita bread, English Muffins, pizza crust, Italian bread, baguettes, bagels, cakes, pies (crusts have gluten), cupcakes all have gluten. Bottom line: unless you’re going to a specialty gluten-free bakery, you will likely not find any fresh-baked gluten-free goods at a mainstream grocery store. And if you ask bakery people about it you’ll likely get a confused look or a quick no that they don’t have that available.

3. How do you know your ingredients and utensils in your home aren’t already cross-contaminated with gluten?
   Please honestly think about your cooking practices when I pose these questions: Do you regularly double dip when cooking or baking? In other words, do you use the measuring cup in your all-purpose flour and then just dip it into the sugar? If you’re double dipping, the sugar is contaminated and no longer gluten free. You can say the same for Crisco, butter, peanut butter, mayonnaise and anything you’re reaching in and scooping out. You may want to make divinity (which is inherently gluten free — eggs, sugar and corn syrup are the main ingredients I believe), but if your sugar is cross contaminated — a gluten-free person will get sick (or have damage in their gut) if they eat it.

   What about while you’re cooking? Do you use one utensil to stir up the gluteny turkey stuffing and then use the same spoon to scoop the sweet potatoes?

   Your wooden or plastic cutting boards and your colanders are also off limits to people who eat gluten free– they harbor gluten in the nooks and crannies, that even when cleaned in the dishwasher, they aren’t “clean” for us.

4. I just won’t make stuffing and I’ll get an ice cream cake!
   Whoa, you’re still going to have to look at your ingredients for cross contamination. Plus you’re going to have to check to make sure you turkey or ham is gluten free (they can be injected with broths that contain gluten), and gravy is an issue. Most premade gravy has gluten and anyone who makes it from home usually uses their flour as a thickener. Corn starch is a viable option to make gluten-free gravy with turkey drippings, but just a forewarning — it’s clear and gelatinous– basically tastes fine, looks funky.

   And if you’re doing an ice cream cake, you better make sure it’s gluten free. Dairy Queen’s ice cream cake has crumbles in the middle which contain gluten. Have those removed and double check the other fudgy stuff in the center to make sure it’s gluten free and you’re set. Other places may have cookies or something inside their ice cream cakes too.

5. Let’s barbecue some ribs!
   Again you must check the gluten contamination factor of your grill. Do you put gluten on there? In other words, do you put hamburger on there that has bread crumbs in it or grill your hamburger buns, or put steak on with a gluteny marinade? If you don’t know– the only way to use the grill in this case is to put the gluten-free item on aluminum foil. But also look for a gluten-free barbecue sauce. We use Sweet Baby Ray’s. Please keep in mind not all BBQ sauces are gluten-free.
   

6. Don’t assume
   Read labels. Example: Tostitos are gluten free— the label mostly talks about corn, oil and salt, but if you grab the one kind of Tostitos made form flour tortillas– that’s a problem. Double check the label. That one will say wheat in it.Potatoes aren’t always just potatoes. You’d think they should be, but if you’re getting something out of the frozen section, check ingredients! Wheat will be listed if it’s in there — but gluten is NOT required to be put on a label if it is in a product. Some frozen potatoes are just that, potatoes, go for the simple ones and stay away from the fancy flavored stuff.

   Rice Krispies cereal seems simple enough, but in actuality it has malt. Gluten-free folks cannot eat this.

So what can you have around the house for a gathering?
Wine, coffee, Blue Diamond Nut Thins, cheese, or veggies with Wishbone Ranch dressing as the dip. Check out Trader Joe’s for some goodies: They have a great list here which includes some sweets too!

None of us actually wants to think that our cooking would make someone sick. But it is possible in this case — even to the cooks with the best of intentions. Please be open to talking with your gluten-free family member or friend to see what they can do to help you make this as great experience as possible.

If you have some other quick suggestions on food or other tips — feel free to post them below!

Frozen chicken products are another convenience food that parents of celiac children (and many adults) often miss. It’s one of those quick meals that millions of American parents prepare for their children or even get at restaurants (when is the last time you saw a kids menu at a restaurant that didn’t include either chicken nuggets or chicken tenders?).

There are a number of gluten-free chicken products on the market, but the Bell & Evans gluten-free products are outstanding and actually have a breading that tastes like the real thing, light, flaky and a slight crunch. In fact, my three children (none of them are diagnosed celiacs — I’m the only diagnosed celiac in the family) all prefer the gluten-free version over the gluten-full version — it’s quite entertaining to see them devour it and ask for seconds whenever we serve any of the Bell & Evans products. Some of the things we’ve made in the last year have been, simple chicken nuggets with a dipping sauce, chicken parmesan and chicken sandwiches. All of these were outstanding and never a disappointment. I’d love to hear more about how you have used any of the Bell & Evans gluten-free products.

It would be easy for restaurants with kids menus to add a product like this to their menu as a gluten-free option. The fact that they are baked and not fried would make the prevention of cross-contamination less of a risk.*

According to the Bell & Evans Website, their gluten-free products are not produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility, below is an excerpt from the Bell & Evans Website on how they go about assuring their products remain gluten-free:

The facility that produces our Gluten Free (“Black Box”) nuggets and tenders also produces our world famous “Blue Box” items that contain gluten.  However, great care is given to protect against gluten containing products from coming in contact with Gluten Free products.

The process begins with training.  All new hires are trained in the handling of allergenic materials used in that facility – Milk, Eggs, Soy Beans, Wheat and Gluten.

Whenever ingredients are delivered, all allergen containing ingredients are identified, tagged and segregated from other ingredients and packaging materials.  If a spill were to occur, only specifically identified cleaning materials may be used to clean up the allergen.

All Bell & Evans Gluten Free products are produced at the beginning of a shift and only after all processing equipment has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.  In addition to our sanitation and segregation protocols, we begin each new shift of Gluten Free production with Fresh, Non-Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil.

* All restaurants wanting to adopt a gluten-free menu should go through an organization like the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program. Along with offering a gluten-free menu comes the responsibility to understand the risks that people with celiac disease face when eating at a restaurant. Their can be great rewards for restaurants that do it right as well as dire consequences for restaurants who fail to take it seriously.

Since being diagnosed with celiac disease, I have for the most part tried to eliminate most grains (even those considered to be gluten-free) from my day-to-day routine. There are a few items, like pizza, baguette, and tortillas that I find myself having to have occasionally. I just can’t deny the urge for a slice or two of pizza with the kids on a Friday night, a crusty baguette dipped in a good olive oil or a big tortilla (sorry, corn tortillas are just too small and I just happen to not like corn that much) to use as a crunchy tostada, a simple wrap (in place of a sandwich), or if I’m really feeling hungry, a burrito.

Thankfully, there are a few good tortillas available and one of my favorites is the Food for Life Brown Rice Tortilla. In terms of trying to fold a burrito, it’s not perfect, but the flavor is outstanding — a slight nutty flavor) and the texture is decent. I found that it does really well cooking it in the oven to make a crispy flat tostada and it is great for rolling up (at room temperature) any sort of lunch condiment as a replacement for sandwiches. If you are heating them up from frozen, be very careful as they don’t need much time to thaw out and if overcooked, you can forget about trying to roll it around anything as it will just break. I usually heat if for just about 2 minutes in a hot oven and that will usually do the trick.

All in all, it’s a versatile snack item that is a great solution for snacks, quick lunches and even eating by itself. The fact that it’s made from brown rice just makes it that much better of an option than the masses of gluten-free items based on white rice and corn.

Ingredients: Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour, Filtered Water, Tapioca Flour, Safflower Oil, Rice Bran, Vegetable Gum (xanthan, cellulouse), Sea Salt.

One of the most common types of questions that I get from people newly diagnosed with celiac disease is about what types of gluten-free pasta are my favorites. Between the dozens of companies offering gluten-free pasta in its varying shapes and sizes and then the range of ingredients that are available, white rice, brown rice, corn, and even quinoa — there are so many options (depending on the store you’re shopping in), it can make your head spin.

For now, let’s focus on spaghetti as it’s arguably the most cooked pasta in the world. While I believe I’ve tried the vast majority of the gluten-free pasta products on the market, both here in the U.S. and in Europe, my favorite by far has to be the Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta. It’s texture is perfect and the taste is nearly indistinguishable from its durum wheat or semolina cousins. The only noticeable difference would be its slight difference in color — it’s a little more on the brown side than the yellowish color of traditional pasta.

I’ve used it in a traditional spaghetti and meatballs dinner, I’ve used it with a thai inspired peanut sauce and we’ve even gone as far as using it in one of my daughter’s favorite dishes, Spaghetti and Cheese (she’s always liked spaghetti more than elbow macaroni — it has something to do with the ability to slurp it up :) It always turns out perfect and it is even loved by our non-GF guests. It’s also great for people with food allergies as it is corn, egg, dairy, casein, meat, soy, and nut free.

Tinkyada is a Canadian company based in Scarborough, Ontario, but their products are widely available throughout the U.S. and Canada. I’ve even found it at my local Ralph’s market (Kroeger). If you can’t find it in your local market, you will definitely find it at supermarkets like Whole Foods.

So all of this being said, my advice is to buy it, try it, and be happy knowing that you’ve found a gluten-free product that is as good (or better) than the real thing and a heck of a lot better for you.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with Tinkyada and how you’ve used it in new and interesting ways.