How to Order Gluten-Free Matzo for Passover 2009

"This is the (gluten-free) bread of oppression that
our ancestors would have eaten in the land of Egypt
if they had been celiacs."

I've been getting so many e-mails about ordering gluten-free matzo that I realized it was high time I make a post about how to get your hands on some gluten-free matzo for Pesach (Passover) 2009.

Keep in mind that for matzo to be considered matzo by halacha (Jewish law) it needs to be made of one of the five grains. The only one of those grains that is (or can be) gluten-free is oats. Historically oats have been unsafe for celiacs due to being cross-contaminated with wheat. Fortunately, today we have certified gluten-free oats, which are grown and processed separately from wheat to eliminate cross-contamination, and then tested by food allergy testing labs to confirm their gluten-free status. So a truly gluten-free oat matzo is now possible. That said, there are some people with celiac disease who simply cannot digest oats, even gluten-free ones. If you are one of those people who has celiac disease and cannot digest oats I strongly suggest you speak with a competent rabbi. In fact, if you're an observant Jew it wouldn't hurt to consult with a rabbi regardless... Since I hear that there are some rabbis who don't accept oat matzo for celiacs. But for the rest of us, there's a great (if very pricy) option out there.

Starting last year, there are actually two sources for gluten-free matzo, not just one! I posted last year about Lakewood Matzoh Bakery which had begun making certified gluten-free oat matzo for the first time. They were kind enough to send me some of this year's batch to sample. It's true that it tastes nothing like the matzo I grew up eating and I'll personally never be a big fan of the burnt taste of shmura matzo (regardless of its gluten status). However, I'm excited because Lakewood Matzoh Bakery's matzo is quite improved from last year, due to being rolled out more thinly. This will make it more enjoyable for a lot of people, myself included. I also like supporting local-ish businesses when I can. In addition, Lakewood's price is significantly lower than the price offered by Kosher.com and other vendors for the imported UK brand Gluten-Free Oat Matzo. That makes Lakewood the winner in my home.

The one item that the other company, Gluten-Free Oat Matzos, sells that Lakewood doesn't is gluten-free matzo meal. It's ridiculously expensive but makes killer matzo balls using my dad's recipe! When I bought it a few years ago I called the matzo balls I made "million-dollar matzo balls" because I figured out they cost a couple of bucks a peace. A link to buying gluten-free matzo meal can be found below.

Did I mention that oat matzo is totally delicious turned into matzo pizza? Just spread tomato sauce and mozzarella on it and bake until the cheese is melted and edges of the matzo are crisp. Mmm... just call it "Bread of Oppression Pizza."

WHERE TO BUY GLUTEN-FREE MATZO

Here are links for ordering gluten-free matzo online or finding out where it's retailed locally near you. It's popping up in more and more local kosher groceries these days, but many places find they are sold out quickly so be sure to inquire about it at your local grocery now.

Gluten-Free Matzo from Lakewood Matzoh Bakery

Gluten-free oat matzo made in Lakewood, NJ. Shmura (handmade). $23 a box. Shipping available. Order online at the link above or inquire about where it's sold near you. I've seen it at shops in the NY/NJ area.

Gluten-Free Matzo from Rabbi Kestenbaum's Gluten Free Oat Matzos

Gluten-free oat matzo made in the UK. To buy online, go to Kosher.com. They offer machine-made matzo at $39.95 a box, handmade matzo for $39.95 a box and gluten-free matzo meal for $19.99 per box. Find out where to buy it locally here. (Available internationally).

Moroccan Cauliflower Recipe + A "Specific Carbohydrate Diet" Cookbook Review

[Photo: My New Year's Eve Dinner Table]

We decided to spend a relaxed New Year's Eve at home, with a movie, a bottle of wine, and a home-cooked Moroccan feast for two. What better opportunity to crack open some cookbooks I haven't yet used? Seeing as my partner has re-started the South Beach Diet and I'm doing my own low-glycemic food thang, the first book I went to was Eat Well Feel Well by Kendall Conrad. This is a book of recipes that comply with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

One of the perks of being a food blogger is having publishers send you new cookbooks to look at. Unfortunately I am way behind on cookbook reviews, so many months after receiving this book from Clarkson Potter Publishers, I'm finally getting around to using it, perusing it, and sharing my feedback here. I was won over by the beautiful color photographs in the center of the book. I must admit I have a serious aversion to cookbooks that don't have full-color photos, so the photo section of this book was a real plus. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is used to treat sensitive tummies as well as guts that have been damaged by Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulities, etc. Celiacs and gluten intolerant folks who eat a strictly gluten-free diet usually find that their guts eventually heal and are generally able to tolerate any non-gluten foods after the healing period is over. However, many of us have multiple food allergies or other digestive disorders. Others find that they continue to be sensitive to a variety of foods and have trouble with digestion long after they are gluten-free, due to damage to their digestive tract. A small number of people find that they simply cannot digest grains at all, and that non-gluten grains make them almost as ill as gluten-containing grains. This cookbook is based on the diet described in the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Healing Through Diet by Elaine Gottschall, which is the bible of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). The diet eliminates "virtually all starch and complex sugars" and features a balance of "smart carbohydrates, good proteins and fats, and essential vitamins and minerals." It is grain-free. No unfermented / un-aged dairy products are allowed so the diet is lighter on dairy than most. This way of eating has helped many people recover from life-threatening digestive disorders.

The difficulty of digesting grains has been explored in other books over the years, such as Against the Grain by Melissa Smith. I don't personally feel a need to eat this way, but many if not most of these recipes are also low-glycemic and low-carbohydrate and therefore fit well into my household's meal plans. Best of all they don't reflect deprivation, but rather an enjoyment of the plentiful healthy gut-friendly foods available at the farmer's market or grocery store. There are grain-free recipes for everything from grain-free Cashew Butter Tortillas to Peach Pocket Pies, and from Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Cauliflower to Tom Yum Kai with Coconut Milk & Lemongrass Infusion.

Tonight I tried my first recipe from the book, which was Moroccan Cauliflower. While it was the photo that first caught my eye, I was also intrigued by the unusual (or at least new to me) method used for cooking cauliflower. Although my favorite method for cooking cauliflower is roasting it, I think this will be my new cauliflower technique for when times is short or I'm trying to reduce the fat in a dish. By steaming the entire head of cauliflower without cutting it first, it avoids all the wasted little cauliflower bits that litter the cutting board when you try to cut a raw cauliflower into florets, because it's far easier and neater to slice a whole head of cauliflower when it's cooked. The presentation of this dish is lovely, and it might even convince one of those notorious cauliflower haters to reconsider.

Here is my adaptation of the recipe from Eat Well Feel Well. I hope you enjoy it, and have a fabulous, healthy and safe New Year!


MOROCCAN CAULIFLOWER
Adapted from Eat Well Feel Well by Kendall Conrad.

[ Gluten-Free / Dairy-Free / Pareve / Vegan / Soy-Free ]

1 medium head cauliflower
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed (use frozen garlic if raw garlic is too sharp for you)
1 tsp fine sea salt or table salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Trim the stalk of the cauliflower to the base, removing all leaves except the smaller green leaves closest to the head. Fill a pot with half an inch of water, place whole head of cauliflower in it (stem side down), and cover with a lid. Simmer on medium heat for 10-20 minutes (will vary depending on size of head, I had to simmer a medium head for about 15) until the desired tenderness. Remove from pot immediately, transferring to a cutting board or serving platter.

While cooking the cauliflower, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Lightly toast the ginger, paprika, cumin and cinnamon over medium-low heat in a small pan for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from heat and whisk into the liquid mixture, combining thoroughly.

Cut the cauliflower in 1/2-inch thick slices, transfer to a serving platter and drizzle all of the spiced oil over the slices. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve hot or warm.

OTHER CAULIFLOWER RECIPES:

• Lemon-Roasted Cauliflower with Dill

• Herbed Cauliflower & Green Bean Salad

• Aloo Gobi Matter (Indian Potato, Cauliflower & Pea Curry)

NOTE: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you click through the link and purchase something from the site I will receive a small commission that helps me pay for the costs incurred from running this website.

Gluten-Free Passover Links for 2008

Dear friends, I am so very sorry that I have not had the time to do a real 2008 redux of the Great Gluten-Free Passover Roundup of 2007. Though I'm happy to say, last year's post is still every bit as relevant this year. Recipes don't age into oblivion like so many things in our world do, gratefully. Since I don't want to let the days slip into Passover without pointing new visitors in the direction of some gluten-free Pesach resources, I thought I'd quickly throw together a list of links that I hope will be helpful to new and old readers alike.

If you are not Jewish and are gluten-free... Good grief, people, what are you waiting for? Get thee to a kosher grocery store! This is the time of year to stock up on gluten-free delicacies, from blintzes (I have two packages in my freezer and can't wait to try them) to croutons to seven-layer cakes. Specifically, look for the label "non-gebrokts" to find products not made with matzo meal, and if a non-gebrokts product isn't also marked gluten-free (or even if it is) contact the company to verify gluten-free status to avoid potential cross-contamination from products made with matzo on the same line. The days after Passover are often a good time to get these items on sale, too.

I hope next year I will have more time and less stress around the holidays and be able to wow you with some new recipes, but for the time being, have a healthy and happy Passover.

Chag sameach!

GLUTEN-FREE PASSOVER LINKS

RECIPES

• Gluten-Free Passover Recipe Roundup 2007 - Recipes from all over the internet
  
• My Passover Recipes - Recipes from this blog that can are kosher for Pesach or can be made suitable for Pesach (ssome may require minor ingredient substitutions, but most don't). Includes mock matzo, non-gebrokts Passover noodle kugel, matzo balls, and more.
  
• Gluten-Free Passover Recipes from Recipezaar
  
• New GF Pesach Recipes from Ellen - Including a new matzo ball recipe that sounds great.
  
• Elana's Gluten-Free Passover Recipes - These look amazing, though many contain agave nectar which sadly isn't yet available in a kosher l'pesach version
  

INFORMATION, PRODUCTS AND MORE

• Why Passover is a Gluten-Free Goldmine - A guest column by Lisa Mandl
• A Gluten-Free Paradise - Gluten-Free NYC shows photos of why Passover is, indeed, a "gluten-free goldmine"
  
• A Sample Gluten-Free Passover Menu - With recipes
• Gluten-Free Oat Matzo - Where to buy it. By now it is probably too late to order it, but you can still find it in many kosher groceries. I can tell you first-hand it was flying off the shelves at Rockland Kosher (Monsey, NY) and Glatt Express (Teaneck, NJ)!
• Food Freedom: A Celiac's Passover Story
• Quinoa: The Grain That's Not - Kashrut.com explains why many rabbis consider quinoa acceptable for Passover. Note that Kosher Overseers determined that Ancient Harvest and Trader Joes' brands are kosher l'pesach without a special Passover hechsher as long as they are in closed boxes.
  
• Passover By Design - Susie Fishbein's newest book has sold out nearly overnight at many stores and features over 130 gluten-free recipes for Passover and year-round.
  

New Source for Gluten-Free Oat Matzo

I couldn't have been more thrilled when I got an e-mail from a gentleman from Lakewood Shmura Matzo Bakery in Lakewood, NJ, telling me his bakery was now producing certified gluten-free oat matzos right here in the United States. He graciously sent me two boxes of matzos to try out.

The only source of gluten-free oat matzo I knew about before this was a company in the UK which makes a good product (and gluten-free matzo meal, too!) but is costly due to being imported. The Lakewood product is half the price of the British matzo ($20 for three matzot, as opposed to as much as $40 for three matzot). So this year I'll get to save my money for other Passover treats.

The matzo from Lakewood Shmura Matzo Bakery has a hechsher from Rabbis Katz and Klein, both of Lakewood. It is made of certified gluten-free oat flour. The final product was tested by the Food Allergy Research & Resource Program (FARRP) in Nebraska, and the bakery sent me a copy of the report from FARRP, which indicated that there is no detectable gluten in the product (the product was rated "BLD" or "below limit of detection") which means this product is reliably safe for celiacs. Please note, however, that there are some people with celiac disease who find they cannot digest oats at all.

If you're wondering why gluten-free matzo is so expensive, let me explain. First, the oats have to be grown segregated from wheat and other gluten-containing grains. They have to be harvested and milled with separate equipment. Shmura matzo is handmade rather than made with machines. This is especially remarkable given the fact that matzo must be made within 18 minutes to be considered unleavened. In addition, a dough made of only oat flour is difficult to work with as it contains no gluten nor gluten substitutes. Of course, the entire process must be supervised to ensure the product is kosher... and not only kosher, but kosher for Passover - A much higher standard of kashrut. This is why shmura matzo is always expensive, and gluten-free shmura matzo even more so.

The Lakewood matzo is good. The bakery suggests reheating the matzoh "in a very low oven for a few minutes before eating, it takes a lot of the moisture out." I second this recommendation, as the matzo can be a little stale coming right out of the box. It is definitely "the bread of oppression" - Probably not a cracker I'd nosh on just for the fun of it. However it is perfect for fulfilling the mitzvah of eating matzo on Passover and would taste fine heaped with charoset and maror (and you can grind up leftovers in a food processor to make matzo meal!) The matzos are thicker than a normal wheat matzo, which the bakery says is to make them less likely to break during shipping, so they're not as crisp as thinner matzos. There is something about the taste that definitely says "matzo" to me, which made me happy since it reminds me of when I could eat regular matzo. All in all, I can recommend these without reservation. I think they are certainly equal with the matzo from the UK.



The Lakewood Shmura Matzo Bakery doesn't have a website, but you can order by faxing (732) 364-4250 with shipping and billing information. The product is $20.00 per box of 3 matzos, plus a flat $10.00 for shipping (I believe this cost covers as many boxes as you order). If you have questions call (732) 364-8757.

The matzo is also available in many kosher grocery stores.

GLUTEN-FREE MATZO RESOURCES

TO ORDER MATZO:

Lakewood Shmura Matzo Bakery
Lakewood, NJ
Phone: (732) 364-8757
Fax: (732) 364-4250
Certified gluten-free oat shmura matzo. Available by mail order or in stores.

Gluten-Free Oat Matzos (U.K., distributed worldwide)
http://www.glutenfreeoatmatzos.com
Made in the United Kingdon but available at local distributors or from Kosher.com. Certified gluten-free oat shmura matzo, machine matzo and matzo meal available. No direct mail order on their website.

MATZO RECIPES:

Gluten-Free Mock "Matzo"
Gluten-Free "Matzo Balls" Recipe
Potato Kneidlach: A Matzo Ball Alternative

The mock matzo recipe above does not fulfill the mitzvah of eating matzo, as it is not made from one of the five grains specified by Jewish law. But it's still tasty!

Remember, the widely available spelt matzo is NOT gluten-free. Spelt is a form of wheat and contains gluten, thus is not safe for people who are gluten-intolerant or have celiac disease.

Martha Stewart's New Magazine for People with Food Allergies? It Could Happen!

Each year Martha Stewart holds a competition for her employees where they get to pitch their ideas for the future of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. She narrowed it down to 7 and is allowing us (you!) to vote for the winner. One of the finalists' ideas is a cooking-oriented food allergy magazine.

Show your support for the employee, Alexis, who came up with this excellent idea. She sees how under-served, deserving, and financially lucrative a market food-allergic folks are. All you have to do is CLICK HERE and vote for Alexis' idea, which is described like this on Martha's blog:

Alexis- Big Idea: To publish a special magazine that offers delicious allergy-friendly recipes, making life for people with food allergies and sensitivities easier and more delicious. Millions of people, including myself, can't eat nuts, dairy, wheat or gluten, and I’d like to empower people to make great recipes even if they can't use all the standard ingredients.

You can vote once a day until February 7!

The food allergy magazine concept currently has a narrow lead.

Sample Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menus

Since I know there are always folks who are looking for recipes or meal ideas at the last minute, here are a few possible gluten-free thanksgiving menus along with links to recipes.

MENU ONE:
THE GLUTEN-FREE TRADITIONALIST

Roast Turkey
Classic Stuffing
Cranberry and Pear Chutney
Gluten-Free Gravy
Kim's Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Buttermilk Biscuits
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Apple Pie with Crumble Topping
Persimmon-Pecan Cake

MENU TWO:
THE GLUTEN-FREE VEGETARIAN

Tofu Turkey Roast (Vegan)
Fresh Orange-Cranberry Sauce (Vegan)
Walnut-Sage Potatoes Au Gratin
Easy Vegetarian Collard Greens (Vegan)
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, Parmesan & Pine Nuts
Butternut Squash Timbales with Apple Chestnut Sauce
Scooped Biscuits
Cranberry Crumble (Vegan)
Pumpkin Cheesecake Creme Caramel
Apples Doused in Cardamom Wine

MENU THREE:
THE GLUTEN-FREE KOSHER OR DAIRY-FREE (GFCF) EATER

Maple-Cider Turkey
Gluten-Free Stuffing with Dried Fruit
Pumpkin with Cranberries
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Parsnip & Carrot Pancakes
Cranberry Applesauce
Multigrain Miracle Bread
Apple-Quince Pie
Pumpkin Pie (Also see Part II and Part III)
Ginger & Cardamom Poached Pears

Have a safe and joyous Thanksgiving, everyone!

Looking for Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes?

If you are one of the thousands of people who've found my site this week by doing web searches for gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes, thanks for stopping by! To make things easier for you here are some links to recipes and guides for having a healthy and happy gluten-free Thanksgiving:

• You can find all of my Thanksgiving recipes right here.

• My 2006 Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup is a useful resource (it may be a year old, but those recipes are just as mouthwatering for 2007!)


• Hide & Seek: Hidden Gluten at the Holiday Table is an article I wrote about what foods to be careful about during the holidays. I mention various ways that gluten can lurk unnoticed in a variety of foods, and how to avoid it.


• The number one food related question that people with celiac disease seem to be asking this time of year is "What about stuffing?" Here is my easy and delicious Gluten-Free Stuffing recipe. It actually works best with the nasty, dry storebought gluten-free bread that most of us can find at a local health food or grocery store... the bread we curse at the rest of year ;-P
  


• Natalie of Gluten-Free Mommy created a recipe for Gluten-Free French Fried Onions, the perennial favorite topper for green bean casseroles, and then shows us how to make a completely gluten-free green bean casserole here.
  
  
• Here is my favorite gluten-free pie crust.
  


• Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl offers up A Few Ideas for a Gluten-Free Thanksgiving and How to Cook for Someone Gluten-Free (useful for relatives and friends who will be cooking for us for the holidays).
  
  
• Catherine of Gluten-Free Food Guide has her own wonderful post called Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes and Tips that is full of recipes and great suggestions.
  

Baking for Bette: Sorghum Bread

When Seamaiden of Book of Yum announced a blogging event to pay tribute to the life of gluten-free baking pioneer Bette Hagman, I knew I wanted to participate. Bette passed away this month, after a long life as a successful gluten-free cookbook author who brought bread (and cake, and pizza, and cookies, and....) back into the life of many many people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance who thought they would never eat their favorite comfort foods again.

Confession: I own two of Bette's gluten-free cookbooks but I haven't cooked a single recipe from them. I figured now was a good time to finally try one of the recipes, but on the day I planned to pull them off the shelf and bake something, I discovered that - alas - the books were not on my bookshelf. They are apparently still in a box in my storage space, probably buried under many other boxes. So I scoured the internet to see if there were any of her recipes I could find online. The first one that I found called out to me: Sorghum Bread, a recipe Bette created for gluten-free sorghum flour purveyors Twin Valley Mills. Sorghum is by far my favorite GF flour - It is mild and finely ground and sweet, with no unusual flavor or grittiness. It is a whole grain, yet has the appearance and texture of one of the more refined flours. It works in nearly every recipe and I've been using it more and more as a replacement for white and brown rice flours. It is delicious! I served this bread with Shabbat dinner this week and all of the people at the table, several of whom have never tasted gluten-free bread, raved about it.

I changed some of the measurements and procedures for this recipe, adapting it to be kosher and pareve. I am posting my adapted version here, though I cannot take any credit for the recipe as a whole, as it's still definitely a Bette Hagman recipe. Because I rarely eat any refined sugar, the original recipe would have been far too sweet for me, so I reduced the amount of sugar. If you use a sweet non-dairy milk substitute such as Vance's DariFree Original Powder Beverage you should be able to get away with reducing the added sugar to 1 1/2 or even just 1 tablespoon. If you use unsweetened dairy milk powder or prefer a sweeter bread, you will want to use 2 tbsp of sugar.

The appearance and texture of this bread are just lovely. I can only imagine the work that Bette must have put into the chemistry experiment that is gluten-free baking in order to come up with just one recipe, let alone the hundreds she has published.

Bette, thank you for the contributions you made to the gluten-free world. Even though this is my first time preparing one of your recipes, I can feel the impact you have made on my life indirectly. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have become gluten-free at a time when there were so many fabulous recipes available on the internet and in a plethora of cookbooks. If it weren't for you, I might not have had people to reassure me that I could still eat the foods I love. You were truly a pioneer, and every gluten-intolerant person's life is better for it. Rest in peace.

[We ate half of the loaf before I even got a chance to photograph it! Oops.]

PAREVE SORGHUM BREAD
An Adaptation of Bette Hagman's Recipe for Twin Valley Mills

[ Gluten-Free / Dairy-Free / Soy-Free / Pareve / Vegetarian Option ]

1 cup sweet sorghum flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
1 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/3 cup Vance's Dari-Free or other powdered non-dairy milk substitute
1 tsp salt
1 tsp unflavored kosher fish gelatin or equivalent agar-agar (vegan gelatin substitute)
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp dry quick-acting yeast granules
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup lukewarm water

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease an 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" loaf pan with vegetable oil and dust with rice flour. When the oven gets to the right temperature, turn it OFF and do not open the door.

Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, or in the mixing bowl of a standing mixer, whisk the eggs, vinegar, and oil. You can use a sturdy electric hand-mixer, or a wooden spoon (if you have lots of elbow grease to spare) if you don't have a standing mixer. Add most of the water, saving a few tablespoons. Slowly fold in flour mixture a little at a time, with mixer on low setting. The mix should have the consistency of a thick cake batter. Add the remaining water to attain this texture. With the mixer on high, beat for several minutes or until the dough is smooth and well-blended.

Pour into the greased and floured pan, cover with a dishtowel and allow to rise in the warm oven for 30 minutes or until the dough reaches the top of the pan. Turn the oven back on to 375 F and bake for 10 minutes, then cover with tin foil and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Immediately remove from pan and allow to cool before slicing.

Cooking for Karina: A Blogging Festival and a Cooking Challenge

Dear readers,

One of our own, the much adored Karina of Gluten-Free Goddess, just found out that she isn't just a gluten-free goddess, she is in fact a veritable Food Allergy Goddess. She recently discovered that she has a whole wagonload of other food allergies.

To thank Karina, who has given so much to so many of us, and in honor of all people with multiple food allergies and intolerances, I am announcing Cooking for Karina, a food blogging event. Here's how it works:

• Create and post an original recipe (or adaptation of someone else's recipe, with appropriate credit given) that is free of the following ingredients: Cow's milk, cheese, whey, casein, goat's milk, eggs (including whites and yolks), chicken, turkey, gluten (that includes wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut - and oats, to play on the safe side), peanuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, soybeans, lemon, avocado, pineapple, papaya, green beans and kidney beans. Check your ingredients to make sure they don't contain derivatives of these ingredients- For example, almond oil or tofu. These aren't the only foods that people can be allergic to, but they are the foods Karina can no longer eat so by sticking to this list all our recipes will be ones she can use.
  
  
• E-mail me at glutenfreebay@ gmail.com (remove the space) with your name or online handle, the name and URL of your blog, and the URL of your post by Tuesday, July 10. Please write "Cooking for Karina" in the subject line. Photographs in posts are encouraged. All bloggers are welcome to participate, not just food bloggers! Food blogs that do not usually focus on food allergies are highly encouraged to join in and help us raise awareness of food allergies and intolerances.
  
  
• After receiving all of the entries, I will write them up into one grand summary with links to each of your individual recipe posts, and some photos, too.
  

The idea behind this project is to focus on what someone with multiple allergies can eat. It is so easy for people to get overwhelmed when we find out something we eat is making us sick. We often start focusing on what we can't eat, rather than all the possibilities for what foods we can eat safely and deliciously. To make things harder, people in our lives who do not have multiple food allergies often see or hear a list of foods a friend or family member or stranger can't eat and think "Oh, there's no way I could cook for that person!" or "How deprived they must be!" So let's flip the script and focus on all the fabulous and delicious culinary options that exist. I hope this will be a nice way for participants to give themselves an enjoyable cooking challenge (limiting one's ingredient choices can inspire great discoveries in the kitchen) while doing something kind for Karina and other folks who have multiple food allergies.

Please help me spread the word!

Gluten-Free Gifts for the Holidays

Gift guides are popping up all over the blogosphere, so let's talk about some gifts ideas for people with food intolerances. I'll share with you my own holiday wishlist, as well as some other ideas for food intolerant people in your life. Some of these links are affiliate links, which means that if you do purchase something by clicking over from my site, you will be helping to maintain and expand this site at no cost to you. I hope these ideas are helpful to someone out there who's looking for a way to support a friend or family member with celiac disease or food allergies during this holiday season.

Here is what I want for Chanukah:

What's missing most from my kitchen is a Factory-Reconditioned KitchenAid RRK150WH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer (preferably in Glacier Blue, but beggars can't be choosers). Because of health issues it is painful for me to stir, knead, etc and my muscles fatigue easily. This would open the door to much more bread-baking and other culinary endeavors that are just too much work right now.

The most highly acclaimed bread machine for gluten-free bakers is the Zojirushi BBCCX20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine. Every post about bread machines on the gluten-free bulletin boards I read sings its praises. Other models entice buyers with a gluten-free cycle, but this seems to be the one that actually delivers. I'd end up saving quite a bit of money by baking my own bread rather than buying all that overpriced, disappointing packaged gluten-free bread at the store.

Let's be honest, I don't need both a bread machine and a mixer. A mixer would probably do the job just fine. But hey, when I have the kitchen of my dreams there will be room for endless kitchen appliances!

Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix - Pack of 6
Yes, I pride myself on making my own flour mixes from scratch. But there are times when convenience is everything, and this mix really does the job, with no added sugar or other unnecessary ingredients.

Being a total cookbook junkie, there are a number of titles on my wishlist right now:

• The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread by Bette Hagman
• Exotic Ethiopian Cooking by Daniel J. Mesfin
  
• Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise G. Roberts
• Cooking Free: 200 Flavorful Recipes for People with Food Allergies and Multiple Food Sensitivities by Carol Fenster
• Vegetarian Cooking for Everyoneby Deborah Madison

But enough about me... Let's talk about some other gifts that will make your loved one/s smile!

For someone who has recently discovered that they have to avoid gluten for the rest of their lives, the book Living Gluten-Free For Dummies by Danna Korn is a thorough guide to understanding what you can and can't eat, how to cope, and how to navigate grocery stores and restaurants.

Food shopping is stressful for people with celiac disease. You can take the stress out of it with a subscription to the frequently updated downloadable Gluten-Free Food & Drug Product Lists. They can be downloaded to a Pocket PC, laptop or desktop computer, or Palm Pilot for easy reference while at the grocery store - Some come with subscriptions that allow you to update the list on a regular basis. This is a great way to keep a loved one safe and healthy.

If there's a little one in your life who's too young to advocate for their own dietary needs, how about a child's allergy awareness t-shirt or bib? And for the grown-ups, Karina the Gluten-Free Goddess has a line of very cute and stylish t-shirts at her shop Mucho Gusto that feature colorful graphics and messages.

Last, but not least, tasty treats make a great gift! There are gluten-free cookie gift baskets, and even a special gluten-free gift-basket just for kids.

What's on your wishlist?

Hide & Seek: Hidden Gluten At the Holiday Table

Having food allergies and intolerances can be very stressful when one is invited to eat at another person's home. In one's own home, it is easy to control what goes into your mouth. At other peoples' houses it can be hard to make sure you're not eating something that will make you very sick, especially if you're worried about imposing on your host. Even the most understanding friends and family are often unaware of the sneaky places that allergens hide.

Here are some tips for avoiding gluten at your holiday meal:

• Avoid self-basting turkeys.
  
  
• Many people thicken their gravy with flour. However, it is extremely easy to thicken gravy using arrowroot starch or cornstarch.
  
  
• Obviously, most stuffing is not gluten-free. You can follow most conventional stuffing recipes by using a gluten-free bread that you've cubed and dried out in the oven. Avoid stuffings made with sausage.
  
  
• Soy sauce is a sneaky source of gluten, especially in vegetarian and vegan foods. Keep in mind that it's not only used in Asian dishes. Look for gluten-free soy sauce and tamari from San-J, Panda (Kari-Out), and Walmart Great Value.
  
  
• Cheesecakes and pumpkin pie fillings are often gluten-free, but check to make sure the baker didn't add flour.
  
  
• Many commercially available chicken broths have gluten in them. Some (but not all) of the following brands of stock are GF: Trader Joe's Hain's, Health Valley, Manischewitz, Swanson's, Shelton, Whole Foods 365, Imagine Foods. Celifibr, Herb Ox and Better Than Bouillon make GF bouillon cubes or pastes. Check the labels carefully.
  
  
• Breadcrumbs are used on casseroles, in stuffed vegetables, and in other dishes. Use gluten-free cornflakes, packaged gluten-free breadcrumbs, or make your own breadcrumbs.
  
  
• Cream sauces and other thickened sauces often have flour in them, so ask your host about what they used as a thickener. Karina recommends keeping around a bag of gluten-free baking mix (Pamela's Ultimate Baking Mix is great, while Bob's Red Mill and Gluten Free Pantry make dairy-free versions). Use it as a substitute in any recipe that calls for flour.
  
  
• Most of the "cream of..." soups used in casseroles are NOT gluten-free. Health Valley and Progresso make gluten-free Cream of Mushroom soups.
  
  
• French Fried Onions purchased in a grocery store have gluten in them. Make your own french fried onions for use in greenbean casserole, or try a greenbean dish without a different crispy topping, such as potato chips or toasted nuts.
  
  
• Stick to gluten-free specialty beers or the alcoholic beverages on this list.
  
  
• Be careful of vegetarian dishes made to taste or feel like meat. Most are made with wheat gluten / seitan, texturized vegetable protein (TVP) or hydrolized vegetable protein (HVP), which contain gluten.
  
  
• Watch out for these ingredients: Corn flakes, fried onions, nondairy cream substitutes, sweets that are flavored with malt, commercial salad dressings, commercial fruit pie fillings, BBQ sauces, other condiments, breaded or fried foods. Gluten-free versions of most of these products are available.
  
  
• If you are new to having celiac disease, or if you are new to cooking for a gluten intolerant person, please keep in mind that wheat-free does not necessarily mean gluten-free. Other unsafe grains include kamut, spelt, farro, semolina, graham (not gram) flour, bran, bulgur, barley and rye. A list of common food ingredients and their gluten-free status can be found here.
  

Don't hesitate to ask what's in each dish and advocate for your needs. Be considerate of your host by letting them know about your dietary restrictions ahead of time. Make sure they know this is a medical issue, not a "picky eater" issue. Offer to bring a dish or two of your own. Be gracious, but remember that your health comes first!

A Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up

Still looking for gluten-free dishes to make for Thanksgiving? Judging by the amount of traffic this blog is getting right now from folks entering their gluten-free Thanksgiving food inquiries on various search engines... Not everyone already has their menu planned!

I've put together a list of recipes from the blogosphere and beyond that may be of interest to my dear readers. I tried to make sure that more than a few are vegetarian, vegan, or dairy-free. Not all are kosher but all can be easily made kosher (replacing butter with margarine, etc). If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, or are cooking for someone who does, here are some gluten-free recipes even the gluten-eaters will love:

GLUTEN-FREE APPETIZERS & HORS D'OEUVRES

Thyme-Roasted Almonds
Easy Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Soup with Wild Rice and Apples
Baby Spinach, Pear and Walnut Salad
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Arugula, Fennel, Apple, Mandarin Orange & Pomegranate Salad
Potato Sticks with Roasted Tomato Salsa
Non-Dairy Spinach Dip

GLUTEN-FREE MAIN DISHES

Mom's Roast Turkey
Ginger Salmon
Roast Brined Turkey
Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Scallion Crust
Turkey Meat Loaf with Cranberry Glaze
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Pears, Wild Rice and Walnuts
Cranberry Turkey Rolls
Tofu Stuffed with Brown Rice & Mushroom Dressing (use GF soy sauce)

GLUTEN-FREE STUFFING & DRESSING

Rice and Nut Stuffing
Wild Rice Stuffing
Mona's Bread Stuffing
Southern Cornbread Stuffing
All Purpose Stuffing
Cajun Black Rice Stuffing

GLUTEN-FREE GRAVY

Chicken or Turkey Gravy
Herb Gravy
Roast Turkey Pan Gravy
Vegan Eggplant Gravy

GLUTEN-FREE SIDE DISHES

Sweet Potato Puree with Brown Sugar and Sherry
Cranberry Rice
Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Lacy Potato Kugel
Roasted Asparagus with Orange Vinaigrette
Low-Carb Green Bean Casserole with Onion Topping
Green Bean Casserole
Quinoa Pilaf with Cardamom and Sage
Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage
Buttermilk Whipped Potatoes
Browned Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts and Lemon
Cranberry Cherry and Port Relish
Balsamic-Honey Roasted Root Vegetables
Tzimmes
Cranberry Apricot Sauce

GLUTEN-FREE BREAD

Sweet Potato Corn Bread
No-Wheat Wheat Bread
Sweet Potato Bread
French-Italian Ciabatta Bread
Challah
Southern Biscuits
Pao de Quiejo (Brazilian Tapioca Flour Buns)
French Bread
Mama's Cheese Bread
Cornbread
Dinner Rolls

GLUTEN-FREE DESSERTS

Pumpkin Seed Brittle and Burnt Sugar Ice Cream
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Karina's Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
Dairy-Free No Bake Pumpkin Pie Filling
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Honey Cake
Pie Crust
More Pie Crusts
Curry and Cardamom Cookies
Brown Sugar & Spice Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Roll Cake
Pecan Pie
Roasted Apples with Fig & Hazelnut Stuffing
Clementine Sorbet
More Pecan Pie
Dried Persimmons
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Pomegranate Poached Pears

GLUTEN-FREE LEFTOVERS
Italian White Bean Turkey Soup With Sage
Leftover Turkey Lentil Soup

Potential Link Between Celiac Disease And Cognitive Decline Discovered By Mayo Clinic

10/11/06 - Mayo Clinic researchers have uncovered a new link between celiac disease, a digestive condition triggered by consumption of gluten, and dementia or other forms of cognitive decline. The investigators' case series analysis -- an examination of medical histories of a group of patients with a common problem -- of 13 patients will be published in the October issue of Archives of Neurology. Click here to read more.