I’m a Food Stylist for the Food Network, and I Have Celiac Disease

The following is a guest post by Jaqueline Yngvason, a freelance food stylist, culinary producer and host of an online cooking show. Jaquy has celiac disease and multiple food allergies and is determined to bring awareness to these special dietary needs.

Since I can remember, growing up meant weekly visits to the emergency room, handfuls of pain medications and strong shots. In my half Icelandic, half Ecuadorean world, this seemed normal, but I would grow up to find out otherwise. While my brother and sister were outside playing with their friends, I was forced to hide from the sun, spending a large portion of my time sick in bed with excruciating migraines.

At the age of 16, after years of going to countless doctors who couldn’t seem to figure out what was wrong with me, I finally found out that I was sensitive to gluten. It wasn’t until I was 24 that I was fully diagnosed as having celiac disease. After that, my relationship with food was forever changed. I had to turn away from all of the foods that I loved and savored; wheat, eggs and dairy had to go, or I would continue to feel sick all of the time.

When I was first diagnosed with gluten sensitivity, there wasn’t much information on the subject and I was pushed to experiment and learn how to cook for myself to avoid eating out and getting sick. It was then that cooking went from a hobby to a healthy obsession, finding inspiration in recreating dishes that I once loved and transforming them in to something I could safely eat.

Shortly after college, not being satisfied with the current state of gluten-free awareness, I started my own health company to teach others in need.  Feeling that I still had a lot to learn about proper handling of food and technique, I enrolled in culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Oregon. Looking back, for someone like me, going to a French culinary school may not have been the most logical choice. But, I was a newly diagnosed celiac, and I wanted to learn the only way that any chef does from cooking… by tasting.

If you don’t know much about French culinary schooling, let’s just say they didn’t understand how to deal with my multiple food allergies. I ostracized by my teachers and peers, and encouraged to drop out because I did not belong. But like all hurdles in my life, I pushed on and became stronger. Going into baking and patisserie classes wearing a breathing mask, goggles and latex gloves to protect myself and further my culinary knowledge was necessary. I would find a way to flourish no matter what they threw at me, all in the name of furthering my awareness of food. Living with severe food allergies is strangely similar to boxing; no one gets to the top without taking a beating.

After culinary school, I headed to another place that left me feeling isolated: the Food Network. Again, I pushed through and went from being an intern to producing some of the Food Network’s top shows and food styling major commercials all in under one year.

Currently I live in New York City, working as a freelance food stylist, culinary producer and allergy friendly cooking show host (see one of my videos above!), always working to share my knowledge and learn from others along the way. Looking back at all of the pain and suffering I subjected myself to, I now know that it wasn’t all for nothing. Being gluten-free and having celiac disease isn’t a curse or a fad; it’s a blessing, and with the proper knowledge and understanding, you can live an extremely fulfilling life using food in a positive way.

My goal in life is to spread celiac and food allergy awareness to those similar to me who feel isolated and alone. The world can be changed through food, making it a better place not just for those with celiac disease, but for everyone.

- Jaquy

FNCE 2012: NFCA’s Gluten-Free Workshop for Dietitians

After pulling long hours leading up to Appetite for Awareness last month, you’d think our staff at the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) would take some time to wind down. Not the case.

NFCA Director of Development Kim prepped our gluten-free flour blends.

We immediately went full throttle on our next activity, which was hosting a Gluten-Free Culinary Workshop leading up to the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE), an annual meeting for food and nutrition professionals run by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association). Planning had already been underway for months, and all the pieces were in place:

• A Gluten-Free Baking Workshop with Chef Richard Coppedge, CMB, author of Gluten-Free Baking with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and a professor at CIA.
• The Ancient Grains Challenge, featuring a “Chopped” style cook-off between teams of dietitians.
• Educational sessions, including “Current Understandings of Gluten-Related Disorders” and “Case Studies: Living with Celiac Disease,” led by NFCA’s Alice Bast and Beckee Moreland, respectively.

I eagerly volunteered to help out and take photos and video at the workshop. (A chance to spend some one-on-one time with dietitians and top chefs? Please, I’m there.) So, bright and early last Saturday morning, I pulled up with a car full of goody bags and made my way up to the Academic Bistro at Drexel University.

The dietitians took home these goody bags full of gluten-free treats!

Even with all the details our VP Jennifer had provided, I still wasn’t prepared for how active this day would be. After spending the first few hours mixing huge batches of gluten-free flour blends and setting up our impressive ‘pantry’ of ingredients and fresh produce, it was time to step back and put the dietitians to work.

Our participants were from the Food & Culinary Professionals Dietary Practice Group (FCP DGP), a subgroup of the Academy. They already had a basic understanding of gluten-free food and cooking, but they came eager to learn even more. I think had just as much fun watching them as they did participating.

Gluten-Free Baking Workshop

Our baking workshop started off with an introductory lesson from Chef Coppedge. It was clear that he’s an experienced teacher, as his presentation was brief, yet informative. He brought good energy to the room and gave us a few chuckles as he talked. My favorite tip: Use seltzer water to make your dough lighter and fluffier, but don’t leave it overnight or it will over-ferment and deflate upon cooking.

Chef Coppedge helped the dietitians as they baked gluten-free goodies.

Then it was time to hit the kitchen. The dietitians whipped up gluten-free goodies like jalapeno & cheese muffins, spritz cookies and – my favorite – peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes. The hard part was figuring out which of the four gluten-free flour blends to use for each recipe. While the dietitians were mixing and measuring, Chef Coppedge was there offering quick tips. Best of all, they got to bring home a sample of what they baked. And the smells? Heavenly.

Yum!

Ancient Grains Challenge

Across the hallway, our participants had to think on their feet as we presented them with pre-cooked gluten-free grains (amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa) and challenged them to make a fresh and healthy meal. For the additional ingredients, we had an impressive display of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, plus sauces, broths, beans and more, to complete their dishes.

So much fresh produce!

To determine the winner, we recruited a diverse panel of judges:

• Alice Bast, Founder and President of NFCA.
• Chef Garrett Berdan, RD, a registered dietitian and chef who is part of the White House’s Chefs Move to Schools program.
• Chef Charles Ziccardi, Assistant Teaching Professor of Culinary Arts at the Goodwin College of Professional Studies at Drexel University.

NFCA Board Chair Dorothy Binswanger even stopped by to assist with the judging – a deliciously good decision, as it turned out.

The judges had some tough decisions to make.

The Ancient Grains Challenge went above and beyond our expectations. The dietitians were incredibly imaginative and resourceful, and their dishes had wonderful flavors. Among the finished plates, there were breakfast/dessert porridge with berries and a touch of orange zest; homemade soup with a side of bean salad; and ‘croutons’ made out of gluten-free grains and flax seed.

The dietitians didn’t skimp on presentation.

To make the challenge even more realistic, some of the ingredients on the table were not guaranteed to be gluten-free, such as a broth that wasn’t labeled gluten-free and some premade sauces that required verification with the manufacturer before using. For the most part, the dietitians were cautious about choosing ingredients that were clearly gluten-free. On a few occasions, they asked about questionable ingredients, which became a teaching lesson as our VP Jennifer walked them through the process to verify the ingredient. When in doubt, they left it out.

Lunchtime! A generous gluten-free spread from our sponsor, Dietz & Watson.

Educational Sessions

While the hands-on activities proved to be learning opportunities, NFCA’s workshop also balanced those active moments with some thoughtful discussions. The morning session on gluten-related disorders prompted good questions from the audience, and the dietitians left with a better understanding of the disease spectrum.

Alice’s morning session focused on gluten-related disorders.

In Beckee’s session, the dietitians discussed a variety of perspectives and scenarios related to gluten-free needs. There was an 8-year-old with celiac disease struggling with her school lunch program; a 19-year-old newly diagnosed and figuring out how to eat gluten-free at college; and a chef who was catering a gluten-free event. The case studies sparked plenty of “A-ha” moments as the dietitians worked through these real-life applications.

Beckee presented three case studies about gluten-free needs.

So, to make a long story short, it was a winning day for all involved. My favorite part was chatting with the chefs and dietitians during and in-between each session. It always amazes me how a group can have similar interests and skills, yet put them to use in such a variety of ways.

Thanks to Wegmans for sponsoring our gluten-free workshop!

Bravo to the dietitians for putting in an A+ effort at our Gluten-Free Culinary Workshop. We hope to “see” you again during our upcoming webinar on October 31!

- Cheryl

For more photos from the workshop, visit NFCA’s Facebook page.

5 Tips for Baking Gluten-Free From Scratch

[You're ready to bake from scratch, but don't know where to start. Fear not! Shauna James Ahern, better known as Gluten-Free Girl, is here to share her tips and tricks for baking delicious gluten-free goods.]

1. Let go of your expectations.

You’ve probably been baking one way your entire life: by scooping out a cup of flour from the 5-pound bag of all-purpose bleached white. It was simple to bake this way. Even mindless. However, that bag of flour is now like a bag full of poison for you. Don’t go near it.

When people begin to bake gluten-free, they expect that the process will be exactly the same, but with different flours. (And more expensive flours, too.) Guess what? As is true of everything in life, those expectations are going to hurt you.

As soon as you can clean the gluten out of your kitchen, sweep away the notion that anything will be like it was. And why would you want it to be, when the old way made you sick?

2. You have to combine flours.

Here’s where people also get stuck. Because AP gluten flour works for a multitude of baked goods — and it’s the only flour most people in this culture know — it’s easy to long for that one magic flour when baking gluten-free.

There are a few places where you can use a single flour. I adore these brownies made with teff flour, much more than gluten brownies. And you can make great buckwheat crêpes, with only buckwheat flour. There are a few other examples. (Make socca your friend.)

However, for the most part, you have to combine 2 or 3 flours together to make a flour mix that will work for gluten-free baking.

It’s not hard. Take a bag of sorghum flour, a bag of millet, a bag of sweet rice flour, and a bag of potato starch. (We use Bob’s Red Mill flours and all their bags contain about the same amount of flour.) Pour them in a big container. Put on the lid and shake. Shake that flour until it is all one color.

What do you have? Flour. Use that flour for baking cookies, muffins, quick breads, pancakes, waffles, and biscuits. You’re done.

3. Learn to bake by weight.

Americans are VERY tied to their cups. We believe that all baking has to happen in 1/2 cup measurements. Ounces? Grams? That seems like math.

Believe me, if you want to become a confident gluten-free baker, able to make adaptations to all your favorite recipes, substituting one flour for another when you’ve run out of your favorites?

Buy a kitchen scale.

This will tell you why.

4. Play.

You’re going to make mistakes. This is a funny business. Eventually, it will feel like rote, and you’ll wonder why you ever worried.

But this space? This place of jarring differences and new experiences? This is where we learn.

Open yourself to it.

What’s the worst that could happen? A few bad baked goods? Eh, there are worse fates.

5. Psst! Here’s a secret. Most baked goods are actually better without gluten.

You read that right. Better without gluten.

Think about your favorite cake recipe. What’s the last instruction before you put that cake in the oven? “Mix until just combined. Don’t over-stir.”

You know why? Because that lovely recipe writer was trying to protect you from activating the gluten. Gluten in a cake can make your birthday celebration treat tough.

But without any gluten? You don’t have to worry. Let that stand mixer spin. Leave the room and play with your kids. You’re not going to hurt anything.

Gluten-free cakes can be far fluffier and more wonderful than the gluten ones.

Trust me. It’s worth the initial, shocking investment in flours to learn how to do this.

You don’t want to go the rest of your life without making chocolate chip cookies.

- Shauna James Ahern

Gluten-Free Cookies in 5 Simple Steps

[If you’re new to the gluten-free diet, you probably have yet to try gluten-free baking. (Yes, we all know xanthan gum bears a rather intimidating name.) Fortunately, there’s a little wonder known as gluten-free cake mix that can do much of the work for you.

Anne Byrn, better known as The Cake Mix Doctor, discovered just how versatile gluten-free cake mix can be when she was creating recipes for her first gluten-free cookbook. We hope her story, and her simple 5-step recipe, will inspire you, too!]

While working on The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free, I was making gingerbread out of a yellow gluten-free cake mix, adding apple cider, molasses, cocoa powder, ginger, nearly the kitchen sink! The taste of that gingerbread reminded me of my grandmother’s gingersnap cookies, and all of the sudden the most wonderful and nostalgic flashback came into my mind. I was 12 years old and in my grandmother’s kitchen snatching a cookie from the cooling rack.

So, I thought, could I turn this gingerbread recipe into a cookie? I grabbed a clean mixing bowl and wooden spoon, poured a fresh box of cake mix into the bowl and carefully added just one egg, vegetable shortening, molasses, ginger, and other spices. Dropped onto baking sheets, these cookies baked up crisp and spiced with ginger.

There is something unexpected and magical about rice flour and what it does to cookies. Rice flour makes it possible for you to turn a gluten-free cake mix into light, crisp cookies. And because it is flavorless, it is a blank canvas allowing big, bold flavors such as ginger to come through.

-Anne Byrn

Gluten-Free Gingersnaps

(From The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free, by Anne Byrn)

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Prep: 10 minutes
Chill: At least 2 hours
Bake: 9 to 11 minutes
Cool: 10 to 16 minutes

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup molasses
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 package (15 oz.) yellow gluten-free cake mix
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Place the molasses, vegetable shortening, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg. Increase the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, 30 seconds. Set the molasses mixture aside.
2. Place the cake mix, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a small bowl and stir to combine. Add the cake mix mixture to the molasses mixture, a little at a time, beating on low speed until everything is just combined, 30 to 45 seconds. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the cookie dough in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours or overnight.
3. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside 2 ungreased baking sheets.
4. Place the sugar in a shallow bowl. Form the cookie dough into generous 1-inch balls. Roll the balls of dough in the sugar and arrange them on the baking sheets, about 4 inches apart.
5. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake the cookies until they are crisp around the edges, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool for 1 minute. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, if any.

A Gluten-Free Holiday Treat, No Baking Required

I’m always prepared to bring an appetizer, salad or main dish to social gatherings and holiday functions. Like many with celiac disease, I quickly learned that if I wanted to eat a safe gluten-free meal, it was up to me to tote along at least one item I knew I could eat.

But dessert? Despite my sweet tooth, more often than not I have opted to forgo dessert simply because baking and I are not friends. So fruit has served as my go-to pick, and the nutritional benefits are always a plus. Alas, sometimes a fruit salad, no matter how fresh the ingredients, just won’t cut it. This Christmas, I wanted to join my family at the dessert table with something more substantial than pineapple and berries, even if topped with whipped cream.

Enter these no-bake coconut balls.

Gluten-Free No Bake Coconut Balls

I’m sure you can guess that a recipe with minimal ingredients and without an actual “baking” process were both requirements. Fortunately, I stumbled across this simple recipe while performing the perfunctory Google search: No Bake Coconut Balls

The recipe called for nut butter plus chocolate chips or nuts of your choosing, but I opted for a combination of the two. My secret ingredient? Justin’s Nut Butter. This brand has been a pantry staple of mine for the past 2 years so I knew that their Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor was delicious. (If you are not already familiar with their line of nut butters, please head to your local grocery store immediately).

All you need for a delicious gluten-free dessert.

Not only did they fulfill my sweet tooth, but my family was impressed too. Who said you need flour to “bake” Christmas cookies?

- Kristin

Related Content:

• Gluten-Free Recipes
• Gluten-Free Cooking Videos
• Gluten-Free Holiday Central

Teaching Student Chefs the Importance of Gluten-Free Training

Twice a year, I have the fortunate honor to be invited to a ‘Gluten-Free Baking Lab’ held at the Lincoln Southeast Community College Food Service/Hospitality program in Lincoln, NE. The students bake items from CIA instructor Chef Richard Coppedge’s cookbook, Gluten-Free Baking, and learn about the needs of those on a gluten-free diet.  The process starts by thoroughly cleaning the kitchen, equipment, and utensils; blending the flours (Chef Coppedge provides five different blends); pairing up; and selecting recipes from the cookbook. The baking begins. Then I arrive for the tasting and a Q & A with the students.

Check out the spread!

You might think it is pretty bold of me to assume that what’s being served on the plates is really safe and totally gluten-free. Well, you’d be right – if I didn’t know the lead instructor, Certified Executive Chef Brandon Harpster, is GREAT trained. In fact, six of the instructors on the foodservice staff at LSCC completed GREAT Kitchens training back in 2008.  So, I feel pretty confident in the guidance and instruction received by these young chefs.

As I arrive for the tasting, the proud students parade into the classroom with their masterpieces. I snap their pictures, and they gently place them on the table. I get a bit choked up every time I attend these labs. When I was diagnosed almost 20 years ago, I could never have imagined culinary students being exposed to gluten-free baking and embracing the challenge and opportunity. I really believe that 5-10 years from now, all culinary students will have a standard class on allergen-free baking and cooking. It will be commonplace. This generation has grown up with allergies or celiac disease; they have friends or family members who have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or allergies. Yes, there really is hope and promise in the foodservice industry. We are seeing big strides every day. It was thrilling to hear the students talk about working in restaurants that have gluten-free options, such as a successful local pizza chain and others in well-respected establishments with skilled chefs who “get gluten-free.”

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

The sampling included Strawberry Bread, Chocolate (Red) Velvet Cake minus the red food coloring, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies, Cinnabon-ish Cinnamon Rolls, Angel Food Cake, Peanut Butter Cookies, and Zucchini Pumpkin Bread. While they munched, I shared a brief description of my NFCA position, celiac disease history, and current marketplace trends. I really wanted to make sure we had time for questions because I was curious about aspiring culinary students want to know. They had some GREAT questions. Here are a few with my responses.

Student Question: Besides the obvious sources of gluten, what else do chefs need to be concerned about when preparing gluten-free meals?

Beckee’s Answer: Gluten can be hidden in unlikely places. I once learned the hard way that flour can be added to refried beans to thicken them. Gluten can be hidden in sauces, marinades, flavorings and many processed foods. Reading labels is very important, but so is knowing that gluten can be found in soup bases, soy sauce, stabilizers and thickeners.

If you work in a scratch kitchen and know your ingredients and sources, that’s only part of the answer to knowing safe gluten-free preparation. The most important skill to learn is how to prepare gluten-free foods safely because cross contamination is a huge concern to your customers. Picking up a bread knife and cutting a baked potato can turn a perfectly gluten-free option into something that can harm someone on a medically restricted gluten-free diet.  Your customers must feel confident in your expertise to serve safe options. Educating yourselves by taking GREAT Kitchens training will provide that trust and give you another tool in your culinary skills when you start hunting for jobs.

Gluten-Free Zucchini Pumpkin Bread - Delicious!

Student Question: What is the potential for increased sales for restaurants that “go gluten-free”?

Beckee’s Answer: One in 133 people has celiac disease, and 1 in 18 has gluten intolerance. They are the members of the party that will be making the reservations. Most diners don’t dine alone; they bring friends and family with them. If they order dishes to share, they’ll make them gluten-free. They’re loyal to those restaurants that can safely serve gluten-free and will look for the GREAT seal of approval like the GREAT Kitchens decal, logo, or a reference on their menu telling guests that training is in place. People needing gluten-free options will only increase over the next 5 years due to more awareness and diagnoses.  Advertising gluten-free options can be a differentiator in the restaurant business.

What's a celebration without some gluten-free cake?

Student Question: If you have a reaction or get sick, do you call the restaurant and let them know?

Beckee’s Answer: Excellent question. Honestly, in the past, I wasn’t consistent about doing so. I’d just take it off my list of dining options and tell my gluten-free pals to beware. However, when I started working with chefs and training restaurants, I asked if they wanted to know. Unanimously, the answer was “Yes.” How can you fix the problem if you’re not aware of it? Now, I always contact the establishment, and I encourage others to do so. I can remember talking with a general manager for a restaurant who had a gluten-free menu but no staff training. He told me they “just didn’t get many people asking for gluten-free.” Hmmm, wonder why?

The last thought that I left the class with was this: When you go out to eat or dine, what are you thinking about after you’ve order your meal? Are you thinking about your gorgeous date? The hilarious joke someone told at the table? Maybe you’re anticipating the fabulous food that will be served soon. Sometimes, people with celiac disease are solely focused on what’s happening in the kitchen. Will they make a fresh salad instead of just picking off the croutons? Will the cooks clean the grill before charring the steak? Does the restaurant really have a dedicated fryer? Through GREAT gluten-free education, all the guests at the table can enjoy the ambience, company, and great food you set before them.

Bon Appetite!

- Beckee

Learn more about gluten-free training through GREAT Kitchens at www.CeliacLearning.com/kitchens.

A Blogger A Day: Gluten-Free on a Shoestring

Name: Nicole Hunn

Blogs at: www.glutenfreeonashoestring.com
Tweets at: www.twitter.com/GFShoestring
Like her at: www.facebook.com/gfshoestring
On the bookshelf: Gluten-Free on a Shoestring: 125 Easy Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap. Available wherever books are sold.

Why we’re fans: We like saving money (Who doesn’t?). We also like witty writing that’s easy-going even when xanthan gum is part of the mix. With Nicole’s blog, we get both. Her posts like “The Promise of Pita” are as entertaining as they are delicious, and the special page marked “Shoestring Savings” has oodles of links to coupons from some of your favorite gluten-free food manufacturers. Earlier this month, Nicole was featured in a news segment on ABC 7 in New York to promote her cookbook and put Celiac Awareness Month in the spotlight.

Nicole Hunn

Nicole’s Story: My son Jonathan, who is now 7 years old, has celiac disease. We keep a gluten-free house, which includes me, my husband, and all of our 3 children eating gluten-free at home.

According to Nicole: The most unexpected part of going gluten-free was having it take me in the direction of cookbook author and food blogger, instead of practicing lawyer!

A taste of Gluten-Free on a Shoestring:

• Time to Make the Doughnuts
• Strawberry Shortcakes
• Chicken Fingers

For more of NFCA’s Celiac Awareness Month celebration, visit www.CeliacCentral.org/awarenessmonth.

A Blogger A Day: Creative Cooking: Gluten Free

Name: Jenny Manseau
Lives in: Portsmouth, RI

Blogs at: www.creativecookinggf.com
Tweets at: www.twitter.com/creatively_gf
Like her at: www.facebook.com/creativecookinggf

Why we’re fans: Jenny enjoys the learning process. Instead of throwing her hands up at the thought of going gluten-free, she went to work in the kitchen. She’s not afraid to admit when something’s a flop, and over time, her recipes have become more advanced and adventurous. Now, Jenny’s taking it to the next level by attending culinary school, with the ultimate goal to become a registered dietitian and personal chef for people with allergies. While she’s at it, she’s teaching her whole class a thing or two about celiac disease and why gluten-free safety is so important.

Jenny Manseau

Jenny’s Story: I was diagnosed almost 3 years ago with celiac disease after many years of being misdiagnosed.  I started my blog to keep a journal for myself of my new kitchen adventures, including my failures and successes.   You can read more of my story on my blog (http://creativecookinggf.wordpress.com/about/)

According to Jenny: The toughest part of going gluten-free is eating out with friends and being “that person”.  You all know what I’m talking about – the one asking nine million questions, double checking everything and having to find a place that is suitable for me to eat.  It makes going out in groups a bit difficult, but thankfully those who know me are very understandable and accommodating, it is those that I just meet that it is hard for. I tend to feel bad about it and often don’t go out with people.

A taste of Creative Cooking: Gluten Free:

• My take of P.F. Chang’s Beef a La Sichuan: My biggest weakness is Chinese food, and I miss that more than anything else with being gluten-free.  When living in Monterey, CA, I got spoiled by this great little family-run Chinese restaurant that would make me pretty much anything I wanted if I supplied them with gluten-free soy sauce. Needless to say, I ate there several times a week (I told you, it’s my weakness). P.F. Chang’s is also one of my favorite places to eat because they have such a great selection on their gluten-free menu.  Sadly though, there isn’t one very close to us in Rhode Island, so I have decided to try and re-create as many of their recipes as possible.  That way, I can control what ingredients I use, save money, and get my fix.
• Butternut Squash Soup: I don’t have a food processor or blender, so making this is a bit difficult. I was craving this soup so badly one day I finally went over to my neighbor and asked to borrow her food processor. Thankfully, she had one!  It is just one of those soups that screams comfort food on a nice cool day. Perfect in the fall, winter or spring.  We tend to like things a bit spicy in our house, so adjust the spice level accordingly. Great topped with gluten-free croutons, crispy bacon or toasted pine nuts.
• Cooking with my Grandma Lu (Meatballs and Sauce): I love and admire my grandmother very much.  She is the reason I love to cook.  She taught me from a very early age with a chair pulled up to the stove next to her.  The love of cooking that she instilled in me at such an early age is one of my main reasons for attending my dream culinary school with the determination to do it as gluten-free as possible.

For more of NFCA’s Celiac Awareness Month celebration, visit www.CeliacCentral.org/awarenessmonth.

A Blogger A Day: The WHOLE Gang

Name: Diane Eblin
Lives in: Herndon, VA

Blogs at: www.thewholegang.org
Tweets at: www.twitter.com/thewholegang
Like her at: The WHOLE Gang on Facebook; Friend her at: Diane Eblin on Facebook
On the bookshelf: The Gluten-Free Diner e-cookbook. Available at www.thewholegang.org/the-gluten-free-diner-cookbook

Why we’re fans: Diane has a ton of information on her blog – recipes, reviews, “Food Rock Star” profiles – but they’re laid out in a way that’s easy to digest. She’s a busy woman, organizing blog campaigns like the current 30 Days to Easy Gluten-Free Living (with some familiar faces), developing recipes and, this year, becoming a Certified Health Coach trained at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. We’ve had the pleasure of featuring some of her creations on our Recipe of the Week blog, so we’re glad she’s “taking it to the streets” to help others along their health journey.

Diane Eblin

Diane’s Story: I am gluten intolerant, my family has tested for gluten being a problem and we have autoimmune diseases that require a gluten free diet.  I started my blog to keep track of all the resources I found and the recipes I was creating.  Then people started to read it and it grew from there.  Now it’s a wonderful community where people come to learn and share.  It’s continually growing and changing and this year as I work through my studies at Integrative Nutrition I will be sharing much more than just recipes.  Starting in July I will also be seeing clients as a Holistic Health Coach who specializes in helping people who have to give up certain foods.

According to Diane: The most wonderfully unexpected part of living gluten-free is the great friends I have made all around the world and how much I’ve learned from them, too.

A taste of The WHOLE Gang:

• Gluten-Free Kandy Kakes Recipe and Win This Cookbook
• 30 Days to a Food Revolution
• Recipe Round-Ups: Real Food Weekly (every Thursday) and Friday Foodie Fix

For more of NFCA’s Celiac Awareness Month celebration, visit www.CeliacCentral.org/awarenessmonth.

Stealing a Base and Other Seized Opportunities

[As you know, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness staff members are big Phillies fans. So when one of our newest volunteers, Nadina Fraimow, told us she shared the same passion for sports, wellness and all things Phillies, we had to get her on board. Nadina will be sharing her gluten-free experience throughout the 2011 Phillies season.]

Stealing a Base and Other Seized Opportunities

A Phightin’ to Be Gluten-Free Blog

It’s time to Be-LEE-ve as Cliff Lee breaks his one month losing streak with a 2-0 shutout victory against the Texas Rangers.  Lee, ready to win, did just that on Saturday night when he threw 122 pitches in eight shutout innings, allowing simply 5 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks and 10 strike outs.

Lee was as much of a champion on the mound as on the bases, with a single and steal of second in the bottom of the 5th inning.  Stealing a base is no easy feat and requires a keen eye and “just go for it” attitude.  Lee spotted a wide open second and with encouragement from teammate Shane Victorino, he seized his opportunity to steal the base.

Seizing the opportunity is a good theme for all of us Phightin’ to be gluten-free. For me, I seized the opportunity to share my gluten-free journey as a guest blogger for NFCA with support from my family.

The Baking Bunch

Speaking of family, my younger sister has recently embarked on a thoughtful and exciting senior project. As she has been with me every step of the way, she has taken Phightin’ to be gluten-free to a wonderful new level and tried to share any successful tips with her friends. Hoping to get her friends excited about gluten-free baking, and to develop her awareness-based senior project, my sister hosted a gluten-free cupcake party. It was a huge success, and we proved to our nongluten-free friends that living gluten-free can be just as tasty!

Wow, what a cupcake!

This past weekend, I enjoyed my version of a “Sex and the City” brunch with my close girlfriends at Parc in Rittenhouse Square.  I am always a little skeptical of my gluten-free options at restaurants that do not have separate gluten-free menus.  Fortunately, I have learned to figuratively “steal the base” by calling ahead of time to speak to the chef or manager about my gluten-free options.  Similar to my experience at the Pub of Penn Valley, my food preparation concerns quickly diminished when I learned Parc’s chefs in the kitchen were educated in gluten-free dining.  With my fabulous teammates, I was able to enjoy gluten-free French marinated chicken on top of fresh lettuce.  Note: In case of nut allergies, the chicken was cooked in olive oil infused with almonds. 

Brunch with girlfriends

Following Lee’s lead, Ryan Howard ended his 23 game hitting slump with a solo home run, Ibanez scored a run from John Mayberry Jr.’s RBI single, and unsung hero Ryan Madson successfully closed the shutout.

As I look forward to celebrating Memorial Day weekend with my family and friends, and of course, watching the Phightin’ Phils beat the Mets at Citi Field during Celiac Awareness Night in New York, I can’t help but acknowledge my appreciation for the restaurant owners and their chefs in Philadelphia who are seizing the opportunity to make a commitment to serve the gluten-free community.

-Nadina

NFCA offers gluten-free restaurant training through the GREAT Kitchens program. To learn more, visit www.CeliacLearning.com or email GREAT@celiaccentral.org.

*Get your tickets to NFCA’s Celiac Awareness Night at the Phillies and Celiac Awareness Night at the Mets (vs. the Phillies!) by visiting www.CeliacCentral.org »

About Nadina:

Nadina Fraimow began volunteering with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) in April 2011, and will be happy to answer messages sent to the info@celiaccentral.org email account. Nadina learned that she has gluten sensitivity in February 2011, and is grateful for having been diagnosed promptly and correctly by a knowledgeable gastroenterologist. She enjoys running, shopping for gluten-free sweets, and creating recipes that are both tasty and healthy. Nadina is a Marketing and Communications professional living and working in Philadelphia. Nadina is also a proud Penn State alumna and an avid fan of the Phillies.