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GREAT Kitchens Gluten-Free Chef’s Table Tour: Stop #1 at Mehtaphor in New York City
The GREAT Kitchens Gluten-Free Chef’s Table Tour has officially started! The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) kicked off the tour at Chef Jehangir Mehta’s New York City restaurant, Mehtaphor, yesterday afternoon.
Gluten-free bloggers, food bloggers and reporters from the New York area came out to enjoy a 100% gluten-free lunch with us at Mehtaphor. And while I was excited to eat all of Chef Mehta’s gluten-free dishes (which, by the way, were fabulous), I was even more excited to have the opportunity to talk about the need for safe gluten-free food preparation. We even proved one of my favorite points – gluten-free does not mean taste free! There were no gluten-free bread or pasta substitutes on the menu, but rather Chef Mehta focused on serving a Mediterranean-style meal that left everyone completely satisfied (quite to the surprise of some of the attendees!). If ever there was a perfect meal to satisfy gluten-free and non-gluten-free eaters, this meal was it.
While we enjoyed Chef Mehta’s dishes, we all had the chance to chat about celiac disease and the medical aspect behind the gluten-free diet. Most of the attendees had some sort of connection to celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (‘gluten sensitivity’). Some had a deep understanding of gluten-related disorders while others were still learning, which made for an incredibly diverse conversation. If there’s one thing I love, it’s raising awareness of an autoimmune disease that is still vastly underdiagnosed.
I have to admit, I was truly touched by the interest of the folks who attended yesterday’s luncheon. Sure, there was delicious gluten-free food to enjoy, but everyone was genuinely interested in learning about celiac disease and the GREAT Kitchens program. They wanted to understand why this online gluten-free training program exists and how much of a difference training makes for people living with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders. Everyone was engaged with the program, asked a lot of questions and, to put it simply, they cared.

Chef Mehta did an amazing job of explaining why safe gluten-free cooking is a must for our community!
To all those who attended the luncheon – thank you so much for recognizing the need for people living with gluten-related disorders to have access to not just gluten-free meals, but meals that are safe and free from cross-contamination.
Today, Chef Mehta and I hung out at New York University (NYU) to serve gluten-free dishes to students in the Weinstein Dining Hall. There are some photos from the event on NFCA’s Instagram account you can check out now. Keep an eye on the blog for more updates from today’s stop and the rest of the tour. If you are on Twitter, follow NFCA (@CeliacAwareness) and Chef Mehta (@jehangir_mehta) to get the play-by-play of the tour. You can follow me as well at @abast. We’re using the hashtags #GREATKitchens and #GFChefsTable, so feel free to jump in the conversation!
– Alice
P.S. You can find more pictures from the tour on NFCA’s Facebook page. We’ll be updating the album at each stop on the tour.
GREAT Kitchens Gluten-Free Chef’s Table Tour – Coming to a City Near You!
The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is proud to call Chef Jehangir Mehta, a finalist on the popular Next Iron Chef series, a partner in creating safe gluten-free options in restaurants so people living with gluten-related disorders can eat without fear.
NFCA team members and Chef Mehta will be taking NFCA’s online gluten-free cooking program on the road over the next six months. Introducing the GREAT Kitchens Gluten-Free Chef’s Table Tour! The tour will cover 10 cities with the goal of educating chefs nationwide on the need for gluten-free menu items that go beyond just using gluten-free ingredients. It is amazing to see gluten-free options popping up on menus across the country, but unless restaurants are educated on the importance of safe gluten-free food preparation, our community cannot dine safely.
Many things have changed in the 20+ years that I have been diagnosed with celiac disease. When I was diagnosed, gluten-free food was not even available in the U.S. Today, we have access to a wide range of gluten-free food, but the next step on our journey is ensuring all gluten-free food is safe for our community. A gluten-free diet is the only treatment for people living with celiac disease; there are currently no pills, vaccines or cures for celiac disease. Research is taking us closer, but for now, we have to ensure the people living with this autoimmune disease can have access to the food that is our only medicine.
It has been 10 years since NFCA first opened its doors and set out on its mission to raise celiac disease awareness and improve the quality of life for those on a lifelong gluten-free diet. In that time, I have met many chefs and foodservice industry professionals eager to understand celiac disease, the gluten-free diet and our need for food to be free from gluten-containing ingredients and the gluten that can enter our food through cross-contact (commonly referred to as cross-contamination by the gluten-free community). These professionals are eager to accommodate their guests, but first they have to know training and resources are available to help.
NFCA’s GREAT Kitchens program gives restaurant employees from the wait staff to the chefs the tools they need to serve safe gluten-free food. Our ten city tour will help spread the message that for the 3 million Americans living with celiac disease, a gluten-free diet is not a fad, but the only way to restore their health and reclaim their lives. Ranging from cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco, we will be working with executive chefs in some of the best restaurants – complete with gluten-free cooking demonstrations, of course!
Stay tuned as we start the journey at Chef Mehta’s Tribeca restaurant, Mehtaphor on Tuesday, October 22. Follow the tour by liking NFCA’s Facebook page and following NFCA on Twitter (@CeliacAwareness) and Instagram (@CeliacCentral). Chef Mehta will also be live tweeting from the road. Follow him at @jehangir_mehta.
To our GREAT health,
Alice
8 GREAT Gluten-Free Things to Do This Summer
I’m convinced that time speeds up between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Before you know it, summer is over and you’re not quite sure what you did all those months.
This year, kick off the summer with a gluten-free bucket list. Set a few goals, plan a trip or two, and see how many things you can check off your list before the season ends. Here are 8 activities to get you started:
- Host a backyard barbecue. Invite friends or family members over for a gluten-free cookout. Instead of the standard hot dogs and hamburgers, try grilling a whole chicken or making kebabs. Looking for inspiration? Check out the 4th of July Fun Guide our staff put together for party tips and a dip recipe.
- Visit a ballpark. What better way to enjoy a warm summer night than watching the game with a gluten-free hot dog? Gluten-Free Philly has a list of ballparks that now serve gluten-free concessions. If you’re in the Philadelphia area, grab a ticket to Celiac Awareness Night at the Phillies on July 20 and spend the night with gluten-free fans.
- Make your own ice cream sandwich. Grab two gluten-free cookies and a tub of your favorite flavor of ice cream. Drop a scoop of ice cream onto one cookie and place the other cookie on top. Best enjoyed surrounded by family and friends.
- Go camping. Surprising as it sounds, camping may be one of the most gluten-free friendly ways to travel. And it’s one of my favorites! Bring your own food and cook it in tin foil packets over a campfire. No concerns about cross-contamination here!
- Go for a walk. Take a stroll for a good cause by joining one of the many celiac walks this summer. If there are no awareness events in your area, consider launching your own like Athlete for Awareness Peter Bronski(50-mile run not required).
- Take a class. The kids may be out of school, but the summer is a wonderful time for your own enrichment. Treat yourself to a wellness retreat or a gluten-free cooking class. No time? Carve out 1 hour to watch one of NFCA’s webinars.
- Try a new recipe. You know all those gluten-free recipes you’ve pinned on Pinterest? Now’s the time to make them. Make it a goal to cook one new recipe per week, or host a cooking party with gluten-free friends so you can test several recipes in a single afternoon.
- Root for gluten-free Olympians. A number of gluten-free athletes are vying for the gold this year. The U.S. Olympic teams are still being decided, but we’re keeping an eye returning Olympians Dana Vollmer and Jenn Suhr.
– Alice
Gluten-Free Adventures at Expo West…and an Ode to Bloggers
Eight years ago, I started the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness to make “gluten-free” a household word. Our goal was to raise awareness of celiac disease so we could have a voice: increase availability, affordability, safety, tasty and understanding… and eventually fund research.
Well, the market for gluten-free foods has soared. We are currently a $2.64 billion industry, and the marketplace is expected to double in the next 4 years. 15% of all consumers are looking for gluten-free foods, and at Expo West, gluten-free labels were EVERYWHERE!
On the convention floor, I stood in amazement of the rows of gluten-free products. I didn’t know which way to turn. To the right for Rudi’s great gluten-free grilled cheese and chicken sandwiches; to the left to Glutenfreeda’s fabulous new Pizza Wraps; down another aisle to Kettle Cuisine’s unbelievable Thai Curry Chicken Soup. Haine Celestial’s booth was piled high with sections of gluten-free products. I even found a new meal replacement protein drink called Svelte. It was heaven on earth.
All three gluten-free presentations were standing room only. When I stepped down from the podium, people asked questions for a ½ hour. They even followed me out the door.
At one point in the day, I was speaking with Anne Whalen, editor of Gluten Free Living, and renowned dietitian Shelley Case. We all agreed: Our time has come! We have all dreamt of this day, and it’s finally here.
Of course, this couldn’t have happened without the help of a very dedicated group: the bloggers. Thanks to their daily posts, rapid-fire tweets and enticing recipes, gluten-free has nestled into solid ground online and in stores.
So, to the blogging community: Thank you for making a difference for all of us. Thank you for being such passionate advocates; we now have a voice! We can and are bringing about change. Awareness and interest have driven the growth of gluten-free products, making our lives and the lives of others better.
Basically, you all rock! And I especially enjoyed spending time with you over the past couple weeks.
(Stay tuned to Celiac Central: Bits & Bites. These fantastic celiac and gluten-free bloggers will be making an appearance in May!)
-Alice