Red Robin's New Gluten-Free Buns: Amazing!

Have eaten Red Robin's GF buns now a couple times.

Yum, yum, McYummity yum.

They're so good, they're scary.

I thought I'd been glutenized because I thought there was no way that bun could be gluten free, except for the complete lack of symptoms. Those buns don't crumble. They don't even get stale in the fridge. They're fantastic.

Get thee to a Red Robin and try that GF bun. Awesome.

Note: they make GF fries in a dedicated fryer, too. Holey moley!

(Note: Picture is of a regular bun. GF bun does not have sesame seeds.)

TK the Celiac Maniac

Ebook: 60 Chain Restaurants and What To Eat Gluten Free

Howdy fellow GF-ers,

I've written an ebook with information about being GF and eating in US chain restaurants called "What To Eat When You Eat Out, Gluten Free." There's an Amazon button over there at the left.

It's also available for all ereaders on Smashwords: All Ereaders Link .

It is now also available at iBooks, Kobo, BN.com, Sony store, etc.

Eating out at restaurants with celiac disease or other gluten reaction is playing gluten roulette. You might be fine. You might get really sick.

Traveling makes it worse. You can find yourself in an unfamiliar city with no time to research a safe little GF bistro, if there is one.

This indispensable reference ebook lists 60 restaurant chains, hyperlinked from an index, from Applebee’s to Z Pizza, with details like:

• Whether they have a gluten-free menu and where (On the menu? Separate menu? In a binder?)
• All the items on the menu that are GF
• Whether they carry GF specialty products like GF hamburger buns or pasta
• Links to more allergen information and locations on the web
• Personal notes and an analysis of web information about that chain

Thirty-three restaurant chains are rated as Good for Gluten Free. A separate hyperlinked index directs you to just the good ones.

Seven are rated as Not Recommended due to serious concerns, several of which advertise that they have special gluten-free menus and selections. Have you eaten at one of them? Did you get sick?

As a bonus, excellent individual restaurants are listed by state.

This ebook is optimized for smartphones, ereaders, and tablets.

At the front, there are 3 hyperlinked indices:

• Index of Good GF Restaurants
• Index of All Restaurants
• Index of Local GF Restaurants by Location/State

If you like it, please review it!

Thank you!
TK, the Celiac Maniac

Where to Connect with TK Kenyon -- Google+ and Goodreads and Twitter, oh my!

Google+ is the hottest new site, right? https://plus.google.com/114092439743576593278/posts 

If you’re into science, connect with me here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tkkenyon

Great blog for creative writing tips. http://tkkenyon.blogspot.com/

My Amazon profile. http://www.amazon.com/T.-K.-Kenyon/e/B001JP4HK4

Here I am at BlogCritics. http://blogcritics.org/writers/tk-kenyon/

I even MySpace, occasionally. http://www.myspace.com/tkkenyon

Tweet with me! I tweet links to free e-fiction on the web and happy thoughts! https://twitter.com/#!/TKKenyon

A great place to see what I’m up to, writing-wise. http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/malachitepublishing

Shelfari is another great book site: http://www.shelfari.com/tkkenyon

All my reviews on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2QSSNUGVG5II8?ie=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0

This is a great science fiction anthology, and I gave it 5 stars because it deserved it. http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2011/08/guest-review-tk-kenyon-on-the-best-science-fiction-and-fantasy-of-the-year-volume-five-edited-by-jonathan-strahan/

Connect with me on Goodreads: A great site for readers: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/202809.T_K_Kenyon

All my blogs: Gluten-Free, creative writing, other stuff. http://www.blogger.com/profile/13756031460622964015

Fuel for Diesel Ebooks: http://search.diesel-ebooks.com/author/Kenyon,%20TK/results/1.html

Like to blow things up? Here’s a guy who did it for a living. Now that’s job satisfaction! http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/magazine/articles/26-4-science-and-celebrity.aspx

Do you #kindleboards #KB? I do! http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php?topic=71383.0

Having trouble with your overprotective parents? Try being Indian, in the theater, and lesbian. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66664 http://www.amazon.com/Nag-Hindi-Cobra-ebook/dp/B0055WXKDW

Think you can beat Las Vegas? Frank thought so. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68208 http://www.amazon.com/Law-Large-Numbers-ebook/dp/B0057AFHJC

In 1942, Nazi subs hunted ships off the US East Coast. Read more: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/79924 http://www.amazon.com/Hooligan-Navy-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B005GL8V1S

Subway is testing GF buns in Texas!

TK Kenyon, the Celiac Maniac, is pleased to tell you that Subway, the sub sandwich store, is testing GF buns in Texas!

<-- Actual picture of the buns!

If you live in Texas, by all means, hie thee to a Subway and support this wonderful initiative.

I'm going to write to the corporation right now (here's where you can, too) and ask them to take this nationwide.

There's a brownie, too!

2 Gluten-Free Mentions on Rules of Engagement, CBS Show

TK Kenyon, the Celiac Maniac, is amused to tell you that one of the writers on Rules of Engagement, an excellent CBS show, must be a celiac or gluten-free.

A season or two ago in Episode 2.9, when Adam's hippie mother visited and drove Jennifer to distraction, Jennifer said that Adam's mother only ate gluten-free food, and she wasn't sure what gluten was, but she was pretty sure that she liked it.

Yes, Jennifer, you do like it.

Then this week, Timmy and Russell fly somewhere, and Timmy brings a brown bag lunch. He says that he has dietary restrictions and isn't sure the airline will be able to provide him with gluten-free food.

No, Timmy, the won't.

Then Russell vomits on his GF lunch.

That's GF-funny!

Will a Gluten-Free Diet Help Me Lose Weight?

Gluten-free diets are not for weight control. They are a medical diet for people whose immune systems have become reactive to the wheat/rye/barley protein gluten. Celiac disease is the common term for this condition.

If you want to lose weight, eat less and exercise more.

Strike that.

Eat a lot less and exercise a lot more.

Don't eat things that are fried or otherwise loaded with fat. Eat whole grains, lean protein (in the forms of legumes, egg whites, or very lean meat,) fruit, and a lot of vegetables.

Exercise a lot, mainly resistance training. Cardio is good for your heart and will give you more energy, but strength training burns fat.

If you go GF, you might lose weight at first, just because you don't know what to eat. Any time that you cut a major food group out of your everyday life, you'll lose a couple pounds.

After that first trip to the health food store, however, you'll load up on all that fake GF food: GF bread, GF donuts, GF waffles, GF cookies, etc. Then, you'll be right back where you started.

Indeed, I'm a celiac, and when I went GF, I gained a few pounds, because my body started absorbing nutrients from food. I lost two dress sizes because my abdomen wasn't horrendously bloated.

NO: don't go GF to lose weight.

Chelsea Clinton's Gluten-Free Wedding Cake

TK Kenyon, the Celiac Maniac, is excited to tell you that reports are that Chelsea Clinton's spectacular wedding cake was gluten-free because Chelsea was diagnosed with gluten intolerance as a teenager, which would be while she was living in the White House.

While much of the meal was also vegan, the cake itself was GF but contained eggs. Hey, it's hard enough to make a GF cake.

Good job, Chelsea, for having your gluten-free cake and eating it, too.

GF Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

A deep dark chocolate naturally GF dessert worthy of company but easy enough for every day? Wow!

I don't usually post links to recipes on other blogs, esp when I haven't actually made the recipe in question, but this looks scrumptious.

The flourless dark chocolate cake swirled with cream cheese looks wonderful. I think I'll make this soon.

Glutino Gluten-Free Multigrain Bagels -- Review

I have a hankering for a bagel, so I tried Glutino's Multigrain Bagels.

When I took it out of the bag, it felt heavy for its size. That's good in a cantaloupe, but bad in bagel. It kind of looked like it had been poured into a mold and flash frozen.

Then I defrosted it in the microwave. When it was done defrosting, it was warm, yet just as hard as when it was frozen solid.

Bad sign.

I tasted it. Given the aforementioned data, you might think this was unwarranted, but I gave the bagel the benefit of the doubt and took a nibble.

EEEEE-yuck.

This is one of the worst GF products I've had. The texture was sawdust and talcum powder. No sponginess. No softness. No bagelness.

Looks like it's back to the cookbooks for me. This bagel isn't worth your money. Eat Van's GF Waffles or Mesa Sunrise's GF Waffles instead.

Glutino makes wonderful pretzels, but these bagels aren't any good at all.

NOW Xanthan Gum is Fluffy -- Use 1 - 1/2 times GF recipe amount

So, my GF bread recipe suddenly stopped working. 


I had this wonderful, scrumptious, moist-but-not-soggy, fluffy-but-not-foamy, rich, wonderful sandwich bread recipe. It is so great that sometimes, it pushed up the top of the bread machine. It's high and mighty.

And then, about three months ago, it stopped working.

EEEEEEEEK! 

The loaves came out half the height that they used to be. They were dense and soggy. They were awful.

What the hell had happened?

I bought new yeast, thinking maybe my yeast had died. I bought new flours, thinking they might've gone stale or something. I varied everything in the recipe, trying to bring back my wonderful bread.

What I had done was this: I bought a different brand of xanthan gum. Son of a gun.

NOW brand Xanthan Gum is fluffier -- less dense -- than its counterparts. I put 1.5x the recipe amount in, and voila! My bread is back.

Can I get a hallelujah?

Gluten Free Creations Bakery -- Phoenix, AZ -- Review

Recently, I had the occasion to sample the many foods at Gluten Free Creations Bakery in Phoenix, Arizona.


It was a quick trip to the Valley, so I hadn't had time to bake and pack an appropriate variety of traveling food. Thus, I needed GF food, fast.


I drove into the heart of Phoenix ( 2940-b E. Thomas Rd. · Phoenix, AZ 85016  ) to sample the wares.


The bakery's front room is small and crammed with glass-fronted freezers, which are in turn stacked with varieties of GF breads and baked goods. In addition, shelves are stocked with their own fresh dry mixes. 


 I picked up what seemed like "one of everything" from the weight of my bag but was actually a small sampling. As with everything, some are better than others. 


Buckwheat Bread -- Great for sandwiches. I ate the whole loaf in a couple of days.


Whole Grain Bread -- Dry and heavy like many GF baked goods. Crumbly for sandwiches. Fantastic for toast. The whole grains roast in the toaster and smell delicious.


Hamburger buns -- Dry and crumbly. Very white. Little taste. It's hard to do good white buns.


Cinnamon Bun -- Expensive for one bun. The outside ring was very bready and bland. Inside rings were nicely soaked with butter and cinnamon.


Chocolate Donuts with Icing -- Ah, donuts. I haven't had a donut for 8 years. These donuts more like a cake in texture than a donut, but it was the texture of a really good cake. I ate the whole 6-pack in a couple days.


To summarize, I can bake better fresh bread and some other baked goods, but this is a great bakery if you don't have the time. The baked goods and breads are substantially better, indeed orders of magnitude better, than any national brand you could find in the frozen case at the health food store.


They are also sensitive to other food allergies and label their goods if they are CF or egg-free, and a lot of them are.

Schar Fusilli Pasta is great!

TK Kenyon, the Celiac Maniac, is here to tell you that recently, Schar pasta began appearing in my health food stores and grocery stores. It was expensive, so I put off trying it.

Well, I tried it, and it's flipping awesome.

This is as close to "real" pasta as I've tasted in years. Other corn and rice pastas were gritty and/or slimy, but Schar came out absolutely wonderful: firm, toothsome, and actually tasted good!

It's made in Italy. Go figure: the Italians know how to make really good pasta.

While I still enjoy the soy-based Nutrition Kitchen's Green Soybean pasta that I posted about here, but Schar's Fusilli is a closer approximation of the real pasta thing. It was great with marinara, alfredo, and cold in pasta salad.

In addition, my local Walmart now has a Gluten-Free section, where I found the box of Schar Fusilli for $5 instead of the $8.50 that my local over-priced grocery store wanted. My local health food store wanted $7 for it.

I plan to try every Schar product out there.

Schar has a nicely informative website as well. 

The End of the Danal Story

Read the Beginning of the Danal Story, about how to approach a restaurant to ask for GF food HERE.

So, I emailed the folks back, telling them what I could eat, including a long laundry list of eggs, nuts, dairy, butter, wine, potatoes, etc., and they emailed back a short note saying we could discuss the menu when we got there.

Flubber.

I almost didn't go, but I stuck a couple protein bars in my purse and figured that I could just drink a soda with my friends if the food was going to suck. So, I went.

When I got there, the hostess showed me the menu and said, "Pick out whatever you want, and we'll have the chef make it without wheat or flour."

Whoopee!

I got the Salmon and vegetables with lemon/white wine sauce en papillote, which means that they prepare and bake everything in a parchment paper bag. This greatly reduces the chance of cross-contamination, so it's a really good idea for celiacs to consider this method of preparation whenever they're dining out.

It was yummy. I ate a whole lot. The potatoes and veggies underneath were scrumptious. The sauce was delectable.

If you're in downtown Manhattan, try Danal.

More importantly, here's the lesson I learned from this experience: don't just hit the restaurant with a huge list (like the one at celiac.com) of "Thou Shalt Not's." It's counterproductive and sends them into lockdown mode.

After telling them that you can't eat flour, whole wheat flour, bread, bread crumbs, panko, or soy sauce, tell them what you can eat.

I think I freaked them out with the huge list of all the variations of things I can't eat.

Tell them what's okay, including: eggs, dairy, butter, wine, spices (except asofoetida, also called hing, an Indian spice that is nearly always cut with wheat flour because it smells like cat pee or window cleaner,) herbs, garlic, potatoes, fruit, vegetables, most salad dressings especially vinaigrettes but no croutons or blue cheese, and all fresh oil in a clean pan including peanut, olive, and canola.

When they ask what you want, just avoid deep fried stuff and things with buns. Don't make it hard for them.

This one turned out fine. I ate a delicious meal with no glutenization symptoms afterward.

Fantastic.

Approaching a restaurant to ask for GF food

I'm shy about having celiac disease. Asking for gluten-free food is restaurants is rough for me.

I don't like making a fuss. I detest being whiney or asking for special treatment.

Case in point: I'm attending a function this weekend at Danal, a country French restaurant in NYC. Ethnic food is usually more amenable to GF options, and Continental food is the hardest. I knew it was going to be tough. So, about 5 days in advance, I sent the following email through Danal's website:

Hello,

I will be dining at Dinal on Saturday, Sept 19. I have a serious allergic reaction to wheat, gluten, white or whole wheat flour, bread, bread crumbs, pasta, panko, rye, most soy sauce, and barley. What may I eat at your fine establishment?

An extensive (and redundant) unsafe food list: http://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsafe-Gluten-Free-Food-List-Unsafe-Ingredients/Page1.html

Thank you,

TK Kenyon

http://celiac-maniac.blogspot.com/

I admit, I stuck that blog address in there in an attempt to get special treatment.

Danal was very nice and emailed back the next morning:

Hi TK,

I have discussed your allergies with our chef and just wanted to verify, are you able to have oil?
we can prepare something along the lines of steamed fish or chicken with boiled vegetables.

Are you participating in our Rosh Hashanah dinner on the 19th, or a regular dinner?

Sincerely,

Limor

So, they're being very nice, but I still feel petulant. It's tough, but we have to do it.

This is why I tend to either 1) cook at home, and why I've gotten pretty darn good at it, or 2) occasionally go to chain restaurants that have a standardized menu with GF options, like Outback or P.F. Chang's. When I can, I find small restaurants with GF sensitivities, like Risotteria in NYC, but those're hard to find. It takes research and time to search those out.

Here's where I'm really petulant: When I go to a restaurant, I want something good, not just steamed chicken and boiled vegetables. It's safe, and I have to go out this weekend to this particular restaurant, so I'll grin and bear it, but geez. I can make that at home in 20 minutes, even though I wouldn't make that at home because I'm a vegetarian. (At a restaurant, I eat whatever is safe, but at home I eat low on the environmental food chain, cruelty-free, and what won't cause a heart attack at age 50. Vegetarian food provides all these benefits.)

When I go out, I want to eat something that I can't make better at home. When I'm going to be paying $40-$60 for one meal, like I will this weekend, I want it to taste good. I'm glad I probably won't be getting glutenized, but I'm disheartened about their response to the point where I'm thinking of not going. I'd rather eat Chang's Spicy GF Chicken at P.F. Changs, or the Huge Vegetarian Market Bar Stir Fry with GF Teriyaki Sauce at Stir Crazy, or a whole pan of Betty Crocker's GF Brownies at home.

Anyway, that's my latest dilemma. I emailed them back, and when they email back, I'll post those. It's just mortifying.

TK

Olive Garden's Gluten-Free Choices

Contrary to what you might expect, The Olive Garden has some GF options.

Most of the options are Zone-diet meat-and-vegetables type fare, though they claim that they have GF penne now, too.

I am somewhat dubious about this new leaf that Olive Garden has turned over. First of all, comments about Olive Garden at the Gluten-Free Registry have been less than stellar.

If you go, impress upon the server, manager, chef, and anyone else who will listen that everything must be cooked in fresh water. Usually, they just toss vegetables in the pasta water to cook. That's more than enough cross-contamination to cause a major glutenization.

Caveat emptor.

Michelle Obama To Break Ground on Garden at White House

I have been pleased to be part of the "Eat the View" Campaign, a petition asking the Obamas to plant a garden at the White House to showcase the many benefits of gardening: economic, nutritious, physical, emotional, and environmental. 

Michelle Obama is going to break ground at the White House on the South Lawn for the first formal vegetable garden in decades. 

Bravissimo, Michelle! 

TK 

Glutenfreeda Foods Recalls GF Peanut Envy Frozen Cookie Dough -- Salmonella

Usually, we celiacs worry about gluten contamination in our GF products. In this case, the stupid Peanut Corp of America tried to poison us. 

Glutenfreeda Foods, Inc. Recalls Peanut Envy Frozen Cookie Dough Because of Possible Health Risk

Contact:
Glutenfreeda Foods, Inc.   
360-755-1300

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- February 24, 2009 -- Glutenfreeda Foods, Inc. of Burlington, Washington is recalling all PEANUT ENVY FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  The product was manufactured using peanuts/peanut products recalled by Peanut Corporation of American because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.  Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

PEANUT ENVY was distributed throughout the United States and Canada by the following distributors: IN THE UNITED STATES: Nature’s Best, CA , UNFI (Atlanta, GA, Dayville, CT, Sarasota, FL, Greenwood, IN, Iowa City, IA, Chesterfield, NH, Auburn, WA, Rocklin, CA, Ridgefield, WA, New Oxford, PA, Aurora, CO), DPT Rocky Mountain, CO, Garden Spot Dist., PA.

IN CANADA: Ontario Natural Food Co-op, ON, SunOpta Grocery West, BC, SunOpta Central, ON.

PEANUT ENVY will be found in the freezer case in a 1 lb. (454 gram) ice cream style oval paper tub.  The package features a young woman holding a cookie on a gold background and under the label states, “Glutenfreeda’s REAL COOKIES Peanut Envy”.  UPC code is 5824600101 on product tubs, 5824600106 on all USA case boxes and (01)08582460010185 in Canada, all dates are affected.  This product has a one year shelf life.  Products with “Use By” of 2/24/09 and prior are included in the recall and should be removed from store freezer shelves.  Consumers who have purchased the product should check their freezer for the product and expiration date. 

No known illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this product/these products.  The recall was initiated after it was determined that the peanut product received was manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America.  Glutenfreeda Foods, Inc. has informed FDA of its actions and is fully cooperating with the Agency.

Consumers who have purchased Real Cookies “PEANUT ENVY” are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-360-755-1300, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 4”00 pm (PST)

Purple Puree for Sneaky Celiac Chocolate Cookies -- A healthy GF and CF snack

This puree is used for Sneaky Celiac Chocolate Cookies. Both the puree and the Sneaky Cookies are adapted from The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen) by Missy Chase Lapine.  

This recipe makes three cups of Purple Puree. Line small plastic storage containers with Press-N-Seal with the sticky side facing UP, then measure the puree in generous 1 cup measures into these lined containers, then freeze. When solidly frozen, remove the frozen aliquots and store in a zippered bag in the freezer. 



1 lb. chopped spinach, frozen

1 lb. blueberries, frozen or fresh

- Dump frozen spinach into large, microwave-safe cassarole dish. Cover with water. Microwave 10-12 minutes on high until a bit cooked. This removes the "spinachy" smell. 

- Meanwhile, rinse blueberries with warm water in a strainer until clean and thawed. Puree in a food processer briefly, 30 sec or so. 

- Strain spinach to remove water. Rinse with cool water. When spinach is cool enough to handle squeeze all the water from the spinach that you can, until it is quite dry, and add it to the pureed blueberries in the food processor. 

-Process until very smooth. If necessary, add water by the tablespoon until the mixture processes smoothly. You want this puree to be as thick as possible. I rarely need to add any water. 

This recipe makes around 3 cups of Purple Puree. Freeze in 1 cup aliquots as directed above. 

Obama Garden

Grow gluten-free goodies for your friends and neighbors. Share the vegetable wealth. Give food to those who need it. 

Obama Garden 

Awesome GF Bread

I must tease you: I have made a loaf of trule awesome gluten-free bread. It's so good. It's moist, not soggy; spongy, not crumbly. After three days, it's still really good and doesn't crumble. It even rises a little more during baking ("oven-spring.") 

The technique is the best part. I think it'll be applicable to other flour combinations, which means that you may be able to convert your favorite GF bread and make it even better. 

Awesome. 

I am repeating the experiment and taking pictures for the tutorial/recipe. 

Good news: Awesome bread. Healthy, too. Lots of whole grains and fiber. 

Bad news: Takes at least seven hours. 

Good news: The longest step is a sponge that takes 4 hours to overnight. It's essentially untimed, which means that you can just let it sit on the counter all day or overnight in the fridge, up to 24 hours. It's not finicky, but it is a long incubation. Then, add a few more ingredients, mix, quick-rise, bake for an hour, and cool. 

More good news: Like all gluten-free breads, at least you don't have to knead it. 

Recipe coming soon. Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha. 

TK

Nifty Must-Have BreadBags for Celiacs

Don't you just hate it how gluten-free bread goes stale and crumbly two days after you make it? 

You have to get these nifty Debbie Meyer Bread Bags. I've used the veggie storage bags for over a year, and yes, they do work. They work great. When I saw the Bread Bags, I bought them and stuffed GF bread into them that night. They're awesome. Seriously. If you buy or bake GF bread or bready items, get these bags. 

Just a safety note: if you have gluten-ful people in your family, use separate bags for GF and gluteny bread and keep some bags designated as GF. Sharpie markers work to label them. 

TK Kenyon

Some Red Robin Locations Have GF French Fries

I love french fries. I really love great french fries. Unfortunately, most restaurants fry their french fries in the same oil as they fry gluten-crusted chicken sandwiches, onion rings, etc. The sediment from the crusts has more than enough gluten to provoke a gluten reaction, at least for me.

Burger King restaurants, in general, use a designated fryer for french fries and just french fries, and then they sprinkle the fries with nothin' but salt. The fries are so crisp that they have a pastry-like texture. Excellent.

Sometimes, however, you want an alternative, like a basket of nice steak fries.

Some Red Robin Restaurants, which are upscale burger joints, have seperate fryers for french fries versus breaded items. The Red Robin near my parents' house in Arizona, specifically the one in Surprise, AZ, on Bell Road just west of Grand Ave. (14015 W. Bell Rd. Surprise, AZ 85374,) have separated out their fryers. Ask your server.

Though there is no nutrition info on their website, my server was knowledgable about gluten contamination. I stuffed steak fries in my mouth before he finished his shpiel.

I stuffed myself stupid on steak fries last week in AZ. Love-love-loved them. They're big, potatoey, scrumptious slabs of carb, and they keep bringing you more ("bottomless basket") until you ask them to stop.

No glutenization reaction. Awesome.

TK Kenyon

The Celiac Maniac

Treatment for Celiac Glutenization

Well, it's a very rare occurrence, but I got glutenized a few days ago. Yucko. It happens to all of us occasionally. I ate a frozen dinner that listed only soy and milk as allergens and read the label really well, but either cross-contamination or something snuck in. Yucko.

I'm not merely sharing my tummy ache for the ick factor but because I have a palliative treatment for glutenization. It's not a miracle cure. You'll still be sick, but it's better than nothing.

As soon as you figure out you've accidentally ingested some gluten, take a dose of Pepto-Bismol and a couple Simethicone (Gas-X) tablets. You'll still have some tummy cramping, but it won't be as bad.

In addition, avoid all NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like Advil, Motrin, Aleve, any generic ibuprofen or naproxen, prescription COX-2 inhibitors, even aspirin, etc.) because these make the gastrointestinal lining more permeable (leaky), thus increasing the amount of gluten available to the immune system for a reaction. Avoid NSAIDs for several days. If you want a pain killer, stick to Tylenol (acetaminophen.)

One good thing about getting glutenized: I can't believe that I used to feel like that all the time. I feel so much better now that I stick to a GF diet.

TK

Should Celiacs Take a Multivitamin Pill?

For celiacs, nutrition is a whole different ball game. Before we even take a multi, we need to read the label and ensure that wheat or any of its evil cousins aren't lurking in even a nice, safe vitamin pill. But everyone should take a multi, right?

If there’s one decently healthy thing that a lot of people do, it’s taking a basic multivitamin. Good grief, taking a little pill with decent amounts of the essential micronutrients and minerals keeps you from getting scurvy, right?

Right. Most people don’t eat sufficient fruits and vegetables. Most people don’t get enough vitamin C over the course of a week to keep them from getting low-grade scurvy, unless you’re one of the smart few who toss back an orange juice shot in the morning.

(Just for the record, I imbibe espresso shooters in the morning. I’m not getting up on my high elliptical strider and being healthier-than-thou. We’re all on the same dusty rowing machine, here.)

However, you should consider your special circumstances before you even decide whether or not to swallow that vitamin pill.

There are also some very interesting studies relating the regular use of vitamin pills with an increased risk of cancer. Contrary to the expectations of the researchers, one study linked Vitamin A supplementation with an increased risk of lung cancers in male smokers.

In addition, taking a multivitamin increased the possibility of deaths from prostate cancer in men. Why would that be?

The multivitamin-cancer correlation suggests an interesting hypothesis.

In the past, our ancestors, probably even our relatively recent ancestors in the 1900’s, likely experienced transient malnutrition. In the winters, especially, they had less access to fresh, nutritious produce and almost certainly experienced cyclical vitamin deficiencies.
Thus in the winter, a budding cancer cell with its blazing metabolic furnaces would probably starve to death for the lack of vitamin C and vitamin K, which would manifest itself as only a very mild case of scurvy or a few nosebleeds in an adult and would be rectified when tender spring greens appeared.

Now, with our year-round produce and megavitamin pills, we do not experience these cyclical, transient vitamin deficiencies. We are super-nourished, and thus our cancer cells grow robustly in this rich stew of essential nutrients.

Before you give up your daily multi, however, there are some very important things to consider.

People with the highest levels of vitamin D (available in supplemented milk, pill form, and sunshine,) had lower levels of cancer and osteoporosis.

If you’re a woman of childbearing age, taking a daily multivitamin during any trimester of pregnancy or in the month before pregnancy decreases the risk of neuroblastoma in the infant by 30% to 40%. Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer seen in infants and accounts for about 10% of all pediatric cancers. Not to mention that whole folic acid—neural tube defect thing. Taking a big preggers prenatal multi during pregnancy is very, very likely the best course of action.

Also, non-smokers who do not have heart disease who use multivitamins that include A, C, or E reduced risk of dying from heart disease by 15 to 18%, and heart disease kills far more people than cancer does.

So, for a general rule of a healthy thumb, if you’re a smoker, avoid vitamin A, even if you have to take a handful of single-vitamin pills instead of a general multi.

If you have prostate cancer, stop taking your multi.

If you don’t smoke and you don’t have prostate cancer, a multivitamin is probably the best course of action.

If you want hedge your chances, however, here’s an idea: there’s some very good research that supports the hypothesis that eating 300-500 fewer calories per day extends lifetime and, more importantly, extends robust lifetime. That’s right. Eat less.

Some good research came up lately that showed that mice that ate normally every other day and semi-fasted (eating 15% of normal calories) on the off days had essentially the same life extension and reductions in heart disease, cancer, and inflammation. If you try alternate-day semi-fasting, don’t take a vitamin on those days. Taking a megavitamin on feasting days will nourish your body well.

Fasting is associated with life extension and with reducing the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy.

For celiacs, however, taking a multi is more important. Especially in the first few years after diagnosis, your gut is healing. You haven't been absorbing nutrients normally, and you may have low-grade vitamin deficiencies. One of the most common co-morbidities for celiac disease is iron-deficient anemia.

Therefore, it's probably best for celiacs to take a multi, especially in the first five years after diagnosis and the diet.

TK Kenyon
Author of RABID: A Novel, a novel of autoexperimentation, unwitting guinea pigs, and green-glowing rabies virus, and CALLOUS: A Novel, a story about free will, neuroscience, fate, the nature of memory, and the End of Days.

What to Eat Gluten-Free at The Black-Eyed Pea

The Black-Eyed Pea is a home-cookin' kind of establishment with restaurants in Colorado and Texas. They also have a full bar. The usual admonitions about beer apply. Locations here.

They have several options for us celiacs. If you like your GF food hearty, try the Black-Eyed Pea.


Soups & Salad
Classic Caesar Salad without the dressing
Signature House Salad with Grilled Chicken not fried and Red Wine Vinegar & Oil dressing

Vegetable Garden
Black-eyed Peas
Sweet Kernel Corn
Tender Green Beans
Steamed Broccoli
Spinach

Home Style Favorites
Slow-Roasted Half Chicken
Roasted Turkey Breast Dinner without cornbread dressing and turkey gravy

From the Grill
Top Sirloin Steak without onion rings
Charbroiled Chopped Steak without seasoned rice and gravy
Grilled Chicken breasts without seasoned rice
Ranch Style Pork Chops

Colorado Combos
Grilled Chicken Breast
Grilled Atlantic salmon without seasoned rice

Seafood
Grilled Atlantic salmon without seasoned rice
Grilled Cajun Catfish without seasoned rice
Baked Cod without seasoned rice

While they don't list it on the GF info, I'll bet a basic baked potato is also a safe choice.

Celiac Maniac's Very Easy Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

This was one of the first recipes that my grandmother sent me when I found out that I couldn't eat flour anymore. It's so easy, and it uses no funny flours or specialized ingredients. Plus, the cookies taste really good!

These cookies are also casein-free (CF), corn-free, potato-free, etc., and even grain-free, but not low-carb nor low-fat. They contain peanuts, mais oui.

• 1 Cup peanut butter (I use Creamy Jif)
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 teaspoon GF vanilla (Many pure vanillas are GF. Many artificial ones are not.)

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Spray a measuring cup with GF cooking spray (most are GF, except for the "baking" ones that have flour in them.) Measure the peanut butter in this cup.

Microwave the peanut butter on the "defrost" setting until it is warm but not hot.

Stir in the egg, then the sugar and vanilla. A whisk works well.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls (about 1 Tablespoon-size) onto a cookie sheet. Press a criss-cross pattern on top with a wet fork. Sprinkle with sugar if desired.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until puffed and beginning to brown at the edges.

Immediately and carefully remove the cookies from the baking sheet and cool on paper towels. The cookies will be soft and delicate while hot, but they firm into crisp cookies as they cool.

GF Cookbook Review: You Won't Believe It's Gluten-Free by Robin Ryberg

I am hesitant to give a low review to anyone's GF cookbook, if for no other reason than there just aren't enough GF cookbooks out there and any cookbook is a good addition to the GF lexicon.

However, I recently perused a copy of You Won't Believe It's Gluten-Free by Robin Ryberg. There are some problems with it.

There are no major errors or dangerous problems with Ryberg's cookbook. Several years ago, one "GF" cookbook that I bought included recipes with spelt, an ancestral wheat, which is absolutely verboten to us celiacs. Ryberg's book is safe, as far as I read. I admit that I didn't extensively delve into the book, but she seems knowledgeable.

However, there are some problems.

First, in many recipes, the author/chef uses one or two, maximum, of our funny flours. It's like she's knocked us back to those terrible old pre-Hagman monoflour days of crumbly breads and hard-baked paste. This is the largest shortcoming of the book. Most of the recipes look like they'll be bland and crumbly.

Next, the cover states that it has 500 recipes in it. Well, sort of. For many recipes, probably most, the author remakes the recipe four times with four different flours, and most recipes utilize just one flour.

For example, a biscuit recipe might have a "rice-based" biscuit, made from just rice flour, a "corn-based" biscuit, made from just cornstarch, a "potato-based" biscuit, made with just potato starch, and one biscuit recipe from one other starch.

That's four recipes down, only 496 to go!

Last, most of the recipes are quite nutrition-free. Granted, I'm a bit of a health nut. Before my diagnosis, I ate 15 grain bread. Once, I found 18-grain bread and was in multi-grain Heaven. The bread that I make is whole-grain and has lots of fiber and protein.

Most of Ryberg's recipes make Wonder Bread look like a loofah sponge. They are based on starches like cornstarch or potato starch instead of whole grains or legume flours. If I ate the stuff in this book, I would never poop again.

I'm sure that Ryberg worked hard in writing this book, and I'm sure that she was meticulous in testing the recipes. This is not a personal attack on her. Indeed, if you are allergic to several grains or other funny flours, this might be a good book for you, due to its alternate versions of each recipe.

Unfortunately, if you're planning to buy a new GF cookbook, skip this one.

TK

Celiac Maniac's Mighty Fine GF Muffins

I added a picture to my GF muffin recipe. Be kind. I'm just beginning to learn food photography.

http://celiac-maniac.blogspot.com/2008/06/celiac-maniacs-mighty-muffins-gluten.html

TK

What to Eat Gluten-Free at Outback Steakhouse

TK Kenyon, the Celiac Maniac, is pleased to tell you that the ubiquitous Outback Steakhouse has a gluten-free menu, and they're good about training their waitstaff and chefs about cross-contamination. I've always had attentive, reliable service, there.

When you go in, ask for the neatly printed gluten-free menu. The only caveat is that you may want to ask for a regular menu, too, as the GF menu does not have prices on it.

Many of Outback's menu items are GF or can be slightly modified to be GF. (I hate it when "GF menus" are basically a list of meats and a baked potato and an admonition to avoid any sauces, seasonings, or anything that might make it taste good.)

Good news: many of the salad dressings are GF, as are the Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and the BBQ sauce.

Bad news: The Bloomin' Onion cannot be made GF.

Outback even offers three desserts, though the "Cinnamon Apple Sundae" turns out to be vanilla ice cream with pecans and caramel sauce, after you remove the gluten-containing items. The "Chocolate Thunder from Down Under" is GF through and through. Just order it and slide into an Aussie chocolate coma.

Menu Main Page: http://www.outback.com/foodandmenus/ (Click GF PDF on the left side.)

PDF of GF Menu: http://www.outback.com/foodandmenus/pdf/glutenfree.pdf

Find an Outback near you: http://www.outback.com/locations/

Don't forget that they have curb-side take-away and online ordering: http://www.outback.com/curbsidetakeaway/

TK

Finding Gluten-Free Restaurants, Grocery Stores, etc., While Traveling

Though the Gluten Intolerance Group has a very nice website, the Gluten-Free Registry at http://www.glutenfreeregistry.com/index.jsp has a much more extensive listing of restaurants, plus it's searchable by city and state, as well as by zip code.

Gluten-Free Registry also lists grocery stores with GF sections, caterers, and bakeries. Woo-hoo!

They also have a mini-site for mobile phone reference: http://gfregistry.mobi/

You can even download GPS info directly onto your GPS system: http://www.glutenfreeregistry.com/order-gps-download.do

Now that's a FANTASTIC resource.