Author Julianne Karow’s husband was diagnosed with celiac disease, opening their eyes to a world unknown to them before the shocking day of the diagnosis. Walking out of the doctor’s office without guidance, living in a small town with no active celiac groups, Julianne was at a loss. She was the cook and grocery shopper in the family.

Her sleeves rolled up, she gained determination to satisfy her husband’s palate. Her awareness of the the world of gluten-free increased measurably. Along her journey to becoming educated about gluten-free, she realized the need for a resourceful book for the celiac community at large.

Julianne has done an incredibly good and thorough job of organizing all manner of gluten-free needs any celiac or gluten-intolerant individual will need. Some topics covered are: physicians, medications, online discussions forums, cookbooks, online grocery stores, and so much more.

Her details are well-researched and appear under item clearly listed. She leaves out nothing! One chapter I found most interesting was travel. She covers hotels and specific chefs, as well as yachts and celiac travel clubs. I was left with so many options and a desire to travel now, rather than the common travel regrets so many of us celiacs are left with.
Her chapter on food company links makes it extremely easy to do time-saving shop online. Not only did Julianne list out the company, address, link, phone number, and e-mail address, she concisely describes the company’s main products, saving a lot of Internet research.

Julianne went onto start a celiac support group and has co-hosted celiac and food allergy food expos. She has perfected the art of GF cooking, refers to many of her resources in her own book, and you can bet she’s satisfying her husband’s palate these days.

Julianne’s book, Celiac Resource Guide, is a wonderful addition to any celiac’s GF book resources, which we all seem to accumulate.    This resource book is HIGHLY recommended.
Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

I loved knowing that Starbucks was going to carry gluten-free treats for those on a gluten-free diet, gluten intolerant or who have celiac disease. I am celiac.

I also love how they will accommodate you by allowing you to read ingredients as well as substitute soy milk for milk in case you are dairy, lactose or casein sensitive or have an allergy. When I hear of a large company taking notice of the statistics of those in need of gluten-free foods and then catering to those needs- well thank you Starbucks! ….PAUSE…. DUMBFOUNDED…What did you say?…Excuuuuuse me, this can’t be. There must be a mistake. This is unbelievable.

OK, read it for yourself. Melissa Alison reveals the latest changes to the light Frappuccino- they ADDED gluten! Now are you thinking what I am thinking? Even my daughter asked me the obvious “Why, why would they ADD it with all they know!” That’s what I want to know- why?

Read for yourself that the new base mix for light Frappuccinos now includes gluten yet the regular Frappuccino base mix doesn’t have gluten listed in the ingredients, but is not designated gluten-free because of the risk of cross-contamination- read the full details:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/coffeecity/2011829401_new_frappuccino_recipe_deletes.html

Read, get informed and be very aware that things can change overnight- ingredients can change. Be aware, read your labels and stay in tune with changes of ingredients always for your safety and health.

Tina Turbin

I read an interesting blog entry posted some months ago by Verona Raymond for Ezine Articles, entitled “Restaurants and Food Allergies – A Problem?” Verona, who is allergic to dairy products, relates the difficulties she has in determining which restaurant dishes contain milk products. With little or no information on the menu, she almost always has to ask her servers, who then usually have to consult the kitchen.

“They usually come back to the table and explain that the chef doesn’t know what is in some of the sauces or ingredients because they are sent to them pre-packaged or bottled,” Verona writes. “So I sometimes take a chance and order an entree thinking that it is okay.”

Verona’s solution is for restaurant menus to be treated like consumer products.

“I really appreciate the fact that it is now mandatory that the allergen ingredients are listed on most all types of products in the grocery stores! Especially when the label plainly states that the product contains milk, instead of having to read through the long list of ingredients that often list milk as ‘whey’ or ‘casein.’”

A lot of thoughts came to my mind when I read that article. Here are a few. I’d like to hear yours as well (just click on the Comment link at the end of this entry).

• Thankfully, I find fewer and fewer restaurants have servers or chefs who are not knowledgeable about food allergies, even if this means they know that they don’t know!
• Verona writes that when the chefs don’t know what is in some of the sauces or ingredients, “I sometimes take a chance.” Wow. I doubt this needs saying, but I would strongly advocate NEVER taking this chance.
• Similarly, Verona writes that if allergen ingredients were listed next to each item, “How extremely nice it would be to not have to bother the food server.” Again, I would caution that a food allergic diner would still need to inform their server in order to avoid cross-contamination, whether in the kitchen (shared utensils, oils, etc.) or on the tray.

But let’s get to the heart of the article. Verona believes that restaurants should have to list the major allergens included in their menu items just as consumer products now do. As I’ve added specific restaurant information to AllergyEats, I’ve been able to include this information for the few restaurants that list it publicly, but certainly just a small minority. In my opinion (biased due to my own children’s food allergies), I agree with Verona. How difficult would it be? However, I’m sure some restaurateurs would disagree, possibly referencing the fact that their menu items frequently change, they can’t always audit changes their suppliers make, they sometimes have to make subtle substitutions of items on the fly, and they’re afraid that listing these items will make them more liable if a patron does suffer an allergic reaction. I’m not justifying these answers or even sure if they’re the correct ones; I’m trying to guess what the restaurateurs would say based on what I’ve heard in the past.

Any restaurateurs out there reading this? Any servers? I’d love to hear your opinion. It would be very informative and valuable to the food allergy community to understand the issues that you would face. Of course, I’d also like to hear the opinions of those of you with food allergies or intolerances as well. Please click on “Comments” at the end of this post to share your thoughts.

Finally, I hope you all will consider using the main AllergyEats site (www.allergyeats.com) to not only find those restaurants that list allergen ingredients, gluten-free menus, etc., but also to rate restaurants based on your own experiences. If you’ve found yourself in situations such as Verona’s, it would be very valuable for the rest of us to know that. Just as helpful would be hearing about your positive experiences.

The more people that use AllergyEats and rate restaurants, the better this tool will be for our entire food allergy and intolerance community!

Paul Antico

Helen Sanders, owner of Little Bay Baking Company, has been living gluten-free since 1980 and spent 30 years recreating family recipes in the form of baking mixes that anyone can simply bake and enjoy.

These delicious recipes are casein-free and gluten-free. The directions on each box are simple and there’s no need to make substitutions.

Click here to view the embedded video.

My favorite perk is the versatility of each recipe. For example, the Little Bay Corn Bread and Muffin Mix enabled us to make true-to-taste hush puppies, coating for chicken tenders, Toaster Corn Pastries, Blueberry Banana Corn Muffins, and Corn Biscotti. I’m sure anyone creative in the kitchen can come up with many more recipes.

The company is considerate of consumers in using rice milk, soy milk, almond milk. The recipes have been well-tested before packaging the recipe directions, and the ones we tried were delicious.

Five lucky families will receive a supply of mixes for FREE! Click the following link to enter my gluten-free give-away of incredible Little Bay Gluten Free Baking Mixes (ends July 31st at midnight).

The Little Bay Baking Waffle and Donut Hole Mix makes the most unique donut holes that to me tasted much like a funnel cake which I’ve always longed for and can’t have being celiac. I dusted them lightly with powdered sugar and satisfied that desire. Many testers agreed with me on this point.

Another favorite which came out most flavorful and left me wanting more was their recipe, Apple and Spice Bars, from their mix, Little Bay Baking Cookie Bar Mix. It was melt-in-your-mouth incredible. Just be sure to chop your apples very fine, as this was key. We all love this company’s many products and we found them very user-friendly.

Little Bay Baking is a member of the Gluten Intolerance Group and the Celiac Sprue Association of America, and it’s listed in the annual CSA gluten-Free Product Listing Guide.

Helen is proud to share her company’s products, which fulfill a need so that consumers don’t have to live without food that “tastes like you remember.”

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.com

Ross Cohen is the President of Triumph Dining, a website, blog, and newsletter for the celiac and gluten-free world.  Family-owned and run by five happy gluten-free dieters, it has released its third edition of The Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide with the latest research of 30,000 products including 1,100 brand names.

The book uses 5 symbols for our ease in determining which products satisfies one’s individual needs in purchasing grocery items in a store or online. I have not come upon such an extensive list of items in any book I’ve had in my hands or researched online.

The availability of items in this 3rd edition far outweighs the availability in the previous edition, and the shopping tips and overview of new food labeling laws are invaluable in themselves. The addition of their honest in “limitations of the Guide itself” only shows Triumph Dining’s dedication to providing a service with nothing but one’s health and service in mind.

The grocery guide is updated yearly and according to Ross they are currently the largest independent gluten-free publisher in North America.

This resource book is given a thumbs up and is HIGHLY recommended by me.
Please visit Triumph Dining – www.triumphdining.com

Tina Turbin

www.glutenfreehelp.info

100% pure cheese, crispy, delightful, fun, salty, and delicious. My taste testers and I all agreed these cheese crackers were full of flavor in each and every bite.

These gluten-, wheat-, and sugar-free  “crisps” are all made with zesty parmesan cheese in nine flavors: aged, sesame, Italian herb, garlic, jalapeno, flax seed, rosemary, everything, and their latest release, “minis.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

As a celiac with a sensitivity to dairy, I tend to stay away from products like these. However, Watching my staff bite into these crisps with their oohs and aahs, I had to give them a try, too. They truly are, in each and every bite, bursting with flavor and life. I absolutely loved the rosemary crisps and feel their “minis” release is more in the right direction in taste as well as in the packaging. The minis are about the size of a quarter, whereas the others are the size of a large cracker, three inches in diameter.

These crisps are the perfect accompaniment to a bottle of wine or dip or broken up on top of a salad, or alone. They really do not need a thing to improve their flavor as they actually will alone enhance any food or drink.

Barry Novick started this company all on a simple search for foods to eat on his diet and a desire to leave his position as a hospital administrator. Playing around in the kitchen with his wife, he came up with the perfect recipe which all his friends devoured and nearby stores were just as fond of. Orders were aggressively placed, and the rest is history.

Kitchen Table Bakers has a wealth of accolades from the finest magazines, numerous TV shows, and prestigious food awards. The most discerning food and beverage buyers across the country have these crisps on their shelves. Word is spreading.

Now the company has made it easier to try their products online on their website, http://kitchentablebakers.com/BuyNow.php.

I think I’ll summarize these crisps as “elegant with a kick of fun” in each and every bite.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

A bi-family-owned company, Foods Alive has created a set of flax crackers which are in essence a “live food snack.” These dehydrated, certified organic golden flax crackers now come in eight flavors which my taste tester teams in L.A. and Florida tried. It was determined that they’re a true snack oozing health and flavor.

All the crackers are made with golden flax seeds and all other ingredients are not only certified organic but they’re gluten-free, kosher, and vegan. It’s now sold all over and in many Whole Foods stores.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Couples Michael and Ellen and Matt and Tammy united in business after a change of hearts about nutrition and taste around the same point in time. Ellen’s experimentation with flax crackers in her own kitchen was to fill a void after visiting the tasty raw buffet at the Creative Health Institute in Hodunk, Michigan. They all agreed these crackers had potential, so in 2003 Food Alive introduced their first line of delicious, fiber-filled raw flax crackers.

In 2006 Michael felt golden flaxseed had a superior taste to the brown flaxseed and decided to press it. Tammy started producing flax oil salad dressing, and Michael played with a combination of herbs and spices to add to the oils. I love the “Mike’s Special” Salad Dressing, which is a blend of paprika and garlic. It turned my plain salad into a gourmet dining experience.

In my testing kitchens, we taste-tested Foods Alive eight flaxseed cracker flavors, and 2 of their 3 oils, and they were superior in texture, flavor, and raw food energy. We also favored “Mike’s Special” Salad Dressing.

Tina Turbin

www.glutenfreehelp.info.

Living a life with multiple food allergies did not place Marie-Annick Courtier in an extraordinary position until when, a few years ago, some of these foods became life-threatening, and she feared she’d have to give up not only her expertise and love of being a chef but also many of her favorite foods.

Determination, research, and time have not only resulted in her well-written cookbook, they have also resulted in Marie-Annick Courtier’s freedom from all allergies excluding aspirin.

With a Culinary Arts Degree, a background in science and nutrition, certification as a fitness nutritionist, and having her own chef school in Irvine, California, Marie offers much more to her readers than her nearly 150 recipes in her latest cookbook, Cooking Well: Wheat Allergies.

You’ll be additionally enlightened in the areas of Understanding Wheat Allergies, Living With Wheat Allergies, Nutrition’s Role, Eating Out, Organic Choice and Why, Foods to Avoid and Choose, and much more, including her Chef’s Secrets.

The chapters preceding her nutritionally labeled recipes are not only informative, but the information is all very well-written, and I had a sense of sitting with her as she selectively chose the key points she felt were important to impart.

I am armed with delicious breakfasts, soups, salads, main dishes, side dishes, desserts and more. All her recipes are easy to prepare and offer options and nutritional content. I can’t wait for the second book in this series!

This resource book is given a thumbs up and is HIGHLY recommended by me

Tina Turbin

www.glutenfreehelp.info.

Shabtai’s misson is to create allergy-free desserts, allowing their customers to feel at ease with any dietary restrictions they may have. Shabtai offers cakes, cookies, cupcakes, rolls, and more. They specialize in gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free, casein-free, peanut-free, and dairy-free products and are very proud to have created so many bakery items that appeal to so many people.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shabtai started his bakery over 30 years ago, and to this day his gluten-free line is in over 600 health food stores nationwide. Andrew, his son, is instrumental in sales, and so is Cindy (also known as Cinderella), Andrew’s mom, who also traverses the country attending numerous celiac support groups and health food conventions.

The GF Seven-Layer Cake looks and taste like the “real deal,” the Ring Ting Cupcakes are for anyone who enjoys Hostess Ding Dongs, the Gluten-Free Lady Fingers were used in a tiramisu recipe with success, and the gluten-free brownie bites were the perfect size to satisfy any sweet tooth.

You can simply order any of their products through their website with convenient shipping.

Tina Turbin

www.glutenfreehelp.info

     This takes the uncertainty out, as you’ll have much more control over the ingredients and the food preparation. I recommend using fresh foods and foods that are minimally processed in a gluten-free environment.

     Starches can be useful in frying and baking, such as cornstarch, potato starch and tapioca starch, as they have been processed to remove the protein. There may still be a small amount of residual protein, most of which would be from, for example, the corn, potato or tapioca used to make the starch, but not from contaminating wheat. Wheat starch is not safe, however. You can find a cookbook that uses starches only to get some recipe ideas. Also Chebe Bread is an excellent line of bread mixes made with tapioca starch. If you have the time, consider milling your own flour. This will allow you to inspect and wash the whole grains, which significantly cuts down your chance of contamination in flours.

Tina Turbin