lpellegr

Back when I kneaded and baked my own homemade wheat pizza crust every week I would top the raw dough with just sauce, bake for 18 minutes, then add the cheese for 4 minutes because putting the cheese on at the beginning and baking the whole time at 425 caused the cheese to get brown and crisp, and we just wanted it oozy and melting. I think adding the sauce from the beginning kept the crust doughy (this is Sicilian style, thick and doughy and rectangular) the way we liked it. If you want it firmer, then prebaking would do it. Also keep in mind that the pizza ovens at a pizza shop are way hotter than you would use at home - 500-600 degrees - and that they load the pizza directly onto a hot stone floor of the oven, so they bake differently than our pizza pans in a home oven will.

A while ago I also found grains of some sort in lentils I bought from Whole Foods, their house brand. I threw them out and wrote to them and they said that the lentils were processed on shared equipment with barley. I have also read that lentils are often rotated in fields where barley is grown. Now I don't trust any lentils, and I don't trust canned lentil soup because who knows? If you cook the lentils as described above I wouldn't recommend eating the rest of the lentils after you pick out the grains that you can find because any fragments of broken grains that stayed in the water or released gluten proteins into the water would be enough to cross-contaminate the lentils and cause damage to you, whether you notice it or not.

A small natural food store near me is moving to a larger space and wants to expand their gluten-free selections, but won't be able to carry a big variety. If you could have just one brand of gluten-free bread available, which would it be and why? I'll pass the results on to the owner. I don't eat much bread myself and usually make it myself when I do or use Whole Foods', so I wasn't much help to her. And would you buy frozen gluten-free french bread pizzas? I make them and freeze them for myself and thought of offering to make them for her store. They are crunchy and awesome, using Bette Hagman's rapid-rise french bread recipe, but they have to be warmed in the oven, not the microwave. I top the halved bread with sauce and cheese, vacuum seal it, and freeze.

I had no trouble getting it through the press, but I have trouble getting the cookie off the press at the end, so I stick to the small star (modern presses might not have this - it's a 6-sided star about 1/2" across, and you press out a long ribbon, then break it into smaller pieces and shape into circles or S's) or the bar - it's the long zigzag hole, again you make a long strip and cut it into smaller pieces. I never could get a cookie press to drop out individual cookies, even with gluten dough. But getting it to come out of the press is no problem. These were starting to brown at the edges in about 7-8 minutes.

These work even without xanthan gum.

1 c (2 sticks) butter, softened

2/3c sugar

Cream the above until white and fluffy.

Add 3 egg yolks. Do not substitute whole eggs because it will change the texture of the cookies.

Add 1t almond extract (or vanilla).

Add in gradually: a mix of

2c brown rice flour

1/2 c sweet rice flour

1/2t salt

Put through a cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets, sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake at 400 for 7-10 minutes, let cool on paper towels.

Okay, the cholesterol and fat in these might kill you, but you'll die smiling.

You can also use mashed potatoes instead of ricotta cheese as the basis for gnocchi. I don't even measure - take the ricotta or potatoes, add an egg or two, some salt, maybe some parmesan, then any gluten-free flour mix until you can work with it. When you boil them, be sure to get them soon after they float to the top because if they stay in there too long, they fall apart. You can also freeze them in a single layer and then put them in a bag before cooking if you want to keep them around for later.

I'm not sure why it's in the foods that it's in, but it's basically some proteins from various plants that have been broken down into smaller pieces (hydrolyzed), and it can be made from wheat, so avoid it. I'm guessing it adds either flavor or texture. So Swanson chicken broth is okay, but College Inn has HVP, so I avoid it (although I admit I never checked with them to see if it was wheat derived). That's the ingredient that makes some broths, soup bases, and prebasted turkeys off-limits.

The possible source of gluten in turkey is in the solution they inject for "self-basting". Many broths contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein, which could be derived from wheat, as well as undefined "flavoring", so that's what you have to look out for. Certain brands don't have that, so check with the manufacturers. And you never know what cross-contamination can occur before you even bring your food home, so it probably was not from something you did, but occurred without your consent and approval! Feel better soon.

Okay, I guess it's a typo in your heading, but I thought Fruit Crips? Is that a new gang, and are there Fruit Bloods? My laugh for the morning.

I know what you mean. In a state as progressive and varied as NJ, surprisingly they don't seem to have celiac on many peoples' radar. In the last two years I have found places to buy most of what I want without having to order online, but safe restaurants are still few and far between. And I know what you mean about driving - I live near Trenton, work in Cranbury, and if I could just shoot up route 1 it would take maybe 35 minutes, but at rush hour I've spent as much as 1 hour and 20 minutes. Needless to say I found a lot of back roads to avoid that, but it still takes 45-50 minutes at rush hour. And since I try not to drive more than I have to, I only go to Whole Foods every month or two and stock up.

Rules for celiac commuters in NJ:

Always have something gluten-free in your purse or briefcase to get you through the traffic jam.

Always, ALWAYS, go to the bathroom before you leave!

I read a report which tested batches of various types of oats for gluten, one of which was McCann's Irish Oats, and there was contamination in all of them, although it varied from very high to very low. For now I'll avoid oats and just dream about Cheerios.

I hate to be the dissenter, but I'd be thankful enough to have my local Whole Foods even have these flours available. They are so small that they do not and they keep cutting their stock; for instance they sell only one Ener-G product when just 3 years ago they had several. I have to rely on mail order more and more lately. I'd be happy if I could walk into a store and purchase without driving 25 miles to another Whole Foods store (that's about how far away another WF or Wegmans is from me). We have no Wild Oats stores in NJ yet.

I believe there's a Wild Oats in Princeton on Nassau Street. If you're in that neighborhood, then you're also not too far from Whole Foods on Rt 1 and DeLiteful Foods on Quakerbridge Road. Lots of gluten-free stuff there.

There are not many of the chains with gluten-free menus in central NJ (I'm talking about Mercer county and thereabouts). There is a Charlie Brown's on Rt. 1 near Princeton, and a PF Chang's just opened up at the Marketfair Mall (and seems to be perpetually crowded). Up north on Rt 1, maybe Plainfield or Edison, is an Outback. There is a Red Robin in Langhorne near Sesame Place. I pretty much don't eat out unless I have to and I don't expect to find much around here. When I do eat out, it's usually sushi (with my own La Choy soy sauce) or steamed vegetables with white sauce at a Chinese/Japanese place, or the safe items at Chick Fil-A or Wendy's. If we go to a diner I don't even try to get something, I just pack a lunch (small can of tuna, fruit, Nut Thins, cheese) and explain to the waitress that I have food allergies, because everything is breaded or potentially cross-contaminated. If we go to a better place or larger chain I have to explain it all and usually end up with a plain hamburger or chicken or fish with no seasoning, and plain vegetables. I guess my point is, if you want to eat out in central Jersey you'll have to learn what's safe in the fast food chains and (for everything else) get used to showing the wait staff your Triumph Dining card or homemade card, explaining patiently, and keeping your fingers crossed. Now if you want to buy gluten-free stuff to make and eat at home, I know a lot more about what stores carry what than I do about restaurants! If you want to buy gluten-free stuff, at least we have Whole Foods on Route 1 with their frozen gluten-free baked goods, and DeLiteful Foods on Quakerbridge road with a huge selection of gluten-free stuff.

Here's a website of restaurants with gluten-free menus - last I looked it only listed 2 in NJ.

Open Original Shared Link

My Humbug is not for all of Christmas, but for the commercialization and the feeling that only by buying people everything they want can you be a good little consumer. My husband seems to feel that you show love by buying things, and the more you buy the more you prove your love. And that's a substitute for actually doing anything like spending time with his kids or doing things with them. He just won't accept the connection between the hundred or so gifts he gives the two of them at Christmas (I'm not kidding, I counted over a hundred packages last year not counting stockings and what they got from grandparents) and their inability to manage all of that crap stuffed into their tiny rooms. And the tacky decorations - I love Christmas lights, but the fake deer and inflatable stuff - why does anyone need this? Who is impressed by this? Imagine that money donated to a local food bank. Imagine if half of what my husband spent on gifts went into a college fund. Imagine if people could be thrilled with a plate of homemade cookies or a handknit sweater. To me, any homemade gift contains more thought and more love than anything you could find at a mall. But the culture trains us to expect more. I could stand maybe two weeks of hoopla right before Dec. 25th, but with the commercials for toys overtaking the commercials for cereal and fast food on Cartoon Network starting around September and escalating feverishly, and the music in stores, and the ads for things you only see right before Christmas (when do you ever see an ad for an electric shaver, Chia Pet, or Monopoly game the rest of the year?), and the extra pounds of paper in my newspaper to advertise sales, and the extra jeweler's ads on the radio, there's just no escaping it for months. I remember vividly all of my toys from childhood because I had so few that I played with each a lot. My kids have so much stuff they might think about each toy a few times a year, but they can't bear to part with any of it. I just wish for simpler times when people expected and were content with less. Okay, that's today's rant.

Too many commercials.

Too much greed.

Too much focus on spending, spending, spending.

How will kids ever learn to be satisfied with what they have?

Do people really think the secret to happiness is buying more stuff?

People fighting at the mall over things that won't really make their lives better.

Has everyone gone crazy?

I can't wait until it's over.

Love your friends and family - real love doesn't come from a store.

The only thing I wonder about in ricotta is the vinegar they use to curdle it, because it usually doesn't say distilled vinegar. After pondering numerous threads about vinegar on this website I decided to chance the major brands that list vinegar as an ingredient, and so far so good. I think I used Sorrento and maybe Shop Rite brands. You can look up the website for the makers and see if they will tell you, but I haven't had much luck with that. I did find some ricotta at Whole Foods that said gluten-free on the label, but it was about $6/pound (good old Whole Foods) so I don't think I'm going to be using that for lasagna and gnocchi at my house.

Turkey tetrazzini! Make a white sauce (I forget what I substituted for flour last time, but lots of things will do) with a stick of margarine or butter and an equivalent to half a cup of flour, with a cup of chicken broth and a cup of milk. Season with 1t salt, 1/2t pepper, and 1/8t nutmeg. After it has thickened, turn off the heat and add 1/4c sherry and 3/4c heavy cream, but I usually just put a cup of cream or another cup of milk. Then saute 8oz of mushrooms in butter and add to the sauce. Cook 1 lb pasta (Tinkyada spaghetti style works great) and drain. Add half the sauce to the pasta and pour it into a buttered 9 x 13 casserole dish and make a well in the center. Cut up 2-3c of cooked chicken or turkey and mix with the remaining sauce, and pour that into the well in the center. Sprinkle liberally with grated Parmesan. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. When you scoop it out make sure everybody gets some of the meat from the center. If you use Tinkyada this also freezes well and makes awesome lunches. Okay, it's not low-cal, but it's yummy. Add a green salad. And you can leave out the mushrooms for the picky eaters. For me, this is the whole point of the Thanksgiving turkey.

A while back I avoided a problem by spotting a grain in my lentils from Whole Foods - their 365 brand. I e-mailed them about it, and here's the reply. Note that the bagged beans and rices are produced in a facility that also produces barley. I plan to avoid them but I will always be suspicious of every bagged product now.

Thank you for your comments regarding the 365 Organic Everyday Value Lentils. According to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 we clearly label if any of our products contain Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, Soy or Wheat. In addition if the product does not contain the common allergen, but is produced in a facility where a product that does contain the allergen is also produced, we have added an extra statement informing that the allergen does share the same facility. We are still in the process of updating all of our products and any packaging printed after January 1, 2006 does have this labeling.

Unfortunately, gluten is not required to be stated on packaging according to FDA and USDA laws. So, raw ingredients such as rye, oat or barley do not have to be announced in the product or in the facility, except for in the ingredient statement if they are a main ingredient. The manufacturing facility of the 365 Organic Everyday Value Beans and Rices in the plastic bags, including the lentils, at this time are produced in a facility that also produces barley. I apologize for any inconvenience this has brought to you. If our products do not contain any gluten or are produced in a facility that is gluten-free, we will either clearly mark that on the packaging, or add the product to our special diet series shopping lists.

Whole Foods Market understands the inconveniences suffered by customers with food allergies and sensitivities. We try to make it as convenient as possible to make your shopping experience with us an enjoyable one. We have special shopping lists individualized to each specific store that clearly state what products are available to you that are gluten-free. Please visit our website at Open Original Shared Link to find products in your store that are gluten-free. Also, please feel free to email either myself or our Private Label Customer Service at PrivateLabel.CustomerService@WholeFoods.com if you ever have any questions about gluten being in either a product or a facility for a food that you would like to enjoy but are not sure about.

Roberta Gentile | Customer Service and QA Liaison, Private Label

Whole Foods Market | 550 Bowie St | Austin TX 78703

512.542.0771 | (f) 512.482.7771

Next year I'm eating with Tarnalberry! Man, that looks good! I can't deviate from the standards or my family will grex, but I love her menu. I'll have to sneak some new dishes in next time.

Everything I made was gluten-free except the stuffing, which of course I didn't eat. It wasn't worth inflicting gluten-free bread on other people just so I could eat it. Managed gluten-free versions of broccoli casserole (although the crackers that were supposed to be "just like Ritz" weren't) and pie crusts, but the gravy was a little weird, texture-wise. And I think I managed to impress upon the in-laws the importance of avoiding cross-contamination, so the stuffing stayed off my plate and out of the leftovers. A good day, for my first Thanksgiving all by myself - my parents finally moved to Florida so I had to cook my own Thanksgiving recreating Mom's recipes in gluten-free style. At least for the first time since diagnosis I could eat the broccoli casserole. Let's hear about the day's triumphs and tragedies. I hope everyone managed to not be glutened!

Turkey (DiPaola, born and raised in Trenton)

sweet potatoes, candied with marshmallows

broccoli-cheese casserole topped with gluten-free cracker crumbs

mashed potatoes

gravy thickened with gluten-free flour (so far so good, but not enough) so I added cornstarch (Mayday! Mayday!)

pumpkin pie

pumpkin cheese pie

rice pudding

and the scary stuffing made from normal bread cubes for all the "normal" people.

Russian Cabbage Borscht from the Moosewood Cookbook. Lots of veggies, a beautiful red color, and you eat it hot with a plop of sour cream mixed in. The combination of honey and cider vinegar to season it is what really makes it special. Lots of chopping vegetables, though. Good for using winter vegetables - cabbage, onions, potatoes, beets, carrots, celery.

Chop up leftover ham and add to any egg dish, any bean dish or soup, make ham salad, make casseroles with rice and spinach and swiss cheese, make halushka: finely ribboned cabbage fried with caraway seeds, onions, and paprika and served with ham, bacon, or sausage and noodles (gluten-free of course), grind up the ham and use like ground beef for ham loaf. Cook the bone and any leftover meat on it for soup stock, especially good with beans, carrots, potatoes, and tiny dumplings (beat one egg, add a little salt and gluten-free flour mix until it hold together like a soft dough, then crumble into boiling soup - the Pennsylvania Dutch call these rivvels). I just baked a 12-pound ham (shank half) and I now have a dozen or so little meal-sized packets in the fridge along with a meaty bone for future soup. And at $0.99 a pound it beat the heck out of any of the ham slices at the store.

If you have any doubt, then it's best to avoid it. I'd rather not take any chances, myself, on something that "might" make me sick.

How about the peanut butter cookies that are just 1c peanut butter, 1c sugar, and 1 egg? You could add chocolate chips or press a naked chocolate kiss into it after baking. I'd give more instructions, but I have to go look it up - you could probably find it faster by searching this site.

I used to eat 3 bowls of Cheerios a day, and I gave up after struggling through half a box of Perky-Os. No more for me, thanks. I think it was the salt that made Cheerios so good.