Gluten-Free Blog

Surviving Holiday Parties

Dinner parties are one thing, party-parties are another. You know the type of event I mean: foods are laid out all over the place, and sussing out the ingredient list for each item is a challenge. These types of situations are gluten-free nightmares.

I’m going to offer up the first of many silver linings here: contributing a dish of your own to the smorgasbord of items. Potlucks are both dangerous and a secret weapon. It’s easy enough to arrive with a bottle of wine and something for the table (again, as always, when bringing food to someone’s home, give them the courtesy of advance notice…if only to allow them input into what is needed; it doesn’t help if every guest brings chips and dip when maybe something more along the lines of dessert is needed). Continue reading “Surviving Holiday Parties”

Surviving Dinner Parties

This Thanksgiving, we had an unexpected additional guest at the table, someone we didn’t know. No problem. I generally cook enough to feed a small army, and one more person at the table is always welcome.

During the last-minute rush to get everything prepared to put on the table, this particular guest walked up to me and quietly mentioned he had an allergy to nuts, so if I could point out what he couldn’t eat, it was appreciated.

Granted, his timing could have been better — racing through the ingredients list of every dish while I fried fritters and stirred gravy and wondered where I’d hidden the last of the butter was a challenge. But I managed, noting only the green been casserole had any type of nut in it. And I cursed my last-second decision to add a bit of hazelnut to that dish, because, frankly, the gluten-free mushroom soup/sauce I made was absolutely delicious! Continue reading “Surviving Dinner Parties”

Surviving Family

I love my family. I do. But by the time the holiday season is over, I am relieved to be back to my boring, family-light existence. The compressed time we spend together means everything that happens is intensified. That doesn’t mean it isn’t fun, but it can be challenging. I generally have at least three Christmas celebrations: one at my mother’s, one at the in-laws, and one at home with my husband. There is a lot of travel involved with these three events, including a couple of plane flights.

Oh, and sometimes, there’s a fourth celebration with old friends who are family in every way but blood.

So, okay, if you’re gluten-free, take all that and multiply by a factor unique to your own family. Or families, as the case may be. My sister is also gluten-free, so I get lots of support there. I am pretty sure my brothers will cheerfully eat anything they’re fed. My mom doesn’t eat red meat or fish or chicken with bones or, sigh, vegetables. We work it out. Continue reading “Surviving Family”

Surviving Holiday Gifts and Treats

Sitting on the island in my kitchen is a box filled with homemade traditional cookies. By traditional, I mean wheat flour-based. I can’t eat them. Next to the box of cookies is a bag of store-bought cookies my in-laws picked up and brought to Thanksgiving dinner. I can’t eat them…though I think, I hope!, I’ve finally made progress in helping the in-laws understand what it means to be gluten-free.

I got the first cookies via a fundraiser at the office. When I was hit up for the donation, my co-worker frowned as she scanned the list, noting, “You can’t eat any of this stuff.” True, but my book club can, so I cheerfully made the donation, knowing I’d be serving those cookies at our upcoming meeting. The store-bought cookies will probably suffer the same fate. Sitting safely in their containers, those cookies won’t hurt me at all. Continue reading “Surviving Holiday Gifts and Treats”

Blue Cheese Blues: The Gluten-Free Controversy

I’ll be honest: it never occurred to me that there might be a gluten issue with blue cheese. Cheeses are naturally gluten-free, and it wasn’t until I was researching a possible dairy intolerance issue that I discovered what I can only describe as the Great Blue Cheese Controversy.

In a nutshell, the issue is this: some of the molds used to create blue cheeses are grown on gluten-based breads. The mold spores are used in the cheese-making process. There is a question for many as to whether or not these cheeses contain gluten. Of course, there is strong evidence that relatively few blue cheeses available in the wider market contain gluten. Continue reading “Blue Cheese Blues: The Gluten-Free Controversy”

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

There are certain times of year when I crave this salad. Sometimes it’s due to the hot weather and a desire for the cold, crisp crunch of iceberg lettuce. Sometimes it’s because I want to indulge in the absolute creamy, salty flavor of the dressing. Sometimes…it’s both.

I love serving this salad at barbecues because it’s easy to make for a crowd. It’s also the perfect accompaniment to a well-cooked steak. And, of course, the blue cheese dressing can be used on other types of salad.

I know there is some concern in the gluten-free community about whether or not blue cheese is gluten-free. Generally, these cheese are safe to eat. For your information, I discuss this issue and list blue cheeses that are gluten-free here (and a few that are not) here.

Chicken and Rice: The International Duo

For many years, we spent Valentine’s Day in Manhattan…with about 2,000 of our closest friends. Since we were attending a conference, we found ourselves grabbing dinner at the last minute. One of our favorite places was a Cuban restaurant near Times Square, and dinner there with a group of international friends got me thinking about the many ways chicken and rice is eaten around the world.

Now, to be clear, chicken and rice can be served together a million different ways, so I’m focusing here on those dishes where the chicken and rice are generally cooked together (meaning, I’m leaving out dishes like Filipino Adobo), infusing the rice with more intense flavors. It doesn’t take long to realize how many cultures love this idea! Below are my favorites. Continue reading “Chicken and Rice: The International Duo”