Gluten-Free Tips

[Anonymous]

We are a newly gluten-free (and dairy-free) household. Does anyone have any tips/recipes/suggestions for this type of food? TIA!

[Anonymous]

Betty Crocker gluten free cake mix is excellent and all natural. Bisquick gluten free pancake mix- also very good. I am not a mix person- I usually make everything from scratch but that's tricky with gluten free baking. Also, I really like to use Maseca Masa (usually sold next to regular cornmeal) along with some cornstarch and regular cornmeal if you ever want to bread and fry anything. I make my own chicken nuggets for the kids that way. King Arthur is the best brand of all-purpose flour. As far as breads go, you really have to sample them to find one that you like. But be careful that you find one that isn't just made of starch because it isn't very healthy.

[Anonymous]

Find Udi's white sandwich bread at Whole Foods or Giant. It is very similar to regular old white bread, and makes good PB&J's. Better than any bread we've baked. I also like Betty Crocker's mixes, as well as Pamela's and Gluten Free Pantry. We like the frozen pizza crusts that they sell at Giant in a brown square box - the pizzas are square - can't remember the brand. Evan and Bell and Ian's makes GF chicken nuggets, although we also make our own (plus fish sticks). You can coat chicken with mashed potato flakes, potato chips or tortilla chips and they are really good.

Ted's Montana Grill has a separate fryer for french fries and a good GF menu too. Lilit's Cafe in Bethesda has GF sandwiches and pizza.

Try almond flour. Expensive but its really good. And quinoa is similar to bulgar wheat - can be cooked in a rice cooker. Rice will be a staple. Buy some wheat-free soy sauce. Check out The Gluten Free Goddess for many recipes. Join DC Celiac Group on Yahoo Groups - very helpful.

Take it slow. It took you this long to be diagnosed, a few mistakes are expected at first. And it can take a while to see results.

[Anonymous]

I'm newly gluten free too. It's challenging but doable! I highly recommend the 365 crockpot blog (google that and it comes up). She's gluten free so all her recipes are too!

[Anonymous]

Mama Lucia has a gluten free menu. BGR heats their buns away from cooking the meat so it can't be contaminated. They also grill corn in the summer.

[Anonymous]

Mandu (Korean food) knows what is GF on their menu. Cafe Deluxe has a GF menu. Apparently Jaleo and Zaytinya do too...steer clear of PF Chang's...disgusting and salty!

I have found that certain GF things actually upset my stomach. I have not found a GF pizza that does not make me sick. Not sure if it is because of what they use to substitute for flour or what. That said the GF pizza at Pete's Apizza is tasty...but I got sick anyhow.

Any more restaurants out there do a good job? I miss ethnic foods...

[Anonymous]

For many restaurants such as the Great American chain and Cafe Deluxe, know that they aren't always watching for cross-contamination. For example, french fries are on the Cafe Deluxe menu, even though they are fried in common oil. Their hamburgers are also cooked on a common grill. We are always careful to ask if a hamburger can be made in a separate pan with some oil (not potentially crumby butter). They have been happy to comply, but you have to check to make sure it was done correctly after it is delivered to the table. It often takes us two order to get it right, even when we explain precisely with the manager the first time. Silver Diner has been pretty good about cooking safely for our GF eater.

[Anonymous]

There is a support group for those with celiac disease in the DC area. They have a great website with links to pretty much everything including a list of celiac friendly restaurants in the area. They have a local listserve that you can join that shares lots of information and is a forum for asking questions regarding the gf diet.

I've been gf for about 15 years now and it's hard at first, but you will get the hang of it.

check out www.dcceliacs.com

[Anonymous]

kinnikinnick.com - canadian company - has many items mail order. Some of these are now in the Giant frozen foods. Note re Udi's - Giant keeps frozen in special foods; Whole Foods tends to keep fresh.

The best GF pasta, in my view, is Tinkyada brand, at Giant and Whole Foods.

Whole Foods also has little green "gluten free" signs for nearly all its GF foods - so if you're looking for a GF version this can be quick.

We started on a gluten free diet about 10 years ago, and believe me it is SO much easier now! Really, not difficult at all.