Gluten Free? Hmmm

In the beginning of March, I had the pleasure of attending a hospitality trade show for both hotels and restaurants in Ocean City, Maryland. It was an outstanding show on many levels. I had been invited to present tips and ideas for menu nutrition labeling, allergen management and gluten awareness in any type of foodservice establishment.

Ground-breaking, earth-shattering topics, I think not, but all of these are hot topics in the minds of the dining public. More and more, people are deciding where to dine based on specific nutritional needs and desire. They are voting with their wallets and restaurants everywhere are trying to keep up with the latest trends and needs.

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Quinoa Chocolate Cake

Not only does this cake contain no wheat, it contains no flour – made with cooked quinoa (rather than quinoa flour), it has a dense, moist texture and intense chocolate flavour. Excerpted from Quinoa 365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming (Whitecap)
2/3 cup white or golden quinoa
1 1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk
4 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

• Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for another 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow the quinoa to cool.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round or square cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
• Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Add 2 cups cooked quinoa and the butter and continue to blend until smooth.
• Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add the contents of the blender and mix well. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake on the center oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely in the pan before serving. Frost if desired. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month. Serves 8-16.source

Coconut ice

• 500g (1lb 2oz) icing sugar
• 1 x 397g cans condensed milk
• 400g (14oz) desiccated coconut
• Pink food colouring

MAPLE WALNUT RICE CAKES

Looking for an unexpected and delicious way to use leftover rice? These tender and delicious rice cakes have an appealing nutty flavour and the added bonus of being gluten-free. Recipe courtesy USA Rice Federation (riceinfo.com).
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) milk
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) maple syrup
2 cups (500 ml) cooked long grain white or brown rice
1/2 cup (125 ml) rice flour
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 tsp. (2 ml) salt
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) melted butter
Additional maple syrup
Chopped fresh fruit (optional)
In a large bowl, whisk eggs with milk and maple syrup; stir in rice, rice flour, walnuts, salt and cinnamon.
Brush a large, nonstick skillet with some of butter and set over medium heat. Working in batches, spoon 1/3 cup (75 ml) of rice mixture per cake into the skillet. Press lightly with the back of the spatula to flatten.
Cook for 3 minutes or until set and bottoms are golden. Turn and cook for 3 minutes or until golden. Repeat, brushing skillet with butter as needed, until all the rice mixture is used. Serve with additional maple syrup and fresh fruit (if using).
Makes 4 servings. source

Pretty in Pink

Make Fluffy Quinoa

Note: it may contain trace amounts of gluten if processed in a factory using gluten-containing products – like wheat. Be sure to read the labels for gluten-free status.
How-to Make Fluffy Quinoa Every Time: Tips
Tip 1: Rinse it.
Rinse your dry quinoa in water before cooking. This removes some of the ‘mush-promoting’ grit on the grain.
Tip 2: Less is More. (Water)
Most boxes of quinoa say to add 2 cups of water for every one cup of dry quinoa. I say that is too much! And remember if you are rinsing your quinoa you will be adding a bit more water anyways. For fluffy quinoa, less water is more. I do 1 part dry quinoa : 1 1/2 parts water ratio – then I rinse the quinoa and drain as much water as I can. For the Spiced Quinoa recipe below I added in some dry spices so the water amount increases a tad.
Tip 3: No Peeking!
Once you close that pot lid over your cooking quinoa – no peeking! And no stirring! You don’t want to disturb the quinoa fluff factory bubbling inside.
Tip 4: Let it Sit.
After cooking and before you lift the lid, turn OFF the stove and in the words of Kelly Clarkson, “Just Walk Away.” Let the quinoa sit for a good 5-10 minutes. Again – no peeking!
Tip 5: Stick a Fork in it.
Fluff your cooked quinoa with a fork. No mush-enhancing spoons allowed. source

Gluten-Free Bistro Now Sold at Whole Food

The Gluten Free Bistro’s line of products are now available retail at Whole Foods Market in the Rocky Mountain Region. The launch will begin with five stores and shortly after include the entire region. The first five stores include: Pearl St., Alpine Ideal, Baseline, Tamarac and Superior. The line offers an array of gluten-free products, including: frozen pizza crust, dough ball (prepared food), fresh-style (frozen) penne and fettuccine, and Bistro Blend all-purpose flour.
This product launch contains a refrigerated gluten-free dough ball that can be found in the prepared food area and toppings for easy make-at-home pizza.
Barb Verson, C.N, COO for The Gluten Free Bistro, said: “We are so excited to offer our whole-grain line of products retail and give everyone a chance to try healthy and delicious gluten-free foods. All of our products are made with our nutritious Bistro Blend, which was designed to have 76 percent whole-grain flours and contain only 22 percent starch. We look forward to announcing more retail locations soon and hope to be nationwide by the end of this year."
 All the products are made with whole-grain, non-GMO, gluten-free flours that provide protein, fiber, minerals, antioxidants and B vitamins. They are also low in sodium and sugar. 

Gluten-Free Diet is the Future says Pulse Canada

Gluten-Free Diet is being promoted by Pulse Canada as a response to the increasing demand by ordinary consumers. They have just released a downloadable PDF that contains recipes for foods that are free of the protein gluten.The eBook contains food preparation instructions for meals, baked goods and even snacks that are totally gluten-free.This project was developed by Shelley Case, RD, a renowned author and expert dietitian and Carol Fenster, PhD, a specialist on health and the so-called authority on gluten-free diet. Fernster has written several gluten-free recipe manuals over the past years.

Peter Watts, Director of Market Innovation for Pulse Canada stressed the importance of the book in an interview. “Gluten-free is one of the fastest growing food market segments. As many as one in 133 people are affected by some level of gluten intolerance. Pulses and pulse ingredients are gluten-free and easy to use in many recipes including baked goods, snacks and meals,” said Watts.
Chronic health issues can be avoided by taking in healthy diet according to experts. This explains why gluten-free diet is fast rising in popularity. This food type is characterized by having a good amount of vegetable protein and the much needed complex carbohydrates. Dietary fibers which are needed for good digestion and other minerals and vitamins like iron and potassium can also be found in these foods. source

Researchers Find Differences in Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity

Molecular-level differences change immune response



Researchers at the University of Maryland say they have proven that gluten sensitivity is different from celiac disease.

According to a research published online in BMC Medicine, scientific evidence shows a difference at the molecular level and in the response elicited from the immune system; however, it also shows that both are part of a spectrum of gluten-related disorders.

Dr. Alessio Fasano, professor of pediatrics, medicine and physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of the Center for Celiac Research, said that the differences were seen in intestinal complications and genes that regulate immune response in the digestive tract.

“Identifying and isolating specific ‘biomarkers’ in the immune response of people with gluten sensitivity could lead to diagnostic tools for the condition,” says Dr. Fasano, who also directs the University of Maryland School of Medicine Mucosal Biology Research Center.

Color Coordinated...

All featured work by linda lundgren

ron van der ende

ron van der ende focuses on creating wall-mounted bas-reliefs
constructed from salvaged wood. he utilizes all of the reclaimed wood's original colors -
not painting it himself - and textures to create his three-dimensional compositions of
photo realistic mosaics. van der ende collects old planks and doors to develop his sculptures,
many of which mimick various iconic forms of transportation. his work was recently presented
by seattle gallery ambach & rice at the armory show 2011.


'still life', 2010
bas-relief in salvaged wood
180 x 102 x 12 cm


This looks like....
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Study shows celiac disease can develop later in life

Celiac disease, an autoimmune illness affecting about one in 133 Americans, is showing an increasing presence among the elderly, says a study released today.

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Recipe: Bread

Makes: 1 loaf (15 slices/1 per serving)

Alexander Crispin

The portfolio of Alexander Crispin. -interesting visual.


source

Gluten-free baking: Two new cookbooks offer recipes and tips for people with celiac disease - latimes.com

Amelia E. Pohl, of Boca Raton, says baking is in her genes.

Her grandfather was a pastry chef at Ferrara Bakery and Cafe in New York City's Little Italy. When he came home from work, she would cuddle on his lap.

"I would sniff his clothes," Pohl says. "He always smelled like powdered sugar and I loved the smell."

A lifelong baker and cook, she baked whatever she wanted until 10 years ago, when her husband, Joseph, was diagnosed with celiac disease. Symptoms can range from abdominal pain, bloating and gas to osteoporosis, vitamin deficiencies and weight loss. While it can't be cured, following a gluten-free diet erases the symptoms for the estimated 3 million Americans who have celiac disease. Gluten is a protein found in wheat.

Gluten-free baking: Two new cookbooks offer recipes and tips for people with celiac disease - latimes.com

Notice:

From now all of you will be seeing post written by Glutenine instead of just T.

Better Decisions About Food

Christopher Elliott who writes “The Navigator” travel column for The Washington Post and serves as National Geographic Traveler magazine's reader advocate, remembers life as a stress eater.
“I’ve been there,” Elliott said. “Enough so that I’ve had to pack the pants that are a little baggy because two weeks into a business trip I’d fit snuggly into those pants.”

He put on a lot of “sympathy weight” when his wife, Kari was pregnant with their first of three children. “I was drinking a lot because I was stressed out about having a baby,”Elliott said . That meant having a half bottle of wine and half pint of ice cream each night. It led to weighing 230-pounds. It took Elliott, 34 years-old  and 6'1 at the time, a full year to drop 55 pounds to reach his ideal weight of 175-pounds. He did it by running five times a week, working up to five miles a day and more importantly, he said, by changing his eating routine.

Elliott, 42, now adheres to a strict eating regiment to maintain his weight. That becomes particularly difficult when traveling for business.“I’ve actually been mocked at meals,” said Elliott, who writes a syndicated travel column for Tribune media services. “I want to be polite, and maybe this comes across as being smug, but the people who are making fun of me for not eating dessert definitely look like they haven’t ever missed a meal.”

Even though there are double standards for men and women, Elliott said, “Men can’t get away with being fat like they used to. There’s nothing endearing about having a beer gut.”


Read More: here

Celiac Disease Not a Risk Factor for Colorectal Cancer

Celiac disease has long been linked to an increased risk of gastrointestinal problems including lymphoma and small bowel malignancy. Despite the connections to other GI problems, there has not been a conclusive link between celiac disease and colorectal cancer, the most common form of GI cancer in the world today.
A team of doctors recently investigated the connection in a medical study they published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. The research team included B. Lebwohl, E. Stavsky, A. I. Neugut, and P. H. R. Green.

http://www.thirdage.com/news/celiac-disease-not-risk-factor-colorectal-cancer_2-28-2011

Food Inspire Part 4

New Treatment for celiac disease

Feb. 9, 2011 -- Blocking an inflammatory protein called interleukin-15 (IL-15) may help treat the symptoms of celiac disease and prevent the development of celiac disease in certain at-risk people, according to new research in mice published in Nature. http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/news/20110208/new-treatment-for-celiac-disease