Raving reviews on the Celiac Disease Foundation's Education and Food Fair

The CDF Education and Food Fair was absolutely fantastic. So many people to meet, so much new information, a plethora of GF vendors with samples, who could go wrong with that? In addition, we were provided with a delicious gluten-free breakfast provided by General Mills; more specifically one of their new GF products that they revealed at the CDF Conference “Bisquick”  made GF pancakes with maple syrup. Not to mention, a scrumptious GF luncheon. It was very delicious and filling. The favorite was the mango sorbet with fresh berries on top served with GF cupcakes by Betty Crocker . The Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles was spectacular, but was unfortunately unable to provide the amount of space that was required by this huge event. Who knew so many people with Celiac and vendors sampling gluten-free products would show up for this event?!




Aside from the venue being a bit too small and rather cramped, the conference was a complete success. We had such dynamic speakers as Dr. Peter Green author of “Celiac Disease: The Hidden Epidemic” from Columbia University. Dr. Green’s studies have revealed that 30 to 40 % of Americans can get Celiac simply due to their genes. As many strides as the U.S. is making in Celiac Awareness, and producing new gluten-free products, we are still behind the ball when it comes to diagnosing. Apparently, still only 1% in the U.S. are being diagnosed with Celiac. Whereas in other countries such as Finland and Sweden they are diagnosing at a rate of 70%, while Australia and Italy are only diagnosing 20 to 30 %.

They have discovered that HLA DQ2 or 8 only accounts for 50 % of the genes that are involved with the diagnosis of Celiac. There are many other genes involved and they are just beginning to determine them. Another interesting fact is that all women who have a c-section during childbirth increase the risk of their children getting Celiac.


Shocking but true, most folks are getting diagnosed from physicians with other specialties other than a gastroenterologist. They are seeing a huge amount of diagnosis from Urologist. Nowadays 50% of all diagnosis in the U.S. present with diarrhea.

Thyroid cancer is 23 times more common in those with Celiac than once thought. 30% of Celiac’s have at least 1 autoimmune disease. But on a good note, the earlier a person is diagnosed (20 years old and under) the lower the chance of them developing another autoimmune disorder.



The best Celiac panel to have taken on an annual basis is the tTg + IgA + DGP. There are still false negatives in testing, and while biopsies are the gold standard in diagnosing Celiac, Dr. Green requires during a biopsy 4 to 6 pieces should be taken to be absolutely certain. And these should be interpreted by an experienced pathologist. If you are told that you did not come up positive for Celiac and are still symptomatic you should request a 2nd opinion from another experienced pathologist using the original biopsy.

Dr. Green says that those with gluten sensitivity, DH, IBS are responding to a gluten-free diet. Even people with severe psychiatric disorders have positive antibodies for gluten-sensitivity; such as:


Schizophrenia
Depression
ADHD


Daniel C. Adelman M.D. is the Senior VP and Chief Medical Officer for Alvine Pharmaceuticals explained their new medication that is in the works called ALV003. This medication is no means a substitute for a gluten-free diet, it is to be taken in addition to a gluten-free diet.


We had a visit from the lovely Kari Gai who is currently Miss Kansas City , and she herself has Celiac in addition to her sister, and is now a strong advocate for Celiac as well. She has a strong platform to increase awareness.

Then we hear from Sheila Crowe M.D. who is a Professor of Medicine, Gastroenterology/Hepatology and Researcher, University of Virginia Health Care System, and also the author of “Celiac Disease for Dummies” . She spoke about how she is the wife of a Celiac and how she came to write this book for the For Dummies series. She and her husband have two children and only their daughter has Celiac. Nevertheless she still worries that her son may develop it at another time.

No shock here, but first and second degree family members should be tested for Celiac.

There were several notable speakers such as: Shelley Case, RD , and Anne Lee RD, and the favorite of the day was Frank Baldassare from “The Missing Ingredient”. Shelley and Anne gave out great guidelines for maintaining the gluten-free diet and some myth busters for example: ALL distilled alcohol is o.k. to drink on a gluten-free diet as long as it has been distilled. Rice malt is the only kind of malt that is o.k. And commercial sushi with a substitute fish product in it has wheat in it. They broke down 20 PPM (parts per million) as the following: 20 ppm = 20 mg. = 2 mg. or 1 oz. of food. So never let any one tell you a dish only has a little wheat or gluten in it because it only takes 1/8 th of a teaspoon of wheat and or gluten to make you sick. On a sad note, no pun intended, but a Columbia study was conducted by Dr. Green where they found that 70% of folks on a gluten-free diet feel blue all of the time. While only 9% of folks on a regular diet feel blue all of the time. One of the main issues is that gluten-free food is 2 to 3 times more expensive than mainstream food. They also found that compliance was a major issue and that one of the top reasons to not comply was in social situations. They found that 90 % of people on a gluten-free diet cheated in social settings. The highest number of cheaters found were in the teen to young man category; namely on their first date. Further research will be done to see about how to lower the number of folks feeling blue on a gluten-free diet.

With that being said, the good news is that while the economy is at an all time low, with slumps in the market; yet the gluten-free food industry in on the rise. They found gluten-free foods industry rising 25% each year even during the recession.

Frank Baldassare woke everyone up with his enthusiasm, vigor, humor, postivity and his complete knowledge of a gluten-free diet and life style. He hosts his own show on the internet called “The Missing Ingredient” by Cody Boy Entertainment ; coming soon to a cable channel. Franks’ cooking show is the first of it’s kind for a step-by-step of gluten-free cooking, baking and all other allergens as well. One of the messages that Frank wanted us all to hear was that while it is fantastic that gluten-free food is going main stream, we should still beware. “Just because it is gluten-free does not mean it is good for you!” We should remember what got us here in the first place and that we should continue to eat healthily not out of a box. We should honor our bodies by trying to only feed it healthy, locally grown and organic food whenever possible. As a teacher Frank promotes overhauling the food system in our children’s schools. He feels that it is important to support getting better food for our children in schools, and that we really need to support children and teens through this gluten-free life style.

As for the highlight of the event; enough cannot be said about the gluten-free vendors. There were over 90 gluten-free vendors, some old timers and some new. So many samples and so little time to taste them all; fortunately the majority of the vendors had their items prepackaged.  General Mills unveiled two new products GF Bisquick, and GF Hamburger Helper. Many of these samples were the larger sizes you’d find in your local stores. Mary’s Gone Crackers  introduced their Mary’s Gone Cookies , One of their newest products was Mary’s Gone Crackers bread crumbs, which is made from all of their leftover cracker crumbs . Glutino gave out samples of their new yogurt covered pretzels, and their chocolate covered pretzels. Zojirushi America Corporation magnanimously donated two bread machines for the CDF raffle. We sampled Kettle Cuisine soups. Chicken noodle was a favorite made with all organic ingredients and rice noodles. We had the pleasure of sampling Bards Tale Beer and Greens Beer which was preferred by those loving a rich, thick, dark beer. There were many pizzas to sample but a few that stand out are the ones by Clean Cravings and Almond Glory . Almond Glory are gluten and soy-free, have a low glycemic level, and are absolutely delicious!! Smooze is completely preservative-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, GM-free, 100% Vegan.  Plus it has 40% less sugar than most frozen treats on the market. They are made from coconut milk and are incredibly refreshing and tasty. Fresh and Easy handed out their 100% recycled cotton shopping bags which complemented the goodie bags handed out by CDF that were filled with lots of gluten-free treats and literature. Overall an extraordinary time was had by all!  Look forward to more photos posted soon.


SPONSORS FOR THIS YEAR’S EVENT INCLUDE:


General Mills LiveGlutenFreely, Mary's Gone Crackers, Growing Naturals, Glutino Food Group, Crunchmaster®Crackers, Bob’s Red Mill, Zojirushi America Corporation, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, King Arthur Flours, Nature’s Path, Kettle Cuisine, The Pure Pantry, Bard's Tale Beer Company, Attune Foods, Clean Cravings, Alvine Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Eat what you want today

May 11th is National “Eat What You Want Day”. Doesn’t it astonish you that we have an entire day dedicated to eating whatever we want?! Wait isn’t that what we do every day? If it isn't, shouldn't it be?  You may think that concept sounds much easier than it really is. The sad truth is that on any given day 100 million Americans are on diets. Why is it then. that America is still plagued with obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease which are still on the rise? Doesn’t it seem we’ve been on diets forever or at least since the 80’s? Well now is your chance to ignore the scale today and eat whatever you want. For those with Celiac it can present a challenge, but it need not. You can still eat whatever you desire; it just needs to be gluten-free. With a little research you can either find a place that can make your gluten-free specialties for you, or find the recipe to create it yourself.



Interesting enough May 6th is International “No Diet Day”; a celebration of body acceptance and body shape diversity. This day, originated in 1992, is also dedicated to raising awareness of the dangers of restrictive diets and the health risks of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. This concept is admirable; unfortunately folks find themselves bewildered by its name. Naturally, when some hear those words, the assumption is over-indulgence. But there is an unspoken clause attached: “in moderation”. Even the health-conscious sustainable food guru and author Michael Pollan of "Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food" has a favorite saying: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” He is advises us to avoid edible food-like substances, he never implies that we should eat everything in sight. Sampling from each of the food groups is the thought behind his words.


Good advice is to eat when you are hungry, don’t eat just because everyone else says to, and when you feel full, stop. A great quote by Julia Childs is, “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” Julia Childs was amazing and had such incredible genes that she ate pretty much anything she desired and lived to be 92. Maybe it was her happy-go-lucky attitude, her Energizer-bunny-like vigor or maybe it was the fact that she never was on a diet. Any way you look at it she was a force to be reckoned with and she sure knew how to enjoy food and life!


Today should be a gift to your self. Think about what you truly love to eat, and either find a restaurant that can make it gluten-free, or get the recipe and fix it your self. Once you try it you will be surprised how that feeling of deprivation goes away. Knowing how to make these special dishes yourself puts you in the driver seat, and gives you a sense of control. Feeling in control is the key to not feeling deprived.


In spite of all of the warnings if you should over-indulge and purchase too many groceries for that recipe, don’t feel compelled to consume all of your choices at once; cut yourself some slack and either freeze the left-over’s, share them with friends, or remember that every November 15th is “National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day”.

In Sacramento you can check out Urbanspoon a website for neighborhood restaurants. When you get to the main page click on Sacramento and then scroll down to the section with the specific types of food and you will find everything including a section for gluten-free friendly with 88 different restaurants listed alone. With that in mind


and scroll down to the section with the specific types of food and you will find everything including a section for gluten-free friendly with 88 different restaurants listed.  With that being said, there is no excuse for you to eat what you want today.  Now you too can celebrate this national day, gluten-free and guilt-free!



 

Black Forest cake for Mother's Day

My husband, Michael made a wonderful Black Forest Cake for me for Mother's Day this year.  My absolute favorite is chocolate, tart cherries, and whipped cream.  So how can you go wrong with that combination?!  Instead of making the chocolate cake from scratch though, Michael made the cake from a box mix from King Arthur Gluten-free Flour Mix. 

We were all so surprised at incredibly easy it was to make.  All he had to do was add 4 eggs, water, vanilla, and oil and combine these ingredients with the mix.  We were shocked at how wonderfully moist, and smooth textured this cake was.  No gritty texture and no funky after taste of beans.  It had an amazing deep chocolate flavor to it.
 

If my husband can make a cake from this mix, so can anyone.  The chocolate cake rose quite nicely and was easy to frost.  Michael filled the cake with a tart cherry preserves, and our daughter Autumn helped him to decorate the cake with freshly whipped cream.

This is one of the gluten-free mixes that was sent to me from King Arthur Flour Mix for a review.  I usually make my chocolate cakes from scratch, and I am very picky about how my chocolate cake turns out.  It has to be moist, smooth, not dense, not gritty, extremely chocolately, and unable for folks to tell it is gluten-free cake. 

I will say that King Arthur's Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix is a very close second. Aside from having to melt my own chocolate, and add warm butter and milk you can barely tell the difference. From now on, in pinch I would gladly resort to King Arthur's Gluten- Free Chocolate Cake Mix. That's not easy for me to say since I pride myself on making all of my cakes from scratch.

I was greatly surprised and pleased to have such an delectable gluten-free Black Forest Cake Mother's Day, that I did not have to make myself.  I was very happy to have the break, and very proud of my husband and daughter.

 

A Perfect Mother’s Day Dessert; Gluten-Free Chocolate Soufflé Bites

It is easy to have the impulse to want to ignore the sappy commercials, diamond and red rose sales, and desire something much more unique for your wife, or mother. Are you looking for something chocolate and decadent, yet semi-healthy, and easy to prepare with little to no clean-up for Mother's Day?

Did you know that cocoa is full of antioxidants that promote low blood pressure and good heart health? Three Senses Gourmet who had previously launched a ready to bake, all natural, no trans-fat, gluten-free, frozen chocolate soufflé in 2006; has recently launched new Chocolate Soufflé Bites.

The chocolate soufflé bites are tiny, bite-sized chocolate soufflés. The soufflé bites are the perfect size for all of the folks who found it a challenge to finish one of the original chocolate soufflés due to their utter richness and immense size. With Chocolate Soufflé Bites instead of two large soufflés to a package, you now will get 12 tart cups. No need for tart pans, no pouring, mixing and scooping. Just pop the ready-to-bake pan in the oven and in 20 minutes or less you have dessert. Clean-up is a whiz as well.

As you bite into the chocolate soufflé bites you feel a nice slightly crisp texture on the outside rim and a softer, chewier texture in the inner ring (much like a tender and moist chocolate cake) until you reach the soft, warm and gooey center. Like heaven in every single bite. Three Senses Gourmet's motto is "Eat one a day to keep the cravings away!" After trying them you may have to adopt their motto.

Chocolate soufflés, because they aren't as commonly made as other types of desserts, always seem to be extraordinary; perfect for sharing with that special someone. There is no need to pay exorbitant prices to purchase chocolate soufflés in a restaurant or bakery, or expend a great deal of time to create and clean-up a decadent soufflé from scratch either. Why put yourself through this when life can be so much easier? Your search for the perfect tasting gluten-free chocolate soufflé for Mother's Day is over. Just step into one of your local grocery store chains and grab a Three Senses Gourmet chocolate soufflé or the new Chocolate Soufflé Bites. It is sure to make a unique and distinctive Mother's Day or any day for that matter.

Three Senses Gourmet products are available in most Northern California locations of Whole Foods , Costco, Nugget Stores , Woodland Market ,Bristol Farms ,Gelsons , Andronico's , Lunardi's , Draeger's Markets , Raley's , Nob Hill , Berkeley Bowl , PW Markets , and Mollie Stones Markets . Also on QVC .

I was requested to review Three Senses Gourmet Chocolate Soufflé Bites and sent a free package of them.  I was thrilled and delighted to review this item.

For More Information:


Amy Phillips
Three Senses Gourmet, Inc.
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3 Senses Gourmet

Shredded beef tacos, guacamole and margarita recipes that are simple and gluten-free

If you do not know where to go out to eat gluten-free Mexican Cuisine, or you just want to economize, try making it homemade. It is relatively easy and you can be in control of the ingredients.  Not to mention, that what you would spend out at a restaurant on one meal may be what you would spend for a dinner, and some really great left-over's. 


Shredded Beef Tacos


1 organic beef roast (ask your butcher for the best cut)
1 onion, sliced
1 head of garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 teaspoon oregano
1 to 2 teaspoon cumin
1 to 2 teaspoon chili pepper
1 teaspoon chilies
4 cups of beef broth
1 12 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
olive oil, enough to coat bottom of Dutch oven

Season roast. Heat Dutch oven, and add oil. Brown roast on all sides in Dutch oven. About 5 minutes on each side. Remove roast from Dutch oven and add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 3 minutes more. Return roast to Dutch oven and add broth and tomatoes. Cover and cook at 300 degrees for 4 to 6 hours. Remove roast from Dutch oven and allow to cool. When cooled shred the roast with two forks. Return to liquid.

Serve with warmed corn tortillas, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, pico de gallo, chopped avocadoes, salsa, and sour cream.

Pico de Gallo

 2 to 4 tomatoes, chopped

½ red onion, chopped

¼ cilantro bunch, chopped

1 jalapeño, chopped

Combine all ingredients.

Guacamole
4 ripe avocadoes

½ small red onion, finely chopped

1 small tomato, finely chopped
¼ cilantro bunch, chopped
1 small lime, squeezed
1 clove garlic, finely grated (micro plane)
*optional: 2 tbsp. salsa, or hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Halve the avocadoes, and using a knife score the avocado into bite sized pieces. Squeeze lime juice on the avocado so that it does not turn black. Add other ingredients and gently combine. To store place one avocado pit in the center; this will prevent the guacamole from blackening. Place a sprig of cilantro on the top of the guacamole. Serve with warm corn tortilla chips.

Margaritas Basic

Limeade concentrate 2 oz. (shots)

Triple sec ½ oz. (shot)

Tequila 1 oz. (shot)

Lime, fresh squeezed, and a thin slice for garnish
*optional: Margarita salt to garnish margarita glass

Note: 1 oz. equals 1 shot. For flavored margarita 2 oz. of juice or fresh fruit, and ½ oz. Rose’s limeade.