SillyCeliactics_3

“So, what would you like to eat….ghee, your on this weird diet and we haven’t seen you in a while….”

“What Weird Diet. How weird can it be, I have been eating GlutenFree, this way, for over ten years. It’s not really a “diet” it is a medically prescribed way of eating. It’s what I have to do, really.”

“Oh. Well. What would you like then?”

“Water.”

—

All “SillyCeliactics” are recordings of actual conversations entertained by Federation Members. The names and locations have been changed or altered to protect the innocents…

GlutenFree Pizza at a Pizza Parlor: Nirvana, of a Sort, Confirmed.

Ok, it has been well over a week since I had the still somewhat unbelievable experience of going, looking at a menu, and ordering a complete GF pizza pie meal at Flatbread. Dessert too! And, what with the passage of time and the thorough “survey” of three different pies (I had them partially cook the take homes, reheated @ 350 and they were like there, man, wood-taste intact) I can confirm that their GlutenFree process of cooking up pies in a wood-fired oven seems to work. Oh yah, it tastes great and they use mucho local/organic/fresh stuff.

Their goat cheese salad was truly remarkable for it’s tasty incredibly fresh tang. I really hoovered it as you can see:

Their GF crusts are made by a third -party; the below image has the info on their source for the crusts:

And as strange, or is that gross, as it may seem the most amazing thing about the whole experience was seeing in the fridge, later in the week, a take-home pizza and even leftovers in a wonderfully “greasy” cardboard box

(the last time I had a leftover pizza box they only came in a waxy white flimsy model. Their boxes are fit for resale after use or building another Flatbread restaurant or something. OK, I’m stopping here. Gotta plan when to drive that hour to the closest Flatbread… Hey, comment will ya?

Oh, they also had two GF beers! I had the Redbridge as I was not in the mood for Bard’s Tale (ssh! I’m drinkin’ one now), nice as it be…

The dessert. Don’t forget the dessert, for goodness sakes. It was a GF Whoopie Pie with GF Vanilla ice cream. Try getting the pie warmed, I think it would taste best thusly served especially with the ice cream…

Hmmm. So what was the pie like? Very dry, smoky, somewhat crisp, substantial tasty crust, light sauce, various toppings were all quite nice and fresh. I had topping such as:homemade sausage, mushroom, onions, carmalized onions, various cheeses, olives and other stuff…. I’m hungry again.

SillyCeliactics_2: Pasta Is Made of Pasta

“You can have pasta right? It doesn’t have any meat,” accompanied by a genuinely hopeful look of confusion.

“No, I’m sorry I can’t eat most pasta, it is pretty much made up entirely of wheat which has all the gluten you could hope to put into a grain,” accompanied by a sorrowful look of….sorrow.

“Oh. It has wheat? Pasta? I thought pasta was made of pasta?” very confused look now.

“I know, I thought pasta was made of pasta too before I realized the celiac disease thing….but it isn’t, pasta is definitely made from wheat which contains gluten,” I explain most clearly.

“Yah, but the ingredients say that it is made just with durum which is what all pasta is made of, the best pasta anyway,” she explains convincingly.

“Oh, yah. It is kinda confusing but durum is actually a type of wheat. Now, you’re right it is a very nice type of wheat, but it’s wheat,” I quietly whisper as I look around to see if anyone else is following this top secret conversation.

~~~

All “SillyCeliactics” are recordings of actual conversations entertained by Federation Members. The names and locations have been changed or altered to protect the innocents…

SillyCeliactics_1

“I’d get you some food….but you’re on that stupid diet,” accompanied by a look of disgust and confusion.

“It’s not a stupid diet— it’s a disease. If I don’t eat right, I get sick…. Now that would be stupid.” Accompanied by a look of Glufreef (Gluten-Free fatigue and grief born of explaining celiac reality, yet again, to someone who has heard the facts many times before).

~~~

All “SillyCeliactics” are recordings of actual conversations entertained by Federation Members. The names and locations have been changed or altered to protect the innocents…

I’m Going to Order Gluten Free Pizza in a Pizza Parlor!

Yes. I am off to Flatbread to check out the pizza pie they can make Gluten Free! The menu on their site does not mention the gluten free option, but upon calling their Bedford, MA restaurant, they said they can make it…

I read about this establishment here. 

I will report back.

I am beyond anticipation….

New Page with Running List of GF Restaurants

I pasted together a page - see the tab on the homepage - located on the CookieFed blog where I will list GF resaurant’s…

US Chain Restaurants w/ Gluten-Free Menus

Outback Steakhouse

Longhorn

So far, these are the only two restaurant chains that I have noticed have “menus”. You generally have to ask for them and in the case of both of these two they are actually their same menu but with explanations of ingredients and instructions on how to order the Chicken Salad, for example, “order it with no croutons and tell the server to tell the kitchen to prepare the salad in a separate bowl from the other salads.” 

It’s kind of a drag and not all that…. insuring to have to tell the kitchen how to make the menu item but hey its worked for me a few times…  And you?

Celiac Disease and MRSA?

Hey, I was wondering about the possible interactions between MRSA and those with CD. MRSA, which is an increasingly difficult to treat type of staph infection (bacterial infection) is said to be potentially more difficult or virulent with those who have autoimmune diseases, which CD happens to be categorized. 

So do you have any info about this? I am wondering as I will be caring for someone recently diagnosed w/ MRSA…

The Cookie Federation Dinner in the Sky

[attach crane here]

I’m not much for dinner theater but this would certainly be a interestting way to hold the First Annual Gluten Free Cookie Federation Assembly. As the convention grows we could just add more tables in the sky…. If you’re interested in reserving a seat at the table drop a comment !

Dinner in the Sky is a real thing. We can do this, we just need to get enough Gluten Free folk to make it fly. Since we have not designated a location for the convention we could make certain that a table would be available. Hey, we could have multiple tables in/above different countries…Atmospheric gluten contamination could be a different sort of concern up here, though. And, would you please not use your cell phone at the table! We have important, no vital, GF cookies to discuss. And watch your crumbs, they can really do some damage down beloooooooooooooo…

HolyCud: Gluten-Free Speculation Trickledown, or Rocket Up

Have you noticed the sharp increase in the price of GF foods recently?

I can’t but help notice that some of the staple GF products Federation members buy (pizza, donuts, cookies (in reverse order)) have shot up anywhere from 5% to 30% ! I mean, in particular Amy’s pizza which I absolutely love and find very adjustable (you can add lots of different toppings and have it heat up nice…), has gone up anywhere from $2-3 bucks a pie in the northeast of the states! I use to regularly find their cheese pie fro $6-$7 bucks, now I can’t get one for less than $8 and recently paid $9. I’ve seen it priced at more than $10, though I have not paid a Hamilton for a plain pizza pie, yet…

Geez at these prices I’m gonna have to move up the Gluten-Free kitchen renovation and start reading those GF recipe blogs more closely and start serious cookin’ and bakin’, oh my.

I mean, I’m not using these pies to drive, actually…. maybe…., edible gluten-free propulsion systems?!? No, the price of speculative unregulated commodity trading on Gluten-Free Containers is clearly hitting our wallet like Gluten-Free Vampire on tofu.

Perhaps frozen food is seeing a sharp increase compared to non-frozen? What’s been your experience? Have you noticed any sharp increases in particular product prices?