Celiac disease forces big changes in diet

Once, a Disneyland attraction called Journey Through Inner Space “miniaturized” and inserted you through a microscope into a snowflake. Shrinking further, you traveled into the snowflake’s molecular structure, finally arriving at an oxygen atom.

What a metaphor for living with celiac disease.

Food items become collections of ingredients, whose components may include a hidden gluten. Eating becomes a microscopic journey through the inner space of food.

It’s not only the diagnosis that’s tough to swallow; it’s the massive life impact.

For me the ax fell last October, permanently severing all glutens from my diet. The sticker shock extended far beyond baked goods. Gluten lurks in food starches, emulsifiers and additives found in condiments, dairy products, gum, baking powder, peanut butter, toothpaste, candy, restaurant fries, vitamins, spices, medications, meat products, soups, pickles, ad infinitum.

In a heartbeat, food became the enemy. How and what was I going to eat? Bewildered, exhausted and overwhelmed, I felt unable to cope with such draconian change.

I had to renegotiate the entire food chain.

Thankful the disease itself wasn’t fatal, I began grappling with the challenge.

My supportive husband Richard joined me some foods we could eat together, so I restocked our pantry with expensive, unfamiliar products. To begin the diet, I found a tolerable commercial gluten-free bread, one cereal, frozen waffles and rice crackers.

Then I began an epic journey through the celiac maze, researching the Internet and phoning food manufacturers. At celiac Web sites I found a wealth of information; in addition, I studied associative disorders. Deluged by information overload and stress, I felt like Alice fallen down the rabbit hole.

My life has changed profoundly in my parallel world. I must scrutinize everything going into my mouth. My life seems to revolve around food — what I can eat, how to fix it, where to buy it, time-consuming shopping, fact checking and label reading.

Food preparation is a new frontier. Though a from-scratch cook and serious baker, I never envisioned this: for a typical cheesecake, I’ll need to make my own mock graham crackers. Ditto with other basic items. I’m not yet willing to be Martha Stewart.

I’ve had to start over with flours of different properties, texture and taste, and must mix them into flour combinations (messy!) in advance. Baking, instead of a relaxing pleasure, has become labor-intensive and experimental. How do I improve or convert a recipe and compensate for change? There is no expert in gluten-free cooking to ask; no 800 number to call. With my high standards (it must taste “real”) failures are frustrating and discouraging, success an Olympic achievement.

Wheat cravings — for a pretzel or whole-grain bread — are intense. In grocery stores, fresh-baked bread aromas assault me with longing. I’ve learned to mentally excerpt entire food sections.

Dining out is a minefield. I must quiz servers and chefs about preparation methods and salad dressing, sauce and seasoning ingredients, which is embarrassing. I consult with chefs of local restaurants and mark take-home menus. Most chain restaurants aren’t gluten-free friendly, further restricting choice.

Potlucks? Too many unknowns. Other social events often center around pastries or pasta dishes. Taking my own food is a hassle and brings unwanted attention.

Non-celiac friends are perplexed, which I appreciate; the celiac diet is difficult. Thankfully, they’re gracious about the limits it imposes on our activities.

Travel means bringing my own food (breakfasts out are especially tricky) and facing restaurant challenges at every meal.

Our first and only traveling venture since my diagnosis was to Seattle; not too intimidating since I’d discovered several restaurants there participate in a nationwide gluten-free restaurant program. Most wonderful is Kaili’s Kitchen in Edmonds, a completely gluten-free restaurant originated and run by celiac Kaili (Ky-lee) McIntyre. The restaurant, redolent with the aromas of fabulous fresh-baked goods, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. In this gluten-free establishment, everything is “yes!”

Kaili’s food is excellent; her bread products outstanding. What a joy to eat delicious gluten-free versions of “forbidden” foods! With my first bite, I almost wept. Kaili said she sees lots of tears.

She directed me to Manna Mills in Mountlake Terrace, which carries the largest selection of gluten-free foods in the Northwest, including Kaili’s goods in their frozen case. We came home with a full trunkload.

I wish we had such a large product selection here. And, so far, Outback Steakhouse is the only gluten-free restaurant program participant in our area, with a special gluten-free menu. However, other restaurants in the area have some gluten-free options. (See the sidebar for a list of those restaurants.)

In May, I attended the biannual Celiac Explorers support group led by Melba Tschirley, who is dedicated to improving celiac lives. Thirty-five people attended, most representing more than one celiac. Large tables held information, commercial products and home-baked goods to try. It was a relief to connect with other celiacs.

Flooded with paper, I bought a pocket personal computer so I can easily carry the juggernaut of celiac/food/restaurant information with me. What a boon!

As I followed the gluten-free diet I began to see improvement in other health problems that hadn’t responded to treatment, although I still struggle with fatigue. Eight months after my diagnosis, I’ve got a better handle on celiac disease, and continue with research and cooking experimentation.

Inner space is difficult, but doable.

Here are two of Deborah Chan’s favorite gluten-free recipes, including her Killer Brownies recipe she converted after several months of experimentation.

Walnut Orange Biscotti

From Gluten-Free Baking by Rebecca Reilly

1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Flour Mix (recipe follows)

1/4 cup sweet rice flour (at Asian markets called glutinous rice flour)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla (Spice Islands is gluten free)

1 1/2 cups chopped lightly-toasted walnuts

Mix together the gluten-free mix, sweet rice flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Cream the butter until white. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Blend in the eggs, one at a time. Add the orange zest and vanilla, then stir in the nuts. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour; the dough bakes better if refrigerated overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets and line with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log 1 1/2 - to 2-inches thick. Place 2 logs on one cookie sheet, leaving enough space between them for the dough to spread while baking. Place the third log on the other cookie sheet. Bake the logs for 20 minutes.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice the logs on a sight diagonal about 3/4 -inch thick. Place the slices, cut side down, on the cookie sheets. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake the slices for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Variations

1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries

1 cup chocolate chips

Add any combination of the above ingredients to the batter with the walnuts.

Deborah’s notes: Plop the dough into three even blobs in a container and refrigerate overnight. Form the dough logs, about 12-inches long, directly on the parchment-papered baking sheets. The dough is sticky, so dust hands with rice flour while forming logs. Lower temperature upon removing logs from oven to save time. I eliminate the orange zest and use regular (salted) butter. I replace 1/2 nuts with 1/2 cup Mariani dried sweetened cranberries and add 1 cup chocolate chips. I freeze all the cookies in an airtight container, leaving out a few at a time.

These biscotti are simply outstanding! Non-celiacs rave about them. I intend to try nuts, raisins and cinnamon; butterscotch chips and nuts, and replacing cranberries with chopped dried apricots. I’ve almost nailed a chocolate version.

Yield: About 3 dozen biscotti

Nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.

Perfectly Safe Brownies

Adapted from Deborah Chan’s Killer Brownies

1 stick I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter©

1/2 cup baking cocoa (not dutched)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla

1/4 cup Gluten-Free Flour Mix (recipe follows)

1/4 cup Bette Hagman’s Four Flour Bean Mix (recipe follows)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan.

In medium saucepan (don’t use nonstick), melt the margarine over low heat. Remove pan from heat and mix in cocoa with electric hand-mixer until well-blended. Add sugar and mix well. Beat in the eggs for one minute. Mix in vanilla.

Stir in flours and salt on lowest speed, then fold in nuts (do not overbeat). Spread dough in prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan.

Double recipe by using a 9-by-13 pan; bake 35-37 minutes or so.

Deborah’s notes: This recipe is almost indistinguishable in taste from my original, a longstanding popular favorite. Its deep, chocolately richness would fool anyone. The brand margarine listed is integral to taste, although you can substitute butter or margarine suitable for baking. I use an insulated baking pan, producing flat brownies without hard corners.

Yield: 12 to 16 brownies.

Nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate

Flour Mix Formulas

These flours must be mixed in advance of making most recipes. Bette Hagman, known as the Gluten-Free Gourmet, was diagnosed as a celiac more than 20 years ago. She was a pioneer in creating recipes with gluten-free flours and has written numerous cookbooks. A writer and lecturer, she lives in Seattle, Washington.

Gluten-Free Flour Mix

From Bette Hagaman

3 cups rice flour (2 parts) (see note)

1 cup potato starch ( 2/3 part)

1/2 cup tapioca flour ( 1/3 part) (see note)

Mix flours well by hand with a whisk. Store in an airtight container.

Deborah’s notes: I use superfine white rice flour and sweet rice flour (also called glutinous rice flour) with a cornstarch-like texture, available at Asian markets or through Authentic Foods; regular rice flour is unpleasantly gritty. Tapioca flour, also called tapioca starch, is available through Bob’s Red Mill and Authentic Foods. (See the sidebar for a list of resources.)

Yield: 4 1/2 cups

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.

Bette Hagman’s Four Flour Bean Mix

1 cup garfava bean flour ( 2/3 part)

1/2 cup sorghum flour ( 1/3 part)

1 1/2 cups cornstarch (1 part)

1 1/2 cups tapioca flour (1 part)

Mix all ingredients well by hand with a whisk. Store in an airtight container.

Deborah’s notes: Garfava flour, sorghum flour and tapioca flour are available through Bob’s Red Mill and Authentic Foods.

Yield: 4 1/2 cups

Nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.