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It is now only 8 days and counting until I kick off my Quintessentially New York Gluten Free (QNYGF) series.  I am so excited about this one and the first restaurant in the series will not disappoint.  Remember, the goal of this series is to demonstrate and educate that you can in fact live a full, rich, and most importantly delicious gluten free life in a world full of gluten.  While gluten free restaurants or menus are welcome I am bucking convention and going to show you how to make smart choices and ask the right questions at any restaurant.  I will be evaluating the wait and kitchen staffs’ receptivity and helpfulness in recognizing not only my gluten allergy but my shellfish allergy as well.  Each local will be ranked according to a proprietary scale that will quantify just how gluten friendly they were.

I do hope that you will come along for the journey and the window into what are probably some of the greatest restaurants in the city.  Don’t forget GFM is always popping around the globe so look for the QGFNY series to expand to other major cities and wherever my travels might take me.  Already in the works is QDXBGF (Quintessentially Dubai Gluten Free). 
 
 
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As many of you know, GFM loves to travel the globe exploring new and exciting places.  One of my tried and true tips when flying is to always bring a gluten free snack pack along for the ride.  Now short flights are really no big deal but I have been on 14+ hour non-stops where even a small supermarket would not suffice.  What I have found is that most airlines (on intercontinental routes) offer gluten free meal options.  Now, I know, particularly with American carriers there is always the question of will the special meal actually be loaded on board but I have found, in my personal experience, that each time I have made the request on a foreign carrier I have never been overlooked.

Waxing nostalgic I can remember a very nice gluten free meal on board the now defunct business class airline MaxJet complete with gluten free rolls (very unexpected).  I have also have wonderful meals on Emirates, Lufthansa, Austrian, British Airways, etc. that even included gluten free snacks along the way.  Given my shellfish allergy gluten free does not always mean shellfish free.  When I alert the crew to my shellfish allergy and for some reason it is included in the gluten free mix, they have always been most helpful in sourcing whatever they could to keep me satiated.  As with all professions I have had flight crew that loved their jobs and others who clearly did not.  Yet, if you approach them nicely and explain your situation calmly and not in a DYKWIA tone even the toughest of tough will try and help.  Remember resources in a metal tube are limited so don’t expect the world.

A gluten free snack pack in your carry on in not only useful during the flight, but also if there are any delays on the ground.  I have been in airports where there was quite literally nothing I could eat from their concessions.  Also, remember to re-stock your pack once you arrive at your destination for the return flight. 
 
A Stitch in Time 07/29/2009
 
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Now GFM is a busy guy (but aren't we all), I mean after all between work and my personal life I am kept extremely busy – which is a very good thing.  However, I am always looking for ways to make life just that much easier because, after all, there are only so many hours in the day.  So I thought I would share a couple of tools that I utilize during the day to give me just a bit of an edge of the ticking clock.

What’s for lunch?  Ah, the age old question.  Well here in New York we have something called Seamless Web.  They are also in London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Jersey City and NY Metro (parts of Westchester and Fairfield counties).  Essentially it is a Web site that aggregates all the restaurants that deliver to your location – and we are talking often hundreds.  Now what is nice about this is 1) I do not have to leave the office – hello productivity and 2) More importantly I can quickly scan for gluten free or safe options.  Plus I love to have tons of choices.  They actually have a gluten free category but it does not really seem to be working as well as it should with some questionable choices showing up.  I have actually had more success by using the search function and have found some interesting gluten free options in unexpected places – like the Torta Caprese dessert from Obika Mozzarella Bar.

Another tool use regularly is Fresh Direct – a grocery service serving much of the NY metropolitan area and the Hamptons in the summer.  What’s nice about this service, aside from the über convenience factor, is they do have a decent selection of gluten free items (including a proper gluten free section).  Another nice feature is that every item they stock has nutritional/ingredients and allergen contents.  They also carry chef prepared items from their chefs as well as meals from some famous restaurant (Tabla, Rosa Mexicano) here in the city.  You simply place your order, schedule deliver, and viola, grocery shopping done. 
 
 
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Well, I don’t want to jinx it but after heavily medicating for the past few days I think I have finally cleared the proverbial sickness hump and appear to FINALLY be on the mend.  This is a very good thing as tomorrow GFM will be taking part in my agency’s community service day and yours truly will be working at a local animal shelter with cats  and dogs.  So what does this have to to with living gluten free you might ask?  A lot actually.

Social situations, particularly when work is involved can be a bit tricky to navigate.  Now my firm knows all about my allergies and is actually very sensitive to them.  When we have parties or events someone always makes sure there is at least 1) something I can eat and 2) a very low likelihood that I will die from my shellfish allergy.  How do they know about my allergies – I told them.  I also took the time to explain what I can and cannot eat and why.  You don’t want to be a pain in the you know what but allergies are quite a different animal.  Now you don’t want to be the annoying, whiner of your office so be tactful in your approach.  Also, don’t be demanding.  I never made a huge dramatic deal with the poor me mentality but rather took opportunities that presented themselves to help educate my colleagues not only about my gluten allergies but how to administer my Epi-Pen should I come in contact with shellfish.  Now when colleagues plan events, the often run menu selection by me to make sure I will be able to enjoy the food.  They also always ask Where is your Epi-Pen when we are socializing – just in case.  I happen to work at a job and company that I love but also feel a proactive approach goes a very long way.

My client-base consists exclusively of billion dollar iconic brand which I will not name, but you know all of them.  Some are food and beverage related and when presenting to or interacting with the clients I am also very upfront about my allergies – when there are tons of client products on a table for a meeting and everyone is noshing you don’t want them to think you are not indulging because you don’t like their products.

I have also been presently surprised when attending high profile dinner like award ceremonies where menu choices are normally not even an option.  Recently, at a major venue here in New York that I was attending I declined a starter (because it had gluten in it) which prompted the maître d’ to ask why and when I explained he came up with 2 options that they could happily offer, same with the main course.  I normally just eat before events because it is often easier but it was nice to know that food allergies are being taken seriously – and this was a very large scale event so the fact that they could do this was appreciated.  At the same event there was two dessert options  one clearly had gluten but the other looked safe from the outside so I swapped with a colleague.  Alas, the safe one turned out to, in fact, be full of cake which I noticed only after chewing my first bite.  So what to do?  I only took a small bite for starters (a good tip) so I every so gracefully took my napkin and well, disposed of the bite.  Gross, absolutely not.  If you are graceful no one will ever be the wiser.  I didn’t make a scene or panic – nor was they any chance in hell I would be swallowing that bite.

The takeaway is to do what you have to do, be smart, be relaxed, be fabulous and no one will every be the wiser when little problems arise. 
 
 
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As many of you who follow my tweets on Twitter know, I have been battling what I thought were the seasonal allergy demons for what seems like forever.  Well, when the allergy remedies were not having any effect, I deduced it was likely a sinus infection and popped over to the doctor and am finally feeling some relief – thank you major pharma.

After my doctor’s appointment I had to run some errands which resulted in me popping into the market for a few items.  After quickly navigating the aisles for a few staples I noticed my partner pointing to a display that was easily overlooked.  It took me a moment to figure out what it was that he was trying to draw my attention to for if memory served me that space was previously occupied by the shoe and silver polish.  Not today.  A new display had sprung up with multiple levels of gluten free offerings from German brand Dr. Schär.

Now here is GFM’s gripe.  While endlessly pleased that there was actually now a proper central GF point in the store it was rather well hidden and if I, a card carrying Celiac did not walked right past it – well you do the math.  I do like the convenience of being able to purchase good, quality, gluten free items in my local store rather than through the mail or specialty store but if it is not being properly merchandised I fear it might end up being a short-lived experiment rather than a permanent fixture.

I fully understand that space is at a premium but the store is clearly making a significant investment to carry the items (which are not that cheap in relation to their gluten-filled counterparts) so would think they would want them to be displayed where people might actually see them.  Or is that just crazy talk?
 
 
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You might have read in a previous post that my mother is my partner in crime, if you will.  We travel the world together and have elevated both shopping and food to a religious experience.  Now everyone always likes to say that there Mom is the best cook…well when it comes to cooking I think I can safely say that my Mom kicks your Mom’s…well, you get the idea.

I jest, but in all seriousness my mother taught me pretty much everything I know about cooking and I remember spending time in the kitchen growing up watching her prepare magnificent meals.  This is likely where I gained my love of entertaining.  My parents (both of whom are still very much with us) loved to entertain and never did anything on a small scale.  The looked for any excuse to throw a fête and were constantly entertaining – it is just what they do.

Well, I have asked my mother to share a few of her delicious recipes with my readers and she gladly agreed.  Now, I am not going to post them all at once but thought I would start with what is likely my favorite, Mom’s tomato sauce with meatballs.  This sauce takes over 6 hours to cook but fear not, it is done in a crock pot so there is minimal stress.  I remember my mother prepping a pot just before bed and awakening to the smell of sauce wafting though the house.  I used to sneak into the kitchen and have a meatball for breakfast.  Mom never minded because, as all Mom’s do, she knew her sons and husband often could not resist and would always make extra meatballs.

It’s funny the things we remember – the smells, the tastes, the sounds, the experiences.  I can say without a doubt that food was a major part of my childhood and some of the best times were spent around the dining room table.
 
 
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Today’s post is a bit more serious in tone as I was waxing nostalgic for some reason during my morning commute and remembering how my food allergies came to manifest themselves.  As if being Celiac was not enough I also developed a shellfish allergy not that long ago so in the course of a few years my life became very interesting indeed.  When first diagnosed with Celiac it was a pretty big blow.  I mean I loved bread, pasta, beer – okay, I had a love affair with gluten and did not even realize it.  Yet, this was a one-sided love affair as I may have loved gluten but gluten was slowly destroying my digestive system unbeknownst to me at the time.  It is funny when you think back and the signs were so clear yet Celiac was not something that had mainstreamed so it was always a case of having a funny tummy or GERD (God, I was on Nexium for 3 years which I am sure is not a good thing).  It is amazing how something can be right in front of you yet without a little bit of knowledge it just goes unnoticed.

I often wonder what life would have been like having known I was Celiac all along and am glad that younger generations can spare themselves the damage and discomfort early on.  I am also still amazed that one can become allergic to anything at any point in their life.  Celiac aside, because obviously many of us had it our entire lives but just went undiagnosed.  My shellfish experience was a real wake up call because, once again, the initial warning signs my body was sending off were ignored because I did not know what was happening. I would eat shellfish and feel itchy or get small hives but never connected the dots until my body sent a clear message which led me to a fantastic allergist and in-depth allergy test to find out not only what I was allergic to but also to what degree.  I was amazed at how specific the tests could get (down to the different varietals of individual species).  I will never forget my allergist going over the results and starting to read the shellfish section – about half-way through, after being off the scale for every type thus far, he looks at me and said Just never eat ANY type of shellfish again because you are off the scale.  At the time I felt like, great, yet another entire food group wiped away.  But somehow the shellfish took a priority in the sense that 1) it would likely kill me and 2) the thought of having to jab my Epi-Pen into my thigh (which I had to be trained in) was really not appealing because I am essentially a big baby when it comes to any type of needle.

So where am I going with all this?  My lesson learned was to listen to your body.  No one knows it better than you do.  If something seems a bit off, get it looked into and nip it in the bud.  Also, you have to be comfortable with your physician – if you are not, find someone else.  I am lucky to have a brother who is a physician and I can bounce things off which comes in very handy.  But is important to ask questions and have a physician that does not seem put out in answering whatever (or however many) questions you might have.  It is your responsibility to take a proactive stance in your own health in order to keep living a full and fabulous life. 
 
 
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Alright, yes, I am currently existing, during the day anyway, exclusively on Zone bars (well bar) in order to shed some pounds that seem to have piled up during the miserable June weather we experienced.  Of course, I thought I would relate it to my personal gluten free experience, quelle surprise!

When I was a Celiac living as a non-Celiac (meaning did not have an explanation let alone a diagnosis for Celiac disease) I was thin.  No, I mean really thin – think emaciated.  I am not kidding.  I would eat and eat and could not understand (nor did any medical professional at the time) why I seemed to have trouble actually putting on weight.  Remember, this was a time before Celiac came into vogue as it has of late.

I digress…fast forward to five or six years ago when I was actually diagnosed and changed my diet.  Enter the pounds…and pounds…and well, you get the idea.  Now that my digestive system was on the mend, I was absorbing nutrients correctly and it seemed like my body was making up for lost time.  I was also naïve at the time and would just find GF replacements and hoover them down not really bothering to look at the calorie counts.  This would be a lesson soon learned.

As I continued on through my GF journey, I became more aware or labels not just for ingredients but for calorie content.  I was amazed at how the GF replacements were oftentimes significantly higher in calories than their non-GF counterparts.  That coupled with the fact that I was over compensating for my loss of gluten-filled treats by eating every (though limited selection in the early days) GF treat I could find.

Now you will always find me looking at labels on all of the GF purchases I make to get a feel of the damage I am doing to my waistline.  This allows me to plan accordingly and eat smart – particularly when I want to indulge in sweet treats.
 
 
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Okay, I have been dangling the proverbial carrot in front of you for a while so thought I would reveal what was on the menu this past Saturday evening while entertaining some dear friends of GFM.  I said I was going to make it a gluten free evening and by George did I ever succeed (with none of my guests the wiser).

To start we had a presentation of hors d'oeuvres that included: Prosciutto and cornichon-wrapped dates (two different items); caramelized onion hummus, sundried tomato and feta dip; olive and onion tapenade; artichoke and feta dip; and artichoke tapenade.  We also had a delectable cheese presentation that included: a wonderfully gooey Brie, a five country English cheddar, a mild herbed chevre; a fantastic New York State aged cheddar; and a wonderfully mild Dutch goat’s milk cheese that was simply out of this world.  Accompanying this smorgasbord was a selection of crisps, crackers, and biscuits (of which 90% were GF options).  Now how do you prevent cross-contamination?  Cocktail plates my darlings.  This allows each guest to safely select the item they would like without having to dip into the communal vessel – which in and of itself is a very good thing.  There was other fringe nibbles circulating throughout the evening but I think I captured the main foci above.  Moving on to dinner…

After what seemed like a never-ending bacchanal of hors d’oeuvres and cocktails we retired to the dining room where chilled plates adorned with fresh mozzarella sandwiched between organic tomatoes and basil with a bit of my famous vinaigrette drizzled atop awaited (I promise to reveal this recipe one day).  And people, for the love of (insert your deity of choice) please, please, please chill your salad plates.  There is nothing worse than a nicely chilled salad placed atop a warm plate – this is July people but the rule applies all year round.

The main course was a delectable gluten free chicken cordon bleu paired with a porcini mushroom risotto and flash steamed broccoli tossed with a bit of olive oil, red onion and grape tomatoes.  During dinner the wine flowed and the conversation was engaging.  Perhaps the story of the evening was a friend sharing a story of grocery shopping with a well-known royal socialite who, for insurance reasons, decided to throw a small fortune of jewels into a shopping bag and proceed to wheel it around in their cart while navigating the aisles – too much!  I do not think I ever mentioned that my other half is in fact not American – so there will always be comical antidotes working their way into my posts – I apologize now.  After we finished the main course we retired to the living room for aperitifs prior to dessert.

Fully satiated, a relatively simple dessert of pure vanilla ice cream crowned with a GF Dulce de Leche sauce rounded out what turned into a 7-hour feast.  Everyone truly enjoyed themselves and so did their hosts.
 
 
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I just wanted to keep my readers informed that there are some exciting new posts in the works that will be posted to the site over the next couple of days.  The dinner party previously mentioned was a huge success and, if I might add, gluten free and FABULOUS!  Now I am not going to disclose who the guests were because that just is not GFM’s style but guests regaled wonderful experiences on topics from celebrities to royalty – and there were some that are still making me smile.  I will talk about the evening more in-depth when I reveal the fantastic (yet, simple) menu – from cocktails and hors d'oeuvres through appetizers and dessert.

I so look forward to sharing the evening with you but our dear friend who the evening was in honor of, decided to stay an extra night so GFM is still in entertaining mode.  I will be sneaking away from my hosting duties from time-to-time in order to compile my upcoming posts and will most definitely send out alerts once posted.

So stay-tuned my gluten free friends and keep living deliciously.