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The other evening saw me entertaining once again.  It has been a busy summer socially but I do like having friends and family over and engaging in great food, drink, and conversation.  I normally have both gluten and gluten free options available for guests but this time I figured why not just go completely gluten free?  And did I ever.  There were wonderful cheese presentations, dips and spreads, wonderfully piquant olives stuffed with jalapenos and garlic, but perhaps the piece de resistance was a magnificent gluten free Stromboli from a bakery located on Staten Island (which another gf-blogger turned me onto and friends of mine picked up for me and delivered to my office).

Dinner was pulled pork cooked for 8 hours and then sauced with my favorite North Carolina BBQ sauce that I buy by the case when down there.  It was paired with a wild rice medley and a cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, grape tomatoes, scallion stir fry.  Dessert was a homemade gluten free brownie with creamy vanilla ice cream topping it off.

Sometimes the most delicious and satisfying meals are the most simple.  When I entertain I don’t like to be away from my guests so when not catered, simplicity is key.  Remember, your guests came to see you so don’t spend the evening slaving away in the kitchen.
 
 
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There are times when I sometimes wish I could eat anything I want and then there are times that I am proud to be a card carrying Celiac with a shellfish allergy – this is one of those proud moments.  My partner is a news junkie and just forwarded me this little nugget.  Go ahead, take a quick moment to read it -- you are not going to believe it. 

Yep, that’s right, a KFC double-breasted chicken “sandwich” without the bun but replacing it with two battered, deep fried, chicken breasts.  Really KFC…are you kidding me? 

I do hate to generalize but America is known as the great fast food nation and while pockets of healthy eating do exist the vast majority is looking for quick and cheap options to satisfy their hunger.  Now I am not going to turn this into a sermon on eating healthy because that is not really what it is about.  Last time I checked people were able to make their own decision as to how they live their lives and what they choose to consume.  We make our own decisions and therefore must accept the consequences that go with them.

But really KFC?  What brainchild thought to remove the bun (though a good start for us Celiacs) and decided to replace it with not one, but two deep fried battered chicken breasts, slather on some sauce, oh, and don’t forget the bacon.  In full disclosure, I was never really a fan of fast food, even when I was eating gluten.  Did I eat it, sure.  Did I enjoy it?  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t when I did indulge.  But that’s the thing; it was more of a treat than a normal staple.  I don’t even want to think of the abuse I put my body through in college because let’s face it; students are not the most healthy of eaters.

Anyway, I had to smile when I saw this article because it made me realize the shift in thinking that comes along with being Celiac.  We still have our gluten free products and version of favorites that do not exactly fall into the light category but at least I am not subjecting myself to hormone-filled, food-additive pumped, crazy concoctions such as utilizing two chicken breast as a bread substitute.
 
 
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After the success and positive feedback received since my visit to the Four Seasons, I am happy to announce that the second locale has been selected.  Where will my love of eating gluten free in the most iconic New York City restaurants take me this time?  Well, you will just have to wait to find out.  But fear not – it will not be a long wait.  GFM has his sights set on Labor Day Weekend to see if he can go gluten free at a restaurant that does not cater specifically to Celiacs.  This restaurant will in fact be a first for GFM and I love a challenge.  I promise not to disappoint as we take a glimpse, yet again, into one of the places that makes New York City a foodie's paradise.  As always, I will be evaluating the establishment on a variety of criteria to measure how it fairs in the allergy (gluten and shellfish) department.

So do stay tuned for updates and I hope you will join me on my journey.  Oh, and in November I am taking the series on the road and going international to some very exciting destinations for some gluten free dining on a global scale.
 
 
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 So, for some yet to be explained reason, my Twitter account has been “temporarily suspended” which seeing as it never really worked correctly might not be such a bad thing.  While I am awaiting a response from Twitter as to why per se I have been blocked I do not hold out much hope for an explanation (though hope to be proven wrong).  I realized that it is a free service but it clearly is still full of bugs and not working properly.  A quick Google search showed I am clearly not alone and let’s just say their customer support is lacking.  As a result,  all of my communication will now go through this site or via Facebook so really not a huge deal.  Also, quite frankly do people really care what each other are doing every waking moment of the day – probably not.  Quite frankly I do not find myself to be all that interesting and cannot really imagine anyone that I would really need to know what they are doing to the microsecond.  Okay, rant over…back to gluten free land.

I made the most delicious gluten free cookies this weekend from Gluten Free Essentials.  Check out my review here.  They were super simple to make (and I mean super simple) and absolutely delicious.  Also, for the amount the cookie mix yields you get a good bang for you buck.
 
 
I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank all of my regular readers for all of the great feedback and kind words you have shared since the launch of this site.  In a relatively short period of time I think I have come a rather long way and I could not have done it with out my fellow Celiacs and non-Celiacs that frequent the site.

This certainly has been a true labor of love and in between my normal day job and working on my dissertation, I find it almost therapeutic to make changes to and update this site.  I also have to say that I am learning so much from all of my fellow Celiacs, be it though tweeting on Twitter, chatting on Facebook, or from exchanging e-mails.  It is these dialogues with Celiacs around the globe that help me in my journey to gluten free fabulousness and I hope that some of what I am learning and sharing is proving useful in your own journey.  I still cannot believe that it has been only two months (at the end of the month) since I launched the site and I hope that you will continue along with me on my journey.

Some exciting trips are planned in the near future and I look forward to sharing how I faired on the gluten free front around the globe.  There will be more QNYGF locales added to the series soon (my partner is selecting the next venue) and Dubai and Switzerland will also be added to the series in due time.

So sit back, relax, grab your favorite gluten free snack and join me as I take living gluten free to the next, most fabulous level.  And what better way to say Thank You than will a catchy ABBA tune...take it away Agnetha...
 
 
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With all the hullabaloo in the United States as of late regarding the reform of our healthcare system, it go me thinking about a chat I had with a fellow Celiac or Coeliac as they say in her country, about the availability and related cost associated with living gluten free.

By now you have likely seen the New York Times article examined the high cost of purchasing gluten free items here in the United States.  A couple of weeks ago I was chatting online with a new Celiac friend on Facebook who was asking about the availability and process associated with purchasing gluten free products here in the U.S.  What she said next was very surprising to me…in the U.K. Celiacs can get essential gluten free staples on prescription from their GP.  The prescribing of goods is also very calculated with specific guidelines for the allocation on goods based on such criteria as gender, age, recommended nutritional requirements, etc.).  The foods are not entirely free as patients much still pay for their prescription in the U.K. unless otherwise exempted – though some countries like Wales and Scotland either do not charge or are moving towards not charging for prescriptions.

It is nice to see that one region has apparently got it right and views Celiac as a true disease and not just a food allergy.  While I would love to see something similar available in the U.S. I doubt that it will ever happen which is unfortunate.

Below is a PDF of the U.K. prescribing guide:
gfp_uk.pdf
File Size: 157 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
 
 
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The other day I Tweeted that I was amazed to see, in very small print the words” gluten free” on the back of a Heinz ketchup bottle.  It is funny how the little things in live sometimes leave the biggest impression.  Well, last night, while constructing the perfect gluten free hamburger with a Schär roll and a fresh patty procured from one of the ever wonderful stalls of the Grand Central Market I had yet another epiphany.  While carefully layering all of my condiments in perfect sequential order, mayonnaise on the bottom, burger topped with melted cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles, top of bun –I noticed that after aligning the condiments on the dining room table another “gluten free” was smiling back at me.  This time is was again, very small, but gracing the Hellman’s Mayonnaise (Reduced Fat version).  Now as a self-proclaimed gluten free aficionado I don’t ever recall seeing it before.  Funny, I always go straight for the ingredient list to verify “gluten freeness” of products which leads me to my next minor rant.  Okay, ketchup and mayonnaise really should have the most basic of ingredients to begin with.  Alas, this is America, land of the food additives and flavor enhancers, so I always read the ingredients.  That being said, wouldn’t it be nice if the gluten free recognition was, oh, I don’t know, placed on the freaking front of a package – or at LEAST in something other than a size 6 (and I am being generous) font.

Oh, well, Rome was not built in a day and I will happily accept my little gluten free wording with the hope that perhaps one day some major labels might feature gluten free on the front of the package in all its glory.  Rant over.
 
 
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Well, I hope that you all enjoyed the first restaurant in my QNYGF series.  I look forward to bring you to many more iconic New York City restaurants to show that eating well gluten free is possible no matter where you end up.  Also, I hope that my rankings of how the restaurants faired will prove useful in your own dining experiences.  I had a really great time bringing you the inaugural restaurant and an even better time eating and drinking to bring you the review.

Now the series will not just be limited to New York with Dubai and some European destinations soon to join their New York counterparts.  The international component should make for some interesting experiences.  Oh, and the locales will not always be five star gourmet restaurants but rather an eclectic mix of places that truly capture what a particular city is all about.  The only caveat is that Gluten Free Mike does not eat chain fast food -- ever.

So stay tuned for the next installment and I hope you will continue to take dining out gluten free to a whole new level.
 
 
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Well tomorrow is the kick-off to my QNYGF series and I am really very excited about this new section and hope that my readers will enjoy it.  While the first location is a secret, I can say that it is indeed quintessentially New York without a doubt.  Now, we all know I am pretty much a lush and do enjoy the finer things in life so any excuse to dine out is always welcome.  Ah, the lengths I will go through for my readers.

On a more serious note this new series is not just about eating fabulous food and indulging in fine wines and spirits.  It is meant to educate and demonstrate that, as a Celiac, you are only limited by your imagination when it comes to dining out.  This exercise will help you to ask the right questions and make the right choices to ensure that no gluten makes it way into your meal and consequently your digestive system.  We only get one spin around the proverbial cosmic roulette wheel so I am placing all my money on fabulous!

Each locale that is selected for the QNYGF series will be evaluated on set criteria to show how accommodating each place was on everything from menu selections to wait staff handling of food allergies. Remember, I am not just a Celiac, I am also deathly allergic to any and all shellfish so without being a pain in the you know what, I am interested to see how each locale handles it.

Finally, I will always be dining with a non-Celiac to help add an additional dimension to the reviews.  I do hope you will join me regularly and find the information useful in your living a fabulous gluten free life!
 
 
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As Celiacs, we can all use a little help every now and then.  I wish that when I was first diagnosed that there was even a fraction of the resources available to Celiacs today.  Here at GFM I have compiled resources that I have found helpful on a personal level.  We certainly have come a long way in a relatively short period of time but of course still have a long way to go.

Some of my personal favorites include The Celiac Handbook, which yours truly just shared his Celiac journey on the site’s Celiac Success stories (shameless plug, LOL).  Here you can find a wealth of information about the disease along with a gluten free restaurant locator which I simply love – and it is international.

Another site I really like is the Celiac Disease Foundation which also has a good selection of resources ranging from disease information to local-level Celiac organizations to a great kids section.

For products, I tend to order direct from the manufacturer but Glutenfree.com and The Gluten Free Mall are all good resources to get a feel for what products are out there in a central resource.  It is fun to browse through new products to see what is out there.  I always seem to find something new that I had never heard of before.  What’s nice about these sites is you can search by specific category or food type which makes menu planning extremely easy.  Even if you do not order from these sites they are definitely worth a look.

You can also check out my Resources and Links section which has tools I have found useful as well as links to other Celiac bloggers sites.  A little knowledge goes a long way.