Remembering September 11

Commemorations and sorrow engulfed our nation once again this past September 11, now known as Patriot Day. In newsprint, on the airwaves, and even on Facebook, people recalled where they were, what they were doing, and their reaction to the horrendous events that September morning in 2001.

I was living in a suburb of Dayton, OH and had just pulled into a nearly deserted parking lot at the shopping mall. Something was obviously amiss because, in those days, the mall was always a hub of activity. I remember shaking my head briefly, trying to pull into focus some random bit of information floating around my brain that would clue me in as to why the mall was empty. But nothing came to mind.

Six weeks earlier I’d received a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis of celiac disease, and was stumbling along the steeply pitched learning curve of my new and overwhelming gluten-free lifestyle. Being one of those people who experienced the condition known as “brain fog” in addition to a few choice gastrointestinal issues when I ingested gluten, it was completely possible I had known at one point, but now couldn’t remember, why the mall parking lot was vacant. So, I turned on the radio, hoping for some local news to jostle my memory, only to hear that two airplanes had flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Jarred out of any lingering stupor, I scurried home to park myself in front of the television set. There, I viewed the video footage of a plane smashing into the South Tower, and then watched in shock as the Pentagon burned, a plane went down in rural Pennsylvania, and the Twin Towers collapsed.

In the days and weeks that followed, many of us walked around in a fog. We were equally beset by the heartbreaking stories of people searching for missing family members and friends, and the uplifting tales of heroic acts by emergency workers, military personnel, and everyday citizens. We sought desperately to understand why and how such an act of terrorism could’ve happened on our soil. Our world had changed, seemingly overnight. It no longer appeared so friendly, so familiar. We no longer had the same sense of freedom.

Several months later, my family traveled from Ohio to New York to visit my husband’s relations. Mercifully, none of them had been directly in harms way on 9/11, although some had been personally impacted. One cousin had serendipitously not gone to an office at the World Trade Center that morning, instead traveling to offices in New Jersey. From there he stared helplessly across the Hudson River as the burning buildings collapsed, wondering if any of his co-workers were trapped inside. Another cousin was on an overnight flight from Paris, France to New York when the plane got redirected and all the passengers were indefinitely deposited in Nova Scotia.

During that trip to New York, I, like many Americans, felt compelled to visit Ground Zero. In some vain attempt to make sense of the carnage, I needed to see the surrounding buildings covered with ghostly gray dust, listen to the eternally silenced voices, and smell the smoky debris. I needed to mourn collectively with the nation. So the healing could begin. So I could move on with this new way of living.

I also needed to mourn for myself. As insignificant as my celiac problem was compared with the immensity of the loss and grief that surrounded me, it was something I had to face. That trip to New York was my first attempt at traveling away from the safety of my gluten-free kitchen; it was my first crack at carrying on despite the odds stacked against living gluten-free in a gluten-filled world.

It was scary. Could I eat New York’s famous Nathan brand hot dogs for lunch? No! They contain wheat gluten. Could I make my needs known at a restaurant in Chinatown? Barely anyone had even heard of celiac disease in 2001, much less come up with the idea of laminated gluten-free dining cards. The world was not a friendly and familiar place for someone like me with celiac disease. I felt a loss of personal freedom.

Fast forward to 2009. Much has changed in the world, both at large and for those of us with celiac disease. While I have no intention of commenting on the “larger” issues, it is easy to see that time has brought mostly positive change to the gluten-free world. Celiac disease is no longer considered a rare disease that affects only children, blood tests are more accurate, and the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act that requires manufacturers to identify whether products contain the top eight food allergens, including wheat, has been in affect since 2006. Likewise, the gluten-free food industry has expanded beyond belief, and restaurants are increasingly happy to serve celiac customers.

No where were these changes more appreciated than on a recent trip to Manhattan - my first time back in the city since 2001. As usual, we were in the area visiting relatives, but we booked a downtown hotel instead of staying with family. The Best Western Hospitality House, located on 49th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues, is a three-star hotel that offers apartment-style accommodations, complete with a full kitchen, at a price reasonable only by city standards. Not that I needed the kitchen, other than to store my gluten-free breakfast items (no gluten-free items at the included continental breakfast) and a few snacks. This was a mini-holiday; I had no intention of cooking.

As with any vacation with a limited time frame (and aren’t they all?), we first carefully selected the sights we would see, and then I consulted the GIG’s Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program website. Mapping out the location of these restaurants helped me select which ones were closest to our hotel and sightseeing priorities. Naturally, I wanted to revisit the World Trade Center Site, yet also wanted to take our three teenage boys to typical tourist haunts such as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, Greenwich Village, the Empire State Building, and Times Square. Along the way we would pass iconic landmarks such as Wall Street, City Hall, the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Grand Central Station, the Trump Building, FAO Schwartz, and Central Park. Our big splurge would be tickets to “Mary Poppins - Broadway’s Perfectly Magical Musical.”

With near perfect summer weather, sturdy walking shoes, a good map, and subway passes, we accomplished nearly everything on our “must see” list. What made the entire experience even more wonderful, though, was the ease with which I found gluten-free meals. At Bloom’s Delicatessen, on the corner of 40th Street and Lexington Avenue, I gobbled down an open face Reuben Sandwich with cole slaw on the side. Lilli and Loo, at 792 Lexington Avenue, offered over 30 gluten-free items on its Asian cuisine, Chinese, and sushi bar menu. On weekdays they even have gluten-free lunch specials! Our favorite restaurant, however, was Risotteria, in Greenwich Village. Serving gluten-free breadsticks and pizza, fresh salads, made-to-order risotto from three different kinds of rice, and gluten-free desserts, it was my personal perfectly magical moment!

GIG’s Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program lists 17 dining establishments for Manhattan. Yet there are also numerous restaurants that independently serve gluten-free food. Our 19-year old son discovered this when he visited the city with friends two weeks after our family trip. Intending to “eat across the city” by day before attending a music concert at night, he unknowingly walked into a place for pizza (he does not have celiac disease) where he was confronted by a wall of gluten-free bakery items and the option to order gluten-free pizza. The restaurant is Mozzarelli’s. The next time I visit NYC I will check it out. In fact, I think the next time I should also try to “eat across the city,” gluten-free of course. I would just walk from restaurant to restaurant, bypassing all the tourist sites, save one.

The World Trade Center site today is alive with activity and rebuilding. Anyone wishing to connect with people from the September 11th community - through walking tours, exhibits, and programs - should visit the Tribute WTC Visitor Center. It’s a non-profit corporation that serves as a central place for information pertaining to 9/11 at the WTC, and seeks to unite and support victims of terrorism. Other places to learn more about September 11 include: 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, WTC Visitor Information Kiosk, Battery Park in Lower Manhattan to view the Sphere (large metallic sculpture that once stood between the WTC towers), New York City Fire Museum, the bronze 56-foot FDNY Memorial Wall, the American Express Memorial, “Eleven Tears,” and the exhibit, “Unwavering Spirit,” at St. Paul’s Chapel, the home base for the volunteer relief effort.

According to the 1st century Stoic philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, “Time heals what reason cannot.” Not that any of the pain and loss is diminished for the families directly affected by 9/11, but certainly there is an understanding that time continues to move forward. Really, it’s the only direction to go.

Helpful Information

GIG Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program, http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/.

Tribute WTC Visitor Center, 120 Liberty Street, NY, NY 10006. Tel: 1-866-737-1184. Admission is $10.00. http://www.tributewtc.org/.

To learn more about visitor resources regarding 9/11, see http://www.national911memorial.org/.

New York City

I was in NYC two weeks ago with my husband and three boys, ages 12, 15, and 19. We were there for only 2 nights so had time to check out just a few of the many restaurants that are celiac-friendly.

As with most destinations, and perhaps even more true for a city like New York, where you choose to eat has a lot to do with where you're staying and what you're doing when mealtime rolls around.

More to follow regarding our sightseeing and meals!

Top restaurants recommended:

1. Risotteria, 270 Bleeker St. Located in the West Village between 6th and 7th Avenues. Tel: 212-924-6664. www.risotteria.com. GIG GFRAP Participant. Italian cuisine with GF bread sticks, pizza, salad, risotto, desserts.

2. Nizza, 630 9th Ave. Located between 44th and 45th Streets, in the Theater District, two blocks west of Times Square. Tel: 212-956-1800. www.nizzanyc.com. GIG GFRAP Participant. Italian cuisine with GF pasta, and their specialty - Socca – a chickpea flour pizza.

3. Lilli and Loo, 792 Lexington Ave. Located between 61st and 62nd Streets, a few blocks east of the southern edge of Central Park. Tel: 212-421-7800. www.lilliandloo.com. GIG GFRAP Participant. Asian, Chinese and Sushi cuisine. GF lunch specials Monday-Friday.

4. Ruby Foo’s, 1626 Broadway at 49th St. Located in Times Square. Tel: 212-489-5600. http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/ruby_foos_times_square/index.php. GF Menu. Pan-Asian Cuisine.

Other suggestions:

1. Mozzerelli’s, 23rd St. between Madison and Park. GF pizza and desserts.

2. Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station. Great fish, fabulous seafood. On the expensive side.
Rice ‘n’ Beans, on 9th Ave between 50th and 51st Streets. Located in the Clinton-Hell’s Kitchen district. Rice, beans, plantains, greens, grilled fish and meats.

3. Petit Café, 70 Greenwich Ave. Located near 7th Ave. in West Village.

4. Bistangos, 415 3rd Ave. Located at 29th Street and 3rd Ave. Tel: 212-725-8484. GIG GFRAP Participant. Italian Cuisine.

5. Bloom’s Delicatessen Café, 350 Lexington Ave. Located at the corner of 40th St. near Grand Central Station, Murray Hill/Midtown area. Tel: 212-922-3663. www.bloomsnewyorkdeli.com. Deli and Diner Cuisine, including omelets, burgers, sandwiches, and salads.

Other sites to check:
http://www.geocities.com/glutenfreenyc/dining.html
http://glutenfreenyc.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiacchicks.com/
http://tinyurl.com/gfnewyork

When It's Not All About the Food

December 2008

Some travel destinations are so entwined with their gastronomical pleasures that they seem to shout at us: IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD! Think New Orleans’ famous Cajun and Creole cooking, or how synonymous San Francisco is with “California Cuisine,” a form of dining that champions eating in-season local ingredients and which introduced us to fusion cooking and artful presentation.

And then there are some places that keep their mouths shut when it comes to food because, in keeping with an old adage, they have nothing nice to say. Such was the case with my family’s recent vacation to Crystal River, Florida. An inquiry I made on the celiac listserv about local restaurants and grocery stores netted me only two – TWO - responses. Neither of them encouraging.

Crystal River is situated along the west coast of Florida, about 70 miles north of Tampa and 70 miles west of Orlando. Yet it has little resemblance to either of these places. There is no thriving business culture, art scene, or vibrant Gulf coast beaches like Tampa. Nor any of the fantastical make-believe whimsy of Orlando’s theme park scene and the accompanying security of Disney’s noteworthy celiac-friendliness. Heck, Crystal River doesn’t even have chain restaurants. One guidebook I consulted went so far as to advise day trippers to pack a picnic lunch. That’s because Crystal River, and surrounding Citrus County, is known as the Nature Coast. Its main attraction is the great outdoors itself.

If nature is the draw to this area, then the West Indian manatee is the star. These large marine mammals are herbivores that inhabit warm, shallow, marshy coastal waters predominantly around Florida. In the winter months, they tend to congregate in mild, constant-temperature spring-fed rivers such as the seven-mile long Crystal River that flows through the town of the same name. The Homosassa River, seven miles further south, is another favorite hang-out.

The easiest way to observe manatees in this natural habitat is through a floating glass observatory at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, on the Homosassa River. Those willing to don a wetsuit and brave the 72-degree water can get up-close and personal with these 10-foot, 1200 pound creatures by joining a guided snorkel tour in either the Homosassa River or the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in Kings Bay, which forms the headwaters of Crystal River.

Manatees are an endangered species, protected by the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973. Human interaction with them is controlled by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, which makes it illegal to annoy, harass, or disturb one of these creatures. Before heading out by boat into Kings Bay with American Pro Diving Center, one of the largest outfitters in the area, we were shown a film about the dos and don’ts of our manatee meet up.

Once on the water, we were all on the lookout for manatees. A telltale sign is a circle on the water’s surface formed when the mammal must pop its nose up to breathe air every 3-5 minutes. Soon we were all slinking into the water, moving as softly as possible towards a small herd, with hopes that one of them would choose to come close to us. It is permissible to pet manatees if they initiate the encounter. Two of my sons, ages 12 and 14, got the biggest surprise when a 5-foot calf swam up to them, rolled over like a puppy, seeming to ask for a belly rub, and then excreted. Oh, it was a highlight!

Another day we rented a kayak and a canoe, and then paddled up the Homosassa River towards the state park. Along the way, we blissfully observed manatees surfacing, swimming, and resting in the shallow waters. Equally thrilling was the sight of two dolphins gliding beneath our boats before zealously slashing though the water in pursuit of a school of fish. Later, while sitting on the dock outside our rented cottage down river from the state park, we watched in awe as several manatees seemed to revel in the sunlight speckled afternoon.

Our “cottage,” however, was not so awesome. Basically a one-bedroom trailer set upon stilts, the putrid smell of fish was the first thing to greet us after we’d checked in at the “office” that was really a dry-docked boat. There are six rental units at the Last Resort in Homosassa, each with a full kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, and deck. Our unit appeared to be halfway through a much-needed renovation. The bedroom and bathroom were completely worn out, with uncomfortable beds and broken built-in dresser drawers. The kitchen, though, was clean, and once the property owner disinfected the fishy refrigerator, we visited a nearby grocery store and a citrus stand to settle in.

Publix, Sweetbay, and Winn Dixie, were the three big grocery store chains we found in Crystal River and Homosassa. All three carried a good selection of gluten-free products, leading me to believe there must be people in the area with celiac disease. After trying to find gluten-free food at local restaurants, however, I also came to believe that none of these supposed people with celiac ever ate out.

We dined at three different restaurants in the area, and then only after scrutinizing a number of restaurant menus, assessing my chance of getting a gluten-free meal. At not one of these places had anyone ever heard of celiac disease. Being on the rivers, with the Gulf of Mexico a few miles away, at least seafood did figure prominently on the menus. Fried seafood! So at the Marguerita Grill in Homosassa, I stuck with a bunless hamburger and side salad with oil and vinegar. At the Homosassa Riverside Resort restaurant, where they understood I had a “wheat allergy,” I did enjoy grilled grouper, baked potato, and steamed vegetables. Still, the waitress wondered why I hadn’t yet outgrown my allergy. The third place we ate was a Thai restaurant, called Thai Phoon, where I had Pad Thai.

These dining experiences, though, were just a footnote in our overall vacation experience. We snorkeled two times with the manatees in Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, and my husband and I went scuba diving in an overhead cavern. Another afternoon we all snorkeled/scuba dived down the spring-fed Rainbow River, in Rainbow Springs State Park. With crystal clear water ranging in depth from 3-18 feet, the current pushed us along, providing an ever changing view of fish life and vegetation.

On the final full day of our vacation we hired a small fishing charter, hoping to catch enough for a fish fry of our own, gluten-free style. Despite our boat captain’s best efforts to help with our quest, we caught only one keeper; the dozens of others were either too small or not good eating. Not willing to stink up our kitchen for one measly fish, we tossed it to a blue heron that had been patiently watching us from a nearby rock crop. With one long gulp, the fish slowly disappeared down the heron’s throat. “That’s so cool,” exclaimed our boys. My husband snapped a picture. It was truly all about nature.

Helpful Information

Citrus County Website
http://www.visitcitrus.com/

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
www.fws.gov/crystalriver/

Homosassa Springs State Park
4150 S. Suncoast Blvd.
Homosassa, FL
352-628-5343
www.floridastateparks.org/homosassasprings

Rainbow Springs State Park
19158 S.W. 81st Pl. Rd.
Dunnellon, FL
352-465-8555
www.floridastateparks.org/rainbowsprings/

American Pro Diving Center
821 S.E. Highway 19
Crystal River, FL
352-563-0041
http://www.americanprodiving.com/

Last Resort
10738 Halls River Rd.
Homosassa Springs, FL
352-628-7117


Homosassa Riverside Resort
5297 S. Cherokee Way
Homosassa, FL
352-628-2474
http://www.riversideresorts.com/

Marguerita Grill
10200 W. Halls River Rd.
Homosassa, FL
352-628-1336ecember 2008

Going to Atlanta

In preparation for my trip to Atlanta to visit a friend, I'm putting together a list of places where I can get gluten-free food. As of now, all of this information is gleaned from other sources, including the celiac listserv and personal blogs.

Pizza Fusion in Buckhead, http://www.pizzafusion.com/. They do make gluten pizzas here as well, but also take precautions to prevent cross-contact with the gluten-containing foods. Apparantly, this Pizza Fusions location makes its gf crust in a separate spot in the kitchen, but not all Pizza Fusions do this. Here is a link to a blog with an interview with the owner of the Atlanta Pizza Fusion at 2233 Peachtree Road, Suite MAtlanta, GA 30309 / 404-351-9334.
http://gladtobeglutenfree.blogspot.com/2008/06/finally-gluten-free-pizza-in-atlanta.html

Z Pizza has three locations in the Metro Atlanta area. Check http://www.zpizza.com/ for locations. The author of the "Glad to Be Gluten Free" blog doesn't like the Midtown store location due to the staff seeming uninterested in the needs of gluten-free diners, and also stated that parking in that area is a hassle. A better experince was had at the Alpharetta store, as well as the newest location in Duluth, where she also got a gluten-free apple pie pizza for dessert.

Pepperoni's in Duluth GA has gotten high marks for its gluten-free pizza crust. They are also working in serving gluten-free pasta and desserts. They already have some gluten-free ciders and Bard Tale beer.

Virginia Highlands (near the Junkma n's Daughter) either already has gf pizza or will soon. They use the same crust as Z Pizza.

Another reisdent of Atlanta has found a GF Baker that she loves. Called Little Red Hen, it does not have a retail location; it only does custom orders, including wedding cakes, special occasion desserts, and items such as red velvet cake and gingerbread house and cookies. They deliver in the Atlanta metro area. Call (404) 376-3410.
http://www.littleredhenbakeshop.com/

The following chain restaurants in Atlanta have gluten-free menus.

Bonefish Grill

Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse, 8215 Roswell Rd., Building 600, Atlanta. 800-434-6245

The Capital Grille, 255 E. Paces Ferry Rd., Atlanta. 404-262-1162

Carrabba's Italian Grill, 2999 Cumberland Blvd., Atlanta. 770-437-1444
Carrabba's Italian Grill, 1210 Ashford Crossings, Atlanta. 770-804-0467

Cheeseburger in Paradise, 1230 Ashford Crossing, Atlanta. 770-730-0782

Fleming's Steakhouse, 4501 Olde Perimeter Way, Atlanta. 770-698-8112

Legal Seafood

Mimi's Cafe, 1221 Ashford Crossing, Atlanta. 770-351-8444

Outback Steakhouse, 3850 Roswell Rd. NE, Atlanta. 404-266-8000
Outback Steakhouse, 2145 Lavista Rd., Atlanta. 404-636-5110
Outback Steakhouse, 1220 Ashford Crossing, Atlanta. 770-481-0491

P.F. Chang's China Bistro, 500 Ashwood Parkway, Atlanta. 770-352-0500

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, 267 Marietta St., Atlanta. 404-223-6500
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, 5788 Roswell Rd. NW, Atlanta. 404-255-0035
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, 950 E. {aces Ferry Rd., Atlanta. 404-365-0660

Ted's Montana Grill, 1874 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta. 404-355-3897
Ted's Montana Grill, 133 Luckie St., Atlanta. 404-521-9796

Other recommendations for Celiac-Friendly restaurants:

Brasserie Le Coz, Lenox Square Mall.
Cedar's, Lenox Rd.

Doc Chey's Asian Kitchen, http://www.doccheys.com/

Fogo De Chao, http://www.fogodechao.com/

Four Seasons on Peachtree at 14th St. According to one celiac listserv post, the chef at Four Seasons does a gluten free High Tea, but please call ahead.

Himalaya's Indian Restaurant, Peachtree Industrial Rd.

Houstons

Jitlada, La Vista Rd.

Maggiano's Little Italy, 3368 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta. 404-816-9650
Maggiano's Little Italy, 4400 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., Atlanta. 770-804-3313

Rathbum

Roy's, http://www.roysrestaurant.com/

Saba Restaurant, 1451 Oxford Rd., NE, Atlanta.
Saba Restaurant, 350 Meade Rd., Decatur. http://www.saba-restaurant.com/

Woodfire Grill, http://www.woodfiregrill.com/

MORE:

Here to Serve Restaurants is a conglomeration of serveral restaurants in the Atlanta area that apparantly can provide gluten-free meals if they have enough notice. http://www.heretoserverestaurants.com/. Included are:

Goldfish
Prime
Shout (located inMidtown) but they do not have gf soy sauce for the sushi.
Twist

Restaurants owned by the Buckhead Life Group, including Buckhead Diner, and Nava, are said to accomodate the gluten-free diet.

The GIG Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program has a list of restaurants that have undergone their training program. http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/index.php

The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide (2nd edition) 2007-2008 lists numerous other restaurants for the Atlanta area. It's a great resource that can be purchased at http://www.triumphdining.com/

Atlanta has a Meet-Up Gluten-Free Dining Group. http://www.meetup.com/atlantagfdinnerclub/

A site listing Gluten-Free friendly restaurants in Atlanta. http://www.urbanspoon.com/t/9/1/Atlanta/Gluten-free-friendly-restaurants

A Gluten-Free Guide for Atlanta.
http://aglutenfreeguide.com/category/atlanta

Washington, DC as a Battleground - September 2008

There’s a war going on in Washington, DC that has nothing to do with Iraq, Afghanistan, the upcoming presidential election, or the economy. Instead, it’s a battle about something that fits in the palm of your hand, requires experience with chemical reactions, and, um, tastes sweet. This is a war about one of the city’s latest food fads: cupcakes.

I don’t know exactly when cupcakes took front line among our nation’s capital foodies because I’m still a relative newbie to the Washington, DC area food scene – I moved back here a year ago after a decade away. But I do know there are more than a dozen bakeries deeply entrenched throughout the city, all hustling a cornucopia of cupcake flavors.

At first I didn’t pay any attention to the hoopla because, as we all know, bakeries and celiacs just don’t mix. Then I heard through the celiac list that a new place, Hello Cupcake, was baking gluten-free cupcakes from scratch on a daily basis. The reports also said the cupcakes were really good. So when an old friend recently asked if he could come for a visit and take in some DC highlights, I strategically designed an itinerary that would include this new bakery. It would be the first stop of the day, followed by my other sightseeing priorities: a gluten-free lunch at the National Museum of American Indians and dinner at a gluten-friendly restaurant.

Hello Cupcake is located on Connecticut Ave., NW, near the Dupont Circle Metrorail stop on the Red Line. Metrorail has five color-coded subway lines that all traverse the city center on their way to and from various suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. Fortunately for me, the Red Line is the artery that extends to my neck-of-the-woods in Maryland, and then flows into the city via numerous upscale neighborhoods, the venerable National Institutes of Health, the National Zoological Park, Chinatown, and Union Station, before pumping people out to other neighboring Maryland towns.

Organizing our day in Washington, DC solely around where I was going to eat was, I’m sure, not what my friend, Carl, had in mind when he came to visit. Still, he was intrigued with the cupcake wars. Mostly because the trend hadn’t yet taken hold in Atlanta, where he lives now, but also because baking is one of his passions. So it was with much anticipation that we both stepped into Hello Cupcake, taking our place in line behind several customers who each seemed to want a detailed description of the dozen or more flavors of cupcakes that were on display that day. All told, the bakery’s master menu includes about 50 different flavors, with about a quarter of them prepared on any given day. While waiting in line, we admired the bakery’s Neapolitan décor (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry!), two pink chandeliers, and the eco-friendly packaging.

Only one flavor of gluten-free cupcake is baked each day, and they are always the first item prepared each day. Penny Karas, the bakery’s owner, explained that the kitchen is cleaned and sanitized every evening. Then, in the wee hours of the morning, when the bakers’ day begins, the first and only batch of gluten-free cupcakes for the day is baked. Karas believes that baking gluten-free first thing in the morning helps minimize any potential cross-contact in the kitchen. Several dozen are made at that time, but once they’re gone, that’s it for the day.

While Hello Cupcake’s owner and staff seemed knowledgeable and enthusiastic about providing treats for the celiac community, they also seemed eager to hear my evaluation of their product. Between mouthfuls of my classic vanilla with chocolate frosting cupcake, I gushed about the exquisite texture of the cake – not dry, grainy, or crumbly, nor dense and gummy – and the just right sweetness of the frosting. But I also knew I was biased, this being the first time I’d eaten in an honest-to-goodness bakery since my celiac diagnosis in 2001. So I turned to Carl, hoping he’d present a more objective analysis. He did - first with a detailed and technical description of the texture, but then with a smile and a shrug, he stated that the cupcakes just tasted really good. Another point to note is that the gluten-free cupcakes cost the same price as their gluten counterparts - $3.00 each.

Hopping back onto the Metrorail we made our way to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Opened in 2004, the museum’s permanent and temporary exhibits are devoted to sharing the beliefs, history, identity, and art of native peoples of the Western Hemisphere. After spending about an hour in the permanent exhibit called “Our Peoples – Giving Voice to our Histories,” Carl declared it riveting, yet emotionally exhausting because it deals largely with the often brutal elimination of the Native Indian way of life. He suggested we take a lunch break.

Among all the food establishments located within the Smithsonian Institution complex, which includes 19 museums, the American Indian museum café is the only one to my knowledge that labels major allergens and gluten-free food. Mitsitam Café (meaning, “Let’s Eat” in the Native language of the Delaware and Piscataway peoples) is a large cafeteria with separate stations that highlight Native foods from various regions. This includes: the Great Plains, Meso America, Northern Woodlands, the Northwest Coast, and South America. The hardest part was deciding “where” to eat, as each Native region offered several gluten-free options, and they all looked wholesome and scrumptious!

After lunch, Carl and I walked next-door to the U.S. Botanic Gardens. An avid gardener, he probably could’ve spent an entire day exploring the Garden’s Conservatory and two permanent outdoor gardens. My goal was to see a temporary exhibit called “One Planet - Ours! Sustainability for the 22nd Century,” because an acquaintance who is a sculptor and a horticulturalist had designed a pervious walkway for the exhibit. We both came away with fresh ideas for honoring the environments in which we live.

Late afternoon found us sitting in a coffee shop near the Federal Center SW metro stop, with me munching on a gluten-free vanilla frosted cupcake from Hello Cupcake. Earlier in the day, when I hadn’t been able to decide between chocolate and vanilla, I planned ahead and bought one of each, knowing there’d be an afternoon cup of coffee in my future that would go great with a cupcake!

Afternoon soon turned to dusk, and the streets of DC buzzed with activity as museums disgorged intrepid tourists, and local workers trudged toward home, or perhaps happy hour and dinner at a favorite restaurant. Carl and I hopped aboard Metrorail, exited at Metro Center, and then hiked up 13th Street past a homeless shelter and the National Museum of Women in the Arts before entering a posh legal office where another old friend bided her days. Recently diagnosed with celiac disease, this friend took on the gluten-free diet pretty much as she had law school when she was a divorced mother with two children – with grit and wit. She declared we were dining that night at The Capital Grille, where the bartenders knew her by name, and that she was buying.

The Capital Grille in Washington, DC is called the “premier political watering hole in town,” by Frommer’s “Washington, D.C. day by day” guide book. More important to me, though, was whether or not they could provide a gluten-free meal. And the answer to that is: Yes...but always alert the manager to your dietary needs because most menu items must be modified. Dinner also comes with a hefty price tag, but with my friend treating, I dined lavishly on Greek salad, steak (no sauce), flourless chocolate espresso cake, and probably too much wine. But no gluten-free cupcakes.

UPDATE!

In November 2008, the Washington Post newspaper announced the winners of its cupcake-tasting competition. They rated 16 places that sell cupcakes, with the stipulation that all must be located within the Capital Beltway (I-495); this means the stores could be in DC, MD, and VA. The criteria used were: weight, appearance, taste and texture of the cake and frosting, ratio of frosting to cake, and overall impression.

Hello Cupcake ranked #2 overall, while the specific flavors of Vanilla Gorilla (banana cake/cream cheese frosting) and You Tart! (lemon) ranked #8 and #9 overall respectively! Even thought the gluten-free versions of these flavors were not included in the taste test, I hope they'll be available the next time I visit the bakery!


Helpful Information:

Hello Cupcake
1351 Connecticut Ave.,NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-861-2253
http://www.hellocupcakeonline.com/
Open Monday – Thursday 10-7, and Friday – Saturday 10-9. Closed Sunday.

The National Museum of American Indians
Fourth Street & Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20560
202-633-1000
http://www.nmai.si.edu/
Open daily 10-5:30.

U.S. Botanic Gardens
245 First St., SW
Washington, DC 20024
202-225-8333
http://www.usbg.gov/
Open daily 10-5 (Conservatory), 10-7 (Gardens).

The Capital Grille
601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20004
202-737-6200
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/
Lunch: Monday – Saturday 11:30 – 3:00.
Dinner: Sunday – Thursday 5-10; Friday – Saturday 5-11.

It's All Good in New Zealand

Two days after my 45th birthday, I sent my husband off to work, took the kids to school, and made my way to the airport where I checked a single bag through to New Zealand. Then, with only the slightest twinge of guilt about my solo jaunt, I shouldered my daypack containing a few gluten free snacks and other essentials, boarded the plane, and never looked back.

Now, some people might say I was having a midlife crisis. I had never contemplated my trip in such terms. Instead, my thoughts had been focused on the sights I would see, the people I would visit, and the food I would eat. Once aboard the plane for the excruciatingly long 12-hour flight from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand, however, I had plenty of time to think. Was I indeed mourning the passing of my youth, remorseful that I’d spent my life following my husband’s career and raising children? Was I seeking something more than a brief respite? While pondering my life, at least I didn’t have to agonize over my in-flight gluten free meals. Both dinner and breakfast were served without a hitch, labeled with my name and seat number.

Located in the South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand is a long way from anywhere. Its closest neighbor, Australia, is 1400 miles to the northwest. Small in size, ranging over two main islands (North Island and South Island) and multiple smaller ones, the total land area is similar to Colorado. Yet because these islands stretch over 900 miles from top to bottom, the dazzling landscape encompasses pristine sandy beaches, native temperate evergreen rainforests, active volcanoes, geothermal areas, rolling hillsides, large coastal plains, scenic rivers and lakes, a chain of mountains 340 miles long, ice-carved fiords, and even glaciers. It was the perfect place to connect with myself, my friends, and the land.

Thirty percent of New Zealand’s terrain is protected to preserve its unique natural and historic resources. Extremely strict customs regulations further aid in this conservation. All food must be declared upon entering the country, and absolutely no fruit, meat, or honey is allowed. Since I’d carried only a small amount of packaged gluten free food items with me, three hours after landing in Auckland I found myself shopping in a suburban Woolworths grocery store with my old friend Detta.

Detta was the first mate I made when I’d lived in New Zealand many years ago as a teenage foreign exchange student. Since then, we’d stayed in touch via letters and one subsequent visit, comparing notes about college, jobs, marriage, and children. Her only daughter is named after me! She also knew about my celiac disease, so before my arrival had scouted out a few places for me to purchase gluten free food. This particular Woolworths baked gluten free bread twice a week and carried an ample supply of packaged GF items such as cereal, crackers, cookies, food bars, and pasta.

With the shopping done, we headed downtown to Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour and caught a ferry to Rangitoto Island. Formed by a series of volcanic eruptions over 600 years ago, but now extinct, Rangitoto is one of about 50 islands that lie in the Hauraki Gulf on the east side of the city. The favorite activity on this public reserve is exploring the craggy lava crops and lush native bush, either independently on foot or on a guided vehicle tour. We'd never have admitted it if we preferred to ride rather than walk, so - without question - we hiked the moderately graded trail to the summit, through old lava caves, and around the crater rim. We allowed intermittent pauses to admire the spectacular views and take photos, but never to catch our breath!

As a population, New Zealanders are outdoor people. Walking, hiking, camping, kayaking, boating, sailing, fishing, diving, and just spending time at the countless beaches are all popular activities. On my second day with Detta, we went boating under the Auckland Harbour Bridge and I learned to kneeboard. On the third day we went caving.

South of Auckland, the Waikato region has an extensive underground system known as the Waitomo Caves. The best-known of these, Waitomo Glowworm Cave, is navigated by tour boats. We thought this sounded too mundane, so instead went to privately owned Nikau Cave, where we donned hard hats to protect our heads and had only water-proof flashlights to illuminate our way. Then, we dropped feet first into a 9-foot shaft, commando-crawled our way though an ice-cold underground stream flowing through a narrow shallow tunnel, and contorted our bodies to fit through seemingly impossible passages to emerge in a cave alive with the shimmering larvae of Arachnocampa luminosa, or glowworms. Thousands of them dangled from the ceiling, shining like stars above an open sea. It was surreal. Otherworldly.

Not far from Nikau Cave, on the North Island’s west coast near Port Waikato, there is another world. It’s where New Zealand born Peter Jackson filmed Weathertop Hollow for his epic movie trilogy Lord of the Rings. In fact, all three movies were shot at various locations around New Zealand, making it easy for fans to explore the country simply by seeking out sights of Middle Earth. For example, the story’s epicenter of evil, the fiery Mt. Doom, is really Mount Ngauruhoe, one of three active volcanoes (the other two are Tongariro and Ruapehu) in Tongariro National Park. It was my next destination.

I was now hooked up with two other old friends from my teenage years. Back then, we’d climbed the 9,175 foot Mt. Ruapehu on a school outing. This time we were tackling the challenging 7-8 hours Tongariro Alpine Crossing, considered one of the finest walks in the country. It traverses desolate lava fields, active steam vents, emerald green crater lakes, mountain slopes awash with tussock, and verdant pine forests brimming with bird song. Ascending a steep incline called “The Devil’s Staircase,” with Mt. Doom - I mean Ngauruhoe - looming above me, I felt the inherent evil of middle age with every step. Or maybe it was just the effect of too much wine from the night before!

Thanks to New Zealand’s diverse range of climates and soil types, the country produces an array of wines. Most notable is its Sauvignon Blanc, which is “rated throughout the world as the definite benchmark for this varietal” (New Zealand Winegrowers). Some of the best Sauvignon Blanc, in my opinion, comes from the South Island’s Marlborough and Nelson regions. An overnight stay at Sunset Valley Vineyard, a family owned organic winery that offers accommodations with a full kitchen, permitted me time to stroll among the vines, sampling grapes and wine, and even resulted in an invitation to stay on to help harvest the current crop! Shopping for dinner in the nearby tiny town of Upper Moutere, where I found gluten free split pea soup in the refrigerated section, as well as rice crackers, local cheese, organic salad and fruit, made me seriously consider accepting that "job" offer!

Given its geographic isolation, eating gluten free in New Zealand proved to be, surprisingly, the least challenging feat of my journey. Perhaps that’s because it’s a small country that does things on a small scale, where every town has a thriving business area, and independent cafes serving fresh local fare are the norm. Or perhaps it’s because New Zealanders live closer to the earth due to their strong agrarian history and forward-thinking green politics. For whatever reason, gluten free food seemed to be everywhere. Grocery stores stocked products such as Venerdi bread, Healtheries cereal, Freedom Foods snacks and cookies, Orgran spaghetti in a tin, Signature heat-and-eat pancakes, and Keweka prepacked meals. I encountered bakeries that prepared gluten free breads and pastries several days a week, and numerous coffee shops (even Starbucks!) that sold gluten free cookies and cakes. Many cafes also routinely labeled their gluten free meals, with offerings such as pizza with sweet chili, Thai fish cakes, lamb salad with marinated onion, tomato, and balsamic reduction, and roast pumpkin and feta frittata. One restaurateur even told me they “do it all the time” when I inquired about getting a gluten free dinner!

The Coeliac Society of New Zealand’s website lists gluten free food manufacturers, distributors, and celiac-friendly restaurants. It’s important to note, though, that the country uses a two-tier approach to labeling gluten free food. The first tier, labeled “gluten free,” can contain no detectable gluten, no oats or their products, and no cereals or their products containing gluten that have been malted. The second tier, labeled “low gluten,” can contain no more than 20mg gluten per 100g of the food. This amount is equivalent to the U.S. measurement of 200 ppm gluten in food, which is higher than the 20 ppm of gluten in food that the U.S. FDA is currently considering as the threshold for foods labeled gluten free. I stayed away from anything labeled “low gluten.”

With gluten free food easily available, I made it a point to eat cake with every cup of coffee, just because I could! So it was a good thing my time in New Zealand culminated with a three-day hiking and kayaking excursion through Abel Tasman National Park on the South Island. Being outdoors, treating my mind to beautiful scenic vistas, and my body to challenging physical activity, all the while not worrying about where my next gluten free meal was coming from, I felt renewed. Alive. Like the missing “x-factor” had been found.

Midlife crisis? I can’t answer that one. But two days after I returned home from New Zealand, there was a family gathering to celebrate my grandmother’s 90th birthday. Jet-lagged, yet still feeling “up” from my three weeks away, I was surprised when an old-timer pulled me aside. “I don’t know what you’ve been up to,” he said. “But whatever it is, keep on doing it. It’s working.” Looking at my grandmother, my parents, my husband, and my growing children, I knew I had no regrets. I also knew that the next 45 years would be every bit as good as the ones just past. I just have to convince them all to move to New Zealand with me so I can take that job harvesting organic grapes!

Helpful Information

Current roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles to Auckland begins at $1066 on Qantas and $1279 on Air New Zealand. Both airlines can provide gluten free meals with 24-hour notice. New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, so the seasons are opposite of North America. Airfares are higher during their summer, which runs December – March.

Many travel companies run escorted tours to New Zealand. Bob & Ruth’s Gluten-Free Dining & Travel Club last led a 14-day tour to New Zealand and Australia in 2004. The itinerary included Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, and Rotorua, located north of Tongariro National Park. It’s a geothermal area and center of native Maori culture.

For more information about New Zealand’s customs regulations, visit http://www.customs.govt.nz/.

The official website for Tourism Zealand is http://www.newzealand.com/.

To learn more about New Zealand wine, go to http://www.nzwine.com/.

For gluten free information, see the Coeliac Society of New Zealand website at www.colourcards.com/coeliac/.

The College Trip

There comes a time in every parent’s life when we have to let go. Even though I’m not quite there yet with my oldest son, I know it’s coming soon. He’s a senior in high school, after all, with college looming just around the corner. So why do I feel so unprepared for this next stage?

Maybe it’s because I’ve been so darn busy lately. Moving back to the U.S. after living in Italy for two years has kept me on the fringe of insanity, what with all the packing, unpacking, and traveling. Not to mention my husband’s military retirement, his months of searching for and starting a new career in the civilian world, deciding where to live, buying a house, and getting all three kids settled into yet another new school system. And then there’s the celiac side of my life, which follows me around like a shadow, with its own set of needs and demands.

Fortunately, my son, Peter, took the lead with regard to his college career. He wrote to schools, collected information, talked with peers and counselors, narrowed down his choices, and set up dates to visit the schools that interested him the most. The only thing he couldn’t do by himself was drive to the schools because, after living in Europe where the driving age was 18, he still didn’t have a driver’s license.

So one beautiful day this past fall, my husband, son and I, with Map Quest directions in hand, pointed the minivan north to visit five small liberal arts colleges in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. Since the timing of this milestone trip came amidst such an overall tumultuous time in our lives, I didn’t do too much preparation for it celiac-wise. For even though I instinctively knew what to pack in the cooler for the car trip, including snacks and breakfast food, and I’d actually made reservations at hotels for two of the three nights we’d be away, I was still nervous. That’s because it had been two years since I was a person with celiac disease traveling in the U.S. It was almost as if I were navigating foreign territory!

More than half way through the first 340-mile leg of the trip, we pulled off the highway and into a Wendy’s. Recalling that Alamo Celiac (http://www.alamoceliac.org/) member Debbie Holladay included this fast food place in her April 2007 newsletter review I felt it was a safe bet for a quick bite. Inside the restaurant, a nutrition poster listed the top major food allergens for all of Wendy’s food items, making it easy for me to choose chili and a baked potato for my lunch. Just to be sure I hadn’t poisoned myself, I also later checked Wendy’s website for their updated gluten-free list.

A few more miles down the road we arrived at the first college on my son’s list. We joined up with other potential students and their families for a one-hour information session followed by a one-hour student-led campus tour. Then we took a quick jaunt into the nearest town (bookstore, jewelry store, smattering of eateries, not too many bars) before hitting the road again. We needed to log an additional 200 miles that night to reach our hotel so we could attend another school’s information session and campus tour early the next morning.

Our route from New York State to Vermont took us through Albany right about the same time that evening rush-hour traffic and nighttime darkness engulfed us. Struggling to focus on the miniscule letters on my road atlas, I directed my husband to a highway exit that led away from the city along a dark and twisty road, in a sparsely populated area, towards Vermont. Noting it was nearing dinnertime, and doubting I’d find a place that could accommodate me, I was resigned to snacking on hard-boiled eggs, crackers, and fruit I’d brought along for just such a scenario.

Right about then, however, a hand-painted sign above the doorway on a barn-like structure at the side of the road caused me to do a double-take. “Did you see that?” my husband asked excitedly. With a hard brake and a quick U-turn, we all sat dumbfounded outside a place called Sherry Lynn’s Gluten Free Bakery & Café, in Brunswick, NY. Run by celiac Sherry, and her non-celiac husband, the restaurant was birthed from their frustration over not having a safe local place where Sherry could eat out. In their two months of business, a steady stream of celiac customers, in addition to a loyal local non-celiac following who just like the food, have made their way to Sherry Lynn’s. They also recently catered a support group meeting in nearby Albany. The night we were there, a large pan of gluten-free pasta and oversized gluten-free rolls tempted our palates. Neither disappointed. On the way out I also purchased sweet cinnamon fritters for breakfast the next morning.

Back in the van, rechecking our route before setting out, I noticed something strange - we were on the wrong road to Vermont. Somehow I’d mixed up the directions and had pointed us towards a college we’d be visiting later in the trip instead of to the one where we had an appointment the next morning. Quickly calculating what we should do at this point (backtrack all the way to the interstate or forge ahead on the dark county roads), I marveled at the improbability of it all: I was in New England, visiting colleges with my son, when I took a major wrong turn and found a newly-opened totally gluten-free restaurant. Call it what you will – fate, fortune, destiny – but I’d like to think of it as the wave of the future; that dining gluten-free in the U.S. will just keep getting easier!

But my story doesn’t end just yet. This is just the first day, after all. We still have to get to Vermont and we still have four more colleges to visit.

So off we went (we chose the dark county road), arriving several hours later at our hotel. When asked by the hotel clerk if we wanted the morning breakfast buffet, I told her I probably couldn’t eat most of their offerings because I had to eat gluten-free. “That’s so weird,” was her reply, “you’re like the third person this week who’s told me that.” Naturally, then, I asked her for any recommendations about places in town where I’d have the best chance of getting a gluten-free meal. She immediately suggested a restaurant that serves mostly local organic fare, and said she’d leave a note for the morning clerk to call them for me.

The next morning I checked with the morning clerk, who did indeed have a note from the night clerk about calling the restaurant. Since it was still early, though, she said she’d have to wait a little later to make the call, and asked if I had a cell phone number where she could reach me later to give me the lowdown. At the exact agreed upon time, my phone rang, and I was given the good news that a gluten-free meal would be no problem. What the hotel clerk didn’t know, however, and what I discovered upon dining at the restaurant, was that one of the owners has relatives with celiac, and right there on their menu they mention being able to handle special dietary requirements, including gluten-free. I had a burger, no bun, spiced up with hot sauce and peppers, smothered in melted cheese, and a rather wild-looking salad with ingredients that seemed to have been freshly gathered from the nearby river bank!

And so the rest of the long weekend went. Hundreds of miles in the van, punctuated by information sessions and campus tours of small liberal arts colleges, fortified by healthy snacking, gluten-free dining, and restful hotel stays. The New England area is dotted with charming and historic Bed & Breakfast accommodations, several which apparently can provide gluten-free meals (see http://www.1-888-inn-seek.com/) but this was not the type of trip where such ambiance and pampering could be appreciated.

It was also interesting to note that chain restaurants were conspicuously absent in many areas of New England, so it was only when we were back in the New York suburbs that we found a Bonefish Grill with their gluten-free menu. En route, I also tapped into the GFRAP website and located a hot dog joint, called Soul Dog, in the downtown area of Poughkeepsie, NY, not far from the final college on our list. Much like the school, the restaurant was fresh, lively, and artsy. Unlike the school, it was incredibly affordable!

Run by yet another husband-wife team, and with a Zagat listing, Soul Dog's specialty was gluten-free hot dogs (Sabrett brand – the kind New York City hot dog vendors sell) served on homemade gluten-free buns that didn’t fall apart! All varieties of their hand-cut fries (Soul Fries, BBQ Fries, Jamaican Jerk Fries, and Cajun Fries) were also gluten-free, and they served gluten-free chili, salads, pizza, and beer. But the best part? All of their desserts were gluten-free! On the day I was there, the owner was making gluten-free cinnamon fritters and donut holes, samples of which he passed out to all his celiac diners. I believe there was one of us in each group of diners, which strongly confirms the point that celiacs can and do drive business. That is, any place a celiac can dine, their non-celiac family and friends will follow. Soul Dog also did a brisk business with seemingly non-celiac locals.

After visiting the five colleges, Peter was hard-pressed to say which one was his hands-down favorite school. Realistically, he knows he’s done his best to obtain admission to these schools by being a good student, doing well on standardized tests, participating in extracurricular activities, and using his written essay to set himself apart from the other thousands of students also applying to the schools. Also realistically, he knows he'll most likely go to whichever school gives him the best financial aid package. A bit selfishly, I hope he gets accepted at the school that boasted it has culinary school-trained chefs working in its kitchen who can accommodate special dietary needs (I’ll need to eat when I visit him!). If only it wasn’t the farthest one from home. For, while I know that I’ve done my best to prepare him to take this giant leap into adulthood, and that it’s now up to him to choose the path he wants to follow, I’m just not sure I’m prepared to let him go.

HELPFUL INFORMATION

Sherry Lynn's Gluten Free Bakery & Cafe
1691 Rt. 7
Brunswick, NY 12180
Tel: 518-279-9267