More Gluten-Free Information

(The following is pretty much as it was sent to me with just a little editing.)

A lot of people have asked me when I go to a restaurant with Alexis that has a gluten free menu- how exactly do I handle the situation plus what tricks do I have if they mess up her order. Here are a few tidbits...
1. Ask for a gluten free menu - do not order from a regular menu if you don't have to- a lot of times that is how the order gets messed up
2. Tell the hostess you would like to speak to a manager or even a chef if you can
3. Tell the manager that you are ordering a gluten free meal- what it is... and let he/she know that you hope they will oversee that it is done correctly. Also let them know if that if for some reason they mess up- have them re-do it and you don't care if it takes longer.
4. When you order w/ the server...Tell the server you are ordering a GF meal and to write down GLUTEN FREE ....tell them the importance of making sure its done right....and again if they see the cook messed up- to please just redo it - you don't care if you have to wait.
5. If your meal comes out wrong sabotage it! Pour Ketchup on it.... if its a salad and croutons are put in -put a sugar packet in the middle of the salad- this way if they pick off the croutons instead of making you a new salad- you will know when you check to see if the sugar packet is still there.

Hope this helps!

Here's the latest gluten free info...
Sincerely,
Elissa Carlin
R.O.C.K. Leader

Morganos in Middletown, NJ
I just wanted everyone to know a friend found a restaurant in Middletown that
serves gluten free meals. We stopped by there tonight for dinner...we ate
pizza, gnocchi, and risotto. The owner also said that he could make most meals
on the menu GF. The prices were very reasonable for GF. The food was
delicious, he also agreed to put GF bread on the menu. They deliver in the area
and cater!!!! It is a must try!!!!!!

Morgano's
1207 Highway 35 N & New Monmouth Road
Middletown, nj
732-671-1148

The following was in part from a long article:
"However it is not clear that his physicians obtained a definitive diagnosis. Review of this medical history raises the possibility that JFK had celiac disease."
Wow. That gives one pause, doesn't it? Imagine that this president -- who had access to the finest physicians of the day -- might have suffered from a disease that could have been relieved by a simple change in diet if only the diagnosis had been made, let alone considered. Don't you feel lucky that your physicians have access to modern medical knowledge which has only understood as recently as 2003 that over 3 million Americans suffer from celiac disease?

SpecialCamps
GF Camp for girls in Kansas City
This camp in Kansas City was mentioned on a gf site and I thought it might be of interest to those of you with 10-15 year old gf girls.
http://www.wildwoodctr.org/wow.htm
The WOW Program is a 5 day residential program for girls only. Give your daughter an opportunity to experience the outdoors with other girls and have a weeks worth of fun, learning and adventure.
NEW THIS YEAR: Gluten/Dairy/Peanut free (The meals will be entirely plant-based!)
ACA Accredited Camp
Age range: 10 to 15
Date: July 28 to August 1
Cost: $290 per camper, $300 with credit card

Progresso chicken and rice soup NOT gluten free anymore!
Lesson learned.....check even tried and true labels.

Gluten free Passover Info:
PASSOVER IS A CELIAC'S DREAM

1. You're in luck b/c Passover is an amazing thing for celiacs. Basically
everything Kosher for Passover is GF, EXCEPT for anything with matzoh meal.
I know this sounds weird, but there are certain Jewish sects that don't even
eat products made with matzah meal over Passover. So there are tons of
products that are made without any matzah and therefore are GF. These
products are all labeled non-gebrok (meaning no matzah). If you live in an
area where there are a lot of Jews, there may be a Kosher grocery store.
You can find tons of products that are GF, ranging from yogurt to cheese to
salad dressings, etc. All these products are made without any grains and
the vinegars used and foods starches used are all made from potatoes. They
even have amazing (though full of sugar) desserts, made only from potato
starch. A great bakery that makes kosher for Passover desserts and even
states they are GF is called schicks. Their web site is schicksbakery.com.
You should check it out. Passover is a haven for celiacs. Just read labels
and stay away from any products that contain matzah meal.

2. I know a lot of celiacs who pine away for Passover time to stock up on
grain free chocolate chips, margarine, baking powder, etc. I buy all the
chips and such we can have for a year -- my four celiac children like
chocolate chip cookies like everyone else -- and when we run out, we're out.

3. Actually, there are lots of gf passover foods. I stock up on some things
at passover for the whole year, since they need to be made without the 4
grains. Just check to make sure there is no matza meal. There is even gf
certified oat matza. there's gefilte fish also. Just look for the words
"non-gebreucht" and it won't have matza meal. So many things are made with
potato starch instead- even some blintzes and they are actually good. Also
remember that the "u" inside the "o" is not enough. it needs to say "P"
inside the "U" and be "non gebreucht" to not have the matza meal in the
recipe. Also lots of desserts are in this category.
---------------------------------------

LOOK FOR BAKED GOODS MADE FROM OTHER THINGS

1. Just look for the Kosher for Passover label. Cakes are made from almond
paste or a nut base or potato starch.

2. Also the potato pancake mixes are ok. Potato starch boxes have some
recipes on them (banana bread and sponge cake).
--------------------------
ALTERNATIVES TO MATZOH (FOR THE SEDER)
I use "Ho-Grain" crackers, made out of rice, as matzah. I make "matzah" brie
(yum!), "matzah" stuffing with mushrooms and onions... I find "Ho-Grain"
crackers at my heath food store...Wild Oats or Whole Foods should have them.
-----------------------------
MANISCHEWITZ HAS A GF LIST
Manischewitz kindly posts a gluten-free product list -- here's the direct
link to that page:
http://www.manischewitz.com/docs/man_150.shtml
--------------------------------------
HERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC PRODUCTS BY SPECIFIC COMPANIES
Leibers makes GF matzah ball soup mix.
There are GF potato and vegetable blintzes.
Gefilte fish is a tough one, but, I hear there is a GF one.
There are a ton of prepared baked goods made with potato starch.
There is Gf Matzah! Yes, made in Israel by a Dr. who found a rare strain of
oats and super-refined them to make for his CD daughter. Kosher markets will
know about it. It costs about $18 a box though!
----------------------------
LOOK FOR NON GEBROKS
"Kedem gefilte fish for Passover" has NO matzah meal...buy Pesach Crumbs by
Paskesz Candy Co (Brooklyn NY) and make the matzah ball recipe from the
side(seltzer is the key)they are very good. Many Kosher food stores have
things without flour or matzah meal (NON GEBROKS), Schicks Kosher for
Passover baked goods for Pesach (from NY #718-436-8020 but sold in our Chgo
area kosher store) are GF and taste like the real thing we used to be able
to eat.(I buy it now and keep them for the year). There are Passover ice
cream cones made by Tovli out of Brooklyn N.Y. which you can then use all
year. We also make our own gluten free Matzoh. Start by making your own
general purpose gluten free flour: 2 parts white rice flour to 2/3 part
potato starch flour to 1/3 part tapioca flour (this flour can be used all
year round for a number of gluten free treats). To make the matzot, mix
approx. 1 part water to 3 parts flour. There result should be a "dough" that
feels more like play-do than the familiar elastic feel of real bread dough.
Form the dough into balls roughly the size of golf balls. Place each ball on
a non-stick cooking sheet and roll out to paper thinness. I usually put a
piece of waxed paper over the dough before using the rolling pin to prevent
sticking (you might also have to dust them with a little of the dry flour
mix). The finished product must be quite thin. Poke holes in the flat
sheets. Bake at about 375 degrees until they turn golden brown. Time varies
depending on the thickness of the dough, so you just have to keep an eye on
them. Don't expect them to look like Manishevitz matzot when done. They'll
look more like large, irregular shaped crackers. We take comfort in feeling
this is more like what our ancestors ate than what you buy in the
supermarket. If you're going to attempt to be true to the kosher method of
making these, no more than 18 minutes may elapse from the touch of the water
to putting the matzot in the oven.

I've saved this video clip of a lady (also by the name of Ellen) making
matso for Passover. It gives step-by-step directions on making it yourself
GF! I can't wait to try this myself. I am not Jewish, but keep Passover
anyway.
www.Iamglutenfree.blogspot.com

All Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free products are certified Kosher by Kehilla
Kosher

All 1-2-3 Gluten Free products are Kosher pareve (CRC certified). They are
not Kosher for Passover. www.123glutenfree.com

You can find some sites by googling kosher gluten-free.
There is one from Israel...in Hebrew...but you click on the American flag
for English. I think they put out ads on our listserv at the end of every
month. I notice it, but I don't usually order anything online, so I couldn't
tell you specifically. I do keep two kosher homes (including changing for
Passover), and have had celiac for decades.

You may or may not know about the booklet that the Union of Orthodox Rabbis
(O-u....can't do the symbol online), comes out with a booklet every year for
kosher for Passover products...showing those that do not have matzah
products in them....medications, cosmetics, etc. I pick one up every year at
my local Shop-Rite, but you may be able to write to them.

http://www.jewish-holiday.com/shabtaigourmet.html

Ener-G Foods Inc is Kosher supervised by the Kof K.
We are not however Kosher for Passover. If you have a fax machine I can fax
you a copy of our Kosher Certificate.

The Manichewitz web site has a health tab. From this tab you can choose
gluten free and it identifies all of the products we can have.