Figuring out Gluten

It is time to expand my repertoire of gluten-free recipes. If this is a life-long disease, then it is high time I learn how to make the best of it and work with it.

I was looking at a book by Carol Fenster, Ph.D. that I bought a couple years ago, called "1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes." Dr. Fenster is widely recognized as an expert on g-free cooking, and her recipes have appeared in numerous publications. She is also the founder and President of Savory Palate, Inc., a company that provides cooking information for anyone who wants to live g-free.

In the beginning of the book, Dr. Fenster discusses gluten in depth, as well as some obvious places where gluten can be found, and some not-so-obvious places. For example, the more obvious sources of gluten would include most baked goods such as bagels, breads, cakes and crackers, as well as cereals, pancakes, tortillas, pastas, and anything made with flour whether from wheat, barley, rye, spelt, or kamut.

Some not-so-obvious sources of gluten include:

• Bouillons
• Broths
• Deli meats
• Imitation seafoods
• Licorice candy
• Malt vinegar
• Salad dressings
• Seasonings
• Soup and soup mixes
• Tea

Dr. Fenster describes gluten as such:

"Gluten is that mysterious protein that food experts talk about in terms of baking. For example, gluten provides wonderful elasticity in bread dough, but it can toughen pie crusts and biscuits if you handle the dough too much.

"From a scientific standpoint, gluten is actually a storage protein of wheat. For people with celiac disease it is the gliadin fraction of gluten in particular that is problematic. For those who are sensitive to wheat but don't have celiac disease, there may be other proteins in gluten that affect us but we don't know which proteins are actually the culprits."

In all the research I have done, the key to staying g-free lies in reading the labels on everything you buy, whether it be edible, or cosmetic. Though there seems to be some confliction in the medical community as to whether gluten can be absorbed through the skin or not, if you are extremely sensitive to gluten, it is always better safe, than sorry.

According to Dr. Fenster:

"Gluten is in many products, but it doesn't always appear as 'gluten'. It is often listed as all-purpoase flour, unbleached flour, bread flour, cake flour, whole-wheat flour, graham flour, farina, semolina, bulgur, or durum-- all of which indicate the presence of wheat and, therefore, gluten. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) requires that wheat-containing foods must list the word 'wheat' on the ingredient label."

Of course, there is also the issue of cross-contamination within factories as well. You will most likely need to ask questions about your favorite products that don't actually contain gluten-- in other words-- how is it processed? Is there any possibility that contamination may occur in the equipment? Some product labels will list whether it is processed with gluten-containing foods, so always check. If you are not sure, ask. Also, not all products that are actually gluten-free make that declaration on the label.

I still have a lot to learn about gluten and its hidden sources. For instance, I have learned that there is something in the Christmas chocolates I have been eating that is making me sick-- though I don't see any obvious offending ingredients listed (I suspect it is the mini peppermint patties that are causing me distress, I still have my homework cut out for me in finding the culprit. I gave in to temptation, and now I get to deal with the pain).

My next step in enlarging my recipe collection includes learning what flours or mixtures of flours to use in place of traditional all-purpose flour in our favorite family recipes. I will post the recipes and their modifications here as I work through them. Chances are, if my finicky family members will eat them, so will yours. :)