Having Celiac Disease is like:
1. Having The Incredible Hulk sleeping in your stomach and when you eat gluten he wakes up and gets very angry.
2. Feeling chill, youthful and athletic and then all of a sudden you feel like a confused old lady.
3. Drinking a full bottle of Nyquil and then being forced to get through the work day.
Last night I went to Free Taco Thursdays at The Front Page in Dupont. The set up is a buffet-style taco bar with pulled pork, flour tortillas, and a variety of toppings (black beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese, etc.). At first I figured I’d just avoid the whole thing, but then I thought, “Well, I could just get black beans and lettuce and toppings and make my own taco salad-type dish.” Plus I figured I should eat something before starting on $2.75 whiskey drinks.
So, I stood in line for about 10 minutes – but when I got up to the table I realized that people were taking the spoons for the toppings and kind of mashing them into their flour tortillas. (I know, how rude). So, I knew there was cross-contamination going on.
And this is what went down. I considered leaving the line and abandoning my plate…but I didn’t. I ate the toppings anyway.
Today I feel like Denver the guilty dog.
It was one of only a few times when I just said “to hell with it” and put myself at risk. Other similar situations are with something like a cheese platter where there are crackers on it and I just eat the cheese that’s farthest away from them, for example.
I felt like I needed to confess to someone about my indiscretion. And it’s also a reminder to myself and all of us celiacs that we make mistakes. We’re human. Next time I go I’ll eat before or bring something to munch on at the bar so I can avoid the tacastrophies (heehee).
Have you ever knowingly put yourself at risk for cross-contamination? What’s your celiac confession?
Nellie’s Sports Bar is best known around DC for their weekly drag brunch. They also happen to have great happy hour specials and (most importantly) gluten free arepas!
They offer a bunch of things that you can fill the arepa with, I chose scrambled eggs and avocado, with sour cream, pico de gallo, and black beans on the side.
A gay bar may not be the most likely place to find a delicious and affordable gluten free meal, but I will definitely be back to try some other fillings and take advantage of their cheap drinks!
Have you found gluten free food in any unlikely locations?
It seems like when it rains, it pours when it comes to new gluten free finds in this city. Here are a few things to check out!
1. Churchkey and Birch and Barley are getting gluten free flatbreads
They already have the best gluten free (and general) beer selection in DC, and now they’re going to be introducing gluten free flatbreads to their menu.They already had gluten free chickpea crackers, but this is taking it to a whole new level. I always salivated over the regular flatbread options on their menu and now I actually get to try one!
Chefs prepping the gfree dough, via the Churchkey Facebook page:
Just picture this thing becoming gluten free:
2. The Protein Bar will be opening on Wednesday at 7th and D
This place serves healthy, high protein meals, many of which are gluten free! The amount of quinoa on their menu makes my heart do a happy dance. They also have a full allergen guide to refer to.
The Almond Berry Bowl, Black Bean Fiest Bowl, Vegan Quinoa Chili, and Superfood Vegan Salad are on my to-eat list. All of their blended protein drinks are also gluten free, and will make a nice substitute when I get one of those intense frappuccino cravings.
3. Pete’s Apizza makes a solid gluten free pizza. Broccolini continues to be gross.
I don’t know why I keep ordering broccolini – it’s bitter and ruins everything it comes in contact with. I ended up picking it off of my pizza, but loved the rest of it! Pete’s also has delicious gluten free pasta that I sampled at the DC Gluten Free Food Expo.
Anything else going on in the district that I should know about?
I wouldn’t have expected this in a million years, but I had possibly the best gluten free pizza I’ve tried in Michigan a couple weeks ago. In an unassuming restaurant called Biga Pizza I ordered a wood-grilled pizza. I had pretty low expectations, considering some of my other experiences with gluten free pizza in Michigan, but I was truly blown away.
I got the farmer’s egg pizza with zucchini and ricotta. The thin crust and wood-grilled crispness made this pizza something special. My friend tried a slice and said that she really couldn’t tell the difference between the gluten free crust and the regular one. Next time I’ll make sure to stay for the Lemon-Raspberry Parfait– (gluten free sponge cake, layered with lemon curd, raspberries and rum marscapone mousse). Mmm.
Another find in Michigan was Commonwealth in Birmingham. I got a ratatouille omelet and sweet potato hash for breakfast. I have to figure out how to make that hash at home – it has roasted peppers, green onions, and red onions, all caramelized and a great savory/sweet mixture.
Commonwealth also has a quinoa tabouli, which you don’t see every day. The hunt for good gluten free food in Michigan continues, but this trip really impressed me!
I love the gluten free community – in person and online.
When I meet someone in person who has Celiac Disease we have an instant friendship and endless topics to discuss. It’s so refreshing to talk to someone who understands exactly what you’re talking about – someone to gripe with, to share tips with, ask for advice, and to try new gluten free foods with. As much as non-celiacs can try to empathize – really, they just can’t fully understand.
The online celiac community is such a great group of people. Some are experts in the kitchen, some are advocates for research, some review gluten free companies and products, and some just wax poetic about the trials of living gluten free. Every day I learn something new from the celiac community, and can’t imagine navigating this disease without the help of my fellow bloggers and tweeters.
I’ve got love for celiacs – but our community has also come under attack from many people. Those who think that we’re faking it – that Celiac Disease doesn’t need to be taken seriously. Companies that exploit the gluten free label to increase profits (I’m lookin’ at you – California Pizza Kitchen and Dominos!). Or celebrities who don’t realize that they are harming people with a legitimate disease when they casually adopt a gluten free diet in an attempt to lose weight.
So what can we do about it?
While it’s much easier to talk in terms of “gluten free” foods – I think it’s really important for us to move toward a “Safe for Celiacs” mentality. If we can get greater recognition/understanding of Celiac Disease, and the difference between gluten intolerance and Celiac disease, I think that we will all be better off. While I believe there definitely is a spectrum of levels of gluten intolerance – if we can work toward making foods and restaurants safe for celiacs, then they will be safe for everyone eating gluten free!
I love seeing the celiac community united in fighting something that we feel is hurting us. I loved the flurry of tweets at Domino’s or the barrage of WTF blog posts on our latest celebrity “spokespeople”. By making our voices heard, we can make sure that we’re letting them know that it’s not okay, and that we will not support them as a community. (While I’m on the topic – go sign the petition on the NFCA Amber Designation).
While Celiac Disease is more present in women than men, I’d love to see some more celiac studs join our forces! I think in some ways “gluten free” has become too closely associated with girly bakeries (not that I’m not hopelessly devoted to Babycakes), complicated recipes, or general healthy-living/dieting. I think having a few more good men on our side would help diversify opinions and bring new perspectives. So – if you have a gluten dude of your own in your life – tell him to start a blog or join the Twittersphere!
What do you think the celiac community could benefit from? Where do we go from here?
June 15th was the DC Gluten Free Expo – an event I’d been looking forward to for months. And it didn’t disappoint! There were so many samples and new products, not to mention the great feeling of being in a room where I didn’t have to worry about what I could or couldn’t eat! Meeting members of the gluten free community and talking about our favorite foods was so much fun.
Some of my favorites were the peanut butter and jelly cookies from Wildfire in McClean, VA (they also have a great gluten free menu, and a Gluten Free Wine Dinner event coming up on Tuesday!)
I also loved the lemon curd cakes from The Happy Tart, a new gluten free bakery in Alexandria, VA. There was a thin layer of white chocolate on the bottom, moist cake, and creamy lemon filling. Even though I’m usually more of a chocolate dessert person, if I was getting married this would definitely be on the menu.
And these chocolate chip cookies from 1-2-3 Gluten Free were the best I’ve ever had. Thick, buttery, chewy, and brown-sugary.
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Here are some more pics of the goodies featured at the expo!
I got glutened last night. And it was entirely my fault (hate when that happens).
What was it this time? A double chocolatey chip frappuccino from Starbucks. I’d never gotten one before (usually I stick to the “light” mocha or coffee ones since I know they are gluten free) – but my boyfriend said it was delicious so we decided to split one. I don’t know why I didn’t think to check before I started sipping, I guess I just assumed that because all of the other ones were this one would be too. *Kicks self in the butt*
After about five sips I knew something was up (we’ll call it my glutuition) and I quickly did a Google search on my phone. Of course – the chocolate chips contain gluten.
Then I moved into damage control mode, bracing for my stomach to start churning. After about 30 minutes I was dead tired and my stomach was getting bloated – but nothing too horrible. My boyfriend, wanting to help, started looking up all kinds of “what to do if you get glutened” information and said that a lot of people take Benadryl to reduce hives/rashes (which I’ve gotten before). I’d never tried it so I figured it couldn’t hurt, and we headed to CVS to pick some up. (Check out my usual post-glutening routine here).
CVS was out of Benadryl (must be allergy season), but he spotted something else in the same aisle… Glutenaid?!
There is zero information online about this stuff, but I figured that $14 is worth doing an experiment (plus the placebo effect can be pretty powerful). The active ingredients are: protease, DPP-IV and amylase. The usage instructions say to “Take 1 capsule with the first bite of any meal containing gluten, or when food preparation is unknown.”
Hmm…I’m skeptical. Let’s see what they say it does:
“CVS/pharmacy GlutenAid is specially formulated for individuals who feel unwell after eating wheat or grain and thus may have an intolerance to gluten. Gluten is a protein that most often is found in grains such as barley, rye, wheat, and spelt. The enzyme DPP-IV is well known for its ability to break down gluten proteins, which may reduce the onset of symptoms associated with gluten intolerance. CVS/pharmacy GlutenAid is also formulated to assist in the digestion of the carbohydrate portion of grains (such as wheat) by means of the enzyme amylase. CVS/pharmacy GlutenAid works well in conjunction with restrictive diets such as gluten free/casein free and others. This product is not intended to replace a gluten free diet for those with Celiac Disease.”
So, basically it will break down the gluten faster.
After looking into the ingredients and figuring that it couldn’t hurt me, I took one GlutenAid and three B-12 vitamins. Surprisingly, I didn’t find myself rushing to the bathroom 30 minutes – 1 hour after I had the drink like I expected to. I slept through the night with very minor symptoms.
Then this morning I woke up and it hit. Although not as bad as it has been. It seems like the GlutenAid might have actually done what it said it did, which was “reduce the onset of symptoms”.
Now, I’m in no way going to ever take this and intentionally ingest gluten. And I’m also in no way endorsing this product – all celiacs know that there is no cure and there is no way to find a loophole around a strict gluten free diet.
After this incident, and after every time I slip up and get glutened I will end up becoming super obsessively strict with my diet afterwards. But – if I do ever have a similar situation, I will take a GlutenAid again. Even if it was just the placebo effect, or if it only delayed/reduced my usual symptoms by a few hours, it certainly didn’t hurt. Next time I see my doctor I’m going to talk it over with him and see if he thinks there’s any validity to the formula.
Any one else try this stuff? Or anyone have any other home remedies after getting glutened?
Going out to breakfast or brunch can be a challenge for celiacs. French toast, pancakes, English muffins – gluten seems to be the star of the show in most dishes. Nine times out of 10 I end up eating an omelette or some kind of eggs, which is mostly okay with me. Except for the fact that they usually come with hash browns or home fries, and I’m always skeptical of how they are made (they could be fried, put on a griddle next to the toast, come from a mix that has them coated in flour, etc.)
So when a restaurant has grits on the menu, they are always my go-to substitute. They’re creamy, cheesy, buttery, and good ole’ Southern cookin’.
These are my top three restaurants for grits that I’ve found in DC yet.
Seriously amazing cheese grits. They’re like a finer, condensed macaroni and cheese.This isn’t the most colorful plate in the world, but so delicious.
Nice and cheesy, just how I like ’em. These come with big pieces of cheddar on top. Try them with the smoked salmon omelette.
I only had a taste of my friend’s grits here as a part of their shrimp and grits dish at dinner, but they serve them as a side dish at brunch as well. If Art Smith can’t make a good pot of grits, then I don’t know who can.
Any places I’m missing for good grits? Or anything else you substitute for toast while eating breakfast out?
Posted in Restuarant Reviews, Tips
Tagged breakfast, Brunch, celiac, celiac disease, dc, eggs, Gluten, Gluten-free, restaurants, washington dc
Last month I attended a social media workshop in Brooklyn, which was great because even when I lived in NYC I didn’t go over the bridge very often. It doesn’t hurt that this was the view from the office the workshop was in in Dumbo.
For lunch, the restaurant Rice happened to be just a few blocks away, and I’d been wanting to try it after seeing it pop up on a few blogs.
I started with a bowl of butternut squash soup, but it was really nothing to write home about. What is something to write home about were their veggie meatballs.
It takes a lot to make tofu taste indulgent, and not like health food. But this did it. I really don’t know how they make these things. I’m guessing they put the tofu and some kind of spices in the food processor, then reform them into balls, fry them, and coat them in this delicious sweet and sour type sauce.
If I would have known better I would have gotten something other than boring brown rice. Having black rice or sticky rice would have made it all the more delicious.
Rice
Locations in Nolita and Dumbo
www.riceny.com
Posted in Restuarant Reviews
Tagged brooklyn, celiac disease, Gluten, Gluten-free, lunch, NYC, rice
Gluten Free? Gimme Three! 