For some, being unable to eat fried catfish, macaroni and cheese, pastrami on rye or chicken barley soup borders on truly bad news.
For millions of Americans, however, eating those foods is actually dangerous. They are living with celiac (pronounced “SEAL-ee-ack”) disease, which means that anything with gluten – wheat, barley, rye or oats – wreaks havoc with the body.
Ingesting gluten jump-starts a reaction that causes certain immune system cells to attack the intestine, leaving the gluten-intolerant unable to properly absorb nutrients.
Celiac disease, particularly prevalent among people of European descent, has been described as the most common genetic disease in the country, affecting one in every 133 people.
Suzanne Bowland, founder and president of GF (gluten-free) Culinary Productions, learned six years ago that she had celiac disease.
“For 31 years I never felt good,” she says. “I just felt a kind of lethargy, bloating and brain fog, just not feeling my best.”
Bowland thought dietary changes might help, but the bloating wouldn’t go away. She didn’t know what triggered her problems.
With a bit of online research, she learned her symptoms were most likely related to a reaction to wheat. Investigating wheat allergies led her to the protein gluten. After checking off the symptoms she recognized, she researched products that had gluten, eventually creating her own diagnosis.
“The cloud lifted as I began to eliminate certain things from my diet,” she says. “I became happier. The bloating disappeared. I told my mom I’d discovered what was wrong.
“No one ever suggested that I look at my diet and eliminate gluten. I didn’t even know what it was.”
She felt so good, she decided to revisit her old ways of eating, starting with a bowl of her favorite cereal. Almost immediately, her symptoms returned with a vengeance.
To share her experience and newly found information, Bowland launched a special-events production company focusing on a gluten-free lifestyle.
Good news for gourmets
One component is “The Art and Science of Gluten-Free Gastronomy,” which focuses on gluten-free living from an epicurean perspective. The series, which runs through November, is held at Denver’s Phipps Mansion. It pairs an authority on celiac disease with a chef who demonstrates a GF recipe.
One of them is Panzano chef Elise Wiggins. Wiggins’ brother was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. It was an eye-opener.
“People make special requests all the time when they come to the restaurant, and we try to accommodate them as best we can,” she says. “But requests from celiacs make up the largest number by far. I’ve given it a lot of thought since my brother’s diagnosis.”
At the series opener, Wiggins prepared a feta, tarragon and truffle-filled tortellini in an orange-hazelnut butter, using amaranth and tapioca flours. It definitely appealed to Merrill Linton, who has had to learn to eat in a whole new way.
“A lot of people think this (dietary practice) is a new fad, but celiac is a problem for a lot of people. I love good food, but eliminating bad foods from my diet made a big change,” she says. “People don’t think they can go without wheat, but they can. They have to. It’s a constant learning process.”
Breweries have also taken note. Wisconsin-based New Grist claims to have sold the first beer brewed without malted barley or any gluten-containing products to be recognized by the U.S. government.
Each batch brewed at the company’s Milwaukee headquarters is tested for gluten before fermentation and before being bottled and shipped.
“One day my old college roommate and I were talking on the phone, and he asked me why I didn’t make a gluten-free beer,” Russ Klisch, president of Lakefront microbrewery, which brews New Grist, says by telephone from Wisconsin. “The demand was bigger than I thought. My brewmaster’s father has it. Now he can have a beer with his dad.”
Beer giant Anheuser-Busch entered the GF beer market late last year, after 13 years of research, and even pairs its GF beer with foods and cheeses.
“Redbridge can stand up to such hearty meats as duck, lamb and veal medallions,” says brewmaster Kristi Zantop. “And it pairs well with spicy foods. The touch of sweetness on the finish of the beer will cut through spices.”
Recently, New Jersey-based Thumann’s introduced a nitrate-, nitrite-, preservative- and gluten-free hot dog. Heartland’s Finest markets a complete line of GF pasta. There are even GF Snickerdoodles. The nation is paying attention.
Physicians take a new look
Physicians are paying increasing attention to the symptoms of celiac disease. (The formal name is celiac sprue, a nontropical, nonallergic gluten intolerance, also called “gluten-sensitive enteropathy.”)
Dr. Neil Toribara, head of gastroenterology at Denver Health, says diagnosing the disorder has changed.
“Once thought to be a pretty unusual disease diagnosed by clinical suspicion, there are now several specific blood tests that are gluten-sensitive. We used to think (celiacs were) 1 in 5,000; now we think it’s about 1 to 300,” Toribara says. “This tells us it’s been around for a while.”
Dr. Andrzej T. Triebling, a physician with Arapahoe Gastroenterology in Littleton, says doctors overlooked celiac disease. “Now, not only gastrointestinal specialists but primary care physicians are much more attuned to looking for celiac disease instead of making a so-called classic diagnosis,” he says.
Triebling says it is especially important for celiacs to conform to rigid dietary restrictions.
“I tell patients they cannot cheat their immune system … sometimes minute amounts of gluten can bring on an immune response,” he says. “And it’s difficult because these (GF) products are expensive. In Italy there are government subsidies so patients can afford these foods. At the same time, it is not harmful for non-gluten-intolerant family members to be the on same diet.”
Saying the dreaded “D” word
Colleen Clarke, a personal chef in Erie, specializes in GF cooking for families. She was diagnosed with celiac disease in early June. She believes the one in 133 figure is more accurate.
“My son, who is also celiac, loved chicken tenders and chocolate chip cookies,” she says. “It was real hard for him to give them up.”
He didn’t have to for long. Clarke developed gluten-free recipes for both items.
“It’s all about finding alternative solutions,” she says.
Clarke’s friend and fellow celiac, Melissa Degen, used her corporate buyout money to attend culinary school and install a new kitchen, the better to prepare meals in an uncontaminated environment. Now known as the The Gluten-Free Pastry Chef, she makes specialty desserts for her family, which includes two celiac children.
“They say the average onset of symptoms is 28, but I was 31 when I was diagnosed. We had difficulty having children and lost three to miscarriages. When I went back to the doctor and ticked off my symptoms, he said it sounded like celiac.”
Within months of going on a GF diet, Degen says, her bloating and knee pain stopped. To her joy, she became pregnant again. She now has a son with celiac disease. The entire family is gluten-free.
“I refused to give up chocolates, so I found a way to bake desserts,” she says. “I could just live off of chocolate cake.”
Meanwhile, Bowland, gluten-free for six years, says she’s a different person since modifying her diet.
“When you’re miserable your whole life, you can’t imagine what it means to be able to feel good and eat good food,” she says. “By eliminating the culprit, I was able to heal and restore my health.
“You miss gluten initially, but you don’t want to go back because you know what will happen. I’m waiting for the day I can have a beef Wellington that is gluten-free. I’ll definitely know we’ve arrived the day I walk into Starbucks and see a gluten-free muffin.”
Learn more about about celiac disease from the .
Staff writer Ellen Sweets can be reached at 303-954-1284 or esweets@denverpost.com.
COVER RECIPES
No-wheat Pizza Crust
This recipe, from Monica Poole of Deby’s Gluten Bakery and Café, makes three 12-inch pizza crusts.
Ingredients
1 cup rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
3 tablespoons ground golden flax seed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast (gluten- free)
3 cups very warm water
1/3 cup olive oil
Directions
Combine dry ingredients. Mix well. Add warm water and olive oil. Mix well. Let rise 1 hour. Stir down. Spread on three 12-inch pizza pans using a recessed or rubber spatula. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Let crusts rise for 15-20 minutes. Bake 15 minutes until set. Cool and remove from pans to a wire rack. Use or freeze for use later.
Tomato Parmesan Focaccia
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare pizza dough as directed above. Scoop risen dough into round cake pans. Recipe makes 6 to 8 8-inch-round breads.
Top with thin-sliced Roma tomatoes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese; spritz with olive oil. Add a sprinkle of fresh or dried parsley and season with salt and pepper as desired. Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans to a wire rack to cool. For immediate use, return breads to 400-degree oven. Place bread directly on the oven rack. Heat an additional 10 minutes. Remove bread to a cutting board. Slice; serve hot with marinara dipping sauce.
Feta, Tarragon and Truffle-filled Amaranth Tortellini with Orange-Hazelnut Buerre Noisette
Panzano chef Elise Wiggins, right, developed this recipe to accomodate gourmets who are gluten-intolerant. She began learning about celiac disease after her brother was diagnosed. Bob’s Red Mill flour can be found in area specialty and health-food stores. Yields 24 tortellini.
Ingredients
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill amaranth flour
1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon hazelnut oil
1-2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup creamy feta, drained
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons white truffle oil
1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup unsalted European-style butter
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon orange zest
Directions
In a large bowl, combine flours thoroughly and create a well. Crack egg into well. Add oil and 1 tablespoon water. Using a fork, gently whisk wet and dry ingredients. Do not force ingredients together quickly. The dough will be lumpy – it should pull together and not be sticky to the touch. If it is, add more amaranth. If too dry, add remaining tablespoon water. Allow dough to rest, covered, at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, combine feta, tarragon and truffle oil.
Roll out dough with a rolling pin (or pasta machine) into almost paper-thin sheets. Cut into 2-inch squares. Brush squares with egg wash as you put 1 tablespoon feta mixture in the middle, and fold into triangles. Seal with fork tines. Drop into salted boiling water for about 3 minutes (they’re done when they float). In a small pan, heat butter and hazelnuts until butter starts to foam and turn brown. Add orange zest and pour over tortellini.
Ellen’s Wheat-Free Meatloaf
I stumbled on this during the blizzard of 2007 when I couldn’t get out of my house and had to cook with what was available. Out of bread crumbs and flour, I tried to think of something that would hold the meatloaf together. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup raw, grated potato
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup baby green peas
1 teaspoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients by hand. Shape into a loaf in a flat casserole or loaf pan and bake for 45 minute to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Baked Crispy Fish or Chicken
Personal chef Colleen Clarke’s solution to fried chicken (or fish) fingers is this baked version developed for people who are gluten-intolerant. Gluten-free cereals and bread crumbs are sold at Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage and Wild Oats grocery stores. Serve with green beans and a tomato-cucumber salad. Makes 4 cups of coating.
Ingredients
3 cups Health Valley Rice Crunch ‘Ems cereal
1 cup brown rice “bread crumbs”
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups olive oil (more, if needed)
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 lightly whisked egg whites
2 pounds raw chicken tenders or fish strips (cod, haddock, hake or sea bass)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place rice cereal in a food processor and process to desired consistency. Add brown rice crumbs, garlic powder, oregano, marjoram, thyme, salt and pepper, and combine ingredients.
Dip chicken (or fish) in olive oil, then butter, egg white (or water) and finally into bread-crumb mixture. Place chicken (or fish) on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crumbs are brown.
Gluten-Free Pork Meatballs
This simple, easy-to-make recipe is adapted from one on cookingwithlimits.com. A variation on a theme of traditional meatballs, it’s a good companion to sweet potatoes or your favorite GF pasta and a salad. Serves 2-4.
Ingredients
1 pound pork
2 carrots, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup canola oil
Directions
Combine pork, carrots, onions, broccoli, sage, thyme and parsley.
Once thoroughly mixed, pinch enough off for a meatball. Roll into a sphere, continuing the procedure until all pork is used.
Fry the meatballs in canola oil until pork is fully cooked, about 8 minutes on each side. Flip only once, after 10 minutes.
Chicken Hobo
This is an easy-to-do recipe from the gluten-free section on allrecipes.com – one that can be assembled on Sunday for cooking on Monday. Chicken breasts and peppered bacon are sealed with potatoes, carrots and onions in individual foil pouches. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 pound peppered bacon
3 medium potatoes, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup butter
Garlic salt to taste
Directions
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until evenly brown. Drain, chop coarsely and set aside.
On 4 large squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil, evenly distribute potatoes, carrots and onion. Arrange chicken breasts over the vegetables and sprinkle with chopped bacon. Top each with 2 tablespoons butter and season with garlic salt. Fold foil over the ingredients and seal tightly.
Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat or an oven to 350 degrees.
Place foil packets on the grill and cook for 10 minutes, then turn and cook for another 10. If cooking in the oven, bake 20-25 minutes.
Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Personal chef Colleen Clarke of Erie specializes in gluten-free cooking for gluten-intolerant families. Add nuts if you want. Makes 2-3 dozen.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Dash of salt
12 ounces chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. Stir in flours, baking powder and soda and salt. Add chips. Drop spoonfulls on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, until brown.
