MetroCeliacs -- Chicago

MetroCeliacs "Ooh La Laaaa" February 2008 Supper Club at Bistrot Margot

2008-04-08T12:03:00.010-05:00

Bon Jour MetroCeliacs,

As you know, February is the month of love, and what better way to express that than by a decadent menu of French cuisine that is also gluten free?

Bistrot Margot is a family-owned, authentic French bistro in Old Town that features regional French cooking in an Art Nouveau environment. It is the living dream of chef and owner, Joe Doppes, and is named after his first daughter, Margot. Pictures of daughter Margot adorn the cafe-inspired walls. When entering Bistro Margot, you feel as though you're in Paris at this reliable Old Town hangout, with its deep-red velvet curtains, mosaic-tile floors and Art Nouveau ceiling lamps.

Our group had a lovely booth/table in the middle of the restaurant. The event planner, Michele, was very helpful and enthusiastic about the event and we planned a lovely menu. We had some of our regular attendees and some new members, as well as someone recently diagnosed and fearful of dining out. It was a really active and lively bunch and neither the food nor the conversation ever seemed to wane.

The event was just lovely all around, from the planning meeting, which was more fun than the usual meeting because of the upbeat and hilarious event staff, to the gorgeous and scrumptious dinner and the really ecclectic crowd we had on hand. It was not busy the night we dined there, so we did not experience the crowds for which Bistrot Margot is famous and we could hear each other speak, bonus! We were all surprised by the amount of food served, as you will see below, as well as the amount of flavor in each dish. Everyone had different favorites but everything was at least sampled. Rave reviews from happy guests.

MENU

Salad

EPINARDS Spinach, Red Peppers, Goat Cheese, Warm Bacon Dressing

"Great salad!" "So happy it is finally here!"

"What's next?"

MOULES MARINIÃƒË†RES

Mussels Simmered in White Wine and Fresh Herbs

"I am so on this!" "Trust me, I got it."

"I thought I had it."

Main Course

TILAPIA AUX NOIX

Roasted Tilapia, Asparagus, Beets, Carrots, Walnuts,

Balsamic-Brown Butter Sauce

"Whole lotta fish!" "Hmmmmm......"

"Ya gotta try this." "YUM!"

STEAK FRITES

Sirloin Butt Steak Laced with Garlic Butter and Pommes Frites

"Green meat? Really?" "Yeah, no green meat for me."

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing!"

"I can't believe you ate the whole thing!"

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken, ham and prosciutto, and a cheese such as Swiss or Gruyere.

"Looks like enough" "Any more Chicken over there?"

"I'll fight ya for it."

Desserts

Mousse Au Chocolat

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Sauce

Crème Brulee

Classic Sugar Glazed Vanilla Bean Custard

Terrine de Chocolat Aux Framboises

Chocolate and Fresh Raspberry Terrine with Creme Anglaise and Whipped Cream

Gateau Au Chocolat

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Creme Anglaise, Raspberry Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

(Sorry, no people shots for desserts, in order to take this everyone was restrained in their seats, then it was a free for all. The desserts were good, I think, I inhaled mine and then it was time to go.)

There was an ample amount of each course, especially the mussels, and everyone left full and happy, we hope. Feel free to leave reviews and suggestions on what you would like to see more or less of on the blog or any suggestions you may have for events. We appreciate all the support and love it when one of our events goes so well. Thank you to all attendees, Bistrot Margot and everyone who stops by to take a look.

Jen and Tanya
MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com

Recipes for the October Pot Luck

2007-11-30T11:52:00.000-06:00

Applesauce

4-6 apples (I used 1 Jonathan, 1 Fuji , 2 Rome , 1 Winesap and 1 Empire)
1/3 c water
½ c sugar
2 Tbs lemon juice (ReaLemon lemon juice)
2 Tbs butter (Land O’Lakes unsalted sweet butter)
Spices to flavor – I used cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice – I don’t measure.

Peel, core and slice apples into small pieces.
Mix everything in a pot.
Cook (uncovered) on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Rebecca J. Loomis
___________________________________________

Cheese Puffs a la “manioc”
Brazilian recipe

1 ½ cup of mashed potatoes
4 eggs
¾ cup of corn oil
1 Tb of salt
4 cups of medium cheddar cheese grated ( we use “ Tillamook”)
1 ½ lb bag of tapioca starch ( manioc flour )

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees
Mix all ingredients in large bowl ( you can use an electric mixer to blend )
Use a soup spoon and make small balls. Put on cookie sheets ( 3 at least will be needed) to make approximately 60 balls. Bake for about 18 minutes; check that they don’t get too dry.
These can be frozen and taken out of the freezer directly to reheat in the microwave oven ( a few seconds )

Steve and Nicole Vandervoort

_____________________________________________

O'Henry Bars

1 stick oleo
6 oz butterscotch chips
6 oz chocolate chips
1 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 heaping cups of Rice Krispies
3 cups marshmallows

Melt the butter and chips, then stir in peanut butter. (I use the microwave)
When cool (this is important or the marshmallows melt), add the krispies and marshmallows.

Put in a lightly buttered 9"x13" pan... and refrigerate (if in hurry, the freezer will rush it)

Cut and enjoy.

Note: I use Hershey’s Butterscotch chips and Nature's Path crispy rice cereal.
I also used Land O'Lakes margarine, Nestles chips, Jiff PB, Campfire marshmallows.

Tanya Davidson

________________________________________

Chicken Curry (or Chicken Coconut Curry)

1 lb (or more) cut-up chicken breast (bite-size or slightly larger) - O Organics (sold at Dominick's) Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breast Filets

3 tbsp vegetable oil or clarified butter - Jewel Vegetable Oil - All Natural (100% soybean oil)

1 onion, chopped - Nevada High Desert Onions (3 lb bag purchased)

3 cloves garlic, minced [omitted- my husband isn't a garlic lover]

1 - inch piece of fresh ginger, minced [fresh ginger purchased at Dominick's]

1 tsp yellow mustard seeds [McCormick's Yellow Mustard Seed]

1/2 tsp cumin seeds [Frontier Culinary Spices Whole Cumin Seed]

1 1/2 tsp cardamom [Simply Organic Cardamom]

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander [Simply Organic Coriander]

1 tsp ground cumin [Simply Organic Cumin]

1 tsp garam masala [Frontier Garam Masala Garam Masala: this is a mix of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, black pepper, and coriander]

1/2 tsp turmeric [Simply Organic Turmeric]

1/4 tsp paprika [omitted- forgot to get gluten free kind]

1/4 tsp cinnamon [Simply Organic Cinnamon]

2 carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces [fresh purchased at Dominicks]

1 sweet potato, in 1/2 inch cubes [fresh purchased at Dominicks]

1 lb chick peas, cooked or canned [West Brae Natural Vegetarian Organic Garbanzo beans]

1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes [Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes]

½ cup or so of yogurt [or, alternatively, 1 - 14 oz can light coconut milk for coconut curry] [Stonyfield Farm Organic Whole Milk Plain]

Salt & pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan, heat oil or butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to brown. Push onion mixture to the side of the pan and add mustard and cumin seeds to the center. Toast them until they start to pop. Add the remaining spices and cook 2—3 minutes and stir into onion mixture.Add the carrots and sweet potatoes to the pan and stir for another 2—3 minutes. Add chick peas, tomatoes [and coconut milk, if you choose] and stir until ingredients are combined. Let simmer over low heat for an hour. The vegetables should be cooked through and the liquid should have reduced and thickened. If using yogurt instead of coconut milk, stir in well at the very end and cook for about a minute. Serve over rice. [chicken can be omitted for a vegetarian dish]
(cont.)

Rice (serves 4)
1 tablespoon butter [Dutch Farms Wisconsin Select Sweet Cream Butter]
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch diced [bagged onions- see above]
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves [McCormick's Ground Cloves]
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon [Simply Organic Cinnamon]
1 cup uncooked basmati rice [365 Everyday Value White Basmati Rice from Whole Foods]
1 whole bay leaf [McCormack's Bay Leaves]
1 cinnamon stick [Frontier Culinary Spices - Cinnamon Sticks
2 cups water [Chicago tap water, filtered using Brita pitcher]
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in a medium high-sided saucepan set over medium heat. Add onion, cloves, and cinnamon; cook until onion becomes translucent and mixture is very fragrant.
Place rice in sieve, and rinse under cold running water. Add rice to saucepan, and stir so grains are coated in butter mixture.
Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, raisins, salt, and pepper to saucepan. Stir in 2 cups water. Raise heat, and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until all water has been absorbed and rice has cooked, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove pan from heat, and let stand, covered, 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Katie Donnelly
_______________________________________

Jenny-style No-Name Cooking

2 Containers of Chavrie Goat Cheese (plain or Herb/Basil)
2 Jars of GF Marinara, whichever brand is on sale and is also GF

Open Goat Cheese container, dump slime on top into sink, rinse sink, trust me on this
Dump cheese into one of those longer glass cooking dishes, not brownie size square one, same width but longer rectangle looking kind
Smoosh cheese down a little bit but do not spread out, just enough to be level with side of dish
Pour the sauce over the cheese

Heat oven to 350 and insert dish on top rack
Wait til you see the middle start to bubble and the edges of the dish start to brown
Take out of over with hot pads, remember hot pads, very important I learned

Eat with Scoops chips, tastes better when watching suspenseful movie

Dish will be hard to clean because of step two, but no idea how to get it cooked through and not gross on the edges. If you find a way, email me and I will update and owe you one.

Jenny
_______________________________________

7 layer bars (minus a few non-gf layers)

7 oz flaked coconut
1 cup butterscotch chips
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds
14 oz can sweet condensed milk
8 oz unsalted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 bake pan
Spread 2/3 coconut on bottom. Sprinkle butterscotch, choc chips, peanuts evenly as 2nd layer.
Pour condensed milk over all.
Top with almonds and remaining coconut.
Bake 20 minutes, cool before cutting.

NOTE: I used peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch (and extra choc chips).
I used Nestle choc and peanut butter chips.

******************************************************************************************************
I also made choc chip cookies with the Namaste mix.

Simply add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 2 tbs water.

The mix is GF, wheat free and free of soy, nuts, potato, corn, dairy, and casein, but may not be dairy free as I added chocolate chips.
I followed the directions on the box (not hard I know, but I had to try them sometime).

Rachel Segal
___________________________________________

Corn Bread BBQ Pizza

Corn Bread

1 cup all-purpose GF flour
1/2 tsp. Xanthan gum
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup shortening
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, xantham gum, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt.
Add the milk, eggs and shortening; beat for 1 minute.
Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking pan.
Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until bread is golden brown and tests done.
*************************************************************************************************
BBQ Pizza Topping
1 pound of Chicken burger
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, sliced
1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
Cook chicken burger in pan, ground up. Add onion and red pepper and cook until soft. Add Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce.
Add meat/veggies to top of corn bread. Sprinkle cheese and put in oven for 10 min at 425.

Amy Rousseau
________________________________________

These are the recipes emailed to me before the event. There are printed copies available, so if you want one, please email me and I will send it along to you or I can email you this version if you cannot print it off this site.

Enjoy!

Jenny and Tanya

MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com

MetroCeliacs October Pot Luck Meet & Greet

2007-11-27T13:18:00.000-06:00

MetroCeliacs October Pot Luck Meet and Greet at Whole Foods

Our October event was a Pot Luck held at the Whole Foods on Ashland, our frequent meeting site as they are so supportive and accommodating. Sometimes all the stars align and an event goes as planned, with an outcome that is even better than expected. That certainly happened here. Often times, people see pot luck and, “eek! what am I going to make???” runs through their heads and they scramble to plan something, stress and then end up just buying a package of something dessert-y on the way there. Or, wait, is that just me? Well, this event had such a broad range of dishes – from appetizers, entrees and desserts to wonderful sides – that everyone left full, happy and impressed (and I know that was not just me!). The crowd was comprised of a lot of our regulars and a slew of newbies, which is always exciting for everyone. We had complicated GF recipes, easy GF recipes and modified-to-be-GF "regular" recipes, what more could we have asked for? Oh, I know, how about some donated GF products from Whole Foods and S’Better Farms? Yeah, who doesn’t love Whole Foods’ baked goods, the crackers they sell and, of course, products from our friend Scott Mandell at Enjoy Life Foods? In addition, we had the best corn dogs ever from Brian Gurin at S’Better Farms. I highly recommend them and the frozen dinners (chicken galore) he donated were also just wonderful. We are awaiting reviews on his pastas, which we had no way to make at this particular event. Thanks to everyone who donated to our meeting!!!!!

Let’s just get this out of the way. I wanted to participate in the pot luck and bring some dish that I labored over for hours, I really did. Anyone who knows me, though, would have been to scared to try it, so rather than risk that, I just brought Chavrie Goat Cheese, which I baked in a pan/dish/foil thing with Marinara Sauce and served with Scoops chips. That’s all I got. Tanya, MetroCeliacs’ other fearless leader, brought her famous, coerced by me at almost any opportunity, O’Henry (or, as I call them, O’MYGOSHTHESEAREAMAZING) bars. As usual, I was face down in the pan by the end of the evening. They are always so very well received. Fortunately, or unfortunately if your eyes are bigger than your stomach, everything that we had at the event was flavorful, had a wonderful texture and was just absolutely delicious. Not a dud in the bunch. We even had enough for everyone to take home some samples of things they liked or else did not get to try due to the aforementioned eye/stomach dilemma.

We started the evening by taking pictures of everyone with their respective dishes…so we know what to request should we ever need treats at a future meeting…hmmmm, I was kidding til I realized that is actually a good idea. Then we made sure everyone had our upcoming events calendar and some other handouts as well as all the recipes.

Now, in addition to being challenged in the kitchen, I am also a bit, well, slow when it comes to technology, so I am going to try post pictures of what everyone made with the event pictures. Then, in a separate blog entry, I will attempt (drum roll please) to post the recipes that were emailed to me (all without a net!). They are also available upon request if you email MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com and let me know which ones you would like.

After we got things settled with the paperwork, put things in the oven and set up the rest of the food mostly by genre, we went around the room and introduced ourselves, telling a little about the dish we brought. Then there was a short little speech by Tanya and myself where we just said who we were and what we do -- for those who were new -- and we talked about upcoming events. We also welcomed any ideas or suggestions for Supper Club places, speakers or topics for future meetings. THEN we got down to the serious business of eating and conversing. The group was lively and we all tried bits of everything, marveling at how the various recipes went well together, how we had all the major parts of a meal represented and how much work everyone did to make this event a success, and a success it was!!!

We are so grateful to Whole Foods, S’Better Farms, Enjoy Life Foods and to each and every member who contributed to our amazing evening. I remember it fondly and often when I am eating peanut butter M&Ms for lunch at work.

Here comes the best part...I hope you ate before you go any further...

Amy's special Corn Bread BBQ pizza

Equal parts tangy and sweet, this is a pizza that satisfies the most diehard BBQ fans as well. The cheese blends the flavors and right when you are finished with a slice, it kicks in and you want more. Amy always contributes something impossible to resist.

Speaking of equal parts tangy and sweet, oh, and cornbread...You would think Nancy is a Texan with this moist, light and smooth cornbread! It was the most surprising dish because cornbread can really be grainy and this was smooth as silk, if silk was made of cornflour. I actually ate it with Amy's pizza and it was the perfect complement to that as well.

Ann and Steve, oh Ann and Steve...Is there nothing Ann cannot do? She contributed her pizza and we had to ask more than once if she was sure it was gluten free? mmmmmmm.... A thin crust that stayed crisp and the toppings varied but were all equally delicious and equally devoured.

The pan says it all, we totally "heart" Jennifer's stuffing and delicious pie. Both treats were moist and rich and soft, displayed with flourish by her dad, a totally good sport. It was honestly stuffing like I remember it being BGF (before gluten free). The pie, well look at it, it speaks for itself. It spoke directly to me a number of times!

Leave it to Steve and Nicole to add some exotic fla-vah to our little group. They brought Cheese Puffs A La Manioc, a brazilian recipe. They were crisp on the outside and doughy and moist and stretchy on the inside. The perfect side dish dinner roll, just the right hint of cheese to make it interesting.

Speaking of spicing things up internationally, what could do that better than curry? Katie and her husband brought a very exciting Chicken Curry and Rice dish. I ate them individually because I was overwhelmed by everything on my plate and they each stand alone very well. Then I was told, you put them together and it is a complete taste explosion, a spice, texture and flavor extravaganza. I finally got it right and it lived up to the hype.

Around this time of year, the right blend spices and texture just says "Fall" and nothing exemplifies that more than some hearty homemade applesauce. Becky was nice enough to bring a big bowl of the most delicious applesauce with big chunks of apples. The apples were so varied, I had not heard of half of them, and it was really exciting to have that mix of sweet and tart and smooth and crunchy. A perfect Fall side dish and also a light and delicious dessert.

One of the best foods in the world is, in my opinion, mashed potatoes. Now, you might think, easy peasy, but Lindsay took an old standard and made it new and just delicious. These were Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and they were mashed and then baked. We had them right out of the oven and when you added the cheese to the potatoes, it was kind of crispy and chewy and stretchy and the potatoes were soft and brought out the cheese flavors. You can't really go wrong with a cheese and potato combo, and this one is sure to energize a normal side of potatoes at any event. Huge fan of this dish and it is easy enough that even I would try it. She did not post with it, so sorry about the dark shot of her, it does not do her or her tasty treat justice.

Speaking of tasty treats and justice, there is no justice in the world that these cookies are possible and all the ones I have ever made have to be classified as "cajun". We had these delicious chocolate chip cookies and 7-layer bars, but without the layers of gluten. The cookies were really good. It is easy to fear cookies because of some of the store brands' aftertaste and weird textures. These were cookies like grandma used to make (if you come from a family that cooks, that is...). The Layer Bars had coconut, so once that info was out there, nothing else really registered for me and I just started piling them on my plate. They were really moist and chewy as well and had that coconut consistency and other subtle flavors that really enhanced the coconut. Both treats were big hits.

There was a lot of socializing, even more eating and second- and third-round-ing, and then we wrapped up some leftovers for people, sent along some of the Whole Foods and S'Better products out to be tested and reviewed, so the rest of the leftovers, what there was of them, got claimed and taken home to be enjoyed again. It was a completely satisfying and delightful evening and we look forward to doing it again in the coming months of the New Year. Thank you to all of the participants. We so appreciate your hard work. I am going to attempt to post the recipes in another blog entry. Otherwise, I can email the word version at your request MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com

Thanks again!

Jenny and Tanya

MetroCeliacs September Supper Club at Smoke Daddy

2007-10-01T13:31:00.000-05:00

Hello MetroCeliacs,

Welcome back from our Summer hiatus.

We are back and we eased into our newest season with one final summer fling with BBQ at Smoke Daddy. We thought a nice casual end to summer would be a great way to kick off the Supper Club/MetroCeliacs meeting season. We are in the process of planning for this upcoming Fall and Winter, so we were really looking forward to catching up with everyone. We have some things coming up, but please feel free to email any meeting topics, speakers, product/companies, supper club locations, positive dining or shopping experiences, general commentary, suggestions, etc...to us at MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com Also, please watch for our calendar updates ( http://calendar.yahoo.com/metroceliacs ). If you hear of any events you would like to share with other MetroCeliacs and friends, please email them to our yahoo account. Also, if you attend and wish to submit details in a fun little write-up with or without pictures, we will add them to this blog any time!!!

We are restarting our blog, obviously, after having technical difficulties on and off last year and scrapping it until I learned how to work a computer, a camera and a word processing system effectively. So far, so good...I hope. Anyway, we hope to backdate some of our events from last year because they were all really fun and successful. Granted, things may be posted out of order but there is an index to the side that should help when this starts to happen.

We are so excited to try new restaurants and since we have completely adopted Victoria Gainsburg as our resident nutritionist and cooking teacher, it promises to be a delicious year! In addition to the cooking classes and the supper club, we are planning a tour of Enjoy Life Foods plant because they were recently featured on the Food Channel (Unwrapped) and it was fascinating to see how a real allergen-free operation works. There will be other events and meetings and speakers throughout the year and we look forward to seeing everyone soon.

On to the Recap!

Smoke Daddy is a must-see in one of Chicago's hottest and most eclectic neighborhoods. The best and most flavorful BBQ in the Windy City also brings you more character than most neighborhood rib joints have to offer. They smoke all of their meats in-house each day in the "Lil Red Smoker." They also take great pride in offering Live Music 7 nights a week. It is said to be amazing, world-renowned BBQ and funky rhythms, a perfect end to a really great summer! The catering manager, Ty, was really excited about planning our event and making sure we got a real BBQ that is not only safe, but very flavorful as well.

We had a huge turnout, one of our biggest, and the staff could not have been nicer or more efficient. They brought out the salads first. A cool and refreshing salad was a wonderful precursor to a tangy bbq! The apples and nuts were the perfect touch. The different textures and tastes definitely foreshadowed the good things to come! We had time to mingle before the event and it was really nice to meet the new attendees and see the regulars and kick off the season with a nice big group. The staff came out and introduced themselves and told us the plan for the evening. They were on top of every course and they always made sure there were no empty plates. Ty took such good care of us, as did everyone else, so it was nice to sit back and relax and just enjoy some pleasant conversation and a great meal.

Ok, so the next course consisted of pulled beef and pulled pork. Ok, I admit I am not normally a huge fan of bbq. I feel it can be a bit sweet for my taste. When I tried this pulled meat dish, it had the perfect combination of tangy yet just smoked enough to have some kick to it. It was really enjoyable and it went fast. As a matter of fact, it went so fast I was rushing around to try to get the pictures before anyone dug in and it was not easy. After tasting everything, it was easy to see why. The salad sure did seem like the perfect setup to really bring out the flavors of the meat course.

It was all very good and, just when you think you may have had enough, nope. They brought out ribs. Lots and lots of ribs. Now, this meal was really interesting, the salad had a lot of crunch and texture, the pulled meat was smooth and easy to eat and the ribs were tender but had just enough toughness to them to really complement the meal overall. The flavor was smoky and rich, even moreso than the pulled meats. It was like a flavor crescendo. Delicious. Everyone seemed to enjoy them a lot. I know I did and, as I said, I am not usually too bbq-y.

The staff at Smoke Daddy really went above and beyond. We were having lovely conversations and enjoying our food and the next thing we see was the best part of my day. Surprise brownies. Who does not love surprise brownies. Unfortunately, they brought out plates piled with brownies to all the tables, but I was too slow to get a good shot of them. They went fast and some got pocketed for later. They were so rich and fudgy and chewy and moist that it was hard to believe they tried them for the first time on our group! As a matter of fact, Ty said that if anyone plans to come back, to call her or ask the restaurant for her cellphone number and she will make sure you have a good and comfortable, as well as tasty, dining experience. Because they did not have any desserts we could have originally and I would never book a place without dessert (egads no!), they offered to make one special for our group. Should all of our supper clubs be so enthusiastic!

Actually, that is our goal. We look forward to working with Chefs, Managers and Event Planners who are open to learning about celiac, not just the disease and what to avoid, but how to make the dining experience safe, of course, and also to try to expand that into flavorful, comfortable and easy. We can cook naked chicken at home, we would like to dine out and experience meals that excite our palette but won’t make us sick. As we work with the restaurants, over time we hope to encounter more and more people like Ty in positions that will make our experiences enjoyable ones.

We would like to thank everyone at Smoke Daddy, as well as all who attended, and we look forward to seeing everyone again and to meeting all the new people who inquired about our group. We are in Fall planning mode, so jump in with any kind of contribution to our databank of ideas! One last sidenote, as I was attempting to post this, I realized after it booted me a million times and sucked my pictures into a black hole of internettedness, I am still challenged. If you do not see yourself represented, it is not editing, it is a complete and utter lack of skills. We always try to represent everyone, it just sometimes has a less than desirable conclusion. I will work on that as we go forward. Sorry!

Thank you again,

Jenny and Tanya
MetroCeliacs - Chicago

.........the very delicious end!

Boo! MetroCeliacs Trick-or-Treat October Meeting

2006-11-14T15:17:00.000-06:00

Welcome Back MetroCeliacs!

Ok, this is our official Welcome Back from Summer Halloween meeting.
the October Trick-or-Treat Meeting to kick off our Fall season.

We wanted to get together a casual group to share some treats and just chit-chat and get to hang out with those we have not seen in a while. Amy - one of our members - graciously offered to host our meeting. Thanks Amy!

We are excited to get back together after our summer hiatus. The gathering went well and Tanya and Amy hosted a nice evening with some tasty treats. The “trick” in this trick-or-treat meeting is that there are no pictures from the event. I was unable to attend due to illness, and home with me was the group camera. The “treats” were amazing and the recipes are to follow. Since Tanya was feeling well and also bake-y, she baked an amazing pie and is the guest blogger for this event,

Take it away Tanya!

Hello MetroCeliacs!

We were excited to get back together after few months off this summer. We met on Tuesday, October 24. One of our members -Amy- hosted the meeting at her house in Wrigleyville.

Thanks Amy!

We all brought food to share for our Trick or Treat Halloween Meeting. We indulged in Gluten Free pizzas fresh out of the oven! Then we had several choices for dessert. What to choose... Caramel Pecan Apple Crisp, warmed... Or a slice of homemade French Silk Pie, complete with whipped cream topping... Or a Chocolate Mint cupcake from Swirlz Cupcakes? It was a tough decision, but most of us went for all three!! YUM!

As the meeting continued, we talked about upcoming events, including the Supper Club on the following Monday and the November Cooking Class. We also discussed some of our favorite products and places to eat in Chicago. Swirlz was a topic- Have you been there to try their daily Gluten Free cupcakes? Have you shopped at Maple Street Market for your Gluten Free goodies? Did you hear that Sherwyn's is closed? Have you tried the new health food market on Clybourn?

The conversation flowed with current events, our jobs, what we would like to be doing. It was a great meeting and we all look forward to getting together again soon.

Tanya Davidson - MetroCeliacs

Here are the two recipes, we don’t need pictures, the recipes jump off the page:

FRENCH CHOCOLATE SILK PIE
Submitted by: Tanya Davidson

Servings: 8

Crust ingredients:
1 cup Cookies Crumbs (I used 6 - 8 Pamela's Shortbread Swirl Cookies)
1/4 cup melted butter (I used Land-O-Lakes)
1/4 cup sugar
9 inch pie plate

Pie Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter (Land-O-Lakes)
3 squares unsweetened chocolate (Hershey's Unsweetened)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract)
3 eggs (Davidson's Pasteurized Eggs)

Directions: Preheat 350*Crush cookies (I used a ziplock freezer bag and a rolling pin),
put in bowl and add sugar and melted butter.
Mash together, I use fork.
After all mixed together, put in 9 inch pie pan and cook for 20 minutes or until done.

Pie Filling: Beat sugar and butter until fluffy.
Stir in melted chocolate; add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed.
Put into baked pie shell and cool in fridge for several hours or overnight.

Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

CARAMEL PECAN APPLE CRISP
Submitted by Lucy Morrison

Filling:
6 Medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored 1/4" thick,
about 7 cups sliced1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons GF flour mix
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Topping:
1 large egg, separated
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen, cut into 8 pieces
3/4 cup GF flour mix
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped pecans (I double this)
Vanilla or butter pecan ice cream for serving

Directions: Put rack in center of oven, heat oven to 375 degrees Have ready a 9-inch round, shallow ovenproof glass pie plate or baking dish

For filling, put apples into large bowl, toss with sugar, GF flour mix and cinnamon to coat well. Mound apples high in pie plate

For topping, you will use only 1/2 egg yolk (or 2 teaspoons) for recipe, put egg white into small dish, froth with fork and set aside.
Using food processor with metal blade, pulse 1/2 yolk with remaining ingredients (except pecans) until finely crumbed and just beginning to clump together. Do not over process.
Gently pat topping evenly over apples or cover, pressing down so that it adheres to apples.
Brush topping with egg white.
Scatter pecans over, gently pressing into topping.

Place pie plate on baking sheet to catch any juice.4.

Bake until dark brown, 45- 50 minutes.

Cool on wire rack.

Serve warm (reheat at 350 degrees for 10 minutes) with a scoop of vanilla or butter pecan ice cream.

Enjoy!

Thanks to all who were able to attend and we so look forward to seeing you soon. If you have any ideas, suggestion, comments, please comment on the blog or email us at MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com
Keep up with our calendar of events at http://calendar.yahoo.com/metroceliacs

We look forward to hearing from you!

July MetroCeliac Meeting with Lara Field, Registered Dietician

2006-11-14T14:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Summer, MetroCeliacs!!!

Summer is a more difficult planning time for restaurants and speakers as it is a busy time for members, making it difficult to get a good turnout, and for restaurants, making it almost impossible to get them to plan anything for us. We decided to suspend summer activities and resume everything in the Fall. Although this post is a bit behind the times, here is the wrap up of all the questions posed on the evite to this event.

We were very excited to welcome Lara Field, a registered dietician, to answer questions we had in lieu of our July MetroCeliacs meeting. She was gracious enough to answer them for us and the evite and her presentation follow.

Around this time, more news came to our group. Sherwyn's Health Food Store and proud sponsor of many many of our MetroCeliac meetings, has closed. We are sorry to see it go as Gail was always an enthusiastic provider and supporter of Celiacs around Chicago, especially of our MetroCeliacs. We would like to thank her and Sherwyn's for their enthusiasm, their efforts, their sponsorship and their openness to learning about celiac, trying new products and always being behind everything we did as a group. THANK YOU GAIL! WE MISS YOU!

Evite:
Do you have any questions about celiac disease or how to accurately follow the gluten free diet? Are there any myths that you would like to prove or dispel? Now that it is grilling season, do you want info regarding cooking on the grill and enjoying bbq sauce? What ingredients are in some of our favorite grilling items (brats? marinades?) that we need to be wary of, if any?

Now would be a great time to come and have your questions answered. Lara is looking forward to answering any questions on ingredients, foods, preparations, living GF...anything you can think of that you have always wondered and not had a forum to discuss.

Lara, answering our group's questions on the evite, responded:

Metroceliacs Lara Field, MS, RD, LDN
Nutrition Questions – 8/2/06 Clinical Dietitian
Specializing in Celiac Disease

What vitamin/mineral deficiencies are celiacs at risk of developing?
Depending on when celiac disease was diagnosed, and the extent of the damage to the villi, vitamin deficiencies can vary. Celiac disease is commonly found in the duodenum, which is the first portion of the small intestine, where we absorb nutrients such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc; therefore if this part is affected, these are the nutrients that may become deficient over time.However, as the damaged bowel is healed, vitamin absorption, which was once impaired, becomes corrected.

After healing is complete, long-term consumption of a gluten-free diet could put someone at risk for vitamin deficiencies if they consume too much of the wrong foods. Many gluten free products are made with flours including white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, and corn flour; these commonly are not enriched with vitamins as compared to gluten containing products (IE: Total ™Cereal provides 100% daily value of vitamins and minerals). Vitamins included in enrichment of gluten containing grains are mostly B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate) as well as iron. In my opinion, lately gluten-free food manufacturers are experimenting more with alternative grains including quinoa, amaranth, Montina (Indian rice grass), and many bean flours which have superior nutrition to that of white rice, and potato, and many products are being enriched with vitamins as well.

I am unaware of any over the counter (OTC) test that celiacs can use to measure vitamin levels in their blood, and personally I am not sure if I would trust something like this if it were available. Frequently, blood tests are subject to misinterpretation because they need special equipment to analyze the result, or someone specially trained in how to interpret the outcome. Also a blood test may only capture a “snapshot” of your body’s current state, but miss the big picture of something that may be going on for sometime. You may want to assess if you are showing signs of nutrient deficiencies before inquiring with your doctor about what blood tests are available, because these blood tests performed by your physician may be quite costly. Some signs of common vitamin and mineral deficiencies are scaling of skin, easy pluckable hair, poor wound healing, slick tongue, and weakness. Most importantly, with a balanced diet, one that incorporates a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, dairy, and whole gluten-free grains and a multivitamin/mineral supplement, vitamin deficiencies are less likely to occur.

FOOD GROUP
SERVING SUGGESTION
TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING

Breads, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta
6-11 servings per day
(depending on age, and weight status)
1 slice brown rice bread
½ cup cooked quinoa, buckwheat
½ cup cooked rice, cereal
¾ cup ready-to eat gluten-free cereal
Look at the Nutrition Facts Food Labeling on foods to determine the fiber content of the product. A healthy choice would contain >3 grams fiber per serving.
Choose grains such as white rice or rice pasta less often than foods made with quinoa or buckwheat; these products contain more fiber and protein than products made with white rice
Fruit
2-3 servings per day
½ cup fresh, frozen, or caned fruit
1 medium sized apple, orange, pear
¼ cup dried fruit
½ cup juice (4 ounces)
Choose fresh fruit for snacks
If eating canned fruit, choose fruit in its own juice, instead of in heavy syrup
After a trip to the grocery store, wash and cut up produce so it is ready to eat, and can be grabbed quickly from the refrigerator
Drink fruit juice in moderation – children not consume more than 6 ounces per day
Vegetables
3-5 servings per day
1 cup raw leafy vegetables
1 cup cooked or chopped raw vegetables
¾ cup vegetable juice
Choose dark green leafy vegetables instead of lighter varieties (iceberg)
Cook vegetables for a short amount of time in shallow water (1 inch) in a covered pot to retain nutrients – vegetables should still have a bite to them
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs, and Nuts
2-3 servings per day
2-3 ounces cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
½ cup cooked legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
1/3 cup tofu
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 egg = 1 ounce lean meat
(limit to approximately 2-3/wk)
Choose lean meats more frequently
Trim all visible fat from meats, take the skin off poultry
Limit high fat processed meats such as bacon, sausages, salami, bologna, and cold cuts
Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, and other Dairy Products
2-3 servings
1 cup milk (8 ounces)
6 ounces yogurt
1 ½ ounce cheese (Swiss)
½ cup cottage cheese
Choose low fat dairy products
Try white cheese instead of yellow varieties (Swiss is a better choice than cheddar)
If dairy products are not tolerated well, try lactose free milk, or Lactaid tablets when eating dairy
If unable to consume milk or alternative dairy products, calcium should be replaced in the form of supplement such as calcium citrate
Fats, Sweets, and Oils
Use sparingly
1 tsp margarine, butter
1 Tbsp oil
Choose oils such as canola (rapeseed), olive, or safflower instead of palm, and coconut oil
Try light margarines with no trans fat – trans fats tend to increase blood cholesterol, these foods are high in hydrogenated oils
Consume baked products, sweets, candy in moderation

How much can celiacs rely on vitamin supplements to meet their daily vitamin intake needs?
When discussing supplements with any individual, including people with celiac disease, it is always recommended to get adequate nutrition from foods first, and supplement the diet with a multivitamin/mineral supplement. A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, that also includes low fat dairy products and lean protein is what is recommended for all healthy individuals, including people following the gluten-free diet. Please see following for tips on a healthy diet.

Are oats okay?
There has been a lot of ongoing investigative work researching the appropriateness of oats on a gluten-free diet. However, in my opinion, and the opinion of Dr. Stefano Guandalini and the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program, oats are not recommended at this time. There are no safe oats that are mass produced currently.

Cross Contamination
Thompson, Journal American Dietetic Association, 2003
Three brands of oats studied: McCann’s, Country Choice, Quaker
Found varying levels of gluten contamination
Størsrud, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003
Tested commercially available oat products - Sweden
Found gluten contamination at various levels
Europe and North American Companies
In the process of offering pure, uncontaminated oat products under strict government regulations
Cream Hill Estates from Canada - http://www.creamhillestates.com/
Developed in collaboration with the Canadian Celiac Association, Health Canada and Agriculture Canada
Will be available in Canada and the US

Despite the fact that you may not be experiencing symptoms by eating oats, you may not be maintaining the health of your villi. If you choose to consume oats, or other foods that may have the potential for cross contamination, I would recommend repeating anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) every year, if you are not doing so already.

So many gluten-free foods are made with white rice and sugar...many of the vitamins and minerals we miss out on by not eating wheat…what foods can we eat to make up for that?

The following are excellent nutrient-rich grains/seeds that would be beneficial to include in a gluten-free diet:
Amaranth
Bean flours (garbanzo, fava, pinto, navy, white or black bean)
Brown rice
Buckwheat (make sure it is pure – no wheat flour added)
Flax seed
Montina (Indian rice grass): http://www.montina.com/
Quinoa
Rice bran
Soy

An important point about “missing out on by not eating wheat” is to put wheat products in perspective. A healthy diet includes whole wheat products for their fiber content in addition to the benefits of enrichment (niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, folate). However, many gluten-free grains actually contain more fiber per serving than gluten containing varieties. Making good choices in your grain servings is important; choosing products that include ingredients from the above list will achieve this. Goal fiber intake is approximately 25-35 grams per day. It is important to look at the fiber content per serving of a product and as I stated previously, aim for at least 3 grams per serving. Fiber is also found in fruits and vegetables, which are naturally gluten free, affordable, and easy to find anywhere!

What is gluten rice and is it okay to eat?

Gluten rice or glutinous rice is short grain rice that has fat, round grains with higher starch content than other long or medium grain varieties. When cooked, it tends to be very moist, causing the grains to stick together, hence the term gluten or glutinous which means “sticky”. This does not indicate the presence of wheat, rye, or barley, and is safe to consume.

Supplements?

I would recommend a complete multivitamin and mineral supplement for all persons following the gluten-free diet due to the potential vitamin and mineral deficiencies that may exist with healing villi, and from the potential loss due to the change in the diet (restricting wheat). These are the following that I would recommend at this time. However, please note that these supplements were verified at the time of this publication, and I would check to ensure the gluten-free status on your own prior to consumption. When choosing a supplement, it is important to choose one that meets, but does not exceed 100% Daily Value of most vitamins and minerals. We gain a lot of vitamins and minerals from our food supply, even a gluten-free diet, especially if it is rich in fruits and vegetables.

Freeda Vitamins – http://www.freedavitamins.com/
Wyeth Consumer Healthcare –
Centrum Advanced, Centrum Performance, Centrum Silver, Centrum Liquid, Centrum Chewables: http://www.centrum.com/
Caltrate 600, Caltrate 600+D, Caltrate 600+Soy, Caltrate 600 Plus Chewables, Caltrate 600 Plus, Caltrate Colon Health: http://www.caltrate.com/
Nature Made - http://www.naturemade.com/
Mead Johnson Nutritionals – http://www.meadjohnson.com/
Poly-Vi-Flor, Poly-Vi-Sol, Tri-Vi-Sol, Tri-Vi-Flor, Fer-In-Sol
Mission Pharmacal – http://www.missionpharmacal.com/
Citrical, Citracal Caplet+D, Citracal 250+D, Citracal Plus with Magnesium
McNeil Nutritionals
Viactiv Soft Calcium Chews (w/vitamin D and K)
http://www.viactiv.com/

Does wheatgrass juice have gluten?

Wheatgrass, is the grain from which wheatgrass juice is made, which comes from sprouted wheat berries. Therefore, I would avoid wheatgrass, and wheatgrass juice, because it is gluten containing.

Gluten Free Restaurant Suggestions in Chicago:

At the time of this publication, these restaurants were noted to have gluten free options. Please confirm the status prior to your arrival.
Adobo Grill, Chicago, 312-266-7999, GF Menu
Bistro 110, Chicago, 312-266-3118
Da Luciano, River Grove, IL , 708-453-1000, GF Menu
Everest , Chicago, 312-663-8920
Frontera Grill, Chicago, 312-661-1434
The Golden Chef, Wheeling, 847-537-7100
Thyme, Chicago, 312-266-4300
Vinci, Chicago, 312-266-1199
Chain Restaurant’s
Ben Pao, http://www.benpao.com/, GF Menu
Buca Di Beppo, http://www.bucadibeppo.com/
Legal Sea Foods, Inc, http://www.legalseafoods.com/, GF Menu
California Pizza Kitchen, http://www.cpk.com/
Carabbas Italian Grill, http://www.carabbas.com/, GF Menu
Flat Top Grill, http://www.flattopgrill.com/
Fogo De Chao, http://www.fogodechao.com/
Outback Steakhouse, http://www.outback.com/, GF Menu
PF Chang’s China Bistro, http://www.pfchangs.com/, GF Menu
Stir Crazy, http://www.stircrazy.com/
Wildfire, http://www.wildfirerestaurant.com/, GF Menu

Iron

Iron is a mineral found in food that is essential to hemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout our body. If iron levels are low, symptoms can include fatigue, irritability, or decreased appetite.

Foods rich in iron include:

Amaranth (1 cup) = 14.8 mg Buckwheat flour (1 cup) = 4.9 mg
Pumpkin seeds (1/2 cup) = 10.4 mg Soybeans (1 cup, cooked) = 8.8 mg
Oysters (3.5 oz, canned) = 6.7 mg Spinach (1 cup, cooked) = 6.4 mg
DRI for Iron: 19-50 yr old female = 18mg/d; 19-50yr old male = 8mg/d; 50+ yr =8mg/d; pregnant = 27 mg/
Consuming a vitamin C source (red peppers, citrus fruits) with iron assists in absorption of the mineral

Protein

Protein requirements vary with body size. Adults need approximately 0.8-1.0 g/kg body weight (Kg = weight in lbs/2.2). Protein powders and shakes are a good choice if you find it difficult to get protein from food sources in your diet; however, many times these powders contain too much protein for a healthy adult to receive in one day. Protein in excess can cause kidney damage due to over production and excretion of nitrogen, which is the breakdown product of protein.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in oil from oily fish and vegetable sources such as the seeds of flax, walnuts, lingonberry, among others. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in the fruit of the acai palm (hearts of palm). Omega-3 fatty acids are classified as essential because they cannot be synthesized in the body; they must be obtained from food.
Research has not indicated a specific quantity of Omega 3 fatty acids to consume per day, however it is recommended to consume fish in your diet at least 2 x/week. Specific fish high in omega 3 fatty acids are: salmon, herring, mackerel, and sardines.

Marathon Training!

For any of you who are training for the marathon, good luck! I am also training for this year’s Chicago Marathon and am looking forward to the big day, October 22!
Training diets are important to provide adequate fuel for training, to optimize recovery of glycogen stores, and to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance. In terms of celiac disease, there are no specific recommendations in particular to the disease state, as long as you are in remission. If not, your body is not only trying to repair your damaged villi, but also working overdrive to recover from muscle glycogen depletion from exercise.

Carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fluids are all important for the athlete. Basic recovery nutrition for endurance athletes and team sports:
Replenish carbohydrates within 30 minutes of exercise
General goal is 1.5 g CHO/kg
Can add up to 10 g protein
Rehydrate with fluid and sodium (sports drinks)

Please consult your medical provider prior to competition to ensure you do not have any outstanding medical issues.

Lara Field, MS, RD, LDN – Pediatric Dietitian
Children's Memorial Hospital - Department of Clinical Nutrition
2300 Children's Plaza, Box 23
Chicago, Illinois 60614
Phone: 773-975-8841
lfield@childrensmemorial.org

THANK YOU, LARA, FOR YOUR ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS!

Email Lara or call her with additional questions or for more information on the answers she provided.

MetroCeliacs May Supper Club with Flavah at Coobah

2006-10-31T19:57:00.000-06:00

Hello MetroCeliacs and Friends, We are Back!

Well, it is about time for me to update the blog, especially since we have just kicked off our Fall season of meetings and Supper Clubs and I have not even posted the last few events yet, grr. I have some trouble with uploading pictures onto this site at times and it can be tedious. I am back now and plan to be completely caught up by the end of the month!

We had an interesting event at Coobah in May. I was referred to this restaurant by some members and the chef and manager were initially excited to discuss it with me, everything from creating the menu to the seating arrangements. I am all about introducing some serious flavah to our repertoire. Then, just as I was feeling all spicy about how things were going, the serape was pulled out from under me (give me some latitude here, I know no Spanish, so I am working with limited resources). I was unable to reach anyone for a while and, while I was assured that our Supper Club was still planned, we did not have an exact date or anything close to a menu. Just when I was writing the cancellation email for the event, Dios Mio!, Jimmy turned up with a whole menu and a date and some decent enthusiasm. The chef had surgery, but the ever-helpful Jimmy (muchas gracias, Jimmy!) said we could get something in anyway. Bueno. Ok, finito with the pseudo-Spanish.

We had a really nice crowd, we had some wonderful newcomers and some regulars brought friends. There was even a new family with very well mannered and delightful kids. We normally do not accommodate children but we were excited to have them at this event. How cute are they? Awwww…The service was very slow, so I believe they were out past their bedtimes, which was unfortunate but could not be helped as they overbooked the restaurant and did not staff it accordingly, which I describe below.

Here is the description of the restaurant online: This upscale Latin restaurant and bar offers late-night dining and DJs. The menu features inventive dishes from Spain, Cuba, the Philippines, Colombia and Brazil, plus Coobah's signature tamales and sauces. Cuisine is Cuban, Spanish, Nuevo Latino.

The Scene (provided by citysearch.com, with a saucy mix of my own commentary!)
It's a pretty tight squeeze into Coobah (especially in the back room they put us in, which was beautiful but almost required some lap sharing), a dark Latin spot where sexy bartenders mix mojitos and caipirinhas for a crowd of Southport hipsters (yeah, gaggles of drunk girls partying up front, which posed a distraction for our servers). The decor provides plenty of eye candy too, with rust-colored terra cotta walls, metal clamshell light fixtures (it was definitely beautiful décor, but the clams must have been closed because I could barely see my hand in front of my face) and fans waving breezily back and forth above the bar (which was not helpful to us, as we were nowhere near the bar but kind of left roasting near the kitchen). Friendly, on-the-ball service makes up for long waits. (No, it really didn’t. Friendly, absolutely, on-the-ball…um, well, unless the ball was actually on top of them holding them down and keeping them from serving us in a timely manner, there was not a ball in sight. To be fair, there was another large party in the front of the restaurant, the gaggle, but our menu, our event, was planned in advance and if the small kitchen could not handle such a crowd, they should not have taken both parties.)

The food was difficult to judge, as they had too many orders from both parties as well as random walk-ins so the dishes varied in flavor and texture and temperature. They even forgot to serve me altogether. As you can likely tell, I am chatty, so it took me a while to notice. Settling the check took even longer. I would love to have more to say about the actual food, but I will have to rely on those who attended to add comments to the blog please. My food was cold and then had little taste, but was beautifully presented. The event was successful in that we had a great turnout, big crowd, stimulating conversation at a lovely place with an interesting assortment of offerings on an unusual menu. I am not, as I stated, sure about the food reviews, so I look forward to hearing feedback on the blog comments.

I would like to take a minute to say a fond, albeit sad, farewell to one of our regulars, Carol Breckbill, who moved after this event. Carol was always positive, involved, fun and an amazing addition to any event. Carol, if you are ever in town, come visit. We will save you a margarita and clear a table for your infamous dance moves! We miss you already, but I am sure you are active in your new community and we wish you the best. Sniffle.

The Menu for our fiesta:

Appetizer
JERKED “JIBARITO” FIERY JERK CHICKEN CARAMELIZED PLANTAINS RADICCHIO RED ONION-ORANGE MARMALADE
OR
CHILLED PIQUILLO PEPPERS ARTICHOKE AND DRUNKEN GOAT CHEESE STUFFING BABY GREENS

Entrée
TILAPIA “AZUL” RICE PAPER TOASTADA
SPRING VEGETABLES GINGER-LIME VINIAGRETTE
OR
STRIP STEAK URUGUAY ALL NATURAL BEEF
FRESH HERB CHIMICHURRI BLACK BEANS CARMELIZED PLANTAINS

Dessert
GUAJILLO CHILE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
OR
FRESH BERRY COMPOTE VANILLA SAUCE

Soda, tea and coffee included.

As you know, all roads lead to the dessert for me, so this is the dish I really remember and I have to say that, as far as chocolate cake goes, fantastico! Ok, I could not let the Spanish go. Wait til you see what I can do with a Greek restaurant. Wait, hmmm, actually nothing but Spanakopita! I will have to work on that.

Muchas Gracias to all who attended and we hope to see you at future events. Please check out our calendar at http://calendar.yahoo.com/metroceliacs and email us about suggestions for meeting themes and supper club restaurants or anything you would like to share at MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com

Jenny and Tanya

MetroCeliacs May Meeting- Vicki Gainsberg Cooking Class at Whole Foods

2006-06-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

Guest Writer for this blog is our very own Tanya Davidson, the other leader of the MetroCeliacs. I was unable to attend this meeting and, from the sound of it, I missed a good one!
Take it away Tanya:

It was great to have our very own Vicki Gainsberg lead a cooking class for our May meeting! She is a Registered Dietician, who specializes in Celiac Disease and Food Allergies. The meeting/cooking class was held on May 10th at Whole Foods Lincoln Park on North Avenue (see link above). Whole Foods is very supportive of the Celiac community!

It was a treat to have Vicki show us how to make such easy and delicious recipes. She also answered questions that we had about cooking and talked about various flours.

Asian stores have great fine rice flours, which are great for baking sweet treats.

Vicki introduced us to a new grain called Quinoa. Besides myself and my roommate, no one else had ever tried it. It is an easy grain to incorporate into your meals and it has great nutritional value. Its cooks up a lot like rice. Vicki showed us how to prepare a Southwestern Quinoa Salad. Chop up some peppers and other veggies, mix up a sauce, and add it all to the cooked quinoa and you have a real winner!

Zesty Southwestern Quinoa Salad

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Water
2 cups Frozen Corn
1-2 Jalapeno’s, chopped
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 can Black Beans, drained
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Orange or Yellow Pepper, chopped
¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
3 Limes, divided
4 tsp Cumin, ground (divided)
¼ cup Olive Oil
2 tsp honey, divided
4 oz Pepper Jack Cheese, cubed
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook quinoa according to package directions, using 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water. Quinoa will cook for about 15 minutes. Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl.

Saute chopped jalapeno’s in 1 tsp olive oil. Add frozen corn and sauté until cooked through. Add 1 tsp cumin, juice of 1 lime and 1 tsp honey. Add salt and pepper. Saute a few more minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Add to quinoa, along with beans, peppers, and cheese.

Dressing
Combine juice of 2 limes, olive oil, 2 tsp cumin and 1 tsp honey, whisk well. Add to quinoa mixture. Add in cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

She also demonstrated how to make Meatballs with turkey and chicken meat. I don't know if it could be much easier than what she showed us. Mix up a few ingredients for the sauce and then mix the meat together and simmer in the sauce for about 45 minutes and you have tender, tasty and relatively healthy meatballs!

Not Too Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs

1 can Tomato Sauce (10-12oz)
1/3 cup Ketchup
¼ cup Brown Sugar
¼ cup Lemon Juice (about 2 lemons)
1 Bay Leaf
4-5 Whole Cloves

Combine above ingredients and place in saucepan on medium heat. Reduce heat to simmer.

Mix together:
1 lb Ground Turkey ( ½ lb breast meat and ½ lb dark meat)
1 egg
¼-1/3 cup GF Bread Crumbs
¼ cup water

Shape into balls and gently place in warm sauce. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Shake pot or stir meatballs around occasionally to prevent from sticking.
Remove bay leaf and cloves.
Serve with sauce.

We sampled both of the creations. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed these easy recipes.

In addition to these two things, we also sampled New Grist Beer. Beer people seemed to really like it, and non-beer people seemed to enjoy a little as well. It is better than your standard beers and the best part is that celiacs can drink it! Nice to know it exists.

After that, we sampled Chocolate Chip Biscotti dipped in dark and white chocolate. Vicki had prepared ahead of time, because our hour meetings go by a little too fast to fit everything in. She gave us the recipe and talked about making them. She claimed that they are very easy to make.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Biscotti

1 ½ stick Butter, softened
1 cup Sugar
3 Eggs
1 cup Rice Flour
1 cup Cornstarch
1 cup Tapioca Flour
1 Tbsp Potato Flour (not potato starch)
¾ tsp Xanthan Gum
Pinch Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 ½ cup chocolate chips
Nuts, optional

In a medium-size bowl mix rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca, potato flour, xanthan gum, salt, and baking powder.
Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar, add in eggs slowly. Add vanilla.
Slowly add in flour mixture. Mix well. Add in chocolate chips.

Onto ungreased parchment lined cookie sheet, spoon into 2 equal oval-shaped loaves.
Use full length of cookie sheet and leave about 2-3 inches between loaves for spreading while baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When cool slice into 1 inch slices. Turn slices on their side and rebake for about 10 minutes. Let cool.

We may have to have another cooking class. Everyone enjoyed. It is nice to have a few taste-tested recipes on hand. Thanks for everyone for coming!!!

Our special thanks to Vickie for a wonderful and informative, not to mention very tasty, class. We hope to have her come again!

MetroCeliacs April Supper Club at Roy's

2006-04-11T12:20:00.000-05:00

MetroCeliac Supper Club is nothing if not an adventure, culinary and otherwise. We started the evening with a bunch of new members and visitors of the celiac and non-celiac variety. Some regulars and some completely new to celiac and the MetroCeliac experience. I was excited to break them in at Roy's, somewhere I was totally looking forward to going, as their reputation for a wonderful dining experience preceded them.

I did my usual spiel about how the supper club came to fruition out of a desire for celiacs to be able dine out, as well as to encourage Chicago restaurants to become familiar with how to make their establishments gluten-friendly. I also stressed how much work I put into finding a place and working with the manager, the event coordinator and the chef to come up with a safe and delicious, sometimes offbeat (Scylla) menu. I encourage everyone to enjoy themselves, relax, talk about non-celiac topics and just feel comfortable that I have done everything in my power to ensure their security and health. To that end, I always refer the restaurant staff to celiac websites, conduct a dialogue with my contact regarding all of our needs from the actual menu to the preparation of the food to the safest drinks and I even try to get us separate checks to make thing easier (that one is always the most difficult part). But...I try to cover all the bases.

Roy's (Lauren) worked with me and the process was easy and fun and they were very invested in providing us with options they already had on their regular menu to show us that an every-day dining experience would work for walk-in visitors with celiac. It would still be flavorful, beautifully executed and varied. I was excited they had so many options that were naturally gluten-free and that the ones they could adapt would still have the same flavors and consistencies. YAY!

Following is the evite I sent out for the event. I cannot even express how hard it was to write it so far in advance. Every time I read it I was starving. If that was not bad enough, they had pictures on their website. I am not good at delaying gratification. At all. Nope, not at all. Even posting it now makes me want to go back and order one of everything. I have that gift cert burning a hole in my purse (I will get to the gift cert in a minute...) Enjoy the evite and pictures, but seriously, do not read it on an empty stomach.

Aloha MetroCeliac Supper Club Members!

This month, Spring is in our tropical city air. Break out the Hawaiian shirts and flip flops, we are taking a tropical adventure to Roy's.

Roy's is described as...Fresh ingredients, assertive flavors, deliciously wrapped in a Hawaiian state of mind, and who does not love being in a Hawaiian state of mind?Roy Yamaguchi's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine blends fresh local ingredients with European sauces and bold Asian spices. Ask the server about the award-winning wine list. Noted for it's diverse and intriguing selection, Roy's offers a vast range of wines from well-known and newly discovered wineries alike. In addition, Roy's offers signature cuves, created in partnership with some of the world's most respected winemakers, specifically with our food in mind.

Hawaiian Fusion Menu $33/person (brace yourselves)

Salad:
Asian Poached Pear Salad with Mixed Greens, Poached Pears, Candied Walnuts Goat Cheese and a Lemongrass Vinaigrette (note the bold, it comes into play later)

Entree Selections:
Tender Braised Honey Mustard Beef Short Ribs with Lomi Lomi Tomatoes, Veal Reduction and Roy's signature Mashed Potatoes

Macadamia Nut Dusted Mahi Mahi with Bacon Chive Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus and Lobster Brandy Cream Sauce
(Dema and I chose a shared dish, the best way to go!!!)
Fish of the day - Chef's Specialty, TBA on day of event (ended up being an amazing shrimp dish)

Dessert:
Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle Flourless Chocolate Cake with a Molten Hot Center (picture does NOT do it justice. It was so amazing and when your fork glided thru it, yes it glided, the molten center oozed out all hot and gooey and inviting....sigh. I miss it like I would miss an old delicious friend.)

Fruit Sorbet with fresh berries for those crazy enough to not like chocolate, it can happen that people prefer fruity things over chocolate I am told.

Notice there is not a picture of the salad. The adventure starts there. I had discussed the salad ingredients situation at the last MetroCeliac meeting to see if blue cheese is gluten free and it is one ingredient that we basically avoid unless we can find the GF options. Most places do not serve GF blue cheese. I asked if we could substitute another cheese or leave it completely off the menu and was told it is not a problem. They decided on crumbly goat cheese.

Since I had done such a wonderful job with making the menu (self pat on the back) and since that fact was further reinforced when we arrived and saw the printed menus with goat cheese on them and then the waitress also fully stated goat cheese was on the salad when we went over the full menu, well, I assumed all was well and I relaxed. Oops.

Now, truth be told, I am not salad-y, so I just basically eat the salad to get to the entree, which itself is just a gateway to dessert (if you ask me). When the salad came out, I was yammering on about something (most likely that lame lawsuit against McDonald's, which was a lively discussion at the table) and did not even really look at it. Everyone dove in all enthusiastically (I thought they just shared my hurry-thru-the-salad-to-get-closer-to-dessert philosophy, but people said it was really delicious). I tried mine and it tasted kind of foul. I thought I must not like goat cheese. I know I don't like blue cheese, and, although it looked like blue cheese, certainly smelled like it and for sure tasted like it, I still asked Dema (in picture with me) if it was blue cheese. We both decided that since the menu and the waitress said it was goat cheese it had to be goat cheese. I took another bite and decided there was no way something that tasted like that came out of a sweet little old goat. I pulled the waitress away from some other non-celiac table where she was taking orders (my apologies to those random not-in-any-danger people) and asked her to take a look. Much to our chagrin, it was, indeed, the dreaded blue cheese (insert dramatic duhn-duhn-DUHN). Sigh. Of course, I freaked out, got the manager, the waitress, the cooks and the very nice event planner all involved. I was very upset and explained the situation and the chef said that blue cheese is always GF. EEP! Well, I explained that, regardless of what they thought, we still ordered goat cheese, they printed goat cheese, we were told goat cheese and I don't want any of my members to worry about anything when they come to an event. There are a lot of varying views on what is actually gluten-free and we do not want controversy at a nice dinner. I explained that this was not the regular crowd, it had newly diagnosed celiacs, new members and a visiting member from another group. It was very important that the supper club maintains its stellar reputation for safe and fun dining, safe being the key word!!! They said they understood and would explain to everyone what happened and their responsibility in this "salad incident".

Everyone was done with their salads by this point, so there was the decision of what to do. I decided to press on and finish the meal anyway hoping that the members would still trust me and I would not have to fear a revolt or be overthrown or anything. Lauren apologized, told the table that it is in no way my fault, though that was not nearly as on my mind as everyone cursing me when they were sick later, no matter whose fault. She also came out with $25 gift certificates for all. I still lost it and had to go regroup in the ladies' room for a minute.

Everyone at the table was understanding and wonderful and I had the waitress give me a lovely glass of wine to calm my frazzled nerves. WHEW! I was about at my limit, but then the food came and I forgot about it (sort of, poor Dema, who sat next to me, had to hear me freak out for about 1/2 an hour). I think (hope) everyone still had a lovely time and enjoyed dinner.

It turned out that Lauren took the container of blue cheese, looked it up on the internet and it IS gluten free. She printed out the information and brought it to us at the end of the meal. She again expressed her regret and also her relief and we kind of joked about it a little. Thanks to the wine! They also separated the checks for us, which they usually do not do, and we got to keep the gift certs. I was a bit disappointed that they were not more alarmed, but since we do not go into shock and they do not see the effects, I guess it is not as worrysome as a nut allergy or something more severe. It did end up being a perfectly lovely evening and a wonderful dinner that I have made plans to enjoy again with family very soon. There was some lively chatter and all of the feedback regarding the atmosphere, the food and how the management handled the "salad incident" was positive. Whew!

I think everyone had fun and I hope that everyone returns for the next MetroCeliac Supper Club meeting!

We have a cooking class coming up for our May meeting and the supper club date and locale is still TBA. I prepared a new packet of information to share with the restaurants, one that better outlines our needs and our goals longer-term. I hope that the additional information will make it even easier and more fun and persuade the places we visit to offer celiac-designated options on their menus. Til next month, Bon Apetit!

MetroCeliacs March Meeting - U of C Michelle Melin-Rogovin

2006-04-05T12:16:00.000-05:00

The MetroCeliacs were proud to have Michelle Melin-Rogovin from the U of C celiac disease program (www.celiacdisease.net) come speak to our group for our March meeting. The meeting was a wonderful success. The following information about the program is taken directly from their website and then the notes from the meeting were taken by Amy Rousseau (thanks SO much, Amy!)

The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program (http://www.uchospitals.edu/specialties/celiac/) is dedicated to raising diagnosis rates and meeting the critical needs of people affected by celiac disease through education, research and advocacy.

Their celiac disease information line provides expert help with questions regarding symptoms, testing, diagnosis and procedures.

Call Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. central time (773) 702-7593. Most calls will be answered immediately, by a live person. Messages will be returned within 48 hours.

Michelle Melin-Rogovin is the Executive Director for the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program. She received her Master’s Degree in health policy and administration from the University of Chicago in 1992. Ms. Melin-Rogovin feels that her mission is to serve as a bridge between patients and doctors, helping empower patients so they can actively participate in health care decision making.

Michelle has 15 years of experience working with children and families facing chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Ms. Melin-Rogovin worked in health care public relations and as a consultant for the Abbott Laboratories Fund before joining the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program in 2001.

As Executive Director, Michelle works with Dr. Stefano Guandalini, the Program’s Board of Directors and volunteers to advance initiatives in research, medical education, patient services and public awareness. Ms. Melin-Rogovin also fundraises for every aspect of the program’s work and coordinates media outreach activities.

In 2003, Ms. Melin-Rogovin created an education program called Celiac Disease: Myths and Facts in order to educate the celiac community about the gold standard for diagnosing and treating celiac disease and encourage family members to be screened. She presented this lecture to audiences in 19 cities (14 states) and, as a result, the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program reached over 1,500 people in the communities where they live.

In 2004, she developed Taming Temptation: Practical Strategies for Maintaining a Gluten-Free Diet. The program addressed the fact that many celiacs would like to eat food containing gluten and some do. It also reinforced the need for regular follow-up testing, which is offered infrequently by physicians. Michelle traveled to 22 cities in 11 states, reaching 2,000 people with this presentation.

U of C has one of two research teams in the world that is working to understand the nature of the immune system in the gut and the earliest response of the intestine to the presence of gluten. The principal investigators on this research project include Dr. Stefano Guandalini, founder of the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program. Research is currently underway in their dedicated celiac disease laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Bana Jabri, a pathologist and world-renown celiac researcher. Patients who have biopsies for celiac disease at the University of Chicago may be eligible to participate in the research.

For more information about these programs, please call: (773) 702-7593. MIchelle is always willing to help answer questions and while we cannot summarize the meeting notes online, the hotline number is always an option. Please call her with any questions or wait for our meeting with the nutritionist coming up soon!

The meeting went really well. Michelle discussed some of the questions submitted in advance by our members. Many of the questions had to do with labeling and with specific ingredients and foods. Michelle mentioned that we will need to address the nutritionist (we are bringing someone in this summer) about some of those questions, but she still answered a lot of them using information about the labeling laws. Michelle also provided some really great handouts about these new laws, the work U of C is involved in currently and other helpful information. If you would like copies of the handouts, call the hotline and ask for them. We are also grateful to Whole Foods for sponsoring us again and to everyone who brought treats. Those are always welcome and ever so appreciated!

Quarterly gf magazine- Gluten Free Living is a great resource magazine that offers great info on living gf. Web site, http://www.glutenfreeliving.com/

We had multiple questions about everything from liquor to our old favorite, modified food starch. Many of these can be answered by the new food labeling laws and the rest will be answered specifically in our meeting with the nutritionist this summer. Michelle really stressed how we all make our own choices and can believe what we choose to believe and are responsible for how we choose to live.

Thanks so much to Michelle and U of C for all they do and to Michelle for coming to speak to the MetroCeliacs. U of C has a really important event coming up soon, so please visit their website or click on the link to our calendar on yahoo to see all upcoming events. Thanks everyone for coming!

http://calendar.yahoo.com/metroceliacs

The Gang at the March O'Supper Club

2006-03-27T21:10:00.000-06:00

The dessert was just so good it deserved another post! Actually, I wanted to post pics of the whole gang as the other entry was not letting me add anything else. I get a little enthusiastic in my picture taking and in my posting, so this month requires more than one.

Telling a good story....that apparently went over very well.

Our one St. Pat's moment, the only order of corned beef and cabbage.....and everyone was happy about it. This is right before Carole did an Irish jig on the table.

We all had a great time eating and chatting and enjoying a night out with good food and a wonderful crowd.

TJ - after dinner when we were discussing all the steps he could take to make his place celiac-friendly. We discussed menu labeling and pastas and breads and desserts (desserts at length)....the whole gang seems pleased with the outcome and I hope to see everyone at April's Supper Club.

Thanks to all attendees and we look forward to seeing everyone next month!

March O' Supper Club Grace O'Malley's

2006-03-27T10:54:00.000-06:00

The MetroCeliacs Supper Club was held at Grace O'Malley's in the South Loop. We had such a great St. Patrick's Day celebration there last year that we had to re-visit it, a supper club first! TJ Bachmeyer and Jennifer Gillespie were just so easy to work with and so enthusiastic and eager to learn about celiac requirements and the hot-list of ingredients.

They offered a plethora of menu options, of course adding the St. Pat's staple of corned beef and cabbage. TJ called me and emailed me repeatedly with questions, options and suggestions. They were quite invested in making our experience safe, fun and delicious. TJ was willing to discuss permanent menu changes to reflect celiac-friendly and celiac-adaptable options. He also asked about gluten-free desserts and breads and pastas. My fingers are crossed that he will be one of the first to change their menu a bit to make it permanently celiac-friendly. If so, that will be a major accomplishment for our supper club! I gratefully provided him with suggestions and resources.

We had a wonderful turnout, even had one last minute attendee, Nicole, who became a member that afternoon. As usual, we had some non-celiacs attend the festivities, as friends and family are always welcome. Steve watched them drink their beer with his mouth watering, so we may be counting on him in future events to help us enlighten the restaurants on the different GF beers available to us so we can participate in the libations.

Grace O'Malley's is from the folks behind Chicago Firehouse and the Wabash Tap. Named after the legendary Irish Noblewoman turned chieftan and pirate (and who does not love a noble lady chieftan and pirate? Argh!), the woody restaurant and saloon features Irish pub favorites as well as more upscale fare. High tables and stools line the lively front bar area and make for prime dining space, while a loft-like opening over the bar brightens up the wood-clad interior. Rich woodwork and several booths beckon in the more intimate back dining room, where our event was held. The room was intimate, yet with a really lively atmosphere helped along by the party seated next to ours. CHIC (cute hats in Chicago) is a dining club of ladies with big, ornate, unique hats in all colors and with much adornment. They were fun to chat with and were a pretty feisty bunch, much like us.

As mentioned, TJ and Jennifer worked tirelessly on the menu, even adding creme brulee as they heard it was a crowd-pleaser (or, um, because I love it). The food was everything we expected it would be and more. The desserts even surpassed last year. We had pretty evenly dispersed menu selections among the group and everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. I was o'pleased that they added the corned beef and cabbage to stick to the St. Pat's theme and was very happy to try both desserts. Everything was just delicious.

Here is the menu:

Appetizers

Shrimp Skewers

Sauteed Calamari

Salad

Chunky Vegetable

Main

New York Strip

Blackened Tilapia

Chicken with Wilted Spinach

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Dessert

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Creme Brulee

Overall, It was an awesome evening with great conversation and great food. We always have a lovely time and our group is just so much fun and so upbeat that every experience makes me look forward to the next one. Our thanks to the staff of Grace O'Malley's. For those coming downtown to the museums or the South Loop area, I highly recommend checking it out.

We look forward to seeing everyone next month and...

For additional pictures, please go to the link below.

http://msnusers.com/metroceliacs

contact us at: MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com

Thanks to TJ and Jennifer and all the attendees for making it such a fun event.

Jenny and Tanya

MetroCeliacs - Chicago

February MetroCeliac Supper Club - Bistro 110

2006-02-28T13:37:00.000-06:00

Happy February, the month of love,

The month of love, the language of love, of course, a french bistro! Time to break all resolutions, or at least any that include giving up creme brulee. Since French is the language of love, in this, the month of Valentine's Day, we went French, to Bistro 110. It is described on Metromix as..."Part of the Levy Restaurant Group, Bistro 110 is often recommended to out-of-towners by Chicago concierges, but it's not a tourist trap. The menu features French-influenced cuisine. Velvet hats join loud artwork and a news board as well as wall hangings in the informal dining room. The restaurant overlooks the park adjacent to the city's historic Water Tower".

We wanted a french bistro and had heard good things about the food and quaint atmosphere of Bistro 110. I was a bit nervous as this is a restaurant owned by the Levy Group, a larger company with nothing to really gain by accommodating a small group with dietary restrictions. While it is nice to have a great relationship with smaller communities, it is not completely necessary to go out of one's way when business is constantly flowing from the tourism trade on the Mag Mile. Nicole Wexner is the party coordinator at Bistro and was very enthusiastic about hosting our event.

Well, I got the menu and was not really all that thrilled. Two of the dishes were exactly the same descriptions, but with two different kinds of fish. I have not really been in this position before, so I was unsure how to address that without sounding ungrateful. I sent Nicole an email and prepared for the worst. We then had some issues with me signing a contract committing me to a certain number of guests and a financial commitment. I addressed both of these issues with Nicole. To my surprise, she and the chef immediately and without discussion whipped up a new menu for me, allowed me to add Nicole to the evite so she could see the count herself, thereby extricating me from the contractual obligation...and the problems were easily solved. Whew. A very easy and pleasant resolution.

On to the evening. Every member who responded showed up, thankfully. There were new people as well as some favorite regulars and some non-celiacs, some couples and overall a fantastic, fun, loud, entertaining group of MetroCeliacs!

Once we were seated in the side dining room, the bright but muted colors and the lighting made our experience exciting and the energy in the room was palpable. The food was even more delicious than it was described in our menu. The presentation was artistic but simple and colorful, similar to the feel of the restaurant. Everyone raved about the food and its presentation. And can we talk about the creme brulee. It was so rich and creamy that even a diehard fan like myself could not finish it off without help.

Our waiter was probably the best waiter we have had to date. He took pictures for us, kept everyone's orders straight and even gave us all separate bills. The timing of the meals and the speed with which he honored everyone's requests made everything seem effortless. Only after I left did I realize just how amazing he was. I never asked for anything twice; I never asked for a refill of my drink; my dessert came with a spoon; and he anticipated everything else that is normally requested throughout the course of a meal.

Kudos to the fine staff and chef at Bistro 110. They gave us a delicious meal and a pleasurable experience overall.

Here is the menu, remember I mentioned that it was more delicious after you see the presentation and taste it for yourself:

First Course Selection
Bistro Salad - Organic mesclun greens tossed with a sherry vinaigrette
Carrot and Ginger Soup
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Entree(s)
Roasted chicken - served with roasted knob onion, fennel, asparagus, tomato, zucchini, lemon wedges
Tilapia - Served with creme fraiche mashed potatoes and mushrooms.
Wood Oven Roasted Pork - Pork porterhouse on crème fraiche mashed potatoes, broccolini and Armagnac prune sauce
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dessert
La Fameuse Creme Brulee du Bistro 110
Glaces ou Sorbets-Ice Cream or Fresh Fruit Sorbet

Freshly brewed Coffee, Tea, Fountain Sodas and Bottled Water

With such a great turnout and after having such a great time, I am really excited about the whole Supper Club experience and look forward to each and every event we are planning for this year.

Thanks Nicole and the generous and competent staff at Bistro 110. If you are out shopping or looking for a nice downtown restaurant with a cozy and warm atmosphere, good food and staff that cannot be outdone anywhere, stop by Bistro, you will be happy you did!

Au Revoir!
Jenny and Tanya

February MetroCeliac Meeting, Hosting Gluten Free Passport

2006-02-28T11:47:00.000-06:00

February's meeting of the MetroCeliacs hosted Kim Koeller of Gluten Free Passport. I have recently traveled to Ireland and Tanya is going to soon be traveling to Europe, so this meeting ended up being rather timely for us. Before hosting the MetroCeliac Supper Club, both Tanya and I (and most celiacs) had experienced firsthand how difficult it could be to dine out safely, even here in America where there are no language barriers or cultural differences in cuisine. Traveling seems like it would be rather daunting, so it was a great find to meet Kim and Robert La France, her business partner, at a U of C event last year. We discussed our common desire to have a way to be as comfortable as possible when dining out and when traveling. Gluten Free Passport makes traveling much easier and more comfortable and it also discusses our responsibility as celiacs regarding these issues. She gave an impressive talk and power point presentation and addressed all of our fears related to these issues and offered statistics that put it all into perspective.

Gluten Free Passport collaborates with individuals and organizations on a global basis across a multitude of disciplines. These include culinary, research, medical, marketing, distribution, publishing and allergy related fields. This advisory structure ensures the applicability, relevancy and quality of their media products and services.

Kim Koeller, Founder and President, has been living with various food allergies and sensitivities for the past 30+ years. Her food-related allergies include gluten, seafood, dairy, fish, pork, food colorings, food additives/preservatives such as aspartame, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and sodium nitrate. In 2002, she was diagnosed with celiac/coeliac disease. She has extensively explored food allergies and Western/Eastern medicines and therapies due to her recovery from 12 orthopedic surgeries, three years of physical therapy and her multitude of food allergies.

For the past 23 years, Kim has spent typically 75% of her time traveling across the globe and eating approximately 80% of her meals in restaurants. The combination of Kim’s health concerns and her extensive domestic and international travels has provided her with a practical understanding of dining out with food allergies.

To that end, the passport to which the company refers, is a set of books and dining guides offered to celiacs. Let’s Eat Out! Your Passport to Living Gluten and Allergy Free is the first book dedicated to eating around the corner and around the world while managing ten food allergies including: corn, dairy, eggs, fish, gluten, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat. At last! A book that gives you the freedom to eat what you want, where you want and when you want with confidence and ease.

Let’s Eat Out! Your Passport to Living Gluten and Allergy Free provides you with everything from delicious menu items to order in 7 popular cuisines (American Steak and Seafood, Chinese, French, Indian, Italian, Mexican, and Thai) to which questions to ask in safely guiding your decisions.

Let’s Eat Out! (available on Amazon.com) offers you peace of mind with less effort, enabling you to have more fun. Inside you will find:

The collaborative process of dining out
An approach to eating outside the home
The restaurant approach to handling special dietary requests
7 international cuisines outlining traditional ingredients, gluten awareness, allergy & dining considerations and sample menus
175+ savory menu item descriptions and preparation requests
65+ ingredient and preparation technique descriptions with sample questions to ask
10+ allergen quick reference guides
130+ snack and light meal ideas
200+ breakfast and beverage suggestions
300+ multi-lingual phrases
50+ global airlines with special meal options
100+ product resources in 15 countries
180+ international organizations… All this and more to simplify your gluten and allergy-free lifestyle, Let’s Eat Out! also brings you the worldwide insights and expertise of:
15 chefs and culinary experts
10 health and medical professionals
20 celiacs/coeliacs and individuals impacted by food allergies

Kim discussed how we can establish and maintain a good working relationship with the restaurants in Chicago, which will help the MetroCeliac Supper Club, and also how we as celiacs can address our concerns appropriately when dining out. She really is an expert on her topic and her book(s) would be a great addition to any celiac library. I highly recommend checking out her website. It was a very beneficial meeting.

As a post script, she also told us about a successful beer fest, with around 16 vendors and people from all over, that took place in Europe when she was there. I hope she hosts one here in Chicago soon. I know a lot of interested parties, so to speak.

Our thanks to Gail at Sherwyn's for samples of some new bars and other tasty treats. Amy also contributed some tasty homemade pizza! Thanks Amy!

Our thanks as well to Kim and the Gluten Free Passport company for a successful and informative February meeting of the MetroCeliacs!

Jenny and Tanya

MetroCeliac January Supper Club - Mas

2006-02-28T10:13:00.000-06:00

The MetroCeliac Supper Club meets once a month at a new restaurant in Chicago. We contact restaurants and ask them if they are aware of celiac and its dietary needs and then we offer them a variety of resources to learn the ins and outs of cooking for celiacs. Our goal is to make Chicago chefs excited about learning a new skill and offering that new skill to the public at large. One day we hope that all menus will have options that are naturally celiac, and labeled that way, as well as other options that are specifically designed for us (breads, pastas and desserts, to name a few). We are trying to reach that goal one restaurant at a time...for now. After the chefs are aware of how to cook for us, we then decide what to cook for us. We set a menu, a price and a date and all the members have to do is show up ready to have a good meal and a good time. So far, it has been a wonderful success and 2006 looks to be continuing that tradition.

What a wonderful way to kick off the new year with style and a spicy flair! We chose Mas Restaurant 1670 W. Division Chicago, Illinois. The chef and the management went out of their way to learn what our restrictions are. They shared our philosophy about not focusing on what we cannot have, rather they focused on the myriad of things we CAN have. They took that concept and ran with it. Nothing bland for us here. We had an excellent crowd, evenly divided between celiacs and non-celiac friends of the group. The restaurant has an intimate charm and the various courses had an impressively stylish presentation. The flavors were unique, spicy, rich and bordering on decadent. Each dish offered something unique in flavor, texture and combination and each member of the group chose something different from each course as their favorite. Mas was a huge hit and I hope all celiacs who miss flavor and variety and a unique dining experience try this restaurant as the ultimate in celiac-friendly dining.

Mas is described by the local go-to website for Chicago socializing, Metromix, as "... a stylish eatery on the eastern fringe of Wicker Park that features ambitious Nuevo Latino cuisine. Sit with the trendy crowd in the front of the restaurant, where the picture window affords plenty of people-watching opportunities, or retreat to the more intimate dining area near the back of the restaurant, where your view will include the open kitchen." Mas restaurant, located in the heart of Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood, captures the true soul of Latin culture in a contemporary environment. With its own unique style of "Nuevo Latino" cuisine, Mas is radiant with authentic flavors that reflect the mosaic of the Latin landscape. Mas offers more spirit, more soul, more vibe.

Here is the menu (read on full stomach):

Primero(family style)
Ensalada
mixed greens, guajillo-candied pecans, roasted garlic and cilantro vinaigrette

Arranchera
grilled flank steak, eggplant escabiche, spiced goat cheese, cilantro, pesto

Ceviche Del Dia

Proximo(family style)
Legumbre
acorn and butternut squash, wild mushrooms, truffle risotto, pumpkin seed oil

Pollo
pan-roasted boneless chicken, fingerling potatoes, poblano rajas, aji amarillo sauce

Lombo
chile-cured pork tenderloin, white beans, truffle scented jus

Postresa
Bananas fried and covered in chocolate sauce with pistachios and cinnamon, vanilla bean ice cream

While dimly lit so that it was difficult to see what we were actually consuming, the food was wonderful, the staff attentive and so accommodating and the chef, who came out at least twice every course, was absolutely the best we could have hoped for. The whole experience is one you wish you could guarantee each and every supper club. Tanya and I consider this a spicy hot beginning of a wonderful 2006. Our thanks to Mas and to all who attended the event!

January MetroCeliac Meeting, Hosting Enjoy Life Foods

2006-02-27T13:17:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year MetroCeliacs and Friends!

We are so excited to be kicking off the New Year as we have a new schedule of speakers as well as many new restaurants for the MetroCeliac Supper Club. The January meeting focused on a local vendor of gluten and allergen free (and delicious) products. The company is called Enjoy Life Foods.

The MetroCeliacs were very excited to have Scott Mandell, the founder of Enjoy Life Foods, come to our first meeting of 2006. We met at Whole Foods on Ashland on January 17. Scott brought a few samples and talked about how Enjoy Life Foods came into being. The process started as a Graduate Class project and grew to an actual gluten and allergen free company that produces cookies, cereals and bars. In addition to Enjoy Life Foods, they have acquired a new branch company called Perky's. This adds a line of "Cheerio-like" cereals that are quite tasty and stood up to actually being in a bowl of milk. It was a fresh taste, lots of flavor, but not so sugary that it leaves that cereal taste in your mouth... we all tried samples and loved them.

We listened to the story of how Enjoy Life came to life, then Scott graciously allowed us to brainstorm products that a Celiac community would like added to the shelves... from pie crusts, to graham crackers, bread crumbs, better pastas, FLOUR TORTILLAS, various flours (manioc-brazilian kind like a Chebe), quick & easy mixes... and more. Enjoy Life Foods has several things in the works, so keep your eyes open!

Also, Scott mentioned the difference with the Enjoy Life Foods manufacturing and the Perky's... Enjoy Life Foods facility is free of the gluten and the top allergens and Perky's, is gluten and nut free, but not made in an allergen free facility.

Here is some information from the man himself:
Enjoy Life Foods products are formulated to be gluten-free and free of the 8 most common allergens. Our products are manufactured in a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free bakery. Our ingredient suppliers are required to complete non-contamination certificates. Ingredients are additionally tested for casein, gluten , peanut , and soy protein. Equipment is cleaned thoroughly after product and flavor changes. Enjoy Life employees understand the severity of food allergies and intolerances, and take every precaution to protect our customers.

Finding safe, gluten-free products just got easier! Look for the new GF symbol on food packaging. The GF symbol identifies products that are free of gluten and possible cross-contamination.

Who came up with such a brilliant idea? The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), a program of the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG). The GFCO uses the highest standards for gluten-free ingredients and safe processing environments. In fact, its standards exceed the requirements of current government laws and regulations.

Enjoy Life is proud to be the first food manufacturer to be certified by the GFCO supervision program. We are happy to provide the extra convenience and safety assurance this certification brings.

To learn more about the GFCO please visit, http://www.gfco.org.

OUR PRODUCTS CONTAIN NO:
wheat/gluten
dairy/casein
peanuts
tree nuts
egg
soy
fish
shellfish

Also made without other common triggers of intolerance:
corn, casein, potato, sulfites or sesame.

http://enjoylifefoods.com/index.asp

We really enjoyed sampling his products, listening to the history of the company, finding out what they are going to come up with next and of course, making suggestions for things we would like to see in the future!

Thanks to Whole Foods on Ashland www.wholefoods.com for their support in letting us use their meeting room to host our New Year Kickoff!