email this page“People with allergies often feel deprived if they can’t eat what is offered in restaurants and at parties,” says Mariah Justice, owner of Wild Wood Art Café in Austin, Texas. “We make gluten-free foods that are so good almost everyone likes them better than ordinary wheat-filled items. Many of our customers don’t even know we’re a gluten-free restaurant.”
Justice created a cupcake for people like herself who can’t tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Her version uses rice flour and, as a bonus, nonhydrogenated safflower oil, which contains no trans fats. It’s also dairy-free.
At Soul Dog Restaurant and Bakery in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., owners Jenny and Adam Teague turned their frustration as parents of children with multiple allergies into inspiration for gluten-free treats. They offer favorites like gluten-free hot dogs (with 25 possible toppings), pizza, and macaroni and cheese. Tasty bakery items for people with food allergies—and everyone else—include chocolate chip cookies, brownies and coffeecakes. The Teagues bake bread with a chickpea-based flour and enjoy creating custom birthday cakes.
“No one cares that all our food is gluten-free. It’s so good customers can’t tell the difference,” says Adam Teague.
Gluten-free products—from soups to desserts—are available on the Internet and in specialty grocery stores, but Justice cautions consumers to read labels carefully. Gluten is an ingredient in many products, including Worcestershire and soy sauces.
Alternative food options—the main means of controlling lifelong food allergy conditions—are steadily increasing. And the healthful reinventions are good enough for everyone to enjoy.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a mixture of proteins found in wheat, rye and barley flours. It’s the gluten that gives bread its elasticity and cakes their spring. For 3 million people in the United States, gluten causes problems. Their immune systems respond to gluten by damaging the fingerlike villi of the small intestine, where food is absorbed. When the villi are damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to malnourishment, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, thyroid disease and cancer. If you’re avoiding gluten products, try these alternatives: corn, millet, buckwheat, rice, quinoa or amaranth. Bob’s Red Mill, whose products are widely available, makes gluten-free flours, such as the ones we’ve used here.
Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes
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These gluten-free pancakes are not fluffy, but rather like thick crepes. You can find tapioca flour at most supermarkets next to the flours.
Ingredients
1 egg
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop 1⁄4 cup batter per pancake into skillet and cook until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with maple syrup and bananas or confectioners’ sugar; or spread with strawberry cream cheese and roll up. Serves 4.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Donna Klein’s The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen (Penguin, 2007).
"Going without the Grain," Relish the Healthy Table, March 2008
Soul Dog Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are some of the best chocolate chip cookies we’ve ever had. No one will know (or care) they’re gluten-free.
Ingredients
Soul Dog substitutes this mix cup for cup for wheat flour, except in bread recipes. Look for xanthan gum next to the specialty flours.
21⁄3 cups chickpea flour
2⁄3 cup cornstarch
¼ cup sugar
3½ teaspoons xanthan gum
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1. Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.
1 cup canola oil
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1⁄3 cups Gluten-Free Baking Mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
2. Combine oil and sugar in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until creamy. Add vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low and gradually add baking mix, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Drop by level tablespoons or small ice cream scoop 2 inches apart onto baking sheet. Flatten slightly.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen.
Relish the Healthy Table," Going without the Grain," March 2008.
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