May 23, 2013

1 in 133 and a Really Big Cake

1 in 133 Project

1 in 133 Project

I just found out about a Really Big Deal. And a really big cake.

The 1 in 133 project aims to get the FDA to complete their assigned task of defining standards for gluten-free food labeling. These efforts will culminate with the Gluten Free Food Labeling Summit, in Washington, D.C. on May 4th, 2011. Most importantly, event sponsors intend to make the world’s largest gluten free cake. Count me in to help with the leftovers.

You. Can. Help.

How you ask?

  1. Donate some money. In increments of $11.33. Get it?
  2. Sign the petition.
  3. Send a letter to the FDA. This is really easy. 1 in 133 has set up the letter for you. All you have to do is fill out your information.
  4. Help increase awareness by putting a banner on your website or Facebook page. Or promote the project on Twitter.

So get busy and help the cause! There just may be some free cake in it for you.

 

Yes, Virginia, you can eat at a restaurant.

I hate going to restaurants. Especially when I’m traveling on business.

There you are with a bunch of peers from the office, partners, or customers and you get to interrupt the order taking process with a 17 minute grilling of the server.

Are your steaks marinated?

What else do you cook on the grill?

Am I going to die if I eat here?

What else is on the plate? Onion straws, fried items, sauces, condensed gluten dust?

Do you have any reason to want to harm me?

How exactly are your mashed potatoes prepared?

Is any pan coating spray used in preparation?

Are your sauteed vegetables prepared with oil, real butter, or a plastic facsimile of butter?

What seasonings are added to grilled items?

Have you sterilized your hands since last handling bread?

And so on…

Meanwhile, your business associates have either fainted from malnutrition or quietly left via the back door to find another restaurant.

But sometimes I am pleasantly surprised. This evening for instance. My hotel in Salt Lake City is right across the street from a Romano’s Macaroni Grill. Yep, a pasta place. Brilliant Tom. Let’s go try to eat there without getting sick. Maybe for dessert I could hit an Atlanta Bread Company or something.

Anyway, as there were no other choices within easy walking distance, I poked my head in and asked if by chance they had a gluten free menu. And yes, I was embarrassed to ask this question at a pasta place.

As a matter of fact they do – and it’s very well done. Unlike many companies who are more concerned with writing endless disclaimers than useful information, Romano’s offered a factual, current, and quite useful gluten free menu. In fact, their web site offers a PDF guide that covers about 8 different food sensitivity categories. You can find it here.

To make a long story short, I ordered a great meal and felt quite safe doing it. Check this out:

Macaroni Grill Gluten Free

Eating Gluten Free at Macaroni Grill

Strip steak.

Lightly sauteed spinach.

Roasted garlic cloves.

Fresh rosemary just for fun. And it smelled pretty.

Mmmmm.

I was impressed.

Kudo’s to Romano’s for doing a great job of communicating useful information about the food they serve and making it easy for us celiacs and other food sensitivity sufferers.

I’ll be back!


Truth or Consequences: Bottle Caps Candy

Willy Wonka Bottle Caps Candy

Willy Wonka Bottle Caps Candy

Wonka Bottle Caps

Are They Gluten Free?

___  Yes!
___   No!
___  I’m afraid to find out!

Hmmm. Tricky one…. Candy’s that are based on some mysterious powdery substance. They’re good, therefore you probably can’t eat them if you have celiac.
Post your answer and insights in the comments below!

Las manos de la muerte!

For those of you, like me, who don’t speak fluent Spanish, the translation is…

Hands of Death!

The picture below, forwarded my way by Michael at www.twitter.com/mikebogen, is pretty self explanatory.

Bread hand gloves of death

Bread Gloves of Death

Heh.

Yet another fine gluten free meal on the road…

McDonalds Quarter Pounder Flambe

McDonalds Quarter Pounder Flambe

Mmmm. Good.


Gluten free dining: How to interrogate your server

Disclaimer: The writers of Celiac Bites assume no liability for any consequences related to the use of enhanced server interrogation techniques outlined below.

Recently I wrote about Dying, I mean, Dining Out and the challenges of eating in restaurants safely. That got me thinking about the “usual” questions that I ask servers when I recklessly endanger my life eat out at restaurants. Here are a few ideas to get you started:image

  1. Do you have any reason to want to harm me? Did I pick on you or any of your friends when I was in kindergarten or grade school? I did not break your Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots game in 2nd grade.
  2. Does your meat/chicken/fish arrive pre-packaged or is it fresh?
  3. Did any of your chefs ever study under Dr. Kevorkian?
  4. Is there ANY type of marinade or seasoning that is added to your meat/chicken/seafood prior to cooking?
  5. What other items are cooked on the same grill or griddle? (If patty-melts are a house specialty, I would be pretty nervous about ordering a burger.)
  6. Are ANY seasonings besides 100% pure salt and pepper added during preparation?
  7. Have you ever worked for Senseo’s Consumer Hotline?
  8. Does your hamburger meat have any ingredients other than 100% pure meat? (Some have fillers!)
  9. Have you ever been convicted of manslaughter, second, or even first degree murder? Should you have been at any previous time in your life?
  10. What garnishes come on the plate?
  11. Are your salads prepared to order or made at the beginning of each shift? (To be sure croutons are not simply “picked off” a pre-made salad)
  12. Are we going to spend 10 or 20 minutes planning a perfect gluten free option for me only to have it delivered to the table with some random gluten-infested garnish on top like toastlets, fried onion crisps, or croutons? Because if that’s how you roll, I would like to know now rather than later.
  13. Are your vegetables cooked in any sort of broth or are there any seasonings other than salt or pepper added?
  14. Do you use real butter or a butter substitute?
  15. Do you chefs use spray pan coating on the grill, griddle, or pans? If so, does it contain flour or is it 100% oil based?
  16. Do you have any anger management issues that I should know about?

I would love to hear what y’all check for when dining out so please let me know!

Summertime Blues

Summertime BluesI’m out of donuts.

Aunt Rissy really needs to plan her quantities better! How can anyone expect me to make 20 donuts last five whole days? What, am I Jenny Craig or something?

If I wasn’t afraid she would smack me upside the head (yes, that’s kind of a southern thing) I would kindly suggest she make more next time.

If she’s on the internet tonight, this may be my last post.

Truth or Consequences: Vitamin Water

Vitamin Water

Vitamin Water

VitaminWater

Is it Gluten Free?

___  Yes!
___   No!
___  I’m afraid to find out!

OK, here’s one that’s a great example of things to always check out. I’ll give you some hints from the ingredients label. For example, Glaceau VitaminWater defense contains a bunch of serious and scary sounding ingredients, with the most suspicious being “natural flavors.”  Hmmm. That tells you a lot now doesn’t it?
Post your answer in the comments below.  We’ll let you know how you did!
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