QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q1. Beth... Hi! I was at Food Works in Old Saybrook, CT this afternoon, bought one of your products among some other things, and met someone who knows you, while standing at the cashier's counter. I told her I've been buying your products since I first was diagnosed more than a year ago after years of suffering with what was being called IBS and other conditions. I am finally healthy after years of suffering, ,and your products have made the change much more palatable. I guess you know how hard it is to live with celiac but it can be done. With newer and better products coming out everyday, it is getting easier. One out of every 133 people have this. I just noticed your products are being made by Glutino whom I have found to be coming up with some of the best breads I have had so far-- being too lazy to make my own. I use your mixes for muffins, brownies, that yummy chocolate cake, pancakes, biscuits, etc. You are quite right, the best way is strict adherence to a gluten-free diet as much as possible. Things like vanilla, salad dressings or a small amount of soy sauce don't bother me, but neither can I cheat with pies, cakes or pizza-- learning to live without those things is difficult, I can imagine it must be impossible for a child- as is going out for dinner. Learning to travel or go to parties with my own food is a challenge and I have yet to find a good tasting pasta substitute. Have you? I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the work you have done to make these products. Thanks again, Sybil

A1. Dear Sybil, Thank you for your lovely note. Of course, you realize you are preaching to the choir. At the same time, it is great to have reinforcements when I tell people they cannot cheat and stay healthy. As for pasta, we alternate between the Dr. Schar pasta which is now back in stock on our web site: www.glutenfree.com and Tinkyada pasta. My favorite is the penne and the spaghetti from both companies. In the fall and winter, I think I serve one or the other 2-3 times a week. Here are the numbers on the web site in case you want to take a look: Dr. Schar Penne (#304006) Dr. Schar Spaghetti (#304009) Tinkayada Penne (#954014 Tinkayada Spaghetti (#954017)

Q2. My husband has celiac disease. If I stuff a turkey with regular bread stuffing will he still be able to eat the meat without a problem? Thanks. Marilyn Schnick

A2. Dear Marilyn, I wouldn’t recommend serving turkey with regular stuffing to someone with celiac disease. There is quite a high likelihood that some of the gluten will leach into the meat. However, why not make a stuffing with gluten-free bread? It’s really delicious and can be served to the entire gathering. We do it every Thanksgiving. Alternatively, you can bake two kinds of the stuffing outside the bird. That will also keep everyone happy. Hope that helps. Beth

Q3. I can't tell you how much help I have received with your newsletter. The questions and answers are often many of my own cincerns. My question is how and where do I go to start a support group in my area? I know there are a lot of us Celiacs out there and we all have a little bit of knowledge to help the ones just learning. One thing I have learned that has helped with my eating Italian and pasta dishes out is to take a bag of my own gluten-free pasta in a plastic bag and give it to my server to ask the chef to prepare for me. That way, I am not left out when dining out with friends. Norma

A3. Dear Norma, I’m delighted that you are finding our newsletter helpful. What a wonderful thing you are doing by organizing a local support group. You will be providing a helpful resource for many people. As for starting a group, you can put a flyer up in offices of local doctors, dietitians, and hospitals. In addition, if there is a good natural food store or grocery store in your vicinity, they may allow you to post something. In fact, they may have a space where you can hold your meetings. You can also encourage them to carry a broader range of gluten-free items to help families. It’s a win-win. At some point, you may want to affiliate with one of the umbrella groups (CSA, GIG or CDF) but that is not necessary to start. CSA’s philosophy differs greatly from that of GIG and CDF so you may want to see which organization best fits your members’ needs. Here are their web sites. CDF http://www.celiac.org/ GIG http://www.gluten.net/ CSA http://www.csaceliacs.org/ In addition, I’m glad you are able to enjoy gluten-free pasta in restaurants. Just be sure that the kitchen uses a clean pot of water and strainer when making your pasta. Enjoy! Beth

Q4. You noted previously that readers were asking for alternatives to chickpea flour: I have a suggestion for an alternative to chickpea flour. I keep all of Bette Hagman's flour mixes on hand at home. However, I am allergic to chickpeas, so I use black bean flour instead. Black bean flour is available at Asian markets, costing approximately $2.50 for a 1 pound bag. The Asian black bean is similar to a black turtle bean. I substitute the same quantity of black bean flour for chickpea flour, with great results. One note of advice: black beans do not absorb as much liquid as chickpeas, so you may sometimes need to reduce the amount of liquid in your recipe. I judge by texture, asking myself, "Is this batter the same consistency as a typical (cake, cookie, muffin, etc) batter?"

A4. Thanks so much for those helpful tips. Beth

Q5. Sunshine Burgers are gluten-free and soy free and are wonderful. I believe there are 3 varieties but the store where I buy them only carries 2. Nancy

A5. Dear Nancy, Thank you for the information. We’ll pass it on. Beth

Q6. In your newsletter from August 3rd (I think) a recipe was provided for crackers that were supposed to be close to the taste of Goldfish Crackers. I made the recipe, and I have to tell you that they are almost EXACTLY like the goldfish or cheezitz crackers. Thank you so very much for continuing to provide comparable recipes so that my daughter can enjoy all the foods she misses! Glenda Short

A6. Dear Glenda, I’m so glad to get your feedback. Beth

Q7. In your recipe for the Unbaked Blueberry Pie with No-Roll Pie Crust (8/10/07), do you have a substitute for the almond flour? I'm highly allergic to tree nuts and the almond flour would really ruin my day. My wife (the cook) and I really enjoy your newsletters and the products we have ordered from you. Thanks. Hugh Zeiner

A7. Dear Hugh, So glad you are enjoying our newsletter. You could substitute additional chickpea flour in the same quantity as the almond flour. That should work fine. Beth

Q8. Does anyone make a gluten-free ready made pie crust? If not - come on all you gluten-free companies! The holidays are just around the corner and what a time saver this would be for all us working moms! Any info would be appreciated. Many thanks. Margaret Walker

A8. Dear Margaret, I believe there are a few ready-made pie crusts available. I think Sherrie’s Gluten-free Foods, Gillians, and Natural Feast all make them. However, I do not know how they are distributed. You could check with the natural food store in your area. Beth