GLUTEN-FREE ON A SHOESTRING by Nicole Hunn
 | | GLUTEN-FREE on a Shoestring |
In this money-saving, gluten-free cookbook, Nicole Hunn provides readers with the skills they need to expand their cooking repertoire without breaking the bank. Created with the gluten-free family in mind, Hunn shares her money-saving secrets (how to build meals around naturally gluten-free foods and how to "piggyback" one dish off of another) and introduces the basic foods and kitchen equipment that readers really need (hint: there aren't very many). She also gives readers advice on how to stock their kitchen with the ingredients that are the most versatile for gluten-free cooking. You can read more and order through Living Without.
EASTER & PASSOVER IS COMING
This recipe is exactly what you've been looking for as a fun, interactive and TOTALLY yummy cookie, any time of year. Have fun and a happy holiday!
Ingredients:
¼ cup shortening (e.g. Earth Balance)
¼ cup canola oil
2/3 cup granulated cane sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup Jules Gluten Free all purpose flour*
½ tsp. salt
3 Tbs. water (as needed)
food coloring (optional)
colored sugar or frosting (optional - see below)
Directions: Cream shortening, sugar and oil several minutes with an electric mixer, until very fluffy. Add egg yolks, vanilla extract and food coloring. Mix in the dry ingredients, adding in tablespoons of water as needed to keep the dough together and avoid dryness (err on the side of this dough being wetter so that after refrigeration, it's not too dry). Pat the dough into a disc shape, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough until very cold, at least 3-5 hours (overnight is best).
Preheat oven to 350 F (static) or 325 F (convection).
Lightly flour a clean rolling surface with Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. Roll the dough to approximately 1/8 inch thickness and dust cookie cutters with flour before using to cut out shapes. You may also roll thin coils of dough of different colors and braid into candy cane or other fun shapes.
Place cookies onto parchment-lined (or greased) cookie sheets and decorate with colored sugar, if desired. Bake approximately 8-10 minutes, or until they begin to lightly brown at the edges. Cool on a cooling rack and frost with gluten-free frosting, if desired.
Basic (but yummy) Frosting
This frosting works wonderfully for cookies or cakes, made chocolate or vanilla or any other flavor you can devise. It is fast, easy, cheap and has always been gluten-free. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract (may use peppermint, orange, almond or other extract in the alternative)
Milk (dairy or non-dairy), fruit juice, liqueur
2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder (only if making chocolate frosting)
pinch of salt
Directions: Whisk together the sugar (and cocoa if using), extract and liquid by gradually adding the liquid, a teaspoon or so at a time. Continue adding liquid until the frosting is the consistency you need for your dessert. The thinner the frosting, the better if you are drizzling it over a cake or cookie; the thicker it is, the better if you want to have a firmer coating.
Researchers Find Differences in Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity Molecular-Level Differences Change Immune Response - Published : Thursday, 10 Mar 2011, 5:02 PM CST by Shelby Capacio / FOX 9 News
Researchers at the University of Maryland say they have proven that gluten sensitivity is different from celiac disease.
According to a research published online in BMC Medicine, scientific evidence shows a difference at the molecular level and in the response elicited from the immune system; however, it also shows that both are part of a spectrum of gluten-related disorders.
Dr. Alessio Fasano, professor of pediatrics, medicine and physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of the Center for Celiac Research, said that the differences were seen in intestinal complications and genes that regulate immune response in the digestive tract.
Click to read more.
NO LINK BETWEEN CELIAC DISEASE, MALE INFERTILITY
By Genevra Pittman (Reuters Health) - Mar 4, 2011
Men with celiac disease are no more likely to suffer from infertility than men without the condition, which makes people intolerant to gluten, suggests a new study from Sweden.
Researchers say the finding is reassuring in light of previous research on the reproductive health of men and women with celiac disease.
VENICE BAKING EXPANDS INTO THE GF MARKET
 Venice Baking Company, one of the country's largest family-owned pizza manufacturing companies since 1950, has recently expanded into the gluten-free market, supplying the food service industry, grocery stores and supermarkets, as well as restaurants and pizza chains across America. Venice Baking Company offers a full line of gluten-free crusts including original and seasoned, all vacuum-sealed for maximum shelf life. Now you can have these great-tasting pizza crusts delivered to your doorstep. Click for more information.
CLADRIBINE TREATMENT PROMISING FOR TYPE II REFRACTORY CELIAC DISEASE
By Jefferson Adams Published 03/25/2011
A group of researchers recently set out to evaluate cladribine [2-chlorodeoxyadenosine (2-CdA)] therapy in refractory celiac disease (RCD) Ⅱ. New study on cladribine treatment for Type II Refractory celiac disease. Click to Read More.
CELIAC DISEASE "MODESTLY" LINKED TO HEART DISEASE AND ASTHMA By Diana Gitig Ph.D. Published 03/21/2011
Two recent population-based studies, both performed in Sweden by Dr. Jonas Ludvigsson, have concluded that people who have had biopsies that reveal villous atrophy are at increased risk of both ischemic heart disease and asthma. Also noted was that vitamin D deficiency can play a causative role in both diseases, and should be assessed on both celiac patients and asthmatics. Click to Read More.
ANOTHER GLUTEN-FREE BEER:Green's Belgian Ales has three different flavors. More info can be found at their website: http://merchantduvin.com/
TAX ANNOUNCEMENT:
Thanks to CSA efforts, the Internal Revenue Service will review changing the instructions for special diets in the next revision of Medical Deductions Publication (Pub 502).The IRS letter states that those who must adhere to a strict non-gluten diet may deduct the excess expenses of special food. The IRS letter, in response to CSA's request, affirms deductions may be claimed by a taxpayer who can establish a medical purpose for a special diet, such as through a physician's diagnosis, and can establish the extent to which buying diet specific foods exceeds the cost pertaining to the basic dietary needs of those who do not have specific medically required diets on 1040 Schedule A Medical Deductions. Read more at: http://www.csaceliacs.org.
(Includes a sample Food Expense Log.)
COMMENT BY DARIA ON CONTROVERSIAL POST ON FACEBOOK:
Are we idiots? A waiter claiming to be a chef, who posts on face book that he put gluten in the food he served to patrons. He then claimed to wait and see what happens after they ate gluten. He called all celiacs "idiots." From his face book page: "Gluten free is bullXXX!! Flour and bread have been a staple of life for thousands..."
Obviously, he has NO CLUE ABOUT CELIAC DISEASE. First of all, not everyone has an immediate reaction to gluten. Maybe he would like to be present in someone's bathroom in the middle of the night after eating gluten. Maybe he would like to be present when a child is vomiting and having diarrhea 4 hours after ingestion of gluten. Maybe he would like to be in a hospital room when there is a celiac dying of cancer!!!
He claimed all this, BUT, after some investigation, the real chefs/owners of these restaurants say he was just a waiter and did nothing to prepare the food. So what have we learned from this? As I always told the group, when introducing a new restaurant, please give them a chance, and, speak firmly, but kindly to managers about food you have been served with gluten by mistake. Yes...sometimes there are mistakes made and most of the managers correct the problem immediately.
It is a shame that such an article can give the many good people in the restaurant business who genuinely try to help celiacs dine out a black eye and discourage their efforts. Hopefully, on a positive note, it will make owners/managers more vigilant of their staff and help us eat out safely.
Daria | 
