Gluten, Beware

Celiacs can call on Philly for support.

by Lydia Navatsyk

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Published: Sep 18, 2007

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Alice Bast carries her own soy sauce wherever she goes. But she's not just another overzealous foodie — she has the autoimmune digestive disorder called celiac disease, which causes the body to react adversely to gluten. If you're thinking that means Bast can't eat bread, you're only partially right: Gluten, a mixture of proteins found in wheat, rye and barley, shows up in all sorts of products, including beer, salad dressings, malt vinegar, licorice and, yes, soy sauce.

For Bast, finding out she was a celiac was a relief — she experienced years of suffering and visited 23 doctors before she got the right diagnosis. (Common symptoms include diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, migraines, anemia and weight loss.) Today, she is the executive director of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (celiaccentral.org), an Ambler-based organization dedicated to helping people get diagnosed on their first trip to the doctor.

But while the realization may be a relief for some, it's altogether dismal for others. Karen Dalrymple, who chairs the Greater Philadelphia Celiac Support Group that meets in Abington (philaceliacgroup.netfirms.com), says recently diagnosed celiacs often react by becoming angry or depressed. "It turns your world upside down," says Dalrymple, who was diagnosed at age 47. "It's a lifestyle change."

Still, Bast maintains that such a change doesn't have to focus on the "cannots." When shopping, Bast advises, don't focus so much on typical carbohydrates that you miss out on safe choices like fruits, vegetables and gluten-free grains and flour. She also suggests concentrating on cuisines, like Mexican, that are largely gluten-free. African, Asian and South American cultures also cook with celiac-friendly grains like millet, sorghum, rice and quinoa. Flour alternatives include corn, rice, tapioca, potato and nut flours like almond and hazelnut.

Even if cooking gluten-free is manageable for some, going out to eat may still seem daunting. Bast recalls times when requesting gluten-free at a restaurant meant getting a chicken breast devoid of spice, flavor or garnish. Fortunately, chefs and restaurant owners are becoming more aware of the disease, and, thus, more accommodating.

Chef/owner Michael O'Halloran of Old City's Bistro 7 (7 N. Third St.), whose sister was recently diagnosed with celiac disease, avoids putting things like flour in the fryer, and keeps gluten-free starches like polenta and risotto on the menu. Patrice Rames of Bistro St. Tropez (2400 Market St.) and Patou (312 Market St.) tried the gluten-free diet for himself to become familiar with it.

Chef Anthony Goodwin of Bliss (224 S. Broad St.), who has spent the last six years experimenting with gluten-free cooking, recently participated in Philly's Gluten-Free Cooking Spree, one of five special events the NFCA organized across the country in 2007. The Spree, which took place June 23, teamed up local chefs and doctors to learn about gluten-free diets.

The novelty of cooking with new ingredients may have little appeal to a person craving a piece of pizza or a slice of chocolate cake now. But that's why God created gluten-free bakeries. Richard "Ritt" Gallo of Mr. Ritt's Bakery, which has locations in both Queen Village (709 E. Passyunk Ave., 215-627-3034) and in Millville, N.J. (212 E. Vine St., 856-825-8770), has spent the last eight years creating all sorts of gluten-free goodies and shipping them to customers across the country.

Gallo began cooking gluten-free after Ritt's co-owner, Paul Kelty, learned about celiac disease and persuaded Gallo to experiment. After six frustrating months of trying other people's recipes, Gallo began concocting his own. Mr. Ritt's offers more than 250 items, including artisan breads, cereal, pizza dough, pasta, cheesecake, muffins, tarts, cookies and even wedding cakes. With options like that, a positive diagnosis doesn't seem as dire.

"Once you're diagnosed, after two weeks, it gets better," says Bast of coming to grips with the disease. "Focus on what you can have — not what you can't."

(l_navatsyk@citypaper.net)

 

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