if you give a mouse a gluten free cookie...

this post has been floating around in my head for quite some time, slowly taking form and gathering mass.  eating over at friends and families houses has been something that i miss tremendously.  i've managed it a few times, but i get very anxious and i make sure that i eat before, which kind of defeats the purpose of eating socially.  potlucks are even scarier!  i can't school everyone on gluten free baking and cooking and i can't give every dish the third degree.

two winters ago i visited my family in michigan.  it was my first time as a super sensitive, fully gluten free kid going to my mom and dad's houses.  i hadn't had any real conversations with either of them about how to feed me while i was there.  i was crazy nervous and scared that i was going to get sick and ruin the first christmas that i'd been able to spend with them in a long time.  fortunately, both of my parents went above and beyond what i expected, and that felt very good.  my dad had gluten free chocolate chip cookie and pancake mixes.  he made sure all of his dishes were clean, and then had me wash things, like cookie sheets and pans, a second time with a designated washcloth.  my mom bought a gluten free beef stroganoff mix and a box mix for pizza crust.  it was nice cooking and baking with each of them and it was less stressful than i had anticipated.  neither of them had been schooled in gluten free cooking in a gluten containing house, but they both put effort into shopping and coming up with a few things for us to make together while i was there.  the pizza my mom and i made served double duty.  the next day was a family christmas party, where they always order pizza.  i didn't want to make my grandparents go out of the way to feed me, or worry that i wouldn't have enough to eat.  thanks to my mom, i had leftover pizza to eat with everyone else!  there were chips and plain vegetables and even one of my aunt's desserts was was incidentally gluten free.  i was able to focus on my family instead of on food.

now, back to the title of this post:

...he's going to want to know every ingredient that went into it!

the first step to cooking gluten free is knowing what foods contain gluten and which ones are safe.  gluten is in wheat, barely, rye, and sometimes oats.  there are many tricky names that these items go by in processed foods.  here are a few words to watch out for: food starch (wheat and modified are bad while corn and potato are okay), glucose syrup, flour, durum, bulgar, spelt, couscous, seitan, bran, malt, caramel, monosodium glutamate/msg, semolina, seasonings/spices, binders/thickeners/fillers.

but really, who wants to eat all this processed food anyway?!  wouldn't it just be best to eat food that is food and not ambiguous big words meant to confuse people?  so, you ask, what can she eat when she's at my house?  whole foods are all safe!  all fruit, vegetables, legumes and meat in their unprocessed forms are safe.  frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are safe as long as the ingredient list is checked for the words above.  dried and canned beans are safe with a quick label scan.  almost all rices are safe including white, enriched, brown, wild, and sticky.  i have yet to actually encounter the infamous glutinous rice that is glutinous in deed and not just name.  tofu is safe, unless it is seasoned in soy sauce.  processed meats, like sausages, can be tricky.  i scour their labels and don't buy anything that looks suspicious or has a product by the same brand that clearly contains gluten.

...he's going to want to know if you prevented cross contamination!

most people and dishwashers get dishes clean enough to be safe for someone who is gluten free.  the ones that are of concern: things made from wood, like spoons, cutting boards and rolling pins; things made from iron, like cast iron pans and traditional woks; things that are difficult to clean, like blenders, strainers/colanders, and waffle irons.  these things may come in contact with gluten in your kitchen and cause cross contamination even if they are clean.

other causes for cross contamination include grains that are processed together, oil in deep fryers, pans that are generally used for baking, grill grates (a good scrubbing and a high heat clean them well), or simultaneously cooking gluten containing dishes at the same time.  also, it was recently brought to my attention that the stickers on produce are generally rice paper stuck on with gluten.  though i haven't had any noticeable issues, i make sure to wash my produce before eating it.

basic tips for cooking for your gluten free friends and family:

if you aren't sure, just ask!

personally, i don't mind getting called on the phone or text messaged repeatedly when you are at the grocery store.  in fact, this happened a lot in the beginning with ash and i.  instead of causing annoyance it gives me reassurance that you are being very careful and reading every label.  if you want to cook a meal with alternatives to gluten ingredients (gravies, cookies, noodles, bread, etc) it might be easiest to ask your friend what their favorite brands or recipes are.

suggest they bring a dish!

this way, you get to try something new, and they know that it is safe for them to eat.  it could also relieve the pressures of a certain course, like dessert or drinks, allowing you to focus on the rest of the meal and having a good time.

avoid sauces by seasoning with fresh or dried herbs!

sauces, just like other processed foods, often contain hidden gluten ingredients.  if the pre-made sauce isn't clearly labeled gluten free, then don't use it without first asking a discerning gluten free mouse.

make the dishes you want to!

you friend wants to come eat food with you and have a good time.  beyond having a few things they might not like, they probably are no pickier than yourself.  if they have other allergies or sensitivities, it is there job to let you know.

do a little research!

the internet has a vast wealth of resources for gluten free cooking.  there are many wonderful blogs and websites offering recipes and tips.  even the cookbooks you already have are filled with recipes that are naturally gluten free or easily adaptable.

keep it simple!

using fresh and minimally processed ingredients, makes a better meal in my opinion, and keeps the possibility of cross contamination down.

i had fun writing this and i hope that it comes in handy for me many times in the near future!  just remember to relax and enjoy yourselves.  shopping used to be very strenuous for me, but now it's a lot easier.  no longer wanting to rip open bags of bread and boxes of cereal and cram them into mouth really helps...

i haven't had that in years!

the first thing i did when i decided to go gluten free was to buy a few cookbooks.  the second thing i did was realize that they are almost the same as my old gluten ridden ones.  the only things that are really different and wonderful about gluten free cookbooks are that they usually have explanations of all the gf grains and flours and guides for cooking with them.  gluten free recipes for all things baked goods are essential.  you cannot simply substitute a gluten free flour in your predominantly gluten containing recipes.  there's an art and science to it.  i am only just now getting into gluten free baking that does not include a boxed mix.

but, back on topic...

there are gluten free recipes tucked in your old cookbooks right along side those horrid gluten containing ones.  you just have to look for them.  when we don't know what to cook for dinner we often start searching the internet and using key ingredients of things we already have in the house.  when one of us has a hankering for a certain dish, we pull out a stack of cookbooks and start searching.

last week one of these hankerings hit.  i wanted potatoes aux gratin and i wanted them now!  we attacked the shelf of cookbooks in a mad furry.  we looked under aux gratin, potatoes and cheese without any luck.  then i remembered they are often called scalloped potatoes, duh.  there it was, plain and simple, in my copy of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.  after reading the recipe and seeing that it would take an hour and a half to prep and bake, we decided my craving had to wait until the weekend.

side note:  not being able to use my right hand for much of anything since mid january has put a cramp in  our cooking style.  ash and i discovered early on that we very much enjoy cooking together and are naturally compatible in the kitchen.  i don't mind the prep work and she doesn't mind the raw meat and grease.  we can pick up a task the other was working on or quickly change gears.  i often did dishes while she minded the stove.  with my limited ability we have had to change the dynamic.  i try to get things ready before we start, like clearing the counter and putting away clean dishes.  she has to do almost all the hands on work and all the dish washing.  in order to keep me from standing over her should while she cuts carrots, i have taken to reading out loud to her or busying myself with various one-handed household tasks.

anyways...

the long awaited day arrived and i got my cheesy scalloped potatoes!  there was only one modification needed to the book's recipe: corn starch had to be substituted for flour.  i wasn't sure at first how much to use, but a glance at the container told me to use half the amount called for in the recipe.  i didn't even have to use my brain!  so here is the recipe, as we did it, based on the previously mentioned book:

1/2 cup chopped onion (we used some white and green because it was in the fridge)
1 clove of garlic, minced (we used the jar kind)
2 tbs margarine/butter
1 tbs corn starch
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb potatoes (or so...)

1) grease a 1 1/2 qt casserole dish (a square one worked perfectly).  preheat oven at 350.
2) thinly slice potatoes.  place half the sliced potatoes in the casserole dish (we layered them at an angle so that the next potato half covered the one before it).
3) for sauce, in a small saucepan cook onion and garlic in margarine until tender but not brown.  stir in corn starch and pepper.  add milk all at once.  stirring, cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  add in cheese and stir until melted.
4) cover the first layer of potatoes with half of the sauce.  add a second layer of potatoes and cover with the remaining sauce.
5) bake covered for 40 minutes.  uncover and bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cheese is browned.

ta da!

it was so good that i don't even remember what else we ate with it, probably steak.  i savored every bite and the left overs were fantastic.  it was the first time in years that i'd had cheesy scalloped potatoes, and they were so much better than the boxed ones i had as a kid!

thanks for reading.