Gluten Free Cooking for the Host/Hostess

Kayleigh here. The tone of this post is going to be a little different- not necessarily for the celiac, but for the friends and family of that gluten-mourning person. When you first discover that someone close to you has developed a serious intolerance, that can change plans and rituals around for you almost as much as for them. And without such a big incentive to research every little fact about what does and does not contain gluten, the only safe way to put foods out seems to be by buying exclusively from the gluten free shelves at the supermarket. Safe? Certainly. But not so kind on your wallet, especially if you do not want to sacrifice any of the parties, dinners, and outings you are used to having with them.

The good news is, catering to a gluten-free person is really not as hard as it seems at first. Fresh produce, basic meats, and most cheeses and plain milks are guaranteed gluten free, without needing to check any sort of ingredient label. Buy single spices instead of blends to season the foods, and you have avoided another confusion. Add some rice or potatoes to the side, and you have made yourself a stress-free, gluten-free meal!

For parties, put the crackers and bread squares on separate plates from safe dips and spreads. Offer cut raw vegetables, plain potato chips, and tortilla chips as well (they are almost always gluten free!). In fact, if you bread any fried foods in crushed tortilla chips, cornstarch, or cornmeal, then even that will be safe! Most importantly, keep the packages of anything you put out, and let your buddy read the ingredient list for themselves. And really, do not feel guilty about asking them to bring hamburger buns or dressings/sauces for themselves. It is a whole lot cheaper than you going out and buying a whole package, and will make them feel a lot safer, since they are avoiding any accidental cross contamination.

One last tip- try to cook for them using either very clean/new cookware, or coat surfaces in tinfoil or plastic wrap. This will be an easy way to avoid touching any breadcrumbs or contaminated areas with the gluten free foods. Also, try to make sure that everyone else you are inviting is aware of what is and is not gluten free in the spread, so they know to use spoons to get dip instead of dipping the cracker straight in, and to not swap around serving utensils between dishes.

Jason here. If you are not a gluten free household, or used to cooking gluten free, it can be a little overwhelming. I’ve found many people have a knee-jerk reaction where they suddenly can’t think of any food that doesn’t contain bread or pasta. It’s less that gluten free food doesn’t exist, and more that panic of trying to think of something on the spot. Like mentioned, basic meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits are all going to be gluten free. To get the starch fix, through in some form of potato and you’re done.

When I go to parties, I’m often worried about accidentally eating gluten. Either I am not certain exactly what was used to cook the dish, or I am worried about cross contamination. If you are hosting a party where guests are encouraged to bring food, also ask your guests to bring along allergy cards for their dish. If someone takes the time to explicitly mark their dish as gluten free, and I feel pretty safe about eating it. Sometimes it’s just not possible to prevent cross contamination. In a large enough party, someone is going to dip a cracker from one plate, into the gluten free dip. The best way to help out your gluten intolerant guests is to help them get to the food earlier. The earlier they can grab a plate, the less of a chance crumbs have fallen where they shouldn’t have.

Just remember when you have a gluten intolerant guest, don’t panic. It’s really not as difficult as you might at first think. Some simple food items mentioned above, and simple safe measures taken while prepping the food, and you are good to go!

Essential Baking Company Review

Jason here. A friend was up visiting recently and we wanted to find some places to eat out for breakfast-something we had yet to do since moving, and ended up giving Essential Baking Company a shot. We visited the location in downtown Bellevue which is located in the University Book Store. We went as early as we could and found the book store still closed, but bakery open, so don’t be scared away if it looks closed from the outside.

We have found it is difficult to find a gluten free breakfast place. Normally, for breakfast you get stuck ordering some eggs and bacon, an opting out of a side of toast. Not exactly something worthy of eating out. On the flip side, the Essential Baking Company stocks multiple gluten free breads to choose from, and can make almost any item gluten free. I recommend checking out their website, for finding which options might be of interest to you.

It was nice to find a place I could order a nice gluten free breakfast sandwich at. I ended up ordering a delicious Prosciutto and Asiago egg sandwich on gluten free bread. It is no small secret that I love cheese, and this sandwich hit the spot. The cheese and particularly the prosciutto gave it a salty taste. There is just something about Asiago cheese that I enjoy, but can’t find the right words for.

Kayleigh here. I agree- this out of the way bakery was an excellent discovery for a quick dining spot! Plenty of free parking underneath the building, plenty of options for the gluten free diner, and even a couple of desserts you can pick up to enjoy later. Of course, they are open until 7PM, with an equally extensive lunch and dinner menu. Or make it there during their happy hour to enjoy a glass of wine and a well-paired snack. How classy! You can also pick up a loaf of their gluten free bread from any café location, as well as many local supermarkets. And boy, is it nice to get some locally baked bread for a change.

Airport tips

Kayleigh here. Even before going gluten free, airport food was a pain in the neck. Stuck past security with nowhere to go, getting peckish means picking up a day-old bagel and a $6 bottle of water. For some reason, I had always assumed that there was no way you would be able to pack a meal of your own and get it through the gate- there must be some kind of rule, right? Well, turns out if there's a will, there's a way!

Mainly, the issue of bringing your own food is the liquids rule. You cannot get away with bringing some salsa to go with your tortilla chips, or even something as innocent as a sandwich spread with mayonnaise! More viscous spreads like peanut butter or hummus are likely to get confiscated as well, if not stored properly in your one quart liquids bag. So this brings us to rule number one: if you want to bring liquid ingredients, invest in some one or two ounce plastic containers with properly sealing lids, and make sure you'll have space for them in your liquids bag. Just wait to assemble the dish until you are on the other end.

Rule number two- consider where you'll be eating it. If you plan on waiting until you get on the plane, then packing pungent foods like tuna fish or curried lamb wraps may make your seatmates more airsick, if they were already going down that path, and nobody wants that. Likewise, try to eat any refrigerated foods early on. For example, you could bring sliced cheese and pepperoni sticks for a pretty satisfying snack, but they will not be too appealing by the end of a cross-country 8 hour flight.

Rule number 3- pack everything well. After getting bumped around on a shuttle, tossed onto a conveyer belt, and rifled through by a random check security guard, those taco shells will be corn crumbs, and that banana? You might not want to look. It takes up some precious room, but it is worth it to securely package everything in hard plastic containers, or even plastic bags with a good amount of air to cushion the food.

With all that in mind, there are still quite a lot of possibilities for an on-air gourmet. For one, nonperishable snacks like personal-sized chip bags, protein/energy bars (quite a few are gluten free- just check the labels), trail mixes can be great for on the plane, and leftovers can last through the trip and even the flight home!  Salads and more durable fruits can make a healthy side, just make sure to pack dips and dressings in the liquids bag.

Jason here. I have found the best thing I enjoyed was the pepperoni stick. If you get the right size, it provides an easy to snack on meal with little to no cleanup. Combined with some carrot sticks, or fresh broccoli, and I consider a good on the go meal. If you are going this route, like Kayleigh mentioned, eat the refrigerated items early. The pepperoni stick was great even at the end of the flight, but the broccoli and carrots I would question. 

Also make sure to plan a little variety in your meal. The last thing you want is to pack all salty foods, and then find yourself airsick craving only sweet foods. Brownies and cookies while not overly healthy, would do the trick; just make sure they don’t have anything that would be construed as a liquid, like a frosting or filling.

One last tip- bring an empty water bottle or two. There are always water fountains inside the gates, and it stops you from having to lay down a ridiculous amount of cash every time your throat gets a little dry.