WheatSurrender

Card-Carrying Wheat Dodger?

2011-02-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

This post is a bit delayed partly due to life getting in the way and partly from me reeling from shock.

I received my results to the York Test I blogged about in January very quickly after posting my blood sample off to their lab. I think it took about a week or so.

Now, if you're a regular reader, you'll know that I find food intolerance frustrating as doctors rarely know how to diagnose them (or perhaps know it is quite expensive to run tests to find out exactly what is wrong). I was diagnosed as wheat intolerant after a process of elimination suggested by my GP which caused my symptoms to almost disappear when I eliminated wheat. Even after this diagnosis was made, there's always this nagging doubt that it's 100% accurate which is exacerbated by people asking things like 'how do you know you're wheat intolerant?' and 'how come it's just come on and it wasn't a problem before?' Having some kind of confirmation that you're not mad or attention seeking is quite a comfort. So I was really keen to get my results

from York Test to get a second opinion.

The results are shown on a form (see picture above) which is in very plain and simple terms. There are two columns that list the 113 foods they test for intolerance with a result next to each. The foods that give a positive result go to the top. The top 3 on my results were Egg White, Egg Yolk and Gluten (Gliadin). There is a separate option for wheat which apparently gave no reaction.

This changes things a bit then.

My diet rarely incorporates gluten, as many wheaty alternatives I buy are gluten and wheat free. So this diagnosis could be right. Eggs have become a close ally since many cereals have been taken off the menu so I probably eat them more than ever before. Can this be right? How the flip am I supposed to cut out Gluten AND eggs? It doesn't just mean I'll have nothing to dip my gluten free soldiers in, eggs are in so many products. They also help wheat free cakes rise and I can't be without cake completely!

So, I chose to ignore the egg thing.

I don't know about you, but since you gave up an ingredient, heck, an entire food group, have you found you are even more sensitive to it? I have. I react much worse than before and to smaller doses too. So if I give up eggs for a while, chances are, they will be very difficult to reintroduce (based on my experience, not what the doctors say).

Lucky for me (sort of) on a scale of 0-4, my reaction is 1 for gluten and eggs. I also have a borderline reaction to yeast apparently, but again, it doesn't feature that highly in my diet anyway. The scale refers to your reaction, not how much you should cut out or whether or not you should cut out the items listed. York Test advise you remove these items from your diet completely if you score between 1-4. I imagine a level four reaction for gluten would mean you are coeliac. If I have gluten/wheat I feel quite ill but I'm not bed bound or off work, I just feel like I had week long bender on the Jagermiesters.

So, now you have your results, what next? Well, York Test provided me with a results guidebook to help me figure out how to remain healthy if I choose to remove the suggested items from my diet. I also received a food diary to test out their theory over 12 weeks, a special membership/proof of intolerance card to carry around and a voucher for a free telephone consultation endorsed by Allergy UK. I haven't used any of them as yet due to very poor time management on my part. I will have a go soon though as I'm rather intrigued, particularly by the consultation. I suppose if my symptoms were worse, I would have definitely used all of these items by now.

So, all in all it's a useful exercise but I am taking the results with a pinch of salt. I am avoiding gluten more so than before and will cut eggs out a bit more if I feel a bit dodgy after eating them. If the reactions were worse, I would definitely take heed.

If you would like to know more about York Test, visit their website www.yorktest.com.

You Cheddar Believe It: One for the Mini Wheat Dodgers

2011-02-07T11:49:00.000-08:00

I first stumbled upon Isabel's Brazilian Flavours products at Salvo's in Headingley as they teamed up with Isabel to create a fantastic pizza base mix which is used in their award-winning restaurant. The pizza base mix is one of my favourite gluten free products and even my wheat-scoffing other half loves it. It's different because it's made with Brazilian cassava flour which makes it nice and crispy.

Since discovering the pizza mix and blogging about my find, Isabel got in touch and sent me a few of her other products to try. My favourite was her Kids 'Pão de Quenjo' Cheesebread mix. It's a really cute product and so nice that it's aimed at kids as I haven't seen many gluten free foods that are.

They're really easy to make so the kids can get involved. You just need cheese, oil, 1 egg and some water. After 25 minutes in the oven, they look like this...

You can buy the mix from Waitrose, Pomegranate in Leeds and online at Isabel's shop. I personally don't have children so I just make bigger ones for me! They go really well with Italian sauces or as a little snack.

Delicioso!

The Joy of Mex

2011-02-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

I had a lovely surprise one afternoon when a little parcel arrived from Chapel Allerton favourite Salsa Mexicana.

The mysterious brown paper bag contained what looked like 3 freshly picked sweetcorn in their husks. I had no idea what they were but I was very excited to take them home and try them. Owners Simon and Fiona know me from my job at a local magazine and know I write this blog. Having chatted about wheat dodging and how great REAL Mexican food is for a wheat free diet, I knew that whatever it was, it would be safe to eat and flipping tasty. The mystery parcels made it home and I steamed them for 15 minutes as instructed. I popped them over a pan of boiling rice as I assumed this to be the best accompaniment for them.

The moment of unveiling the mystery parcels was very exciting for me on my otherwise dull Tuesday evening. They looked a bit like the meat puddings my dad used to get from the chippy when I was little. I was still really bemused as to what they were but the smell was amazing.

I later learned that the slightly spicy, cheesy and wonderfully stodgy parcels were in fact vegetarian Wensleydale Cheese Tamales with Poblano chillies.

So did I serve them right (see above)?

Simon explains

Yours look okay but we serve them in the corn husk. You can either eat them in your hand or as you've done unwrap them completely. Mexico proper is fantastic for a gluten free diet. Soft corn tortilla tacos and tamales are my fave. As served at Salsa.
We will be putting on tamales dulces (sweet) later in the year. Pineapple and chocolate versions. Unusual for European tastes but delicious nonetheless.

Salsa Mexicana is one of the few restaurants in Leeds that understand gluten and wheat free diets and have taken the trouble to do their research. Their menu has a GF key to point out which dishes are wheat dodger friendly, but do make your dietary requirements clear.

The most important thing to remember is, Margheritas are DEFINITELY wheat free!

De nada los Wheat Dodgers,

Leeds Coeliac Food Fayre in Pictures

2011-01-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

On 29th Jan I headed over to St Chad's Parish Centre in Headingley for the annual Leeds Coeliac Food Fayre.

There was a huge turnout of locals who were queuing out of the door when I arrived. Most of whom were pensioners. I was quite surprised by this as I expected there to be a wide range of people at the fayre. It felt a bit like I'd crashed a coffee morning! There were a few families and young children though, for which a Children's party was held in one of the smaller rooms which was quite sweet.

Big names in the gluten free world such as Dietary Specials and sister brands Glutafin and Trufree, Green's Gluten Free Beers alongside smaller independents like Foodamentalists (see picture of pies below) had turned out for the bustling event.

The main hall had stalls around the edge that were all very crowded and difficult to get to, but some were well worth hanging around for.

I managed to sample pie crust and bread at the Foodamentalist stall. Both were really good. I finally got to try Warbourton's white and brown loaves which were both lovely and seemed more moist than their main rivals Genius bread. One of the best samples was Green's Premium Golden Ale which was absolute nectar. The stall holder informed me that the lager is stocked in Sainsbury's.

The best stall was good old Dietary Specials' stand which also had goods from their Trufree andGlutafin brands. They gave me a goody bag which included Glutafin penne pasta, Trufree Herb & Onion crackers and Glutafin Multipurpose White Mix.

I also tried some delicious bakewell tart at the Heavenly Bakes stand and ended up buying a whole one to scoff with a brew at home. They also make celebration cakes which is quite handy if you're planning a birthday or wedding involving wheat dodgers.

There were ready meals, an abundance of bread, sausage rolls, pies, pasties, shortbread, cakes and quiches. 90% were yummy with the odd exception of dodgy stuff we've all had the pleasure of at some point.

One of the most striking stalls was The JuSu Pantry who had come over from Chesterfield. Every wheaty treat you could dream of was on their stall. Check them out at www.thejusupantry.co.uk

The most interesting bit of knowledge I came away with was from the leaftlet given to me at

theMyer's Famous Kosherie stand. Myer's is a little Kosher deli in Moortown which specialises in Jewish foods. Even though my fiance is half

Jewish, he failed to tell me that Jews are 'not allowed to eat any

products containing wheat' during Passover. As a result, Myer's stock a wide range of wheat free goods, particlarly during the Passover festival. Cool little fact for ya!

Out of curiousity, I had a chat with the treasurer of Coeliac UK in Leeds who was signing people up for £3 memberships. I don't really use their website or services much as the content can be very dry and a little bit depressing. To give them the benefit of the doubt, I have paid my £3 membership and will be posting my experience as a member over the next 12 months.

It was a worthwhile event especially as there was a free gluten free buffet. Sadly it had a big sign above it saying the couldn't guarantee the food was gluten free! I'd have some lunch before you go...

Thanks to everyone who has enlightened me today!

Mmm, Bettys!

2011-01-15T05:20:00.000-08:00

As a birthday present I took my sister to Betty's Tearoom in Ilkley. She really wanted to go for afternoon tea, so how could I decline? My sister lives in Manchester so doesn't see me everyday and knows little of my eating habits. She didn't realise that I would have to sit and watch her eating it. I felt awful. I had to keep the rouse going until she ordered. I didn't want her worrying about me, it was her day.

Then she asked the dreaded question "So what are you having?" Crap. No idea! What the hell am I going to eat? I had checked out their website prior to going but as they change their menu seasonally, there wasn't a list of exactly what was available for me. I know it's a lot to ask, but I was hoping for a list just to reassure me.

Back at the tea rooms, my sister has sussed me out. She knows I can't have afternoon tea and starts to feel bad about ordering it. Suddenly, she becomes my ventriloquist and starts asking the waitress what I can have. I just sit there feeling like a total pleb. Hang on, what did you say? Swiss Chocolate Torte? Fresh Fruit Pavlova? Chocolate Mousse? I can have them all? They're all gluten free? YES!

Swiss Chocolate Torte please, Lady Betty! The waitress kindly swapped the usual mini desserts and pastries that sit atop the lovely afternoon tea tower for a big slab of Swiss. My sister ate the sandwiches, scones and cream and I devoured the Swiss Chocolate Torte with fresh whipped cream.

The waitress was very clear that Betty's cannot guarantee all traces of gluten are absent from any of their dishes, which is fine for me. Just be careful if you have a severe allergy.

After the lovely tea in a china cup from a silver tea pot had been supped, we moved into the shop where the kind assistant photocopied their list of gluten free treats available in the shop. Here is the list in full:

Swiss Chocolate Torte (I bought another slice to take home)

Fresh Fruit Pavlova

Chocolate Roulade

Chocolate Mousse

Florentine

Medici

Almond Macaroon

Chocolate Macaroon

Lemon Macaroon

Raspberry Macaroon

Pistachio Macaroon

Fresh Alpine Truffles

Champagne Truffles

Handmade Chocolates

Chocolate Desires

Boxed Fruit Clusters

Boxed Florentines

Chocolate Coffee Beans

Caramel Hearts

Peppermint Creams

Milk, Dark, & White Chocolate Bars

Harlequin Bar

Chocolate Hearts, Mice and Guinea

Chocolate Piglets

Small Milk Chocolate Bear

Mini Bears

Chocolate Westie

Mocha Caramel Log

Betty's have tea rooms in Harrogate, York, Northallterton and Ilkley. You can't usually book so be prepared to queue. Trust me, it's so worth it wheat dodgers!

Blood Simple: Taking the York Test

2011-01-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

I've been putting this off as it scared me a little. If it wasn't for you wheat dodgers, it would still be in the box gathering dust.

I've been sent a YorkTest FoodScan kit which is the first stage of testing for 113 specific food intolerances.

There are two reasons why I didn't want to take the test initially.

What if I'm intolerant to other foods? Do I really want to know that? God help me and my long-suffering fiance if I have to give up another ingredient. And God help you if it's chocolate.

The other thing I was scared about is really pathetic. I didn't want to prick my own finger. I've had millions of jabs and blood samples taken, so not particularly phobic of needles. But drawing my own blood?

Well, I finally grew a pair and got on with it.

The box arrived. A neat little parcel with everything you needed inside. I had hoped it was one of those instant gratification kits that gave you results straight away (that sounds a bit wrong, but you know what I mean).

It turned out, you have to send your blood sample off to the lab and wait 10 working days for the results. I was a bit disappointed by this at first, but at least it's going to a proper lab and isn't just a gimmmick. How reliable can an instant test be anyway?

It took all of 5 minutes to do the test. I scrubbed my hands clean, wrote my name on the little tube and got mentally prepared for stabbing my own finger. My fiance gave me a bit of moral support (and took the photos) and counted me in before I 'depressed the lancet' into the side of my finger.

It didn't really hurt that much. It was morbidly quite fun. I needed a bit of help as you need to massage the finger to encourage blood flow whilst syphoning it up a little tube. I wouldn't do it on your own if you have a non-squeamish friend around to help.

And that was it. There's even a little plaster included for your tiny wound.

So what will I find out from doing the test? Well, this is the first step and simply provides you with a positive or negative result as to whether you have a food intolerance or not.

If that's positive, you can take the next step test which tests for 113 different intolerances including milk, yeast, gluten, wheat, egg yolk and millet.

I'll let you know how I get on in two weeks.

Hold tight, wheat dodgers!

The Smiths, Coronation Street, Frank Sidebottom and Toastie Loaf

2011-01-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it's a northern thing, but I used to live on Warbourton's as a kid. It was certainly a staple of the diet in my home town in Greater Manchester (given that it was baked up the road). Now tearing it's waxy orange and white wrapper it's a distant memory. I get more dewy-eyed over that than my first ever gig at the G-Mex (Blur '95 in case you were wondering).

French toast, cheese toastie, bread and butter pudding, jam sandwiches, egg and soldiers, eggy bread, club sandwich. I'M GOING TO EAT THEM ALL!

Possibly the best news I've ever had is that Warbourton's are launching a gluten and wheat free range in 4 days 3 hours 56 minutes and 23 seconds.

OK, so there's no waxy wrapper and it looks suspiciously like Genius bread,

but I'm putting my faith in the city that I'm so very proud of and patriotic to. Bring back my childhood!

Laters, our kid.

Wheat Dodger Winter Warmer: Sweet Potato & Chilli Soup

2011-01-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

The tree has been taken down, all the Quality Street have gone (apart from the rubbishy orange cremes) and you've put a few too many pounds on even though you've politely declined the stuffing, the Christmas pudding and the mince pies. Even worse, you're feeling lethargic and grumpy because your poor, unsuspecting relatives have accidentally served you gravy with wheat flour in on Christmas Day and it's still giving you grief a week later.

To top it off, you've got to go back to work tomorrow! Argh!

Well, we won't be having any grumpiness on this here blog, so here's a lovely cheap, warming, filling, healthy and easy meal to help you feel more energetic, cheerful and will hopefully make your jeans a bit less snug.

I'm a bit skint after Christmas and have been putting the big shop off until we've used up every last morsel in the cupboards. I had loads of veg left in the fridge that needed using up so thought I'd have a go at making a soup.

I'm not into fancy cooking, I just like easy, cheap and tasty stuff. So here is my Cheap 'n' Cheerful Sweet Potato & Chilli Soup which is gluten and wheat free, and can be made dairy free too. It's a common misconception that you have to boil soup for hours on end. This recipe is really easy and you only have to simmer it for 10 minutes.

So here is my winter warmer of a recipe:

Makes 6 servings and will keep in the fridge for 3 or 4 days

Ingredients

750g sweet potatoes (= 1 bag from Morrison's which was only £1 or £2)
1 medium onion (red or white. I used a mixture)
1 knob of butter or one tablespoon of olive oil for dairy dodgers
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 medium sized red chilli
2 cloves of garlic
1 pint of vegetable stock (gluten & wheat free stock cubes are widely available, check the label).
Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Wash the sweet potatoes and roast them in a 200c oven for 45 mins (I make baked potatoes in the oven for tea at the same time so I saved energy and didn't have to make a special effort). You can set them aside for a few hours if needed.
Roughly chop the onion
Finely chop the chilli
Melt/heat your knob of butter/olive oil gently in the pan
Add the onion, chilli, ground coriander and garlic to the pan
Peel the sweet potatoes (they should have gone all squidgy and gooey)
Add the sweet potato to the pan
Add the vegetable stock and simmer all ingredients for 10 minutes
Add salt and pepper to taste
Either serve immediately or leave to cool and add to a blender until smooth (I did the latter).

Serve with grated cheddar cheese or with a garnish of coriander if you're a dairy dodger.

This soup genuinely cheered me up and made me feel good that I was having something healthy rather than eating half a selection box for lunch.

Happy New Year wheat dodgers!

My Rustic Crunchy Sausage Rolls

2011-01-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

You heard right, wheat dodgers. I made sausage rolls.

I'm no Jamie Oliver, so they don't look the best, hence the word 'rustic' in their title. If only you could smell the gorgeous baking smells in my little kitchen!

Having never made sausage rolls or indeed flaky pastry in my entire life (unless you count those frozen ones you bung in the oven) this was a challenge I found somewhat daunting. I set aside a whole day to crack these bad boys given that I couldn't find a recipe and had to make it up as I went along. I also made a Port & Cranberry jelly dessert and my much loved fairy bun recipe with a festive twist while I waited for the pastry to chill.

It was Christmas Eve when I embarked on my challenge, so I went all out and did a shop at Waitrose for my ingredients. First off, I needed some sausage meat for the centre. I had my pick of gluten and wheat free sausages at lovely wheat dodge friendly Waitrose. I went for Good Little Sausages chipolatas which provided 360g of sausage meat. I also bought beautiful President butter and reliable old Doves Farm flour along with some free range eggs to help me achieve a lovely varnished effect.

So here is the recipe which I created with a little help from Doves Farm who suggested I use their Flaky Pastry Fish Pie recipe for inspiration.

Makes 15-20 small sausage rolls

Ingredients

200g gluten and wheat free plain flour (I use Doves Farm)
100g of cold butter (I use President. Very important that it's cold!)
60ml cold water (I use tap)
360g gluten and wheat free sausage meat (You can use Debbie & Andrew's Gluten Free, Musks, The Black Farmer, M&S Own brand or sainsury's own brand GF & WF sausages).
1 free range egg

Method

Cut the butter up into 5mm/1/4" cubes
Take 25g of the butter and put into a mixing bowl. Place the rest back in the fridge
Add the flour to the bowl and work together with a fork until the mix resembles breadcrumbs
Mix in just enough water to bring together as a ball of dough. Be very very careful as the mix is fragile and benefits from staying cold and not being over worked
On a floured surface (you can use cornflour if necessary) roll out very gently into a rectangle roughly 5mm thick
Spread half of the chilled butter over the middle of the pastry
Carefully fold the left side of the pastry over the middle butter covered area
Spread the rest of the butter over the folded side
Fold the right side of the pastry over the buttered area
Quickly but gently roll the dough into another 5mm thick rectangle
Wrap the pastry and chill for 1 hour
When pastry is chilled roll out to your original rectange size and cut into the sizes you require (bear in mind that all of the sausage meat needs to be covered)
Whisk your egg wash ready to use as an adhesive
Cut the top off a sausage and squeeze the sausagemeat onto the middle of your prepared pastry
Brush the edges of the pastry and seal the roll
Mark the roll gently so you have two diagonal lines for heat to escape from
Use a sheet of baking paper on an oven tray and place your sausage rolls on before brushing with your egg wash
Continue creating your rolls until you have run out of pastry and meat
Bake on 200c for 30 minutes

Your sausauge rolls will keep in an airtight container at room temp for around 3 or 4 days.

You are now a smug pastry chef and, if you're like me, you will scoff them all hastily.

Dreaming of a Wheat Christmas #2 - Christmas on a Spoon

2010-12-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

Almost-mother-in-law catered for me and my fiance last Christmas day. It was my first wheat free Christmas and I wasn't really looking forward to watching everyone eat mince pies and cake.

Almost-mother-in-law is a fantastic cook and has been invaluable to me in my quest in finding amazing wheat free alternatives to food. What could have been a pretty rubbish dinner turned out to be lovely, and the main reason for this was the best pudding I've ever had.

Christmas on a Spoon (or port and cranberry jelly).

I have managed to get the secret recipe so I'm going to share it as a Christmas pressie to all the wheat dodgers in the land!

I haven't had a go yet, but I'm totally making about 10 batches when I finish work. It's really easy but very impressive as it tastes so delicious. It looks great served in James Bond style martini glasses.

Ingredients

1 Pint cranberry Juice
3/4 pint Port
3 strips Orange peel
juice of 1 orange
1 stick cinnamon
3 1/2 ozs caster sugar
1 packet of low sugar raspberry jelly (you can use 20g gelatine instead if you like).

Method

Simmer all ingredients except jelly or gelatine for about 10/20 mins.
Add the jelly stirring to dissolve.
Strain into glasses
EAT

The other AMAZING dessert on offer that was a sorely missed festive treat was Delia's posh version of a chocolate log. See the recipe for her absolutely gluten and wheat free Squidgy Chocolate Roulade here

More festiveness on it's way, wheat dodgers. Keep checking the blog!

M

Dreaming of a Wheat Christmas #1

2010-12-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Whether you celebrate it or not, There's no escaping Christmas and all of it's forbidden luxurious foods. Cakes. Gingerbread. Mince pies. Christmas Pudding. Even flippin' turkey stuffing!

Well listen up fellow wheat dodgers, this is going to be the best ever Christmas EVER, because I won't have you wandering about looking all sad and hungry at 'the most wonderful time of the year'.

First things first.

Above is a list of what you can have that takes absolutely no effort whatsoever. Why not print it off and give it to everyone you know?! (Just click on it and press print). Sod 'Oh, I don't want to be a fuss'. Us wheat dodgers are not missing out on the fun!

(I'm still trying to find out if the very popular Starbucks Gingerbread Latte is GF by the way. They are very secretive about the ingredients).

If you're mad enough to host Christmas dinner, M&S have a really good Food to Order catalogue that has a key to gluten free items such as the Bronze Turkey. (You may want to get your skates on if you want to order one though). You can pick one up in store.

If you are catering for a coeliac or wheat dodger, you can now order gluten free hampers that will save you trawling around the shops. There is no one store that sells everything so it's a much easier option as seeking out such goodies is a bit of an art form. One option can be found on the Distinctly British website.

Over the next few weeks I will be posting special Wheat Surrender original and adapted recipes for those of you who fancy cooking some lovely Christmas food that wheat eaters won't turn their nose up at.

Ask Santa for some stretchy pants. You're gonna need 'em.

Gooooooooooood Morning Wheat free Fan!

2010-10-30T03:25:00.000-07:00

They say you should eat like a king at breakfast (that means you too, wheat dodger!) Believe it or not, it is possible which I will now demonstrate...

Healthy & Quick Breakfast

During the summer, I met two ladies that have taken the plunge and started their own granola business. Shropshire Granola hand bake and mix their naturally gluten free granola and source all the produce locally. And it shows. It's pretty damn good granola! It's not cheap and is a bit of a luxury but, like I said, eat like a king. At least sometimes. I like it with vanilla yoghurt and fresh berries on top. It would be quite good as an alternative topping for a fruit crumble too.

Moderately Healthy Breakfast

Bread and sausage. Staples of an English

breakfast. And crammed full of wheat and gluten. If you've got an extra couple of quid to spare, you can get very good GF sausages and bread. Those

featured are Genius bread and The Black Farmer's Daughter chipolatas. The best places to

get GF bread and sausage are my much-loved Morrisons and Waitrose (a new one opened in Meanwood in Leeds recently. More about this wheat dodger's heaven soon). Other supermarkets such as ASDA, Tesco and Sainsbury's stock them too but are less of a sure thing.

There are other GF sausage options. Debbie & Andrew's are really good and I spotted a few that I haven't tried yet when I went on my first trip to Waitrose this week. Musk's and Good Little Sausages.

Gluten free sausages generally have a high meat content so are usually much less fatty than regular ones. They tend to be more expensive too but it's not like you're going to eat them every day anyway.

Eating Out for Breakfast

Eating out for breakfast ain't so easy. If you're really allergic to gluten, it's nigh impossible. Believe it or not, my beloved Morrison's have pretty good offerings at their cafe. As I've said before, I only exclude wheat from my diet so don't have to be too cautious, so I order a full English and give the hash browns, toast and sausage to my fella to eat. I'm confident that if you went to a nice Morrison's cafe and asked them to toast you some Genius bread and add a bit of scrambled egg, they would be happy to. You'd need to buy the Genius bread from Mosser's obviously. There's one in Rothwell in Leeds which is quite nice. I genuinely enjoyed it more than the breakkie I had at Gordon Ramsey's restaurant at Heathrow Airport. You can take the girl out of Manchester etc...

If you fancy something a bit more Guardianista, try Salt's Diner at Salt's Mill, Saltaire. The staff are unbelievably up their own backsides but the food is good, the venue is fantastic and they serve genius bread at breakfast. I've never been so excited to eat breakfast. I think Saltaire deserves World Heritage status for that alone.

The Holy Grail for me when it comes to breakfast time are croissants. I miss them dearly. I am always on the move and busy and would always grab one for breakfast on the way to work or at the train station in my wheat scoffing days.

I've found some convincing gluten free ones. At Waitrose. (You've gotta go to Waitrose). Again, not the cheapest. It was just under £3 for 3 mini chocolate croissants. The pastry is AMAZING. It's flaky, crunchy, messy and very indulgent. Chocolate centre, not so hot. Well it was hot, it almost burned my mouth actually, but it tasted vile. Surely that's the easy bit to get right?! Go for the cheaper plain ones and get some nutella to dip them in.

See, we're not confined to fruit and nuts for breakie. All that's missing is a big gold crown and throne. I'm working on it.

Bile High Club - A Guide to GF Plane Food

2010-10-23T01:31:00.000-07:00

Wheat dodging has taken me on quite a journey over the past 12 months, but never before have I taken wheat dodging on a journey.

I was a little nervous about the 11 hour flight to Tokyo. Not having any control over my environment. Not able to take a packed lunch. Not able to hop off and nip to the shop. I was literally in for the long haul.

I enquired about the GF offerings on British Airways flights months before my journey but couldn't find a great deal of information. I knew they could cater for my diet though so I decided to just go with the flow and hope for the best.

Here's the important bit

You must give BA at least 48 hours notice if you have special dietary requirements. They don't stock special meals on the flights unless they have been requested. The best way to make sure this happens is to call them. Have you flight reference ready when you call.

So, what was the food like?

Believe it or not, I usually get quite excited about plane food. This time though, I was just really anxious. Do you get food anxiety? Some times it makes me act in a pathetic childlike manner and I just want to roll up into a little ball and cry. I get really stressed sometimes. There was one occasion in a certain hellish Leeds shopping centre when Marks and Spark's cafe wouldn't put hot water in the porridge pot I'd bought FROM THEM. I was in a panic. I wanted to cry. I ended up buying a bag of crisps from a nearby coffee shop so I didn't feel bad asking them to fill my instant porridge pot.

Anyway, the food. The picture you see at the top of the post is the first meal I received.

It consisted of a prawn and salmon salad with capers and a slice of lemon in place of a dressing. It was bland but at least it was fresh

The main dish was grilled chicken, rice and vegetables. Again, no real sauce or dressing. It was very dry and bland so I smothered it with the little salt and pepper sachets I received. Really wasn't keen on this but importantly, it was edible so I wouldn't starve.

There was a side dish of potato cakes which were again, edible. Not particularly nice as they were powdery and fell apart easily. For some reason, BA in their wisdom provided a pot of margarine with the meal so I smeared it over the potato cakes to give them some flavour.

The dessert was a lovely fresh fruit salad which was a nice way to end a very disappointing meal. Thank god that the complimentary bottle of wine is GF! And a nice cup of tea.

A few hours later, the air hostesses interrupted me watching Breakfast at Tiffany's to offer me a snack box. Ooh I love stuff like this. "How exciting that they've made a GF one just for me!"

WRONG!

It was a wheat scoffer snack box. Cake, crackers and biscuits, oh my! Cue the panic. I was really hungry. I went into pathetic child mode. My finance sensed this and went off to have words with the air hostesses. To their credit, they brought over a big box with mars bars, walkers crisps (the cheese and onion crisps said 'suitable for coeliacs' on the back of the packet) and tiny bags of dried fruit. They apologised profusely so I wasn't mad at them. A huge oversight by BA though.

Meal 2
Much better this time. And I was starving so would have eaten a scabby dog if I'm honest. The meal included a corn muffin which I'd never had before. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be sweet or savoury so I left it for dessert. The main dish was grilled fish with potatoes and veg. The fish was moist and it's juices provided a nice sauce for the dish. I doused it with the salt and pepper and it wasn't too bad at all. The corn cake was ok, nice and stodgy which I appreciated. Still couldn't work out if it was sweet or savoury though.

The main points to consider when flying for long periods of time are:

Have you checked with your airline that they accommodate your diet before you booked?
Have you informed them of your requirements in good time?
Make sure the air hostesses know your condition. Don't expect them to be educated about it though - they need your guidance
Bring an emergency Mars bar (or whatever your equivalent is) just in case.

There is a pro to all this. You get your food before anyone else does. Yeah.

Happy flying,

Doctor Do Little

2010-09-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

It's almost been a year since I stopped eating wheat. I thought it was time I went for a follow up chat with the doctor as I've not seen them since I was diagnosed a wheat dodger.

"Perhaps I should have a health check." I thought. Well I'm thinner than I used to be, I've cut out about 50% of the food I used to eat. Maybe I need to replace wheat with something else in my diet to ensure I keep healthy? These are pretty normal, even sensible questions, right?

So I went to see my local GP. It's not the best surgery in the world. It's in a bit of a rough area but it's the nearest one to me and oddly enough you can always get an appointment. Without fail. Alarm bells should have rang at this point.

I don't expect my GP to be an expert on everything, but it seems that any gaps in his knowledge are replaced with absolute b*******. No 'Let me refer to my extensive collection of medical books' or 'Oh yes, I read about new research in the Lancet.' I would even accept 'No idea love, shall I ring the dietitian?'

This is the advice I received. Imagine a man in his late forties who is incapable of eye contact and has a soft Scottish accent.

Doctor: "What do you have for breakfast?"
Me: "Cornflakes"
Doctor: "Have they not got wheat in?"
Me: "No. They're made of corn. (inside I'm screaming) Do you think I'm getting enough roughage in my diet since I don't eat wheat? What's your advice?"
Doctor: "What about some orange peel in your cornflakes? Maybe a few almonds?"
Me: (Bemused and resigned to the fact I'm barking up the wrong tree) Err, yeah. Thanks. Bye!

There was more about prunes and porridge but I'll spare you the pain.

The moral of the story is, us wheat and gluten dodgers need to stick together. I need advice from you guys. I officially give up on the doctors.

Anyone?

M

How I Spent My Lunchtime Today

2010-09-02T04:17:00.000-07:00

BF goes GF - A Guest Post from the Long Suffering Boyfriend

2010-08-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

When M eventually figured out what was causing her ongoing discomfort, I was whole-heartedly willing to do whatever I could do be her wingman and help her navigate through this new world of wheat free living. Many wheat dodgers out there may think I'd be daft to utter the words 'Don't worry, we'll do this together'. That moment of madness, those words that crossed my lips would mean no more toastie loaf with my bacon sandwich, no more biscuits for dunking in tea, no more pizza ... (you probably know where I'm going with this). I love my food. We both do and we were really unsure how this new diet would change our habits.

My love of food means I also love to cook. Not one to pass up on a challenge, I was optimistic that I could support this new regime of avoiding the W word. Need it be so hard? The problem we have, as most people do these days is that we lead a busy lifestyle. A lifestyle that isn't catered for when you try and avoid wheat so it means cooking from scratch. It is certainly rewarding being able to accomplish some home cooking but not always something you want to do when you walk through the door at 6.30pm after a tough day in the office.

So one evening after work I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do for dinner. We'd both had a rough weekend so were ready for the big hug that is comfort food to make us all better.

I nipped into Sainsbury's express for some help and inspiration which led me to my light bulb moment. Overjoyed at my ideas I couldn't wait to tell M of the storm I was cooking up for her this evening. When she jumped in the car I smugly told her 'I'm going to make you GF toad in the hole tonight!'

Now, whilst I'm normally fairly modest, when it comes to whipping up Yorkshire Puddings I'm pretty darn good. Even family on the other side of the world in Australia would be happy to tell you that I make a mean Yorkshire. Could I crack the wheat free holy grail though?

M and I have been experimenting with Doves Farm GF flours which have proven to be a really reliable substitute for regular flours, so I was chuffed to see that Sainsbury's had some in stock.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

225g of Doves Farm plain flour
1/2 tbsp salt
3 eggs
and 300 ml of semi skimmed milk.

Get the oven heated up to 230c/Gas mk 8. Get a 12 hole pudding tin, put a tablespoon of oil in each hole then get them in the oven to heat up the oil. Start preparing your batter by sifting the flour into a bowl. The tip is to make sure you sift from a height to get loads of air through the flour so the puddings rise up while cooking. Add the eggs, salt and milk and whip it up until you have a smooth batter. When the pudding tray is hot, take it out of the oven (don't forget your oven gloves) and ladle in the batter to about 2 thirds full. The batter will sizzle in the oil when you pour it in. Cook the Yorkshire puddings for 20 minutes until they have risen and are golden brown. make sure not to open the oven door while they're cooking otherwise they might sink!

I served them up with some Black Farmer GF sausages, some home made mustard mash and a good drizzle of Bisto wheat free gravy (gluten free gravy is available at most supermarkets too).

Hopefully a pretty foolproof meal when your ready for some easy home cooking.

Enjoy!

MQ

Nice Day for a Wheat Wedding: A Survival Guide to Weddings

2010-08-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Weddings are a veritable minefield for wheat dodgers.

First off, should you blokes have the privilege of being a groomsman, you're expected to tuck into bacon sarnies before heading for a pint in the pub with the groom to calm his nerves. In my experience, most blokes wouldn't want to make a fuss, particularly on your mate's big day. You'd probably eat the sarnie, down the pint and wait for the rath of the gluten to take it's revenge wouldn't you?

What would Wheat Surrender do?

Get in there first and suggest a fry up of eggs, bacon, beans, tomato and mushrooms and a round of single malt whiskys in the pub. Don't forget, you need to dodge:

Sausages (unless they're Gluten free ones such as The Black Farmer or Debbie and Andrew's)
Hash browns
Toast, muffins and Fried bread (obvs)
Potato cakes

So far so good. Masculinity in tact and no sign of our grainy nemesis.

Then, there's the canapes after the ceremony. I go to lots of events that involve canapes and it's rare that there are any I can eat, so I automatically say 'no thanks'.

Are you in a hotel with a bar? It's not ideal but buy yourself a bag of crisps or peanuts and discreetly scoff whilst sipping your celebratory champers. You don't want to be drunker than everyone else so it's a good idea to snack when they do.

Hopefully, you've told the bride and groom your dietary requirements before the wedding. Not everyone is comfortable being served something different to everyone else so maybe (blokes) you didn't say anything. If you must put yourself through this, you should probably go back to the bar and stock up on nuts. You have no idea what's in the food unless it meat and two veg.

What if it's a buffet? I went to a wedding yesterday that had a buffet. I didn't get asked if I had dietary requirements and as the happy couple were on a budget and had their food donated, I didn't really want to say anything.

What did Wheat Surrender do?

I brought snacks. Yes. I carted an over-sized bag around to house my variety of goodies. As guests were given a samosa after the ceremony, I had a mini snickers bar. Ha, take that pastry!

I was relatively lucky as the buffet included curry and rice. I looked really greedy as I legged it to the head of the queue but really, I had to make sure I got something to eat before my options ran out.

Then there was the desserts table. A long line of sticky gooey forbidden yumminess. I don't know why, but I had to have a look. Maybe there was jelly and custard? Yes there was, but it was aloft a very yummy looking trifle. I passed banoffie pie, chocolate fudge cake, cheesecake, profiteroles and then, unbelievably, there was a little hand-written sign that read

"Gluten, wheat and dairy free"

What did Wheat Surrender do?

I'd had a *couple of glasses of wine by this point. I screamed 'Oh my God it's wheat free cake ahhhh...' followed by some incomprehensible garble of excitement whilst jumping up and down. I got a bit of attention from a nearby coeliac who had somehow managed to keep their cool on discovering the cake. 'It's nice to have someone around who understands' she said. It was.

Then came the wedding cake. It looked so beautiful. Too nice to eat. And yet so edible. I got a sugar flower from the top of one of the cupcakes. Ah well, a moment on the lips and all that. It just meant I could have more wine. And I did.

So, here are the main points for wheat wedding survival:

Morning

If you're at the bride or groom's house pre-wedding, offer to organise breakfast or at least suggest what to have.

Post ceremony drinks

Canapes shmanapes. We don't need 'em. Sneak off to the bar and get some Big Ds down yer neck.

Wedding Breakfast

If you haven't told them about your dietary requirements, or worse, they haven't asked you, then you better pray for melon and parma ham, or make like Wheat Surrender and bring snacks.

Wedding Cake

It's not as exciting as it looks. Move on. Eat a bit of icing if you're really bothered.

Back to the hotel

If you've had a rough day on the food front, order a bit of room service.

My only other advice is, if you're doing a speech, please, for the love of God, keep it short.

M

A Picnic Short of a Sandwich

2010-08-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

As we only have a few days of summer left, I'll make this post a quick one.

I went for a picnic at Yorkshire Sculpture Park today, and do you know what? There wasn't a pie, scotch egg or quiche in sight.

The only preparation we needed to do before throwing everything in the car was to warm a DS White Baguette and wrap it up.

My beautiful wicker picnic basket (you're so jealous) was loaded with the following wheat dodger friendly goodies:

A selection of cheeses (admittedly, including Babybel)
Oatcakes (not gluten free)
Home made chutney (check the label if you're buying from the supermarket)
DS White baguette
Guacamole
Coleslaw
Potato salad
Cooked free range chicken breasts
Flapacks (not gluten free)
Tropical fruit salad
Beef tomatoes
Flake yoghurt dessert (mmm)
Half a bottle of Chablis (an excellent accompaniment to Babybel)

MMM!

Things I could have added in:

Olives
Crisps
Onion bhajis (triple check these as sometimes wheat is sneaked in)
Houmous (again, check the label)
Home made corn pasta salad
Home made rice salad
Quinoa (if you're that way inclined. I'm not)

I bought 90% of my picnic from a shop on the way to the park so it is possible to be spontaneous. Planning can become a pain in the backside when you're wheat dodging, but once you can spot what you can and can't eat quickly, the hassle soon goes away.

Now stop staring at the computer and get to the park before the sun disappears!

M

Savoir-Fare: Gluten Free Menu at Brasserie Blanc

2010-08-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

sa·voir-faire (sav'wär-fâr')
n.

The ability to say or do the right or graceful thing.
[French : savoir, to know how + faire, to do.]

I have a huge hang up about being the awkward dinner companion, so when the discussion about where we should eat comes up, I tend to keep schtum and go with the majority, even if we end up at Pizza Express (Bosco Salad, hold the dough sticks, without fail). My mind can quickly search through it's restaurant Rollerdex and figure out if there is something for me on the menu, which there usuallly is. That said, the amount of times I have had little or no choice and ended up coughing up for a meal I didn't really want are countless.

Now and again, heaven smiles on me.

A friend from Italy had flown over to Leeds for the weekend, so the priority was to take her somewhere impressive yet laid back enough for our been-walking-round-Leeds-all-day-no-time-to-go-home-and-change attire. Malmaison? Too dressy. Bibi's? No way, she's Italian! Anthony's? Not in the mood for chicken face foam, thanks. So, we ended up at Brasserie Blanc. So long as my visitor was very happy with the choice, I didn't really care if all I got was a slab of cheese.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I went for cod fillet, samphire, mussle and saffron sauce for main course. Hang on, sauce? Have to check the sauce. Not wanting to draw attention to myself or be a pain, I sheepishly whispered to the waitress 'is the sauce wheat free?' I tell restaurants I'm allergic to wheat as it's much easier than saying 'intolerance'. They worry much more about meeting your requirements as soon as the allergy word crops up.

The waitress presented me with a gluten free menu. I couldn't believe it. The only time I'd been given a GF menu was at The Shoulder of Mutton in Kirkby Overblow (a GF pub run by a coeliac - check it out). For a chain restaurant to be this savvy was really impressive. There were TWELVE options for mains. Twelve! My cod fillet was one of them. No veggie option though. It is a French and therefore meat-loving restaurant afterall.

Dessert next which, for someone with as sweet a tooth as me, choosing wheat free can be a painful exercise. The options tend to be ice cream (which is awkward for you coeliacs) or cheese sans bisquits.

I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that the Rhubarb & Custard Cup I chose was one of the best desserts I have ever ever had. Sooo delicious. A perfect balance of tart and sweet rhubarb with gorgeous silky fresh vanilla custard and crunchy honeycomb. All served in a very glam champagne glass. I loved it so much, I am dead set on having it as the dessert at my wedding. Rhubarb is grown behind my flat so it would be rather fitting.

It's rare that I feel like a first class customer rather than a second class citizen at restaurants, so I'm very impressed with Brasserie Blanc. The beauty of the whole thing is, there are Brasserie Blancs located everywhere, so it's a handy place to remember if you're in unfamiliar territory.

Bon appetit!

M

Polenta More Where This Came From: A Guest Post for Wheat Surrender by Lucy Bannister

2010-07-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

There are many things you can learn to live without if you put your mind to it. The problem is that giving up a food stuff as ubiquitous as wheat is fraught with potholes; wheat pops up in the most unexpected of places, you have to be constantly vigilant in spotting its floury presence.

So you have spent all your energy reading the back of packets, jars, questioning your waiter on what is REALLY in your food, or explaining that, yes, there is wheat in pita bread, or fish batter, or beef burgers. And then desert appears. Oh my, this tests you to the limit. Beautiful profiteroles, biscuits, cheese cake, chocolate gateaux, carrot cake… need I go on? When you find out that ice cream can even have wheat in it, it’s time to put your head in your hands and sneak that secret chocolate stash out of your bag!

But don’t fear I have a wonderful recipe for a wheat free (gluten free, actually), totally indulgent chocolate polenta cake. If you count calories, look away now, if you feel it is time to treat your weary wheat-free self, then read on and get baking!

Serves six to eight

11oz (325g) butter
11oz (325g) caster sugar
10oz (300g) ground almonds
1 oz (35g) cocoa powder (or replace with juice of three lemons)
4 eggs
5 oz (160g) fine yellow polenta
1 tsp baking powder
(1tsp almond essence, optional as it makes the almond flavour very strong)
(200g of chocolate if you want to make a lemon and chocolate chunks cake)

Eight inch cake tin

Preheat oven to 160c or Gas Mark 3

Line the cake tin with baking parchment (greasproof paper). The easiest way to do this is to cut the paper to size and then smear it in a thin layer of butter, then place it butter side down, so it sticks to the sides and base of the tin.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale.

Use a hand wisk or food mixer as it is can be really quite tiring.

The butter should be soft so if you just got it out the fridge, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it up. Be careful you don’t melt it though, it only takes a few seconds!

Stir in the ground almonds and cocoa powder (or lemon juice).

Beat the eggs into the mixture one at a time.

Then fold in the polenta and baking powder. I also add a bar or two of chocolate broken into chunks at this stage if I’m making the lemon and chocolate chunks version.

Transfer the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour.

It is REALLY important to pay attention to the temperature of the oven as the cake burns easily. I check the cake every 30 minutes, and switch the oven off after an hour, leaving the cake to cook slowly in the cooling oven.

You know when the cake is cooked as the surface starts to crack and a knife or skewer in the centre comes out clean.

I then dust the cake with a natural unrefined icing sugar and it’s really good with ice cream or crème fraiche and strawberries.

Enjoy!

____________________________________________________________

Based in Bradford but born in Leeds, Lucy is definitely a Yorkshire lass despite studying at Glasgow School of Art and subsequently falling in love with Scotland. She has spent much of her time in the last ten years being an artist and curator and is now editor of the Dialogue contemporary art webzine on Axis (www.axisweb.org/dialogue). She has diversified from visual art of late, getting passionate about sound art, music, yoga, sustainability, gardening and her local community. She has been wheat free for nearly a year (having been gluten free in the past as well). She tries to keep a blog about interesting things at http://lucybannister.tumblr.com, her artwork has a home at www.itchyfingers.org and she contributes blogs to Culture Vulture http://theculturevulture.co.uk/blog/?author=45

She also loves Twitter. You can follow her witterings on @luluartist

“When ‘gf’ doesn’t mean girlfriend” A guest post for WheatSurrender by Ian Sanders

2010-07-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

I’m standing in a supermarket in Copenhagen; I’m hungry and wishing there was a Waitrose nearby. Then I spot the shelves in the corner and my eyes light up as I read the sign above: ‘Gluten Fri’. Cue a huge fanfare as I discover supplies of gluten free pasta, crackers and bread.

I never used to get this excited shopping, but then I’ve been on quite a journey these past few months, living the gluten-free life. It’s a journey that’s been challenging, and also rather expensive. Especially in Copenhagen where I realise my packet of ‘gluten fri’ crackers costs about a fiver.

I used to have a relaxed attitude to eating, but from that moment my doctor suggested I choose a gluten free diet, I am forever scanning websites, shops and menus for those two letters ‘GF’ that mean I can eat safely. Hearing a doctor or nutritionist tell you to give up wheat can be quite a shock. Especially if like me, you lived on bread and pasta most of your life. But with hindsight I know it’s not as bad as you first think; survival is about three things:

knowing what (and where) you can get good, tasty GF products
being prepared when away from home or ‘on the road’
having a supportive partner/ mates (my wife is great at putting up with my grumbles and making me special meals).

Sure, there are things I still miss. A fresh baguette on a Saturday lunchtime, a pint in the pub, but I have found some alternatives. So, here’s what I have to be grateful for :

- Genius bread: better than so many other brands out there, it tastes likes real bread.

- Tesco own-brand Free-From biscuits, pitta, crackers, pasta: good staples for the larder.

- Estrella Damm Daura lager: expensive but hey, a gluten free lager.

- ‘Against The Grain’ biscuits ‘Debbie and Andrew’ sausages are really good.

- Isabel’s pizza base mix (as discovered via this very blog) – makes awesome pizzas.

That’s fine when you’re near a supermarket or at home. But it can get a bit complicated when you’re at work or out and about. So you need to know the right places to go. Here are my own must-go places: Starbucks for its GF tuna sandwiches; Leon for its GF-friendly menu; Whole Foods for breads and snacks. You just need to be prepared. A business trip to the States involved taking bread and biscuits in my suitcase and a trip across town to the local Whole Foods store to pick up top-up rations. I was the guy at breakfast bringing my own bread in to toast, and asking questions in restaurants like “are your burgers made with breadcrumbs?” Virgin Atlantic offer GF meals if you book in advance, but they seem to be dairy-free too which is probably why my GF mozzarella salad appeared with no cheese.

Nine months ago I was eating bread that tasted of cardboard at around £3.50 a loaf. It was that killer combination of tasting horrible and being really expensive. But, the good news is that in most towns and cities in the UK there are more and more options out there for us. And yes, often it’s expensive but it’s actually quite tasty. And missing all those things I love might be a pain but not as much a pain as all the symptoms I suffered from before.

Ian Sanders is a marketing expert, ideas-producer and writer. He’s author of ‘Leap! Ditch Your Job, Start Your Own Business’ and ‘Juggle! Rethink Work, Reclaim Your Life’. He lives by the coast in Leigh-on-Sea. His website is at http://www.iansanders.com/ and you can follow him on Twitter @iansanders

Treats and Meats Without the Wheats

2010-06-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

Marks and Spencer's are all over the gluten-free juggernaut that appears to be sweeping the nation (about bleedin' time too).

While I was ranting and raving about their complete ignorance of GF food, they've clearly been beavering away creating a massive range of products that completely blow all the other supermarkets out of the water.

I went to investigate this week and bought as much as my little greedy hands and bank balance could carry. Exhibit A is their vast range of designer sausages. I bought Pork & Bramley Apple and Pork & Sweet Chilli. They were devoured at a pre-match barbie on Friday and were so tasty they almost made up for the less than digestible football game. I'm hoping M&S have some Soft Baps (always raises a smile) in stock next time as they were all out apart from some that we're imminently going past their sell-by date. Soft Baps ^_^ are also very good friends with burgers which, you guessed it, Marks' have created for us wheat-fearing diners. Exhibit B shows a lovely example of their burger range: The Venison and Sweet Onion Burger. Not my cuppa as I'm not in the business of eating deer. Dunno why, just can't get the image of Bambi out of my head, but I know a lot of you will appreciate them. That's not my hand in the picture by the way, it's my very embarrassed boyfriend who get's dragged around to hold things in supermarkets while I snap away.

Exhibit C shows the specially designed 'Made Without Wheat' products on their very own stand at M&S Leeds. Cakes, brownies, frangipanes and all sorts of bread, which sadly was only apparent due to the labels below the empty shelves. They were only ruddy doing an offer on the Chocolate & Cherry Sponge Cake too. 2 for £3! Bargain.

It's £2.99 just for one normally so I doubled up on the cakey treat and shared some with the office staff. They came in droves to sample it as they've tried my fairy buns and know I don't mess about when it comes to baked goods. The Choc 'n' Cherry cake was moist and sticky. Almost impossible to eat without getting covered in frosting and jam. It's an improved version of the original that they used to sell when they did the odd GF product now and again. I love love love the packaging too. GF foods usually have depressing packaging that looks either clinical or tacky and unappealing. This range has a lovely fifties style packaging that makes the products look even more tempting. The cake is kept moist in a plastic wrapper and kept intact by a cardboard bandeau. Very thoughtful.

On the same day as having all this excitement at the Marks and Spencer's food hall, I noticed that High street confectioner Thornton's label all their ice creams so you know what is gluten free and what isn't. Every flavour at the stand on Albion Street in Leeds was gluten free including my favourite 'Button Moon'. Just don't forget to ask for a tub not a cone and check that the complimentary choco stick is gluten free as I'm not 100% sure about that.

I've overdone it on the rich food now so I'm off for a lie down. The things I do for wheat dodging...

M

World Cup Wheat Dodgery

2010-06-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

Do you dread it when people invite you over for tea? "What will I eat? Will they know what to cook for me? Can I guarantee that it's wheat free?." When it's world cup season and everyone is throwing a pre-match barbecue it gets even trickier. The wheat free options usually include:

Baked potato
Chicken Skewers
Sweetcorn
Fish and pork

Exciting! They're not bad options per se, but come on, we can do much better than that.

Here are my barbecue tips for your delectation

Sausages

The Black Farmer Premium Pork Sausages are absolutely gluten free and so much nicer than the garbage I used to eat. They are almost entirely pork and have hardly any fat in. They seem to cook quicker than normal ones too.

Marks and Spencers have a new range of new gluten free sausages. They are sold as normal and do not shout about being gluten free, so just check out the premium sausage range and read the labels. I was given some at a pre-match barbecue on Saturday by a friend and they were just lovely.

Burgers

My very clever boyfriend went to our local butcher and had them make some pure beef patties for me. They could have done with a bit of salt and pepper to season, but they were still really nice.

If you have the time, make some home made ones which you can adjust to make wheat free. Here is a recipe for 'normal' spicy beef burgers

Bread rolls, baps and barms

Whatever you want to call them, there are good alternatives to encase your barbecued treats in. I tried out the Livwell range with my sausages and burgers. I also tried grilled halloumi and salad in a Livwell pitta bread. The pitta tasted just like a normal white pitta but it was perhaps more prone to breakage than it's wheaty cousin.

For the burgers, I tried the Livwell white rolls. You need to zap them in the microwave for 15 seconds before you can use them. I have eaten them a few times and they have been very well behaved and stayed intact. They didn't at the barbecue which was a little disappointing and made graceful eating a challenge. They taste fine though which is the main thing. It was difficult watching everyone else tuck into squidgy seeded rolls though.

I also tried their 'dinner rolls' which are a bit like individual ciabattas. Very nice with a sweet taste and much sturdier than the white rolls.

Condiments

Supermarkets such as Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco have well stocked free from aisles which usually stock GF ketchup.

Drinks

The world cup isn't the same without beer and lager by the bucket load. Why shouldn't the free from fans get spangled on the amber nectar like the rest of the nation? There are a couple of options available. Due to their expense you will be forced to drink responsibly but that's not such a bad thing. At least you'll remember the scoreline at full time.

The options are:

Green's Gluten Free Beers
Hambleton Ales

Half time treats

I recently did some baking with almost-mother-in-law and we made the most delicious gluten free butterfly cakes EVER. I can't get over how delicious they are so I've made several batches since, including some footie themed 'World Cup-cakes'. I'm not the most artistic person so mine have a bit of rustic charm. Anyone can make these beauties and they'll go down a storm at the barbie. For the recipe click here.

The moral of the story is, don't decline the offer when you're invited to the barbecue, you can eat what everyone else is having. Just come prepared, and if you have a more severe case of gluten intolerance, just bring a disposable barbecue so you can ensure your goods stay g free.

All you have to worry about now is slippery handed goalies.

M

Colonic Hydrotherapy in Harrogate Part 2 - The Results

2010-06-09T04:47:00.000-07:00

To see part 1 click here.
First off, I just want to thank all those who have been in touch about part 1 and patiently waited for part 2. I intended to write this sooner, but I was advised by my colonic hydrotherapist Lorraine MacNay to wait until I had received my second treatment so that I could really feel the full benefits that a colonic can provide. This is an epic post as there's so much to tell, so get a cup of hot water and lemon and pull up a comfy chair.

So, how did I feel after the first treatment? Well I definitely lost weight. I weighed myself before and after and the scales were a staggering 3/4 stone lighter after the treatment. Lorraine herself was amazed by this. I don't want to get those watching their weight too excited as weight loss can vary. Another of her clients lost 6 pounds for example. I am quite slender anyway but am more so since the first treatment. Let's just say that the first time around was very successful at removing unwanted visitors to my colon!

The second big difference was that my stomach was much flatter. I am normally very bloated most of the time and feel really sluggish and tubby as a result. I have to say that it's very rare that I feel balloon-like these days which is fantastic.

There were downsides to the first treatment. A few days after, I started to feel ill with stomach cramps. I had made the mistake of eating rich food a couple of days after the treatment. I suppose your digestive system is a little bit sensitive after having water pumped in and out of it and having good bacteria removed along with the bad. I didn't make the same mistake the second time around and it paid off.

As colonic is a form of detox, I also got a few spots around my face a few days later, but they soon cleared up.

I had my second treatment last week which is approximately 6 weeks after the first one. It's recommended that you have a follow-up 4-6 weeks after your first session to feel the full benefit. After that, you can have it done as much or as little as you like. This, says Lorraine, depends on your circumstances.

Colonic hydrotherapy treats a wide range of symptoms, so the effects can vary depending on your reasons for having one done.

The full list of symptoms are:

* Bloated stomach and weight
* Irritable Bowel Syndrome
* Frequent constipation or diarrhoea
* Depression (amazingly)
* Headaches, Earache, Sinus problems and Allergies
* Backache, Sciatic pain
* Acne, Psoriasis & other skin complaints
* Insomnia (again, amazingly)
* Candida
* Indigestion
* Colitis, Crohns diease
* Diverticulitis

I'll recap on what happens during the treatment and how the second one is slightly different:

* Lorraine practices in a specially equipped spa treatment room at Academy Spa in Harrogate. She is professional yet very friendly and reassuring.

*The tubes used are sterile and disposable so are not used on anyone else prior to your using them.

*Many people expect a big tube going to a place far far away, but the white plastic nozzle only goes 1.5 inches in and is about 1 inch wide. It feels a bit like you really need to go to the bathroom at first, but you get used to this.

*The water pumped in is at body temperate and is good enough to drink (obviously not afterwards!).

*You can see what comes through the tubes and the 'curiosity window' but rather than being really gross, it's fascinating.

*There is no odour.

*You will be given a gown to wear so you are covered up throughout and are sat lying down with your knees bent. Some people assume awkward positions are involved but they're not.

*The second session for me was much more relaxed as I knew what to expect and felt at ease with Lorraine. The treatment was much easier as a result so I was much more comfortable and the removal of unwanted visitors was much more successful.

*It's possible that the removal of toxins from your body can cause you to feel a bit giddy and light-headed afterwards, so probably best not to do anything too mentally taxing when you leave the spa.

*A great benefit of colonic is that it can get rid of cellulite which is caused by toxins in the body.

*Lorraine offers a reflexology treatment to have straight after the colonic which can extend the benefits and is said to be more relaxing than having a massage.

"Every single organ and structure in your body is mirrored in your feet, and you can tell a lot about someone's health from applying pressure to certain areas."

For more about reflexology and a very handy foot diagram, click here.

After speaking with Lorraine, which you will do a lot of through the treatment, you really start to think about what you put into your body. I have been much more conscious of what I eat and drink ever since and am really put off nasties that can harm my nice clean insides. I have a cleansing cup of hot water and lemon every morning to get my digestive system going. I avoid red meat where possible opting for fish instead. I try to eat dark chocolate rather than milk as it has lots of antioxidants in that are much better for you. And, I drink much less tea than I used to.

On Lorraine's information leaflet, she makes a really important point;

"As long as we continue to assume that the colon will take care of itself, we will remain in complete ignorance of perhaps the most important source of ill health in the whole body."

I will definitely be having it done again but maybe just every six months or even once per year.

Lorraine MacNay's price list

* Standard colonic hydrotherapy £65
* Course of 4 treatments £220
* Colonic with herbal infusion £65
* Colonic plus relexology £80
* Probiotic implant after treatment(to replace good bacteria) £10
* Reflexology £30
* Deep tissue massage £25
* Food allergy testing £20

I had two treatments at £130.

If you choose to have a go, please get in touch and let me know how it went.

M

Mmmm & Yes!

2010-06-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

I've given them a beating over the past few months. I've even stopped shopping with them after previously (pre-wheat dodging) visiting almost every day. It's a similar situation to when I fell out with Apple after I bought one of their pretty, shiny macs only to discover it was rendered obsolete after about half an hour (says she who owns an iPhone).

I visited my local Marks and Spencer's for my usual lunch fix one day absolutely certain that such a high brow and forward thinking retailer would have aisles full of wheat free goodies. I found there was nothing but a tin of soup sans their far-too-cheerful-and-garish pink 'contains wheat gluten' banner which is brandished ostentatiously across the back of their unnecessarily wheaty goods.

I'd like to think that my displays of disappointment are cause for their seemingly small yet also hugely exciting gesture of a beautifully presented loaf of fresh gluten free bread. As I refuse to go in there unless I have to, it wasn't me that stumbled across this little beauty, but my eagle-eyed sister who came over for tea. She lives in Manchester so doesn't pop over that often and therefore has not been privvy to my 'OMG it's wheat free!' squeal. I saved my most high-pitched one for this occasion.

According to my sister it was 'about £2.50'(she looked understandably quite upset about spending that much on a small loaf of bread) and she bought it in a Manchester branch of M&S. She was very lucky to stumble across the loaf as it was hidden on the bottom shelf of the bread aisle (I would never look in the bread aisle. It's like trying on a pair of Jimmy Choo's when you've only got a fiver 'til payday).

Was it any good? Well yes it ruddy well was. Four of us, including a very fussy 7-year-old with a palate to rival Jay Rayner sat down to some home made spaghetti bolognaise (I settle for corn fusilli bolognaise). As a starter we had some of the bread with olive oil. Everybody scoffed it happily and the wheat eaters compared it with bread you get on holiday in Spain.

Like a good book, I postponed it's ending for as long as I could so saved the rest for thin slices which I consumed over a number of days. I had turkey sandwiches on the bus (classy), toast for breakfast and bruschetta for a snack. Unlike other GF breads I've tried out, it was just as nice fresh as it was toasted. It still tastes fine after a few days but I would toast it after 3 or 4 days of opening. As with most things from M&S it's a bit of treat.

Sod caviar, have Jam butties with your champagne.

M

Time (Butter)flies When You're Having Buns

2010-05-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't baked in ages. I'm well aware of all the gluten free flour alternatives in pretty much every supermarket, but I've always been a bit cynical about whether it's possible to bake decent gluten/wheat free treats when even the big manufacturers can't get it right.

My Almost-mother-in-law is fantastic at baking. Whenever I call she is baking some new recipe she has found and is always laden with cakes whenever we come over to visit.

She has very kindly offered to help me have a go at gluten free butterfly buns. With her expertise and my knowledge of wheat dodgery we've got as good a chance as anyone.

These buns are genuinely the best buns I have ever tasted EVER. Maybe I just get a bit more excited about cakes than I used to but seriously, amazing.

Almost-mother-in-law bought some Doves Farm White Self-raising flour blend which already includes the all important xantham gum. Xantham gum is a special additive which binds and thickens gluten-free ingredients. It can also help to improve flavouring. If you attempt the following recipe but can't get Doves Farm flour, either check that your flour has Xantham gum in or buy some seperately and follow the pack instructions.

Here's what to do

Gather the following ingredients:

Note: 6 oz = 170g

6 oz gluten free flour with xantham gum
6 oz caster sugar
6 oz margarine (we use Stork)
3 medium eggs
1 teaspoon of gluten free baking powder
A teaspoon of the flavouring of your choice - we used vanilla essence.
Either 12 muffin cases or 20 bun cases
A muffin/bun tray

*Heat the oven to 180c or 160c if it's a fan assisted oven

* Get a large mixing bowl ready so you can bung each ingredient in once you've weighed them

* Sieve the flour, baking powder and the sugar. You need as much air in these ingredients as possible to get the fluffiest buns you can

*Pop the eggs and margarine into the bowl. We used a fancy food mixer to make life easier. If you don't have one, fire up your hand whisk or, if you're an eco warrior, use a good old manual whisk

*If you've got a food mixer, turn it onto a medium speed and leave it for 20 minutes. If you are in a rush, 10 minutes will do, but the longer you leave it, the more air you will get into the mixture and therefore more fluff potential. Add the vanilla essence in at any point during the mixing process

*If you are using alternatives to a food mixer, just keep going for as long as you can up to 20 minutes

*Spoon around 3 heaped teaspoons of the mixture into 12 muffin cases or 2 teaspoons into 20 bun cases

*Pop the buns in for 25 minutes

*Have a smell - just like normal fairy buns! I squealed at this point but that's optional for you

*Leave to cool

*Slice the tops off and cut them in half - these are the butterfly wings

*Add some buttercream or fresh cream if eating straight away. Luckily Almost-mother-in-law had some she made earlier in true Blue Peter style. No idea how she made it but here is a standard Bero recipe for some

*Carefully stick the wings on so it looks just like a butterfly

*Put the kettle on, get the cakes on a nice plate and warn your friends that they're gluten free and they won't like them. Do they share their wheaty cakes? No.

*Devour

Thanks to Almost-mother-in-law for helping me to eat lovely cakes again.

M

Letters Page 2

2010-05-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Another reader has been in touch. She asks some very good questions and is generally a little overwhelmed by the prospect of living gluten free. She is a student too so it's not as easy for her to cut gluten out on a small student loan budget.

Alice, I forgot to mention, contact Coeliac Yorkshire for details of Coeliac support groups in your area. I personally have never been to one but have thought about setting one up. It's tricky as I am not coeliac but wheat intolerant. If there are any coeliacs out there who are interested in setting something up, give me a shout.

Hello

I just read your article on the Guardian website about eating out in Leeds as part of the Coeliac awareness week and wondered if i might ask you for some advice. I had a look at your blog and found it really helpful to read such positive and uplifting thoughts about living gluten free.

I am a student at York University and have good reason to believe I am being made unwell by eating gluten. I have been really ill for the past couple of months, and cut out gluten when the doctor decided to take some blood to test for coeliacs. I'm still awaiting the results but since cutting out gluten i've felt loads better. i did an experiment by eating an oatcake containing gluten a couple of days ago and after a couple of hours felt terrible.

Sorry for the long winded explanation, but I was just wondering if you could share how you felt when you first thought you might have it. I'm finding it really difficult to deal with at the moment. Its not easy finding people who understand whats going on! Any advice you could give would be really great. If you dont mind telling me I was wondering how you got diagnosed and what the process actually is. Do you by any chance know of any support groups in the York area?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and for your wonderful blog!

Best wishes

Alice Longhurst

My reply...

Hi Alice

Thank you for your email. I am really happy to help you where I can, although I am not an expert, I merely share my experiences.

I personally am wheat intolerant, not coeliac, but a lot of the lifestyle implications for me are the same for coeliacs.

I suffered with symptoms for a few years before I figured out what was wrong. The symptoms were very mild to start with such as bloating after a meal. Gradually as things got worse, I suffered stomach cramps, trouble going to the bathroom, sore back, headaches, moodiness/mild depression, fatigue, and my usually clear skin became very spotty. It sucked basically!

After having tests for poorly kidneys and eventually blood tests for coeliacs disease we still didn't know what was wrong. It got to the point where I was afraid to eat and I went from a size 12 to a size 6. I looked dreadful.

My doctor then asked me to try a process of elimination. The first thing I did was cut wheat out of my diet for 1 month. It did the trick.

Ever since (this was last November) I have been figuring out wheat-free living and decided to write a blog to take the edge off a pretty crappy situation. Helping people like you has made a positive out of a negative.

What I would do if I was you would be to cut gluten out until you get your results. If they say you haven't got it, get a second opinion. You can buy tests online to find out what it is that doesn't agree with you. They are expensive sometimes, and I cannot vouch for their reliability, but it's worth a shot.

Here are a few tips on what you can do whilst you are trying a gluten-free diet:

* DS (Dietary Specials) have a range of products available at Morrison's. They are the best value for money I have come across (I know what it's like to be a skint student!). I regularly eat their pasta which isn't too expensive at around £1.60 a packet. That will last you about a week for dinners I reckon.

* No Morrison's near by? Sainsbury's, ASDA and Coop all stock gluten-free goods but are not always as nice/reasonably priced as Morrison's which I think accomodate our diet much better than anywhere else. Failing that, try your local health food store.

* Invest in a big bag of rice as it's a great staple for coeliacs. I have it with everything, even with pasta sauce.

* Keep checking ingredients on product labels. Things you think would be gluten-free might not be such as pasta sauce or sausages.

* Avoid M&S - they sprinkle flour on EVERYTHING and do not accomodate our diet as yet.

* Call restaurants and friends who invite you for tea before you go to make sure you can either bring your own stuff or they understand what you need to avoid in your diet. Don't trust anyone's cooking unless they are well educated about it or it's something safe you know you can eat.

* Making your own soup is really really cheap and if you use pulses and beans you will get lots of protein to help fill you up. It's a pain but you could just put aside one evening a week to make a week's worth for lunch. There are loads of nice, cheap soup recipes online

* Jacket potatoes are really cheap and you can just have them with cheese or beans or whatever you like really! Lots of options just be careful to check the ingredients of your toppings. Everything that isn't a whole food should be checked until you get to know what's contains gluten.

If you turn out to be a coeliac, you should get food on prescription. You will get prescriptions for free if you are a student up to a certain age. I believe a Yorkshire gluten-free food producer called Livwell provide prescription food. They are sending me samples so I will write a post about their stuff soon.

Keep your chin up and I promise it will get easier. It's taken 6 months for me to get into a routine but now I manage pretty well and even my boyfriend eats wheat-free most of the time quite happily.

You have inspired me to write a post about gluten-free on the cheap for students or those suffering in the recession. Look out for it in the next few weeks.

Keep in touch.

Please get in touch if you need to talk to someone in the same boat. The whole reason I do this blog is to make a bad situation better by helping other people out a little bit. Email me here.

M

An Offer You Can't Re-Fusilli

2010-05-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

These days I'm never without a bag of DS pasta in my cupboard (you can buy them for about £1.50 from Morrison's and sometimes Co-op). It's a life saver for lunches to take to work or just a quick meal when I'm starving or can't be bothered to cook. It's so similar to normal pasta that my other half has given up the wheaty version too.

Spag bol is a bit of a faff and you can't buy GF meatballs as far as I'm aware so I had an idea for a shortcut to pasta and meatballs. I have found two different brands of GF sausages so far. Debbie and Andrew's Harrogate 97% sausages which I used to buy before going wheat free due to the fact that there aren't loads of random ingredients in them. The others are some really nice new ones I recently became acquainted with from The Black Farmer

The Black Farmer is not just a brand but a real person called Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones who shows a lot of sympathy for coeliacs. His website even advertises how to get tested for coeliac disease. His daughter is the face of their new chipolata sausages which I used in my quick dinner. Kids can suffer from coeliacs too so it's nice that there is a product out there marketed at them.

So, for my easy dinner, I chopped up an onion, a clove of garlic and four chipolatas and chucked them into a dry frying pan. You can tell how good the sausages are as hardly any moisture comes out of them while they fry. Then i poured a tin of tomatoes and some cheap red wine along with a bit of seasoning before leaving the little chipolatas to it for about 20 minutes.

My wheat eating boyfriend scoffed it quicker than you can say 'Dolmio'.

M

Worth the Dough

2010-05-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Hands up who misses pizza? Hands up who would break most of their morals just to get their hands on a piping hot stringy slice of Sloppy Giuseppe? Thought so.

Guess what? Pizza is back and it's guilt-free AND dirt cheap!

My favourite restaurant of the moment is Salvo's in Headingley, Leeds. They are pioneers of coeliac catering and do so very discreetly. They have won loads of awards too including 'Best Local Italian' on Channel 4's The F Word. I've written about their efforts for Coeliac Awareness Week for Guardian.co.uk recently. Find out more about their general marvellousness here.

Salvo's family owners Gip and John have teamed up with Isabel's Brazilian Flavours to create an amazing gluten-free pizza base mix. I got my hands on a pack for £3.50 from Salvo's restaurant which might sound a bit steep but the box actually contains enough mix for 4 pizzas. By my maths that works out at about 90p a pizza which is an absolute bargain! The good news is that the mix is due to go on sale in Waitrose supermarkets so will be widely available.

I had a go at making a couple of pizzas to indulge myself and to hoodwink some wheat eaters into thinking they were 'normal' pizzas. Please note, I am not into long-winded complicated cooking. I only bother with quick stuff like this.

Here's how to make dough for 2 pizzas (you can freeze any dough you don't use):

*Keep some cornflour handy to dust the work surface.

*Preheat the oven as per the pack instructions.

*Lightly mix 1 large egg.

*Mix the contents of 1 of the 2 sachets with half of the egg, 100 ml of water and 1.5 tbs of olive oil (the best you can get).

*Knead the dough until it becomes 'silky and pliable' then split up into two balls.
*Roll each ball out as near to 20cm as you can. I struggled with this as I'm rubbish at rolling out dough.

*Bake on a perforated tray for 20 minutes

*Get your toppings ready. I used tomato puree (passata may make it a bit soggy), olive oil, fresh basil, mozzarella and salami.
*Remove and allow to cool for a minute or so, then add your toppings. Don't worry if they rise like little balloons, they will flatten when your toppings are added.

*Bake for another 5 - 10 minutes.

*Scoff, look smug, then, if desired, repeat above steps.

M

Letters Page

2010-05-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

I receive emails from fellow sufferers or those who think they may suffer quite often these days. Some seek advice and some like to share their experiences too. Where relevant, some posts will show my responses to those who have asked for my advice.

I will add letters gradually so you don't get an information overload...

Letter #1 - advice from a fellow sufferer

Hi,

I follow your blog as I too am a coeliac living in Leeds and struggle to find stuff to eat out! Lunch is an absolute nightmare and I usually find if I’m out and about I end up having a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar as it’s just easier!

However, I work in PR and while attending a press launch last week was invited to lunch at Harewood House at its Courtyard restaurant and I was really happy to see that they offer all their toasties and soups with a gluten-free option. I had a melted cheddar and red onion toastie which came out on two rye bread buns (and usually I’m not the biggest fan of rye bread) however it was absolutely gorgeous and I would def recommend giving it I try. All the toasties on their menu can be made gluten free fresh to order.

Thanks and keep recommending recipes and places to eat! I take it all into account. My favourite discovery of recent years is def Morrisons GF flour which I’ve used to bake cakes and make cookies and it the best thing since sliced bread. I think. I can’t remember what normal sliced bread tastes like.

Anyway – keep up the great blog!
Kind regards
Debbie

Letter #2 - a very nice email from someone I have helped

Hi there

I just wanted to write and let you know how interesting I am finding your blog!

At age 35 I have only recently found out the reason for feeling ill so much of the time, lots of food intolerances, wheat included. So I'm now desperately trawling the net trying to find ideas and recipes for things that I CAN actually eat!!

Anyway I won't bore you any further, i really just wanted to thank you hugely for such an interesting blog, so much information and so helpful :)

Take care and thanks again
Sarah

If you would like to get in touch, click here to email me.

Wheating's Cheating - My Attempt to Avoid Wheat in Italy

2010-05-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

I've just come back from Italy: the capital of wheat flour. Pasta, pizza, bread, pannetone, biscoti etc etc. It's also the best Pasta, pizza and bread in the world too. It was a bit like the Adam and Eve situation. "Don't eat the apple! Don't eat it! Noooooooooo! Bad stuff will happen!!". Before you know it, she's chomping away with apple round her mouth.

I couldn't help it! The waiters just kept bringing gorgeous rolls of freshly baked bread and sticks of grissini to the table. They also have amazing, almost drinkable olive oil on the table that cries out to be soaked into a chunk of crusty bread. So. I did the unthinkable. I tore, I dipped, I consumed. And it was HEAVEN. Here comes the backlash...

I have been told by more than one source that flour has less gluten in Italy than the UK or US as they do not process wheat grains as vigorously as we do over here. In other words, they know how to eat and tend to avoid the ready made, vacuum packed crap that us Brits love to guzzle by the bucket load. It was hard to see the real Italy on my trip as I visited Lake Como which is very touristy (but amazing nonetheless) but it seemed that they did put eating good food everyday much higher on their list of priorities than we do.

Italy really tested my willpower. In the end, I decided that if I was going to have a lapse, this was the place to do it. I'm pretty safe though, so I just had little bites here and there. As I was drinking lots of prosecco, my symptoms were masked with a hangover most mornings. I tried bread, grissini (the lesser of the two evils) gnocci and pizza. I got away with it at first but then the cramps, backache and spots around my chin appeared. I didn't push my luck too far so I managed to enjoy my trip without having to stop having fun or lay off the booze.

If you are less reckless than me, there are loads of wheat-free options to keep you happy in Italia. Risotto, Caprese (tomato and mozzarella salad) and Carpaccio (cured beef). All amazing. Much tastier than their wheaty rivals. So don't worry, it is achievable to enjoy a holiday without wheat. You've come this far.

P.S. This is a cautionary tale. I still have spots a week after getting back.
P.P.S. I got engaged while I was over there, hence the carefree attitude and so much booze it hid the symptoms. You only live once.

Ciao
M

No such thing as a (Gluten) Free Lunch?

2010-04-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

NOTE TO READERS: 27TH FEBRUARY 2011

Two things. 1 - Juice Junkie has sadly closed down. And 2 - cous cous is in fact made entirely of wheat in many places, although proper cous cous is made of millet. My mistake. I wrote this ages ago and this whole wheat dodging is quite a learning curve!

Cheers!

This lunchtime, I decided to do a little experiment. I usually make my own lunch to bring to work as it's really not worth the hassle of wandering around Tesco's for an hour and coming out with a bag of Haribo for lunch. There is a distinct lack of ready-made products for wheat dodgers, and, unbelievably the worst offenders are Marks and Spencer's who sprinkle flour liberally and unnecessarily all over their lunchtime offerings. Even couscous and rice salads!

Anyway, I wandered round to see how long it would take me to find something decent to eat that wouldn't break the bank. Namely, a sandwich.

I have heard lots about Starbucks launching a new GF range of sandwiches which I was delighted to hear. I popped into the Briggate Leeds branch to see for myself.

The only GF sandwich on offer was a tuna salad. I hate tuna sandwiches! To me, they're just a big bowl of wrong. I appreciate that most people do like them, so good news for you! Even so, the lack of variety did really disappoint me. Coeliacs cannot live on a diet of tuna alone! Ah well, small mercies I suppose. They do, however, stock 3 different GF deserts including a fairtrade chocolate brownie and a Valencia orange cake. So coffee and cake won't be such a hassle anymore as Starbucks have cafes absolutely everywhere. Result!

I didn't hang around for cake, I went on with my search for a nice sandwich to fill a very grumbly hole. I walked past M&S not even entertaining wasting my lunch hour reading the back of every packet only to find that the only thing they have omitted flour from is a boiled ham. I wandered past there and ended up at Juice Junkie in Thornton's Arcade. Bingo.

They have a nice big sign in the window that reads 'We now offer gluten free bread'. I trotted in and asked if they indeed had GF bread and if so what brand it was (very important, I'm not having naff stuff that falls apart when just before it reaches my mouth). "Genius bread". Sold. I could have ANY sandwich on the menu. Any! I went for Ham, Cheddar and Onion Marmalade. And it was delicious. I even enjoyed that weird feeling you get when you've eaten too much bread and desperately need a glass of water. I was home.

Thank you, Juice Junkie for being so forward-thinking and totally peeing on Starbucks' bonfire.

M

Juice Junkie‎
11 Thorntons Arcade, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS1 6LQ 0113 247 0110‎

Brunch of Flours

2010-04-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

At the best of times I'm not keen on spending ages in the kitchen, and this was no exception especially as I'd had a couple of glasses of wine the night before (I know, not like me at all...). So I decided to keep it simple.

The sun was shining and I had managed to get up and out of the door before 10 am on a Saturday morning which was very out of character for me (the absence of wheat in my diet has made me more of a morning person). I cheerfully skipped around the supermarket excited about all the food we'd be eating at brunch later on with our friends.

Summer berries with greek yoghurt, granola and honey, eggs Benedict with smoked ham and fresh bagels, banoffie muffins, fresh coffee and smoothies. Mmm.....

Hang on, what the hell am I going to eat?! My favourite GF supermarket (Morrison's) didn't have any granola that wasn't coated in flour (gotta have flour!), they had sold out of the special gluten-free English muffins I love, and I didn't even entertain the prospect of a magical GF banoffie muffin alternative.

I didn't want to compromise my guests' eating experience just because I had to compromise mine. As usual, I thought I'd play the martyr/hero by nibbling quietly on my berries and the sad little flapjack I'd bought as an alternative to banoffie muffins (they smelled amazing by the way).

My friend complete with her husband and very cute 1-year-old arrived for brunch. She's a thoughtful sort and rarely arrives empty-handed. She brought with her a lovely bunch of daffs and a life-saving packet of Sainsbury's Free From Sunflower Seed and Hazelnut Granola. I did my high-pitched thing and gushed gratefully before dashing to the kitchen to make some lovely summer fruits granola. I know that wheat-eaters are usually quite reluctant to try GF stuff but everyone tucked in and a chorus of 'mmmmm lovely' errupted as we scoffed the lot.

I had some GF wholemeal rolls in the cupboard so I settled for those instead of bagels with my eggs Benedict. Topped with lovely ham, poached egg and my boyfriend's amazing home-made hollandaise sauce, the GF roll was a reasonable substitute and the lack of bagel was forgotten. By that time with all the tea and smoothies I didn't really have any room for banoffie muffins anyway so didn't feel all that hard done by.

I pretty much got to eat the same as everyone else bar a few tweaks. I would genuinely book a morning off work just to do it all again.

M

Colonic Hydrotherapy in Harrogate Part 1 - The treatment

2010-04-15T01:07:00.000-07:00

There is so much to tell in this post so I have split it up into 2 parts. Mainly so that your eyes (and mine) don't go square from staring at the screen too long.

Most people have heard of it but few have experienced it or know what to expect from it. Being British and very conservative about our bodies, it's a subject rarely covered in conversation. I'm pretty prudish about toilet talk if I'm honest. I'm often the butt ('scuse the pun) of many a joke about gross toilet humour as I visibly recoil in horror when people discuss their bowel habits. A recent acceptance that everyone goes to the bathroom and there's nothing to be embarrassed about gave me the courage to be mature and give a frank account of my colon hydrotherapy experience.

Colon hydrotherapy (also known as Colonic irrigation) is an alternative therapy offered to help the following symptoms common in sufferers of food allergies:

*Bloated stomach
*Irritable Bowel Syndrome
*Backache, sciatic pain
*Acne, psoriasis and other skin complaints
*Indigestion
*Headaches
*Weight gain

When I heard that colon hydrotherapy can be used to help with wheat intolerance, I had to give it a try. How does it help with food allergies? Well, the allergens you intake when you eat things that don't agree with you stay in your colon for around 3 weeks. That means if you unassumingly eat wheat/gluten (happens to me a lot) the symptoms can bug you for weeks on end. The process also relieves bloating and backache which are the two major symptoms I experience when I consume wheat and make me feel like a very grumpy balloon.

So, I contacted Harrogate Colon Hydrotherapist Lorraine MacNay for a chat to find out more about the procedure. She was very warm and friendly and put me at ease about discussing such personal things usually reserved for the doctor's surgery.

She went on to explain the benefits of the treatment and how it will ease the discomfort experienced by food allergy sufferers. She also advised me to detox prior to our appointment. That includes cutting out tea and coffee.

I lasted about half a day on the detox before I turned grumpy due to a lack of my staple Yorkshire Tea. Turns out I'm addicted to the stuff. Instead, Lorraine recommends hot water and lemon to set you up for the day (I've been trying it recently. It's really refreshing). She tells me that first thing in the morning, your digestive system is raring to go, and nothing could be better than a cleansing cup of hot water and lemon to flush your system of any bad bacteria.

Lorraine refers to 'bad bacteria' quite a lot. Not in the way those nonsense probiotic adverts do (which Lorraine says are a waste of money). When you think about it, your body temperature is 37c so if you have food sitting in there for a while, it will begin to rot. Lorraine recommends chewing your food properly so that it can digest easily "When you think about it, you only have teeth in your mouth, so once you have finished chewing, it's up to your digestive system to break down the food." A very good point, if a little graphic.

There appears to be many benefits of having a colonic, so if you're thinking about having it done, this is how it works...

My treatment was at Academy Spa in Harrogate where Lorraine is based a few days each week (Lorraine is freelance, so you are better off booking directly with her).

I arrive in a very tranquil spa treatment room to be met with Lorraine who looks very professional in her gleaming white uniform. She sits me down to go through my lifestyle habits. This is where I start to feel a bit guilty.

Lifestyle: Busy, but in a good way.
Exercise: Hmmm....a bit of walking each day, but less so since I moved house.
Drinks: 6-7 cups of tea per day (ouch). 2 glasses of water.
Chocolate: Quite addicted to the stuff since I gave up wheat - a bar a day at least.
Alcohol intake: Not too bad, the odd night out and a couple of glasses of wine a week.

From this information, Lorraine advised that I should cut down on tea to 2-3 cups per day, drink lots more water and switch to 70% cocoa or above chocolate. She also advised that I should try more exercise, which I knew anyway. This is where she advised that I swap my morning cuppa for a hot lemon.

Now, the interesting bit.

Lorraine gives me a hospital style tunic and asks me to get changed into it. She then asked me to lay down on the treatment bed which was next to a special machine (see pictures) which simultaneously pumps water in and out of your colon. The clear panel on the machine is where you can see how effective the treatment is. You're just not human if you're not curious about what's coming out of those tubes.

She then asks me to lay on my side whilst she hooks me up to the machine. The scariest bit really. A 2 inch tube is inserted which doesn't hurt, but is a bit uncomfortable. I can then lie on my back whilst the 45 minute treatment goes on. Filtered water (good enough to drink)is pumped into the colon which feels very strange indeed. The water is body temperature so doesn't feel too cold or too hot.

To start with, there is just a lot of water going in and massaging of my tummy to stimulate movement in the colon.

20 minutes in we start to see results as the out tube seems to be getting busier.

The first treatment doesn't usually result in much so Lorraine has to work a bit harder to get things going. She ups the water pressure for 1 minute. This is the most uncomfortable part as she stops water coming out and completely fills the colon. It feels a bit bad like period pain. The relief is instant as she drops the pressure again. This works and we see lots more coming through the curiosity window.

The treatment ends after 45 minutes and Lorraine nips off to grab me some probiotics (to replace the good bacteria lost in the process) whilst I take an advised trip to the little girls room (there's a very nice and well equipped one in the treatment room). She also turns the music up. I didn't think a bathroom trip would be required after all that I had just been through, but good lord, it was.

The treatment, for want of a better description, loosens up everything and it has to go somewhere once it's lose. I was in the bathroom for quite some time and was amazed at what my poor colon had been harbouring.

Enough with the gross talk now, i'm not that comfortable with it!

The next post will talk about the results of the treatment.

Did I lose weight? Did I feel better? Have I managed to cut down on my tea drinking?

Tune in next time to find out!

M

Upper Crust - Important Find!

2010-04-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

I've never really been an early adopter of anything, and though I try to keep abreast of the goings on in coeliac world, this ground-breaking product passed me by for a little while. It wasn't until my dad, bless him, sent me an article about the lady who made her millions from selling a humble loaf of bread to Starbucks (remember this part, it could be life-changing).

Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne is the inventor of Genuis bread, a new, fresh bread range for coeliacs. She has a lot of empathy for coeliacs as her son is a sufferer, so she spent months hidden away in her kitchen developing a bread that he and the rest of the coeliac community could enjoy.

According to the Starbucks website "As part of our health and wellness strategy, we...offer delicious products which are gluten-free, wheat-free, vegetarian or vegan." Imagine how much easier life will be when GF options will be available in one of the biggest fast food chains in the country. There are over 500 branches of Starbucks in the UK, and God knows how many all over the world. The nightmare of grabbing something to eat when you're in a strange town or haven't been organised enough to bring your own snacks (i.e. me) is over!

I have yet to sample Starbucks' GF offerings, but have tried Genius bread at home. I like to put products through their paces, partiularly when they have the guile to name themselves 'Genius', so I tried it 3 different ways:

1. Toast and Jam
I went for the granary, ready sliced loaf and decided to pop my g-bread cherry via the simple snack experience. I literally toasted a couple of slices (including the 'end' bit - not wasting anything at £2.89 a loaf!), buttered them and popped a bit of jam on in case I needed to cover up the taste a bit. Apart from being a bit drier than normal toast, I couldn't tell the difference. The 'end' bit wasn't as nice as the thinner slice so I didn't finish it.

2. Chip Butty
You can take the girl out of Manchester... A solid Mancunian staple and one sorely missed since I waved bye bye to my floury arch-enemy. To me, this is the ultimate acid test. I bought some chips from the local takeaway, buttered a couple of slices and whacked on the ketchup. It was magnificent. It tasted like heaven. The only draw back was that it fell apart a bit, but luckily graceful eating isn't required whilst sat watching QI on the sofa.

3. Sunday Breakkie
Poached egg and bacon on TOAST. Not a part-baked, clumsy GF roll, TOAST! My worry this time was that it's soggy accompaniments would cause the bread to disentergrate, but I was pleasantly surprised as it stayed intact and tasty.

So. Genius bread gets the thumbs up. The only major drawback is the price. It's not cheap at almost £3 a loaf. I bought mine from Sainsbury's and haven't seen it sold elsewhere as yet. It's designed for daily consumption but it's not really an affordable option for many. Gluten intolerance isn't reserved for the wealthy so why should the products be? I'm not a coeliac, I'm just intolerant to wheat so don't qualify for prescription food, but it's worth checking if you can get some financial assistance. For me, this will just be a weekend treat every now and again.

Right, I'm off to dust off the toast rack.

M

Free-From Fix: Gluten-Free Cupcakes

2010-03-31T14:48:00.003-07:00

Is it me or are cupcakes absolutely everywhere at the moment? They seem to follow me everywhere I go, taunting me with their pretty, swirly, forbidden toppings. The chocolate ones are the worst, many of which even contain gluten in the butter cream. Is nothing sacred?! These cupcakes mocking us is a little bit like Jim Bowen telling you that you've lost out on a speedboat on 80s TV game show 'Bullseye'. "Look at what you could have won!"

The Bespoke Cupcake Company in Harrogate got in touch with me recently offering a sample of their gluten-free cupcakes (see yummy picture above right). To a girl who thought birthday cake was just a pipe dream, their offer left me with mixed feelings. My initial thought was 'Yipee!' followed by 'Nah, there's no way gluten-free cupcakes will taste nice'.

Six cupcakes arrived in a pretty box wrapped with ribbon. They were almost too pretty to eat. They looked fantastic, smelled gorgeous. So far, so good. I took a bite and managed to do so without it falling to bits like many GF products do (apparently this is due to the absence of gluten which is a bit like lycra and makes food stretchy). Emma from The Bespoke Cupcake Company informs me that her recipe conforms with the Coeliac Society's guidelines for GF foods so you can be certain that they're safe to eat. She's obviously been doing her homework.

The verdict? Delicious! They stay intact, are moist, light and the sponge has a lovely praline taste.

My opinion wasn't enough though. I wanted to test them out on hardcore wheat-eaters so I would feel even more smug about my cupcake discovery. I brought the two I'd resisted eating round to a friend's for a brew and a natter and she was really impressed. In fact, I'd got as far as removing the wrapper off mine before she'd scoffed the lot.

Though they are delicious, they really should be reserved for a special occasion. The box of 6 cupcakes above costs £12.50 from http://thebespokecupcakecompany.com They can do lots of other flavours too including Banoffie Pie which I am dying to try. HINT: My birthday is on 26th May.

Cake is back on the menu. Another victory for the wheat-dodgers!

M

Aaggro

2010-03-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

If I had to choose the top 5 things I miss about giving up wheat, naan bread would be very high up on my list. Curry without naan bread is like tea without a biscuit to dunk (yes, quite high on the list too), Bolognaise without pasta (corn pasta, naturally) or a birthday without cake *sniff*.

It's exciting when you find out that your favourite Indian restaurant caters for your dietary requirements. Especially when they have a branch conveniently located on your street. The branch in question is Aagrah Cafe at Clarence Dock, Leeds. It's a restaurant I've frequented many times before, either to eat in or get a takeaway. It was only last week that I noticed a bit of small print on their menu that got me very excited about eating there.

The picture to the left of this post shows their menu. I have highlighted the small print that absolutely made my day. My eyes glazed as I started to daydream about stuffing several naan breads down my neck before my fantasy was rudely interrupted by the most rude and arrogant (or should I say 'Aarrogant') waiter I've ever met.

As he came to take our order (there were four of us eating, one of whom was extremely pregnant), I politely enquired about the gluten-free bread they offered. Before I could finish my sentence he bellowed "No no no no no no, we don't do anything, No no no no." A little shocked by his response, I asked why their menu contradicted this. "No no we won't do it, eat rice that's gluten-free." Rice is gluten-free?? Really???? NO S*** SHERLOCK! I'VE ONLY BEEN EATING IT WITH PRACTICALLY EVERY MEAL SINCE I WAS DIAGNOSED WHEAT INTOLERANT!

That got my back up ever so slightly. Dangling a bhaji of hope at me and then preceeding to throw it in my face was extremely frustrating.

FYI, onion bhajis are wheat-free. Make sure you check first just in case, but they should be made with chickpea flour.

Anyway, back to my story. It makes total sense that an Indian restaurant can offer wheat/gluten-free alternatives as Indian cooking often involves using chickpea and rice flour. On this occasion, as the restaurant was uncharacteristically busy, I suspect that they couldn't cope with specialist requests. The restaurant was in chaos so little old me coming in to test their spontaneous cooking skills wasn't welcome.

The moral of the story is, by all means always ask your local Indian restaurant if they will cater for your diet, as there's a good chance they will. And also, don't eat at Aagrah.

M

That Fryday Feeling

2010-03-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

What do you miss most about giving up wheat or gluten? Healthy snacks? Ah yes, what we wouldn't give to devour a delicious bowl of Shredded Wheat again. No. Our desert island dish wouldn't involve a bran muffin or a Go Ahead bar. I'm talking cakes, biscuits, huge slabs of bread, doughnuts and...FISH AND CHIPS!

It's been a very very long time since i've had a good portion of fish and chips, and of course once I realised I couldn't eat wheat, battered haddock was off the menu.

A new takeaway opened nearby and assuming it was like all other takeaways, I was ready to begrudgingly watch my boyfriend as he devoured a glutinous bag of fish and chips.

You know what's coming, they only ruddy well do gluten-free batter on request. They actually went to the trouble of whipping up a batch of fresh batter ESPECIALLY FOR ME! And I can tell you, it was the most crisp, delicious batter i've ever tasted. I'm even slightly worried that it wasn't gluten-free and i'll end up doubled in agony tomorrow. That good.

Said takeaway was Frydays on Street Lane in Leeds. If you're ever in the area, make sure you swing by and say hello. If not, just ask your local fish and chip shop about it, you never know, they might oblidge.

It aint over til it Soba

2010-03-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite Japanese dishes is the classic Yaki Soba. Most of the time the Soba noodles are made, like most, with wheat. Traditionally in Japan, Soba noodles are made with Buckwheat which, despite it's deceiving name, is entirely gluten-free. I found some of King Soba's buckwheat noodles in my local health food shop which are "made from 100% buckwheat - a plant with a high protein and fibre content and high levels of minerals such as magnesium. Suitable for wheat free diets as it is not a type of wheat but a seed of a broad leaf plant related to the rhubarb family."

Their website is very cute but quite informative too http://www.kingsoba.com/

I made my own version of Yaki Soba this week and it was delicious. The noodles were so nice, so much better than rice noodles which I find quite sticky and glutinous.

This was my easy gluten-free version of Yaki Soba:

1 free-range chicken thigh per person

Marinade each chicken thigh in the following:

1 tsp Chilli paste

1 tsp Garlic paste/fresh, finely chopped garlic

1tsp Olive oil

2 tsp Soy sauce (you can get a Gluten-free version if you're that way inclined, I used the normal stuff)

1 packet of ready to cook mushroom stir fry available at most supermarkets (lazy? moi?).

Half a portion of buckwheat Soba noodles per person (they come bound into handy little portions).

Heat your oven to about 180c
Marinade the chicken for as long as you have time to (10 mins or 10 hours whichever suits).
Get a wok onto a hob on a high heat and pour 1 dessert spoon of vegetable oil in and swish it around so it coats the base and sides
Seal the chicken for a minute on each side then pop on a dish in the oven for 20 minutes but set the timer for 10 minutes
Whilst the chicken's in the oven, get a sauce pan and fill with boiling water
Turn the hob off or right down - you're not going to be using it for a while
Have a cup of tea, read the paper, whatever you fancy. When the oven timer goes off, get back to the hob.
Set the oven for another 10 minutes - the chicken needs more time
Get the water in your sauce pan boiling then pop your noodles in
Heat the wok up again and remove the chicken when the timer goes off
Slice the chicken and toss into the wok, juices and all
Throw in the ready-made mushroom stir fry
Finish off by draining the noodles and combining them with the stir fry - you may need a little more soy. Don't cook for more than 1 minute, it ruins easily.

Done!

I'm hardly Delia but you'll get the jist.

Treats Ahead

2010-03-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

Every day is treats day at our office, but they're often wheat flour-laden biscuits, pastries and cakes taunting me with their forbidden deliciousness. But one day, a colleague took pity on me and very kindly brought in some Byron Bay Triple Choc Fudge Cookies so that I could join in
with the sugar binge.

The bite-sized cookies came in a small box just big enough to share with an afternoon cuppa. Lovely big chunks of fudge and chocolate are encased in crumbly cookie (perhaps a little too crumbly). The wheat-eaters amongst the group (i.e. everyone else) didn't rate them too highly, but then again they haven't searched high and low for an edible biccie. They have a 15ft aisle in the supermarket devoted to biscuits they can eat so are a little more choosy than I.

Compared to the usual cardboardesque offerings available to us mere flour dodgers , they were ruddy marvellous. I think it helps that they are quite small so they don't fall apart so easily. I have no idea how much they cost but apparently they're available in Sainsbury's. They are entirely gluten-free too.

Don't make the mistake of dipping them in your brew, mind. Unless you like your baked treats to end up at the bottom of your cup.

Get the kettle on then!
M

You're Havin' a Falafel

2010-02-23T08:05:00.000-08:00

I was in a foul mood. The last thing I needed was to go traipsing around town trying to find something to eat for lunch that wouldn't leave me doubled in agony. Whilst stomping up and down the high street muttering obscenities about Greggs, I came across a deli/organic food store called Out of This World (Leeds) that makes fresh, wheat-free sandwiches. Result!

There weren't exactly a plethora of options. The choice was olive tofu and tahini or falafel and houmous, both on rye. I prefer to leave tofu to the vegans so I opted for falafel. I think it was one of those one size fits all type affairs; vegan, veggie, lactose and wheat-free all rolled into one. They'd basically taken all the fun out of it.

It was extremely sweet and had a really odd taste to it that I find difficult to describe. Not very appetising. They dangled the organic carrot of hope right in my face and all along it was a soya alternative.

I would still go back to the shop and see what else they have to offer. I will let you know when they've cracked it.

M

Yes We Pan (cake)

2010-02-15T08:51:00.001-08:00

Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day (tomorrow) is genuinely one of my favourite days of the year. My dad used to make millions of pancakes with peaches, ice cream, lemon and sugar, Nutella, you name it, he made it.

Obviously, those simpler times are gone now.

But fear not! There are loads of alternatives out there. Not all of them are very easy so if you are a bit useless in the kitchen, maybe you should opt for Morrison's Free From Syrup pancakes.

If you are a bit more daring, try one of the following recipes that I've found online.

Fancy Italian Savoury Pancakes made with gram flour (usually in the Asian section of the supermarket)

American Blueberry Pancakes

Plain Buttermilk American Pancakes

Brown Rice Flour Pancakes

My personal favourite toppings are...

Bacon and maple syrup
Blueberries and icing sugar
Cheese and chorizo
and
Dark chocolate shavings with vanilla pod ice cream

Mmm i'm starving after all this talk of battery goodness. I'm off for a wheat-free snack.

Happy Pancake Day!
M

Passed With Rye-ing Colours

2010-02-14T11:03:00.000-08:00

So.
I tried the Cider Rye Bread recipe mentioned a few posts ago. Just to set the scene, I have never ever made bread in my entire life. It's not something a twenty-something-city-dweller does really. I made time for this little beauty though.

It took me all of ten minutes to prepare the bread for it's overnight...stuff (is it called proving or something like that?) and there was a mega bonus, I got to finish off the rest of the bottle of lovely organic cider as you only need about 200ml of it.

Then when i had a spare couple of hours the following day I spent another ten minutes preparing the dough before leaving it to rise for 2 hours and then putting it in the oven.

It was so fool proof, even I managed to pull it off.

It didn't come out exactly like the picture in the Guardian. My bread wasn't as tall, therefore the slices are only a couple of inches wide. I reckon if I flatten it out less next time I can achieve proper slices.

Taste-wise, it's delicious and tastes just like a deli-style wholewheat loaf. It's quite dense though as they're not as airy as your average loaves of bread, much like my mum's lovely Irish soda bread.

I ate some straight from the oven with a chicken, turkey and bacon terrine from Marks and Sparks (a bit like a coarse pate) and it was heavenly.

If I were you, I'd pretend it tastes like the stuff they served with gruel in Victorian times (it looks a bit like that if you squint) so you don't have to share it.

M

Bluffin' With My Muffin

2010-02-11T06:36:00.000-08:00

I've just been dancing around the office kitchen like a loon. Not many people squeal with delight at the sound of the toaster popping. Those people don't know they're born.

Enter Morrison's Free From English Muffins.

Yes it's mildly tragic that I gain so much excitement from alternatives to bread, but food is kind of a big deal especially when it comes to breakfast. People spend billions eating out at restaurants, going to farmers markets and buying newspapers that tell them which restaurants and farmers markets to go to. So what if it's not cordon bleu? This stuff to me is like foie gras is to Jay Rayner.

Anyway, these muffins slice without falling to bits, go in the toaster like normal muffins and taste EXACTLY THE SAME AS NORMAL MUFFINS. Yes, I was excited too.

In other news, I will be testing Mosser's Gluten-Free pancakes at the weekend avec bacon et sirop which I have extremely high hopes for given Morrison's excellent track record. Keep up the good work, Ken.

Eggs Benedict, I'm comin' home.
M

Ryes And Easy

2010-02-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

Guardian Weekend Magazine published this very simple Rye bread recipe yesterday which I'm very excited about. I haven't attempted it yet but will certainly do so this week once I have stocked my cupboard with cider and rye flour. I'm hoping it is as simple as it looks and I can manage to organise myself enough to pull it off. From the accompanying picture it looks a lot like Soda Bread which my Irish mother often fed me as a child and which I miss dearly.

I will update again when I've had a go and will be sure to provide pictorial evidence of my efforts. The picture accompanying this blog came from the Guardian website.

Cheers
M

I'm Leavin' It

2010-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Most people fall in to 3 camps:

1)I like McDonald's and see no problem eating there. In fact I'm on my way there now.
2)McDonald's is my guilty pleasure and I usually only go there when I'm drunk.
3)Wouldn't be seen dead in there under any circumstances.

I fall into camp 2/3. If I am with a group of people who want to go, I'll make a comment about it being a window into hell or just plain rank but then give in and buy a quarter pounder. To an extent this was the case last night after a night on the town to celebrate a friend's birthday. Along with the rest the population post-binge on a Saturday, we ended the night with a trip to the Golden Arches.

Once you've waded through the hen parties and underage kids wielding traffic cones you are presented with a special late night menu which has about 3 choices all at double the price.

This is where a wheat or gluten intolerance comes in very handy. You can't eat anything on the menu! Well, apart from fries. If you're in camps 2 and 3 and find yourself under constant peer pressure from camp 1 to go against all your morals, you can totally use the intolerance card to get out of it!

No longer will I feel the intense shame experienced after scoffing a Big Mac.

A small victory for the bread dodgers!
M

Who Wants To Eat A Millionaire?

2010-02-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

When you have to cut wheat out of your diet, you have to part company with some of the best food in the entire world. Cakes, biscuits, pastries, pies and the big one; bread. Yes there are many alternatives to all these things, some good and some dreadful, but there's nothing we crave more than the things we once took for granted.

Though I have my moments when I just want a huge slice of crusty white bread and I get really fed up of watching people scoff sandwiches like it's no big deal, I am here to provide solutions and a positive outlook, not moan about it.

You've gazed longingly through the bakery window for too long. So I have a little treat for you.

The ultimate biscuit has had a makeover and they've ditched the wheat and got their oats on. I present The Millionaire's Flapjack.

It's basically Millionaire's shortbread, with flapjack instead of shortbread. GENIUS! And it's made by GÜ as part of their new 'Naughties' range.

The best thing since sliced bread.

Hops a Daisy

2010-02-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

I stand corrected. In my last post I wrongly commented that regular beer was a no-go for those intolerant to wheat. Beer blogger Tom has put me straight. Proper beer made the age-old German way is made simply of water, barley, yeast and hops. Many beer brands out there follow this recipe, especially the fancier european ones. Sadly, Barley is a no-go for Gluten intolerance but I have learnt today that there is more than one type of gluten-free beer on the market so all is not lost. I found this beer blog had a useful article about it.

If you're ever in the Leeds area, North Bar on New Briggate stocks gluten-free beers and have very knowledgeable staff who can advise you on which tipples will suit your diet.

I personally am very happy that a whole new world of beer has opened up to me! It's amazing how a simple little thing like a bottle of brown booze can make such a difference.

Cheers!
M

Lager Than Life

2010-02-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

I'd heard a few people mention Green's gluten-free beer before and finally managed to track the illusive stuff down this weekend.

Before giving up wheat, I wasn't a regular beer drinker, but ever since I've not been allowed to have it I've been dying for a cold glass of the amber nectar!

I was surprised to find that the beer was far from amber in colour but instead a dark walnut similar to that of a real ale. I can't stand real ale so I sipped with my eyes closed expecting it to be overpowering and too bitter for me. It was actually very mild and smooth with an after taste of caramel. Another plus point is that it's not too fizzy which most ladies will appreciate as you won't have to worry about the annoyance of bloating.

It's not the kind of thing you would drink much of (partly due to the the price), but it's nice to know that there's an option when you're craving a refreshing beer with a curry.

My bottle cost £2.39 from a health food shop called Out of This World in Leeds City Centre. It's brewed in Belgium which explains the price tag.

Chin chin!
M

Delia-icious

2010-01-31T14:16:00.000-08:00

There is a God. My Boyfriend's very kind mother made me a gorgeous chocolate roulade (or 'Squidy Chocolate Log' as Delia calls it) which is entirely gluten-free. I have no idea how this cake works but it's the lightest and tastiest chocolate cake i've had in a very long time.

It's probably not the easiest thing to bake, but if you can find someone who's handy with a whisk urge them nicely to bake one for you.

Click here for the recipe.

You're welcome!
M

Use Your Noodle

2010-01-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

I did a bit of research and found out that Japanese Soba noodles (the thinner noodles you get in dishes such as Yaki Soba at places like Wagamama's) are traditionally made with buckwheat which is fine to eat if you are intolerant to wheat (hurray!).

The bad news is, one of my favourite Japanese restaurants makes their Soba noodles with wheat flour (boo). I can only assume that this is commonplace at most japanese restaurants in the UK. I will find out if Wagamama's etc is the same. I was hoping that Japanese restaurants were going to be the easiest to eat at!

After thinking I could have almost anything on the menu, I spoke to the waiter at Fuji Hiro in Leeds (West Yorkshire) who informed me that all of their noodle dishes (i.e. 90% of the menu) were made with wheat. I soooo wanted Soba noodles, but was just as happy to hear that they would cook any dish I wanted with rice noodles.

Have you ever tried to cook rice noodles? My experience is that they stick together to form one giant chewy noodle that tastes a bit like chewing on the end of a Bic pen. Thank God for Fuji Hiro with their rice noodle cooking expertise. They were spot on. There wasn't much difference between the Soba noodle version and the rice noodle version of the dish.

It's so nice to know you can have almost anything on the menu. Fuji Hiro: we salute you.

Arigato
M

Grab A Pizza The Action

2010-01-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

Had lovely gluten-free pizza for lunch today. I found some gluten-free pizza bases made by DS (Dietary Specials) for £1.99 in good old Morrisons. Apart from their initial unappealing appearance (before the toppings are added) they were no different to any standard ready made pizza bases i've had before. My wheat-eating boyfriend quite happily scoffed the pizza too.

You get two bases in the packet which are both vacuum packed so if your better half is not so keen on eating what you eat, you can save it for another time.

I took a picture of the pizza, but it didn't look so appetising. I made the judgement to omit it from the post for fear of putting you off or thinking I have no idea what constitutes nice food.

Buon Appetito.
M

Have Your Cake and Wheat It

2010-01-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

I discovered a Gluten-Free cake in Marks and Spencers a couple of months ago for £2.99. It's Black Cherry and Chocolate flavour (which I wouldn't normally go for) but - wait for it - it's actually quite tasty! I couldn't find a picture of it unfortunately, but I promise I will take one next time I buy it.

They also sell a gluten-free fruit cake but it's not my cup of tea to be honest so haven't tried it. Looked reasonable enough so worth a try if you've been pining for grandma's baking.

Although this is great news for those who live for teatime, Marks and Spencers shelves distinctly lack any other gluten-free products. If you find any please let me know so I can stop wandering round their stores aimlessly trying to find something I can eat.

M

Gluten-Free Pub Grub

2010-01-28T04:35:00.000-08:00

Yes we publi-can: Gluten-free menu at The Shoulder of Mutton

Personally, I dread going to restaurants at the moment as I rarely find something on the menu I like that I am ok to eat - it's always a compromise.

A friend told me about this - I've not been yet but I think i will be paying a visit this weekend!

http://www.shoulderatkirkbyoverblow.com/menus.html

It's little country pub in Kirkby Overblow (FYI, the 2nd k in Kirkby is silent??!!).

Here is their Gluten-Free Menu which to my delight includes beer!

Can't wait to try it - I will let you know if it's as good as it sounds...

Gluten-Free Menu

STARTERS

Fresh Homemade Soup
Served with buttered brown bread £3.95

Homemade Chicken Liver Pate
Served withbrown toast £4.95

Salad of Pan Fried Queenie Scallops* with toasted pine nuts, roquette & fresh parmesan £5.95

Potted Whitby Crab* With corriander and toasted soda bread £5.50

*can be served as a main course with a £4.00 supplement

MAIN COURSES

‘Shoulder of Mutton’
Braised joint of Masham lamb served in a mint and redcurrant gravy £12.95

Waterford House Farm Ribeye Steak Cooked to your requirements and served with a mixed salad £14.95
glazed with Yorkshire Blue cheese £15.95
with a brandy and green peppercorn cream sauce £16.95

Grilled Malton Gammon Steak
Served with tomato, mushrooms and 2 village eggs £10.95

Grilled Fillet of Salmon
Served with a prawn and chive butter £11.95

Pea and Spring Onion Risotto Served with shaved parmesan & a side salad £11.95

GREENS GLUTEN FREE BEERS

Discovery (beer)

Pioneer (lager)

GLUTEN-FREE DESSERTS

(supplied by The Gluten Free Kitchen)

Luxury Bread and Butter Pudding
Rhubarb Crumble
Sticky Ginger Pudding
Bakewell Tart
Lemon Drizzle Pudding

Cheers

Bread Winner

2010-01-27T04:52:00.001-08:00

I've tried a few types of wheat-free & gluten-free alternatives to bread, and the best one I've found by a mile is Morrison's Free From Ciabatta (around £1.69 for one stick). It's a bit pricey but it's sooo worth it. I even make a point of shopping at Morrison's now just so I can buy it. The one shown in the picture is Tesco's version which is similar (i can't find a picture of the Mosser's version).

I find it best to bake it as per the packet instructions and then slice as desired and put it back under the grill to crisp up. It can be a bit stodgey otherwise.

I made it into bruschetta recently and it was delicious. I even fooled some friends into thinking it was 'real' bread.

Their sliced granary bread tastes nice, but the tiny slices crumble easily when handled so you waste half the packet. Not recommended unless you are prepared to handle very carefully.

Happy baking.
M

A rare-bit of yumminess

2010-01-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

I made a genius snack when I got in from work. Only those who love bread but aren't allowed it will appreciate this...

I had cheese on toast! (Sort of).

Pop a slice of Rye bread under the grill for 2 minutes
Slice up some nice mature cheddar cheese while it's under the grill
Turn over the rye bread and pop the cheese on. Leave for another 2-3 minutes.
Splash with a bit of Worcestershire sauce and grill for another minute.

Divine. My first cheese on toast in ages! Not rocket science but definitely put a smile on my face. Enjoy!

If you can't take the wheat, get out of the kitchen

2010-01-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I can have very unfair and irrational dislikes. Having lived with one who constantly banged on about it, I became very unsympathetic about such people and deemed them 'dinner guests from hell' or just plain awkward. I'm eating my words now. I'm talking about people with 'intolerances'.

About 2 months ago (although it feels much longer) I was informed that I had to cut wheat out of my diet due to an intolerance of the stuff (not to be confused with an allergy). I'd been experiencing all manner of symptoms that were slowly driving me mad such as bloating, headaches, nausea, back pain, and grumpiness to name a few. Nothing was ever life or death, it was just a constant annoyance. I also found that alcohol didn't agree with me at all unless it was a sugary spirit like rum.

Very slowly, it was causing lots of accompanying problems like having to get someone to take me home on a girls night out due to feeling dreadful or my moodiness causing pointless arguements with those closest to me.

At one point I avoided eating for fear that it would trigger my symptoms. It wasn't until I tried on a size 6 dress and it fit that I decided to sort it out once and for all.

Ever since then (those 2 months ago) i've cut wheat out and all the symptoms have gone. All but one. My craving for wheat.

I have scoured the internet for stories of people who have done the same but have just got bombarded with results about expensive allergy test kits and, for the most part, fairly pointless information. A lot of information is aimed at coeliacs (gluten-free diet rather than wheat-free only).

Good can always come from bad, so I thought I would share some of my tips for people who, like me find everyday eating a bit of task. Now and again I stumble upon some decent alternatives to my long-lost favourite dishes, so I thought it might help others to enjoy eating again if I shared my finds.

I will post finds separately so they are easy to spot. If you have any tips or finds please get in touch.

Cheers

New kid on the blog

2010-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hello

Welcome to my new blog about wheat intolerance. Sounds riveting, I know! But if you have to cut out one of the most widely used ingredients from your diet, it can be a huge pain in the bum for you, the people you live with and those poor gits that invite you round for dinner.

So hopefully I will be able to give useful tips and share experiences that may make life a little easier. If, like me, you don't really have time to bake your own wheat-free bread (that from my experience tastes like stale beetroot anyway) then you've come to the right place.

Enjoy,
M