I don't know what I ate last summer

I've had an epiphany... I'm an incurable comfort eater. Even in the height of summer I'd be delighted to scoff a big bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy. I live for stews and casseroles, pies and pot roasts, soup, baked beans on (gluten free) toast. I am renowned for cooking meat in liquid. I love curling up on the sofa with a warming, comforting meal.

It occurs to me now, as we approach summer, that I don't know what to eat when it gets hot! I was so ill last summer that all I ate was rice crispies and tomato soup - not in the same bowl, I hasten to add. This summer, with obstruction removed, Crohn's under control and, hopefully, Coeliacs improving, I need to find summery dishes to eat.

The Crohn's means that I have problems with lettuce so salads are not an option. I should start grilling my meat, I suppose, the BBQ season should help with that. New potatoes - no skins, Crohn's, seasonal vegetables. What's in season? Oh, is it so strange to crave stodge when the sun shines?

Restaurant Responses!

I've had some emails from a few of the restaurants I emails about gluten free items on their menus. The most exciting is Loch Fyne, the fish restaurant. Here is the response:

Please see list of dishes with gluten on our menu.

Starters
Salt and pepper squid
Fish soup
Peppered mackerel pate; but you can have it without the oatcakes
Islay beef salad; but you can have it without the croutons
Potted shrimp; but you can have it without the bread
Grilled oysters with garlic breadcrumbs; but you can have them without the breadcrumbs

Main courses
Bradan rost with horseradish sauce; but you can have it without the sauce
Home made fish stew
Crab cakes
Smoked fish pie
Linguine with sun-dried tomatoes

If there is anything else I can help you with please get in touch.
Regards
Jamie Sutherland
Loch Fyne Restaurants

Which leaves quite a lot of choice, although most of my favourites are on that list so I'll need to find some new options!

I also emailed Ask and Pizza Express not expecting much, but mainly to appease The Fiance, who seems to think these are the only two places to eat where we live. They were very helpful, but as you can imagine not much on their menus are gluten-free. The emails were as follows:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

We have considered offering wheat and gluten free pasta and pizzas but have previously found that the demand of our customers is insufficient to guarantee the freshness of the product. However we also wish to welcome everybody into our Restaurants to enjoy our food, service and atmosphere and not to exclude anyone through food intolerances or allergies. Therefore, we are happy to use wheat and gluten free pasta and pizzas provided by the customer to create our dishes with. It is recommended that the Duty Manager be advised either before or immediately on arrival in the Restaurant as we would not wish to cause unnecessary delay to any meals.
I am pleased to confirm that the pasta sauces and salad dressings listed below are gluten free:
Pomodoro sauce
Cream sauce
Creamy parmesan sauce (Carbonara)
Pesto sauce
Saffron sauce
Lime & dill dressing
Italian dressing
Honey & mustard dressing
Orange & tarragon dressing
Pesto dressing
Caesar dressing
Unfortunately our marsala sauce, bolognese sauce and desserts do contain gluten. However all of our ice creams are gluten free.
I hope this is of assistance to you and that we may welcome you to our Restaurants soon.

Sarah Evans Ask Restaurants Ltd Tel: 01727 735800 Fax: 01727 843806
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Thank you for contacting us regarding gluten free menu items. Unfortunately our pizza dough contains gluten as do all of our pastas. However, our salads such as Nicoise and Nostrana without dough sticks and house dressing would be suitable as well as chicken Caesar salad without croutons but with Caesar dressing (made from different ingredients to that of the house dressing) All of our restaurants will be happy to adapt these dishes for you on request. Hope that this is helpful

Katrina Lister

Quality & Safety PizzaExpress Telephone: 01895 263 152 Fax: 0845 389 9447 Email:

As The Musician pointed out, however, I would have to stress the importance of avoiding cross-contamination in these restaurants and their kitchens are full of pizza dough, flour and pasta. Be very careful.

Anyway, hopefully more of these to follow as more restaurants get back to me.

Gluten free fried breakfast

Yum, the humble fry-up is mainly gluten-free! Add gluten-free sausages and gluten-free bread to fry (this works really well, it comes out nice and crunchy) and you're sorted. The Fiance is delighted, at least one of his favourite meals is still on the menu!

Went to a barbeque yesterday. I quickly realised that there was nothing there I could eat. Fortunately, I had dinner before I went out so it was ok. We're having a barbeque at our house next week (if it doesn't rain...) so I need to make sure there's something I can eat, I could probably cook it on the grill to avoid contamination, or have it cooked first on the BBQ. I'll make gluten free side dishes I think.

I'm quite surprised by people's reactions to this diet. I thought people would say "bring your own food please" when I went to their houses, but they actually say "tell me what you can't eat and I'll make sure my food is ok for you". One friend has even offered to cook me a gluten-free meal so I can put it in my freezer for when I can't be bothered to cook! How lovely. I am still fully prepared to take my own food to places if it make life easier for them or me. People are really interested in what Coeliacs is and what the diet entails. I thought friends would get sick of gluten-free-chat, but they have loads of questions and want to know how I'm getting on. I'm feeling massively encouraged by this. Even though I could eat anything at the barbeque last night, I'm still glad I went. It was the boost I was needing.

Off to find some recipes for gluten-free barbeque food!

Blog the first

Well,
I'm 25 and have had Crohn's Disease for 12 years. I thought I was prepared for anything my digestive system had to throw at me until 18th April when my consultant told me I had Coeliacs Disease too!

Strangely, I feel quite positive about this diagnosis, Coeliacs is controlled by a gluten-free diet so I am in charge of my treatment - no need to rely on doctors to work out the best medications or treatments. Ultimately, if I follow the diet to the letter then I will get better. Sounds good.

The Fiance thinks that our social life is over, or at least that we'll only be able to eat out at expensive places. Fast food is definitely out, too much breadcrumbs and things in bread, as are pizza restaurants. Although I've emailed a few chain restaurants and I'll publish their responses here in case others are interested. My parents, on the other hand, are stocking their freezer with gluten free goodies from farmers' markets and the like for my next visit!

I've been on the gluten-free diet for 4 weeks, with varying levels of success. I met with a Coeliacs' dietitian this week so I have a better idea of what to avoid. I've sent off for loads of samples of gluten free products to see what I can get prescibed by my GP and I'm looking forward to the deliveries. I see lots of tasting sessions for The Fiance and me (and probably my two boy housemates).

The dietitian suggested that 3 months was a realistic amount of time to expect to see improvements. I think that some of the stomach symptoms (sickness, urgent diaorrhea) are calming down, but the tiredness is refusing to budge. I'm eating well - both in quality and quantity - so hopefully something will be absorbed and I'll get some energy. Oh well, until next time...