Senator Parker Proclaims May as Celiac Disease Awareness Month

I read about this on the GlutenFreeLI website and was excited to share with my readers this news. Thank you Senator Parker!

http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-parker-proclaims-may-celiac-disease-awareness-month

Senator Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn) honored groups and individuals dedicated to increasing awareness of Celiac Disease, an inherited, autoimmune disease that hinders the body’s ability to absorb nutrients properly. In recognition of the seriousness of this disease and the efforts of those dedicated to fighting it, Senator Parker passed a resolution proclaiming May as Celiac Awareness Month in New York State.

Celiac Disease causes damage to the lining of the small intestine from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats. The exact cause is unknown; however, those with a family member with Celiac Disease are at greater risk for developing the disease.

The disorder is most common in those of European ancestry and women are affected more commonly than men. More than two million people in the United States, or about 1 in 133 people have the disease. In New York State, approximately 150,000 people suffer from Celiac Disease.

“No treatment can cure Celiac Disease. However, you can effectively manage Celiac Disease through changing your diet,” Senator Parker said. “Gluten is found in bread, pasta, bagels, pizza and many other popular foods but can also be found in medicines, vitamins and lip balm. People with Celiac Disease may have no symptoms but can still develop complications of the disease over time. Raising awareness among medical professionals and the public could save lives.”

There are numerous diseases and conditions associated with Celiac Disease including:
· Anemia
· Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus
· Certain types of intestinal cancer
· Dermatitis herpetiformis
· Down syndrome
· Lactose intolerance
· Miscarriage or unexplained infertility
· Neurological conditions
· Osteoporosis or osteopenia
· Thyroid disease
· Type 1 diabetes

“Another characteristic of Celiac Disease is that it is often misdiagnosed, or only diagnosed after years of suffering, missed work, and expensive diagnostic testing-and ineffective treatment. Consequently, raising awareness among medical professionals and the public about Celiac Disease could save the State of New York hundreds of millions of dollars otherwise lost to unnecessary or ineffective medical treatments, or in lost work productivity,” said Senator Parker.

“Experts in the field of Celiac Disease tell us that one percent of the population worldwide has Celiac Disease. Sadly, 97% of those individuals go undiagnosed for years due to a lack of information and awareness,” said Senator William Stachowski (D-Buffalo). “Immediate relief for those individuals is as simple as not eating certain foods, but these foods, like wheat, are so common it’s hard to avoid them. Once more people learn about the disease through our awareness raising efforts, our next step will be to make New York State a place where people can easily find gluten-free foods and products to make living with the disease easier. I am pleased to see so many of our State’s restaurants and businesses stepping up to provide gluten free products for suffers, and make living with the disease easier. I will do what I can to support their ongoing efforts, and to find ways to lower the costs borne by New Yorkers, New York businesses, and by the State's health care system.”

Senator Parker has sponsored two bills that would raise awareness of this debilitating disease. The first (S.5751A) would create a statewide education program within the Department of Health to promote awareness and train health care professionals concerning the causes and consequences of Celiac Disease.

The second bill, (S.7460) would increase the safety to those with food allergies by requiring every cafeteria owned, leased or operated by the state to post all information regarding the gluten content of foods being served.

Groups recognized by Senator Parker for their work in helping to raise awareness of Celiac Disease and ameliorate the suffering of New Yorkers with this disease include:
-The Greater New York City Celiac Support Group
-NYCeliac
-The New York Restaurant Association,
-The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University
-Sherry Lynn's Gluten Free Restaurant
-Wheatfield's Restaurant
-The Celiac Disease Foundation
-The Celiac Disease Resource, Inc.

“This proclamation is a giant step in the journey to increase awareness of this highly under diagnosed and untreated disease,” said Daria Spiak, Vice President of The Celiac Disease Resource, Inc. (www.celiacresource.org). “We thank Senator Parker and all who helped in getting this proclamation to fruition.”

"Celiac Disease is the #1 disease you've never heard of,” said Elaine Monarch, Founder and Executive Director of the Celiac Disease Foundation (www.celiac.org). “We applaud Senator Parker's efforts to help us raise awareness of this vastly under-diagnosed disease with his Resolution J.4813 designating May as Celiac Disease Awareness Month in the state of New York. The Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) thanks you Senator Parker for your advocacy, dedication and passion that will make a difference in the lives of people with Celiac Disease and those yet to be diagnosed."

“I want to thank Senator Parker and the New York State Senate for recognizing Celiac disease and the many individuals whose lives have been changed by adopting a gluten free diet,” said Sherry Birch, Owner of Sherry Lynn’s Gluten Free Restaurant and Bakery, Latham, N.Y. “We believe that Celiac awareness will be enhanced with the introduction of this resolution. Beyond any doubt, it will help more New Yorkers to cultivate the lifestyle necessary to reduce the chronic symptoms and complications of this largely under-diagnosed ailment.”

“We at Outback Steakhouse are proud to support Celiac disease awareness and the Celiac Disease Resource Inc. in their efforts to raise awareness,” said Bruce Anderson, Managing Partner, Outback Steakhouse #3351 – Albany, NY. “We are thankful for all our loyal patrons and happy to provide them with safe dining options.”

A Beautiful Meal without Gluten

A Beautiful Meal without Gluten
Friday May 22nd
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Demonstration and Hands-on $55

Whole Foods Market - Bowery Culinary Center
95 E Houston
New York, NY 10002

To register and for a special note, please visit the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup group.

A Beautiful Meal without Gluten

Have you recently been diagnosed with a gluten-intolerance and don't know where to start? Or are you in a rut with your gluten-free repertoire? Join Linda and Kathy of Twin Hens as they bring their professional attention to quality and taste to your own gluten-free kitchen.

On the menu:
Artichoke Dip
Chinese Lemon Chicken
Goat Cheese and Spinach Quiche
Chocolate Chip Cookies. [Gluten Free]

*Please note that the class is held in facility that is not exclusively gluten-free

Instructor: Linda Twining and Kathy Herring Owners of Twin Hens Pot Pies

www.twinhens.com

You must register through Whole Foods to secure your spot for this demonstration.

To register: http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaID=181812

Restaurants Offering Gluten-Free Options

From the NYTimes Dining Section on July 20, 2008


Restaurants Offering Gluten-Free Options

By CAROLYN NARDIELLO

WHEN Barbara Bonavoglia, 65, learned about four and a half years ago that she and her daughter, Lisa Mackie, 33, had celiac disease, she realized they would never eat regular pasta again. It was not an easy adjustment for Ms. Bonavoglia, who grew up on her family’s Italian-American fare. Celiac disease, a genetic autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine, is controllable only by eliminating gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and other grains.

Ms. Bonavoglia, who lives in Bohemia, decided to experiment with gluten-free cuisine at home using rice-based pastas, which her body could tolerate. Soon afterward, she brought samples of the pasta and a list of gluten-free ingredients she was using to the owner of Mama’s Italian Restaurant in Oakdale, where she had been a customer for 25 years. She spoke to the owner, John Passafiume, to ask if he would put just a few entrees on his menu, she said, “and I could guarantee he’d get a lot of business.”

Within a year, Mama’s had added a gluten-free menu including linguine, penne and breaded, fried calamari made using mixtures of tapioca, arrowroot, brown rice and other gluten-free flours. Business picked up; “I really didn’t think there would be so many coming for gluten-free,” Mr. Passafiume said.

Mama’s is one of a growing number of restaurants on Long Island that have added gluten-free dishes to accommodate customers with celiac disease.

Italian food poses a particular challenge, given the wheat content in standard pastas and pizza, but in the past year alone, at least three Italian restaurants on Long Island have started offering gluten-free options.

Plum Tomatoes Pizzeria and Restaurant in Mineola began serving an individual-size gluten-free pizza two months ago, said Tony Guardavaccaro, the co-owner. Café Formaggio in Carle Place, which serves gluten-free pizza and pasta, started doing so about eight months ago, and just added brownies and gluten-free beer, said Joe Licata, a co-owner, who has a family member with celiac disease. Luca Miceli, owner of the restaurant Mr. Miceli in Rockville Centre, has a gluten allergy and offers mozzarella sticks, chicken parmesan, angel hair pasta and other gluten-free items.

Frank Carr, a co-owner of Emerson’s Restaurant in Babylon, added gluten-free items like steak tartare and black tea crème brûlée to the French-American menu about two years ago when customers came in inquiring about them. “We never regretted that decision,” Mr. Carr said. “We feel good about it.”

At Oysterman’s in Sayville, the chefs will modify any dish on the regular menu for diners who have celiac disease; a new menu insert will be available in August, said James Gilroy, a co-owner. “It’s not that difficult to do,” he said. “And it’s good for business.”

About 1 percent of the United States population is affected by celiac disease, according to Dr. Peter H. R. Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. If not treated, the ailment, which is diagnosed through blood tests and an intestinal biopsy, can lead to nutritional deficiencies, anemia and other complications.

The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America has a Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program that provides resources and guidelines for restaurants on keeping their kitchens safe.

Mr. Passafiume of Mama’s, one of the restaurants participating in the program, installed separate cookers, fryers, pots and other utensils to prevent cross-contamination with dishes containing wheat and gluten.

On a recent Saturday evening, several customers at his 90-seat pizzeria-style business were requesting items from the four-page specialty list.

“Some of his gluten-free is better than regular food,” said Margaret Costanza, 49, of Holbrook, who learned four years ago that she had celiac disease.

Across from Ms. Costanza sat Caroline Weiss, 71, of Deer Park, who received the same diagnosis six months ago. “I’m eating chocolate cake,” Ms. Weiss said. “Would you believe this?”

It was a gluten-free flourless torte, Mr. Passafiume said.

A restaurateur who has celiac disease herself, Joanne Lentini, 52, a co-owner of Caffe Baldo in Wantagh, was making gluten-free pasta for her own meals before she thought to offer it to customers. When a woman came in with a group but did not order pasta, Ms. Lentini discovered that the patron also suffered from the disorder. “I said: ‘Why don’t you have some of my pasta? I keep it in the back,’ ” said Ms. Lentini, who then began offering a homemade gluten-free menu at her family-run restaurant.

Unlike Ms. Lentini, Roger Montague, the owner of Smoking Sloe’s in Northport, said that when customers told him they had celiac disease, he had to ask what it was. He began offering a gluten-free menu including ribs and barbecued chicken a few months ago. Though he doesn’t have duplicate facilities to prevent cross-contamination, he said his kitchen was clean, his “core products” are gluten-free naturally, and his barbecue sauce does not contain wheat, which is often used as a thickening agent.

Another naturally gluten-free menu item is the dosas, or crispy crepes, served at Hampton Chutney Company in Amagansett; they are made with rice and lentil flour, said Gary MacGurn, co-owner with his wife, Isabel.

National chains, including Outback Steakhouse, Legal Sea Foods, Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse and P. F. Chang’s China Bistro also offer gluten-free menu items, according to representatives for the companies.

Chefs at P. F. Chang’s, for instance, receive special training, use marked, colored plates to distinguish dishes with dietary restrictions and set aside one wok station solely for gluten-free items, said Laura Cherry, a spokeswoman.

Fran Watins, 57, of Commack, who is on the board of the Suffolk County Celiacs Support and Awareness Group, said that next month the organization, which has 400 to 500 members, will meet for the first time with restaurant owners on Long Island who may be interested in offering gluten-free menus.

Ms. Watins said that sensitivities to gluten differ, but celiacs have to be vigilant. Even a small amount of gluten can trigger a reaction, she said.

Ms. Bonavoglia, who is also on the board of the Suffolk celiac group with Ms. Watins, has been campaigning to get more gluten-free dishes in restaurants. A piano teacher by trade, she took up baking after her diagnosis, and now works with Garguilo’s Bakery in St. James on a line of gluten-free items, including pie crust, bread and cookies. She uses xanthan gum to bind the flours. She hopes that more restaurants will create gluten-free menus, and that awareness will continue to grow.

“It’s spreading,” Ms. Bonavoglia said. “It’s getting out there.”

Gluten-Free Shopping in NYC and the 5 boroughs

Thanks to a member of my NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Group I am happy to post this extensive list of gluten-free shopping in New York City, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island. (Those are the five boroughs for those of you outside of NY.) This list is especially helpful to those visiting NY who don't want to eat at a restaurant for every meal. Please feel free to add any additions to the comments section of this posting.

ABOVE 42nd:
UPPER WEST SIDE: Fairway Market 2127 Broadway at 74th 6am-1am
UPPER WEST SIDE: Health Nuts, 2611 Broadway at 98th Street
HARLEM: Fairway Market 2328 12th Ave. 8am-11pm
HELL'S KITCHEN: Westerly Market 8th Ave. & 54th Street, til midnight
HELL'S KITCHEN: Amish Market, 9th Ave. btw 49th and 50th, 7am-9:30
MIDTOWN EAST: Health Nuts, 2nd & 45th Street
MIDTOWN EAST: Amish Market, 240 E. 45th St, 7am-9:30
UPPER EAST: Health Nuts, 2nd & 63rd Street
UPPER EAST: [unknown name], 75th and 1st, til 7pm
UPPER EAST: HealthSource, 69th and 2nd Ave,
UPPER EAST: HealthSource, 57th and 2nd Ave
UPPER EAST: Natural Frontier Market, 83rd and 3rd
UPPER EAST: Matter of Health, 1st Ave at 77th st., til 8pm weekdays, til 6pm weekends
COLUMBUS CIRCLE: Whole Foods, Time Warner Center

BELOW 42nd:
MIDTOWN: HealthSource, 120 E. 34th & Lexington
UNION SQUARE: Trader Joes, 142 E. 14th Street, 9am-10pm
UNION SQUARE: Whole Foods, 40 E. 14th Street
CHELSEA: Whole Foods, 250 7th ave.
EAST VILLAGE: Whole Foods, 95 East Houston
WEST VILLAGE: Health and Harmony, 470 Hudson
MURRAY HILL: Natural Frontier Market, 22rd and 3rd
SOHO/TRIBECA: Earth Matters, 177 Ludlow
SOHO/TRIBECA: 53 Park Place, btw Church and W. Broadway 6:30-10pm
DOWNTOWN/FINANCIAL: 17 Battery Place, 6am-10pm

BROOKLYN:
RED HOOK: Fairway Market, 480-500 Van Brunt Street, 8am-10pm
PARK SLOPE: Back To The Land, 7th Ave and Carroll
PARK SLOPE: Everybody Eats, 3rd and Caroll
PARK SLOPE: Traditions, 465 5th Ave between 10th and 11th
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS: Perelandra, 175 Remsen Street
SOUTH WILLIAMSBURG: Sunac Natural Food, 440 Union Ave. (btw Devoe and Keap)
BOROUGH PARK: Coluccio & Sons; Wholesale/Retail Italian Grocers 1218 60th St., Brooklyn, NY. Tel.: 718-436-6700.
KENSINGTON/FLATBUSH: Flatbush Food Co-op, 1318 Cortelyou Rd, 718-284-9717
SOUTH WILLIAMSBURG: Josefs Gluten Free, 194 South 8 Street, Brooklyn NY 11211

QUEENS:
FLUSHING: Queens Health Emporium, 159-01 Horace Hardin Expressway
BAYSIDE: Health Nuts, Bay Terrace Shopping Center
ASTORIA: Broadway Health Foods, Broadway at 30th Street
ASTORIA: Astoria Natural Center, 4103 31st Avenue
ASTORIA: Sai Organics, 3607 30th Avenue
GLENDALE/MIDDLE VILL./FOREST HILLS: Amish Market, Atlas Park Mall, 8000 Cooper Ave.
KEW GARDENS: Linda's Organic Kitchen and Market, 81-22 Lefferts Blvd A, 718-321-2088

STATEN ISLAND:
Family Health Foods, 177 New Dorp Ln.
Family Health Foods, 604 Forest Ave.
Family Health Foods, 1789 Victory Blvd.
Family Health Foods, 7001 Amboy Road

Celiac Disease article in today's NY Times

This is a very exciting article, especially since I love Risotteria and think Joe Pace is a great and progressive restaurant owner in New York City. And my fellow NYC bloggers David, of Gluten Free NYC, and Catherine, of Gluten Free Guide, both got awesome shout-outs!!

Here is the text and link for the article


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/25/dining/25glut.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

For the Gluten-Averse, a Menu That Works
By JENNIFER ROMOLINI


Evan Sung for The New York Time

JOSEPH PACE’S rice-centered Risotteria, in Greenwich Village, was never what would be called an experimental restaurant, until he began developing a special gluten-free menu.

It started with a gluten-free cookie. A simple step, it might seem, but gluten, a protein in wheat, barley and rye, gives baked goods elasticity. Without it, cakes, breads and pastries can be leaden, dry and crumbly.

“It took more than 40 dozen batches,” he said. “My background in organic chemistry definitely helped.”

The work paid off. Risotteria is a nationally known hub for people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder affecting about 1 in 100 Americans that can cause serious problems if even a bit of gluten is ingested.

Visitors frequently arrive at the restaurant straight from the airport, suitcases in tow, and dinner can seem like a celiac support group as regulars swivel in their chairs to talk about their hunt for food they can eat.

On a recent Tuesday night at Mr. Pace’s restaurant a preppy couple asked the people at the next table about the Sicilian pizza they were trying from the specials list. Farther down the packed, narrow space, diners exchanged guidebooks to gluten-free restaurants, and compliments flew around the room about the breadsticks; the light beer, made from sorghum instead of malted barley; and the rich brownies and cookies.

At the door a leather-jacketed couple discussed menu options and waited impatiently to get in.

“Are you going to get the gluten-free pizza?” the woman asked.

“Of course,” her companion replied. “You have to understand, this is like a chance of a lifetime for me.”

Like Mr. Pace, a growing number of restaurateurs have decided it’s worth catering to the gluten-free crowd. Chains like Outback Steakhouse and P. F. Chang’s now offer dishes without gluten.

New bakeries and pizzerias have popped up all over New York City, and restaurants that were already celiac-friendly have expanded their menus. There’s vegan at Candle 79, fusion food at Asia de Cuba, Italian at Sambuca, Greek at Gus’ Place and comfort food at Peters’ Gourmet Diner — all gluten-free.

Gluten-averse diners avidly track such sympathetic places with online help from glutenfreerestaurants.org and the tribe of celiac blogs that include, in New York, Gluten-free NYC (glutenfreenyc.blogspot.com), Gluten Free Guide (glutenguide.blogspot.com) and Please Don’t Pass the Nuts (allergicgirl.blogspot.com). Aside from safe food, they can find a camaraderie that’s unusual on New York’s jaded dining scene.

The pleasures of dining out are often denied people who avoid gluten because they are sensitive to it or have celiac disease. Menus are a source of anxiety and self-consciousness because — besides its presence in obvious culprits like bread, sauce thickeners, pasta and desserts — gluten also lurks in soy sauce, brewer’s yeast, bourbon, vegetable starch, vinegars, salad dressings, processed cheeses and some spices.

Creating a gluten-free menu is more difficult than, say, offering vegetarian options at a steakhouse. Chefs have to master special techniques and follow stringent regulations. Mr. Pace said each menu item — pizza, focaccia, breadsticks, cakes — took six months to develop, with the ingredients costing nearly five times as much as conventional ones.

Baking can be tricky without gluten, which creates a lattice of air pockets that binds doughs and batters while giving a moist, supple texture. To overcome the challenge, chefs turn to additives like xanthan gum to bind the flour together, guar gum to thicken and stabilize doughs and batters, and gelatin powder to moisten them. Breads are baked at very high temperatures to keep crusts crisp and insides soft.

While gluten-free dining is spreading in the United States, Dr. Peter H. R. Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, said it is more common elsewhere in the world.

“In Buenos Aires,” Dr. Green said, “you’d have little trouble getting a gluten-free ice cream cone. In Helsinki you can order a gluten-free Big Mac at McDonald’s. In Dublin most menus are clearly marked ‘Safe for celiacs.’ This is the way to live a normal existence with this disease. In a city as big as New York, for there to be so few safe restaurants, that’s just really bad.”

Cooking gluten-free isn’t an entirely altruistic act by chefs. A new base of customers can attract big business to a fledging location or revive an established spot.

“I’ve definitely seen a spike in business,” said Anthony Avellino, owner of Bistango, a 16-year-old Italian restaurant in Murray Hill. Mr. Avellino recently added dishes made with Tinkyada brown rice pasta, and dishes from Everybody Eats bakery in Brooklyn like celiac-safe bruschetta, served on gluten-free bread, and after-dinner biscotti. “When you’re a neighborhood place like we are, it’s always nice to see new customers and fresh faces,” he said.

In February Gourmet Land, a Chinese restaurant on the Upper East Side, opened with a menu including a separate 50-item gluten-free listing with items like soy sauce and other sauces made without wheat, crisp cheng du chicken breaded with cornstarch instead of flour, and gluten-free egg rolls rolled in ... well, egg. The place has been packed nearly every night since its opening, no small feat for a neighborhood Chinese restaurant in Manhattan. Many customers, of course, have celiac disease.

“They’ve had meet-ups here, and honestly, some nights every table in the restaurant is someone who’s celiac,” said the manager, Laura DeAngelis.

Anne Roland Lee, the nutritionist at the Columbia Celiac Disease Center, said that finding gluten-free menus can be a great relief. “I’ve had patients go to some of the city’s most famous restaurants,” she said, “only to leave after being told they could only safely have a Coke.”

Catherine Oddenino, a 29-year-old Manhattan marketing manager with celiac disease, which can cause serious digestive problems, anemia and nutritional deficiencies, knows the frustration.

“I’ve been to so many places where the managers and waiters have been irritated and annoyed,” Ms. Oddenino said. “Too often, they don’t understand the gravity of the situation. Last year I had to go to a work holiday dinner at an upscale restaurant. I called ahead and triple-checked what I could and couldn’t eat with the management and still wound up with a huge crouton at the bottom of my salad. It’s extremely frustrating.”

For those who don’t have celiac disease, though, the gluten-free restaurant experience can be a bit odd.

“It felt a little cultish,” said Ridge Carpenter, a Manhattan waiter and student who worked at Risotteria briefly in 2005. “And as a server, there was so much pressure to get everything right. In a regular restaurant you’d get the occasional allergy you had to be careful about, but this was around 75 percent of my customers. It was really stressful.”

The experience can also be a strain on celiac-nonceliac relationships.

Kelly Courson, 36, a receptionist at an investment firm in Midtown and a founder of a popular blog, celiacchicks.com, dines exclusively gluten-free, sometimes to the chagrin of her boyfriend, John Mountain.

“He’s always rolling his eyes when I talk to the other tables,” Ms. Courson said. “But I can understand how it can be a little annoying: we’ll have dinner at Sambuca on Thursday night and see the same people at brunch at Peters’ Gourmet Diner on Sunday.”

But Ms. Lee called gluten-free restaurants “a surrogate support group.”

“When everyone is on the same page, and you know you’re going to eat a meal safely,” she said, “you can finally relax and just be social.”