Gluten-Free British Airways Fail

Can someone please tell me what is wrong with these pictures of my gluten-free meal from British Airways on my flight to the UK last week?

In case you didn't realize, not only do I have a regular, gluten-filled bun but I also have a cheesecake that clearly states "CONTAINS WHEAT". I was told on the flight that they didn't get the proper gluten-free trays and that this should be ok. The flight attendant then proceeded to tell me that she was gluten-free too (probably as a weight loss regimine) and this meal should be fine. I may have exaggerated a little bit and told her I could die if I ate this, but I was livid that I had no dinner for a trans-Atlantic flight except a plain salad and a small fruit bowl. At close to $1,000 a ticket, I deserve better treatment than that! There was chicken in some kind of gravy on the plate too but given the other food clearly containing gluten, I opted not to eat it. I trusted my gut (har har) and didn't eat anything on the tray. Luckily my mom had made me two gluten-free sandwiches to eat on the plane in case of circumstances like this so I didn't go completely hungry. I just worry about other gluten-free travelers who aren't as savvy as I am when it comes to not trusting the airlines, especially when they are trapped and hungry! Also, I am glad I was awake enough and paying attention to what was put in front of me. It would have been a horrible 6+ hours across the Atlantic with many trips to the airplane bathroom if I didn't read the ingredients. That is no way to start a vacation!

Flying home wasn't as bad, except they didn't serve me until they were feeding everyone else dessert and that was only after I asked two flight attendants where my special meal was and them looking at me with blank stares. They also ran out of food for many of the people on my plane and started bringing them meals from first class. How does an airline not know how many people they need to feed?

And the biggest kicker, British Airlines didn't send my bag or my mom's bag home with us. Two people, two bags, three different flights. How does this even make sense?

Needless to say, I WILL NEVER FLY BRITISH AIRWAYS EVER AGAIN. 

Foodie Events in NYC

Many people who are gluten-free would be reluctant to attend food events that aren't catered to their specific dietary needs. Me? I welcome these invitations. Even if I don't get to eat much at these events for fear of gluten containing foods or cross contamination, attending these events gives me a chance to meet chefs and restaurant staff face to face to talk about gluten-free dining. Making these in-person connections is invaluable to me. Often, I follow-up with an email or a meal at the restaurant and the staff remembers me as the gluten-free girl and I am fine with this reference.

There are two fun events coming up in May that I am planning on attending. Neither event has confirmed which participants are gluten-free, I think they are nervous to put any GF claims out there since the events are busy and they don't want to be held liable. As the events get closer, I will update you with my gluten-free discoveries.

Queens Taste 2012
The Queens Economic Development Corporation and lead sponsors Citi and Fairway Market invite you to Queens Taste 2012, the borough's premiere networking and culinary event. At least 50 restaurants and other food purveyors will provide delectables to more than 1,000 attendees, including some of the most powerful and best-connected Queens residents. The cuisine will feature everything from sweet to savory, Asian to Italian, and crunchy to creamy. But it will all be mouth-watering.

Date: Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (ET)
Location: Citi Field's Caesars Club
123-01 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing
Cost: $100 per person; $185 per couple
Buy your tickets here

Queens Taste Gluten-Free* Participants
Beyond Kombucha
Brewla Bars
Sweet Silk
Krumville Bake Shop
Spicy 'N Sweet
McClure's Pickles

*I cannot guarantee that any of these participants are 100% gluten-free. I am only basing my list on visiting their website. On the flip side, Krumville Bake Shop is a gluten-free baked good shops and has been a proud supporter of the NYC Celiac meetup group over the past few months!

The Great GoogaMooga
The Great GoogaMooga, the food, drink and music festival coming to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park this May 19th and 20th, reveals details about Extra Mooga today, its all-inclusive, paid ticketed experience. Set in a beautiful wooded area of the park, Extra Mooga is a festival-within-the-festival and offers an unprecedented intersection of food, drink, music, comedy. The Extra Mooga program includes 20 different events per day in the way of culinary seminars, music performances, cocktail demos, wine and beer tastings, and theme parties as well as over two-dozen specially curated menus.

Get excited! Free tickets are available and registration begins on April 24th!