27 Reasons Why You Could Go Gluten-Free

Dear Joe Satran and HuffPost Taste,

I saw your post on HuffPost Taste yesterday which highlights the "27 Reasons [You] Could Never Go Gluten-Free." I am sorry you lost your patience with your father over his gluten-free vodka choice rather than support his decision. I am sorry you feel that lives are so limited by being gluten-free. While I appreciate you acknowledging with "reverence and respect" the approximately 3 million Americans with Celiac Disease, I am sorry that you made the gluten-free lifestyle sound so depressing and limited.

I have been living with Celiac Disease for almost 33 years and do not feel deprived at all. I actually feel quite lucky at times. I get to treat my "illness" with food. How great is a diagnosis where your medication is (gluten-free) food?

In your post you pointed out twenty-seven things you would miss if you went gluten-free. Well, Mr. Satran, you clearly didn't do much research. You said going gluten-free would "entail forsaking a huge swath of the most delicious foods known to man!" Not true, Mr. Satran. Not true at all.

I would like to challenge your post with my post which highlights the food you feel you would need to give up if you went gluten-free. Here are my 27 "crucially important reasons" you actually could go gluten-free and not miss out on a thing. You could eat delicious food, drink beer, and even gorge on French bread if you chose to do so. And what that I present you with my counter list of:

27 Reasons Why You Could Go Gluten-Free

1. Gluten-Free Foccaccia from Krumville Bakeshop (bakery)
2. Gluten-Free Ramen at Ippudo NYC (restaurant)
3. Gluten-Free BLT at Friedman's Lunch (restaurant) 
4. Gluten-Free English Muffins from Joan's Gluten-Free (online store)
5. Gluten-Free Biscuits from King Arthur (online store)
6. Gluten-Free Donuts at Babycakes NYC (bakery) 
7. Gluten-Free Everything Bagels from Joan's Gluten-Free (online store)
8. Gluten-Free Pork Buns from Viet World Kitchen (recipe)
9. Gluten-Free Aloo Paratha from Hint of Saffron (recipe)
10. Gluten-Free Pita Bread at Roti Mediterranean Grill (restaurant)
11. Gluten-Free Scallion Pancakes at The Rice Barn (restaurant)
12. Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies from Tate's Bakeshop (online)
13. Gluten-Free Chocolate Babka at Blackbird Bakery (bakery)
14. Gluten-Free American Apple Pie from Katz Gluten-Free (online store)
15. Gluten-Free Boule from Glutinelle (online store)
16. Gluten-Free Matzo Ball Soup from Elana's Pantry (recipe)
17. Gluten-Free Birthday Cake at Pip's Gluten-Free Cakery (bakery)
18. Gluten-Free Brioche French Toast from Better Batter (recipe)
19. Gluten-Free Soup Dumplings from Delights and Delectables (recipe)
20. Gluten-Free Beer from Bard's Tale Beer, Green's, New Planet, Redbridge, Celia Saison, and so many more
21. Gluten-Free Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe at Casa Lever (restaurant)
22. Gluten-Free Linguine con Vongele at Papazzio (restaurant)
23. Gluten-Free Lasagna at Del Posto (restaurant)
24. Gluten-Free Palmiers from Glutabye (online store)
25. Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies from Schar (online store)
26. Gluten-Free Brownies from By the Way Bakery (bakery)
27. Gluten-Free Pizza at Keste, Don Antonio by Starita, Pala Pizza, Risotteria, and that's just New York City! (restaurants)

What do you think readers? From this list, we don't look very deprived at all. I actually feel rather pleased that we do have all of these gluten-free options available to us!