(Host)
Holiday meals can spark anxiety and even alarm in those with gluten
sensitivities. But writer, journalist and commentator Marybeth Redmond,
who is gluten-intolerant herself, has a pro-active strategy this holiday
season.
( Redmond ) Last year’s Thanksgiving feast was a bit of
a bust. Don’t get me wrong. I hosted a delectable spread at my home in
Essex . But, it was the first Thanksgiving I was officially gluten-free,
and I was still grappling with the ramifications of that.
My
festively-set dining table overflowed with the traditional comfort foods
of Thanksgiving. A fresh turkey from nearby Westford, and potatoes and
carrots harvested in Jericho adorned my tabletop. But as I lit the
tapers and poured the chardonnay, I suddenly realized that half the meal
(and the best parts of it) would be off-limits to me. Recently
discovered to be gluten-intolerant, I was still deciphering ingredient
labels and learning what grains were safe. The stuffing, it dawned on
me, contained that most toxic ingredient for the gluten-averse-wheat.
I
scoured my menu scribbled on a torn envelope. My mind raced again to
the turkey, the innards of which held the simmering stuffing.
Cross-contamination is a common concern for those who are food-allergic.
Would I be okay ingesting good ‘ole Tom? Next on my list:
sage-encrusted rolls that I purchased from a Burlington bakery.
Definitely, off-limits. I was now too overwhelmed to contemplate loss of
the scrumptious finale-homemade pumpkin pie. I should assume that the
crust had been kneaded with wheat, barley or rye-based flour – and
indeed it had.
For those diagnosed with gluten-sensitivity or
the more severe celiac disease, cheating on your diet can spell disaster
in subsequent minutes and hours. Gluten is a protein composite that
one’s gastro-intestinal tract can react to like a foreign invader. Its
presence activates a host of symptoms, including intense abdominal pain,
not to mention the longer-term impacts of not absorbing nutrients
properly.
So, this year my friend Claire, also
gluten-intolerant, proposed another option for us at holiday-time. She
suggested that our families gather the weekend before at her home in New
Hampshire to cook-up a gluten-free Thanksgiving feast.
Thanksgiving,
we agree, is about abundance and breaking bread with loved ones in a
spirit of community. She adds that to have to monitor and decline foods,
feel deprived, and be well-behaved about it all, removes the joy of
eating with abandon. I agree completely.
So we’re currently
brainstorming our G-F menu. One of us will prepare fresh cranberry
sauce, as some store brands contain gluten for thickening. We’ll sauté
gravy using the turkey drippings, giblets and a few spoonfuls of white
rice flour. I’m responsible for the bread cubes and multi-grain rolls,
which I’ll purchase from a gluten-free bakery in my own hometown! As for
the dessert table, I’m anticipating a myriad of choices,
including my own beloved pumpkin pie – this year made with tapioca flour.