Tetley green tea- may contain gluten

The surprising issue of gluten in tea has raised its' head again.   Spotted this blog by gfreebythesea about some potential cross-contamination in their green teas.  They have posted warnings on the boxes. If you are used to picking up green tea (what could be safer that that!) do remember to check for changes every now and then.

It turns out that at some stage in the processing there has been some contamination.  The original blog give a full response by Tetley - it doesn't help that their first member of staff talked about the bags being glued by gluten-containing glue.  They aren't - just heat and pressure.

Tesco FreeFrom Cheese and tomato frozen gluten free pizza

I spotted these pizzas in the freezer today while I was picking up Tesco FreeFrom fish fingers. I find making my own pizzas so quick and easy that they take hardly any more time than opening a tin of soup, but was curious to find out what these would be like.

You need to let the pizza thaw for ten minutes before cooking in a hot oven, and then bake for about twelve minutes.  They are done when the cheese melts and begins to go brown.  I added some extra toppings to the pizza before cooking - they don't come with pineapple, pepperoni and olives.

The pizza had plenty of mozzarella cheese on so you get that traditional stringy cheese look when you cut the pizza.  I took lactase pills with my lunch as I would not normally eat anything with much dairy in.

The base held together, wasn't claggy or dry, and would be easy to eat as finger food as well as with knife and fork.  I found it a bit flabby straight out of the oven so put it on a hot griddle for a couple of minutes to crisp it, which gave it a texture I preferred.

The tomato topping is a bit bland.  I presume it has been formulated to please kids, and has no herby taste to me.  I sprinkled mixed Italian herbs on top and Rod squirted barbecue sauce on his slice to give it more flavour.

This pizza was pretty good, and the base a lot better than those in the pantry section that I tried before.  If I was to use them again I would add more flavourings before cooking and start the pizza on my griddle pan and then put in the hot oven the way I do when baking my own pizza.  The dough has several plant gums in to hold it together but not xanthum. It is made from maize flour.

Overall I think this is a good pizza.  You could add any flavourings you like, and so it could suit almost anyone.  It cost £2.50 and could easily feed two or three people.  If three people shared it each would have 270 calories.

Marks and Spencer Truly Chocolate Belgian chocolate trufle torte- gluten free and delicious

Wow!  These little flourless puddings are amazing.  Heated for 40 seconds in the microwave you get a smooth intense chocolate pudding.  One between two people looks stingy but is enough.

Food photography is difficult at the best of times, but I simply couldn't take a shot of this that looked anything but weird.

These puddings were in the chilled section at Marks and Spencer, and actually have an orange 'gluten free' logo on the front as well as the helpful allergen box at the back.  Excellent as an indulgent treat or a desert for  dinner party.

You can eat them cold too.

Contain cows milk, eggs and soya.  Not suitable for those allergic to nuts due to manufacturing process.

Nando's gluten free -speedy, tasty and very helpful

I've walked past my local Nando's many times, looked in the window at the people eating, checked the menu in the window- and because it gave no mention of being able to meet the needs of people who are gluten intolerant walked on by.  They mention nuts, so it was clear they understood that some people have food difficulties, and even mentioned that vegetarians could be assured that their food would not touch the chicken...but no mention of gluten.  Today, having discovered the place we planned to try wasn't open for lunch on Sunday, in we went.

It didn't start so well as when I asked the greeter about gf options she said she wasn't sure and I would have to ask at the desk where they took orders.  I looked at the menu, went to have a chat, and was immediately offered the giant everything you need to know about the food book, plus the offer of help to work out what I needed to know.  I had a look, had a chat, chose my meal and went to order it.  When I put in the order the person who had helped me with the book asked if I had checked one of the items, and when I said I hadn't (having been told all those side orders were ok), he got the book and checked just to be sure. It was fine.

So, all the chicken and bastes are ok, the salads and hot side orders are fine, just the wraps, breads etc, the obvious things, are off limits.  The book is extra useful because it not only says if the food is ok for vegetarians and coeliacs, it also lists every ingredient, so if you have a problem with some less obvious food, like celery or vinegar you can check each item.

The food came very fast - it is obviously mostly made in advance and reheated as needed.  However, it was tasty and I managed to have a very well balanced meal - often quite difficult in restaurants, who seem to think all you want to eat is protein and fat.  It is a shame they don't have outlets on motorway service stations, they would be ideal for a quick meal while travelling.

So, the food was good, quick and safe, the staff were very helpful, and there was a range of things I could have eaten.  Their chips are gluten free too, so if you are having cravings this would be a reliable place to go.  Not the best in the world but perfectly adequate.  You could also eat well here as a vegetarian - I had a spicy bean dish, which, with ratatouille, salad, sweetcorn and potato would make an excellent full meal.

Deserts all looked wheat and dairy based but I didn't try them nor did I ask if they had anything else.  I couldn't quite finish my main meal of chicken, spicy beans and ratatouille.

Pizza Hut square gluten free pizza

Pizza Hut worked with the UK Coeliac Society to produce a gf pizza.  I finally tried one today, having had a family party cancelled due to illness- what better to do on a day of filthy weather than potter off to an office supplies store and grab the opportunity to try this pizza in the cafe next door.

We don't tend to use Pizza Hut as their normal pizzas have been dull in the past. However, there at the door minutes before they opened meant that the place would be clean and the atmosphere not too thick with flour.

I ordered something called a Veggie Hot.  I decided to try the standard pizza rather than telling them to leave off the cheese.  I took some Lactase but didn't take any glutenzyme, so I could see if I got contaminated.  I asked for (sorry folks) an extra topping of Pineapple - partly because other reviews I had seen said the pizzas were dry.

The pizza looked fine. The base held together.  It could be eaten by hand or with a knife and fork.  The base itself was rather sweet and had a flavour-deadening effect on the topping.  By scraping all the topping onto half the pizza I had a bit of flavour, but it was astonishing that they could take tomato paste, cheese, green pepper (capsicum), chillies, onion, fresh tomatoes and pineapple and combine them in such a flavourless way.  The extra pineapple topping was not enough to add much succulence, and it cost £1.10 extra.

I was offered a salad bowl - you can just fill up at their salad bar while you wait for your pizza.  I said I didn't think it was a good idea given that avoiding cross contamination might be difficult, to which the waitress smiled, shrugged, and said it probably wasn't a good idea.  I didn't push this, but I was surprised she didn't offer to get a simple fresh salad from the kitchen.  Maybe they put out all the vegetables at the start of the day - but that seems unlikely as some of the pizzas come with rocket.

So, full marks for making an effort.  Having the pizzas arrive a different shape is very sensible - the better quality gf food is them more essential it is that it is very clearly identifiable.   It also reminds that staff at every stage that they are dealing with gf food.

As we were leaving a group of eight young people arrived and I noticed two of them ordered a gf pizza.  I am sure that being able to get a gf pizza makes the social side of life much easier.  It is just a pity that the flavour is so lacking.  This pizza felt as if whoever invented it had never eaten it but had focused solely on the construction and contamination sides of the issue.  I still feel fine an hour later so I think this pizza was safe.

Twenty hours later, still fine.  Pizza Hut managed to feed me safely if a bit boringly.

Gluten free mince pies: M&S, FreeFrom and Hale & Hearty

It is nearly Christmas and the stores are full of red and green-wrapped seasonal food..much of which is unsuitable for people who cannot tolerate wheat and gluten.  However, there is an increasing range of gluten free food readily available so I decided to run some comparisons.  Today I tested three mince pies, two bought from a speciality store - the kind that sells both rice cakes and vast arrays of vitamins, and the other from Marks and Spencers.  I have been increasingly impressed with the efforts MandS are making to minimise allergens where they really are not needed in a recipe. In doing so they are making many prepared foods available to people like me, so that we don't always have to cook from basic ingredients.

For readers outside the UK, a mince pie is pastry filled with a rich spicy mixture of dried fruits, traditionally eaten at Christmas.

We tested the three mince pies both hot and cold, and considered flavour, texture and ease of handling. All three, I am pleased to say, would be acceptable both hot and cold.  However, they did differ quite a bit, on these three characteristics and also in their packaging.

Prices for a box of four:
M and S £2.49
Hale and Hearty £3.85
OK Foods £2.25

cold pies cut in half

hot pies cut in half

These three mince pies looked quite different, which made it easy to remember which was which in the testing.  The MandS one is an open tart with a small spice-dusted marzipan star on top.  The HandH one is also open, but has a pastry star dusted with icing sugar.  The OK one is a closed tart with a full pastry lid.

The flavours and handling characteristics of these tarts differed when they were hot and cold.

M&S mince pie

MandS: these tarts looked pretty though the filling looked a bit stingy.  They had a soft almost pliable pastry which made them easy to handle, and a rich spicy filling.  The flavour of the nutmeg was quite strong, and it might almost be too much for people who don't like spice - I found my own homemade mince one year, made to my taste with lots of spice, was not enjoyed by my sister.  Given the strong flavour of the filling the tarts did not need any more filling to be balanced.  The marzipan star was firm and gave an interesting contrast to the light pastry and the gooey filling.  These were good hot and cold, but the tart citrusy flavour didn't come out in the cold tart.

These tarts are presented in a cardboard box without an interior cellophane wrap.  They had a shelf life of about a week from when I bought them.  They can be frozen and used within a month.

Other allergens: nuts, cow's milk and eggs.

Hale & Hearty mince pie

Hale andHearty
These mince pies are not only gluten and wheat free but also contain no soya, milk or sulphites and are suitable for vegetarians.  While they say gluten free they also say tested to below 20ppm, which suggests they are possibly made in a facility which also handles wheat and so might not be suitable for super sensitives.  I haven't had any reaction yet and ate these half an hour ago, so judging by my delicate system they are ok.  Update from company Just to assure you that our mince pies are made in a dedicated gluten free facility and are milk free too!
20ppm means we comply Food Standards.
These tarts come in two separate cellophane wraps inside the cardboard box, so would be excellent for slipping into your bag to take to a party.  They have a shelf life of five months from when I purchased them.

These tarts were the prettiest, I think, with the pastry shell filled to the very top with the mincemeat and a white dusting of icing sugar.  They held together very well both when hot and cold. If you were having a party and didn't want crumbs all over the place these would be the ones to go for. The filling was mellow and well balanced- it didn't have the punch of the MandS one but I think anyone who liked mincemeat would find this acceptable,  My tasting partner, who isn't gf, said these were what he would expect from a mince pie.

OK foods mince pie

The OKfoods mince pies are also dairy free.  These lidded mince pies were firm and succulent, but crumbled especially when hot.  It was difficult getting the pie out of the foil, and the lid came off. They would be good as a hot pudding with custard or cream.  The fruity mixture was treacley with no pronounced spikes of flavour. They were the cheapest as well, though not much cheaper than the MandS tarts.

Other allergens are nuts and sulpher dioxide and may contain traces of egg and peanut. They had a shelf life of three months from when I bought them.



In general I was very impressed with these tarts.  They are vastly superior to anything available in the stores a few years ago.  I would be happy to be served any of them.  My personal favorite was the Hale and Hearty as it was the perfect mince pie in texture and flavour, and was so easy to handle.  For a bit more drama the MandS one was a close second, but I think more people would find it over-spiced and might be startled by the flavour.  As a fresh food it also takes more organising to have available for an impromptu party.

.......

and after I got posted this I got sent  a link by Living Streets charity to a mincepie calculator ( how many have you burnt off by walking)  ...and if you enter soon you get a chance to win a Kindle..easier to read when walking than paperbacks as you can make the text big.

Nut roast - a handy food for gf vegetarians - guests or visits

I was strolling around Worcester (UK) this evening as it is their Victorian Christmas Fair - the centre of town is thronged with stalls, stallholders wearing Victorian- style clothing.  There were lots of food stalls selling burgers and sausages in buns (and yes, the burgers had cereal in, I checked), pizza, dutch pancakes, french crepes, Balinese spring rolls, Spanish churros....I could have had hot chestnuts but preferred to just watch others eating and kept myself safe.

Then I came across Nevins Speciality Foods selling gluten free nut roasts. They are a new business and their website is not up and running yet (Dec 2012) but will be www.nevinsspecialityfoods.co.uk.  I bought a Cranberry and Chestnut nut roast.  The individually packed in paper baking cases and plastic wrap, and look inviting.  They have breadcrumbs in, made with Doves Farm flour and no xanthum gum.   There are other flavours, but those had dairy in so I didn't try them.

These individual nut roasts (though they would serve two unless you had been tramping miles or had nothing else with them) can be frozen.

This one had a firm though not hard texture, a moist middle, and a sweet and savoury flavour that would make it very versatile.  The chestnut flavour did not dominate.

An excellent addition to the convenience foods available to the gluten avoider.

As these are currently being sold at venue direct from maker to consumer the labels do not list all the ingredients.  For example, this nut roast does have dairy in the breadcrumb, but it isn't listed.  Be a little cautious and quiz the seller if you are very sensitive.

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a few minutes after eating this I got an allergic reaction.  Very odd, as I don't normally have allergic reactions to any foods.  I am allergic to Erythromycin and zinc oxide...but those aren't going to be in a nut roast.  Will phone and get more details.  

After the phone call- no idea what caused the problem.  I should eat the remainder of the nut roast today to check that I get the same reaction, but don't feel inclined to to this.  Spoke to the maker, can't figure out what caused it as nothing in the food that would worry me.  Maybe there was an airborne allergen in the market area that produced a reaction after I got back - I do react powerfully to insect bites, stinging nettles etc so just possible some strange product floating off the Christmas wreath, strings of dried oranges, scented candles etc.

Guests to tea and no baking

I have been trying to give up my obsession with baking.  Doesn't feel the same in my tiny new kitchen and there isn't anywhere to freeze supplies if I bake in bulk.

I was having visitors yesterday afternoon and bought baked goods from M&S and my local speciality foods (allergy etc) store.   I was astonished that two of the biscuits from different manufacturers looked identical except for the colour (one was coffee flavoured) but was told this was perfectly normal.  I thought it suggested a single maker and branding - not that I object, was just surprised.

I was never much of a fan of ordinary shop-bought biscuits, especially after one Christmas where we went skiing in a hurry and left some foods on the table, coming back to find that the mice had managed to get up onto what we thought was a mouse proof zone, and had eaten all the biscuits that were like home made ones and the open tin of standard biscuits hadn't been touched,  I figure if mice think biscuits aren't food that is sufficient information for me to stay away.

A quick trip to M&S and I came away with an almond frangipan cake and some pecan, chocolate and caramel shortbread type biscuits made with cornmeal.  The frangipan good, moist and held together adequately, and had no odd ingredients.  The shortbread was gritty, as things made with cornmeal often are.  I do use cornmeal in a mix with other ingredients, but do find it difficult to find fine-milled cornmeal rather than course ground.  The general view was the topping was good but the grittiness was unpleasant.  I found the topping too sweet.  I would be happy to buy both of these in the future.

The biscuits were plain and coffee flavoured simple biscuits - the kind I think of as dull.  They were boring in flavour and texture, and they went to a slightly claggy paste in the mouth.  My gluten eater who gave me feedback said they were ok.  I suspect for people who want a biscuit with a cup of milky sweet tea they would be fine.

The lemon wafers were astonishing.  My gluten eater who gave me feedback said they seemed like a fishy lemon flavour.  I didn't notice the fishiness, but the lemon oil flavour was overwhelming.  I have bottles of oils for use in massage and these wafers were exactly like neat lemon oil which I sometimes use as a room scent if I need to concentrate.  So - too much like a floor cleaner is probably the easiest way to think of them. The texture was very entertaining, crisp then melted.  If your mouth is yearning for a wafer these will be a good purchase.

The weird flavours and textures didn't stop me munching quite a few of these over the course of the afternoon and evening.

So, a whole bit of text about food that I haven't made myself in my gf kitchen and so far no mention of guts.  Too late.  Spent a good chunk of the night on the loo, and feeling a bit ropey this morning,  No idea what caused the problem as these foods didn't have anything I know causes trouble, especially in small quantities.  I haven't been glutened as I don't have the fever and rash and all the other symptoms.  Perhaps I am just suffering from greed.

The amazing thing about this offering of cakes and biscuits is that it was possible, and I didn't even buy some of everything available.  There is now a choice of gf treat food available from normal high street stores, the packaging looks as if the manufacturers think of it as food and not DIY products, and the quality is acceptable.  If I had given up gluten recently rather than several years ago I would probably never have spent those hundreds of hours searching for an acceptable way to make baked goods.  I still think my flour mix is superior to the others available, and I still regret the industries liberal use of gums to provide cohesion, but things have come a long way.

.....
the weird lemony wafers give me gut ache so won't be buying them again.  The other biscuits are just too uninteresting to be worth the house space...but if you don't like baking you could at least use them as the base for a cheesecake or make that muddled up thing with chocolate and marshmallows.  The cakes were the best of the lot.

Nakd nut and fruit bars

I had an unexpected pleasure the other day.  I was asked if I would review Nakd Gluten Free Foods cold pressed nut and fruit bars. There is supposed to be an accent over the 'a' but I havent figured out how to add one.

 I had never tried them before as I tend to make my own handbag foods, or if I need to buy something I have always bought the Eat Natural fruit, nut and seed bars.

A mixed box of bars arrived shortly after.  I didn't try them straight away as I was a bit glutened, then I had to go and look after a sick grandchild, caught her germ...anyways, today I tried the whole range.

I got sent an astonishing range of different flavoured bars:
cocoa orange
berry delight
cocoa delight
cashew cookie
rhubarb and custard
ginger bread
caffe mocha
cocoa mint
cafe mocha
pecan pie

They all say "Yummy raw fruit and nut bar" and are gluten, wheat and dairy free. Most of them are made with dates and cashews and a few other things like cocoa, spices, pecans and unspecified natural flavours.

The packs are a neat small size, and would be good to keep in a pocket or handbag for munching while out.  I found them quite difficult to open, but eventually figured that you have to open out the seam and grasp firmly at the middle and tug. I haven't tried it with chilly fingers at an outdoor event, or with gloves on - they would be good on skiing trips so maybe I'll test this aspect next season. They do have the advantage that the writing is clear and easy to read - the Eat Natural bars, in contrast, are not all gf and you have to open the seam flap and peer carefuly to check each flavour.

My first impression was 'how weird!'.  They are smashed nuts and fruit squished together.  I thought, 'why eat smushed fruit and nuts rather than a handful of whole nuts and fruit?' - I still have reasonable teeth.  Then it occurred to me that this is a tidy way of eating nuts and fruit and it can be done without having to touch the food.  This is always a useful aspect when trying to avoid gluten contamination. They are also quiet to eat, so if you are munching in a library or other spot where discretion is useful they would be very suitable though the packaging itself makes a bit of a noise.

The first two bars I tried didn't seem to have much flavour difference, but today I opened one of each and tried them one after the other.  Some of the flavours are totally weird, like the rhubarb and custard, but I reckon that this means that everyone could find at least one flavour they liked.

The bars are vegan, have no added sugars or syrups, and each one gives you one of your portions of fruit for the day.  Handy little things - if you try one and don't like the flavour try a different one.  They certainly have a wider flavour range than any other snack I have encountered that can be eaten by coeliacs and others with gluten intolerance. And if you lose all your teeth you won't have to find someone to chew your food for you!

...
throwing the box away I noticed the text on the bottom:

"Hello, Gorgeous.  Fancy meeting you here.  You are aware, of course, that you have this box upside down.  We salute your curiosity and suggest better reading can be found at EATNAKD.COM"

Another gf wedding cake - a chocolate cupcake tower in Sweden

Ages ago I said to my sister-in-law that I would make her daughters' wedding cakes if they wanted.  Well, that remark was remembered, and as a result I am flying to Sweden in July to make a purple and silver chocolate cupcake tower for my niece, who has coeliac disease and also wheat intolerant.  I suppose I should have realised that this wouldn't be an English affair, as at the time the family lived in Mongolia.

It sounded simple.  I have never been to Sweden but often wanted to take a trip around Scandinavia.  First choice would be to have my husband drive the campervan there for the wedding so that I could stay safely, bake the cakes, have an adventure around the wedding.  Unfortunately, though retired,  he is working and can't take the month off that I would like.  So, could I drive the van myself?  No, not on a trip of that length.  There used to be a ferry to Sweden - it still shows up on a google search, but it no longer runs.  A ferry to Denmark, drive, ferry, drive, or via the Eurotunnel and a lot of driving.  I didn't manage to get used to driving the van in the UK last November as planned due to the house suddenly getting a buyer, and only drove the Smart car in France, so don't think a three to four thousand mile trip on the 'wrong' side of the road makes sense as a first solo journey.

Rent a flat in the town and fly there.  That made sense.  I found a cheap flat a few minutes walk from the station on the internet, but after 'booking' it got a note saying it wasn't available.  All other self catering options were wooden cabins were thirty km away from the town - great for a boating/sauna holiday but not so good for getting cakes make and delivered. I looked into hiring a cabin at the Boras campsite, but they have very little catering equipment and are surprisingly expensive.  Renting a campervan on arrival at the airport would also cost a lot and the van would be likely to have an invisible layer of gluten on all surfaces.

One of the hotels in the town said they took special efforts to meet extra needs and even mentioned gluten.  I booked with them even though they were the most expensive hotel in town.  If I get glutened I can't do anything, so being cautious makes sense.  In the meantime offers of the church ovens and the future mother-in-law's means that the baking can happen.

I almost booked the whole thing on the internet, but then thought that maybe, as I wanted something a bit unusual, I should try a travel agent.  The Co-op in Worcester couldn't even find Sweden in their system.  However, I did eventually get a flight with better timings than the one I had found on the internet - arriving at midday in a strange place is much better that last thing at night when you still have to travel 30km.  I booked the hotel separately - more expensive, but at least it is done.

The travel agent rang the airline to check that it would be ok for me to take flour and baking kit in my luggage.  It hadn't occurred to me to check, so that was a useful thing to have done.  I have to get all the baking kit in my 23kg of luggage allowance.  I need to take all the fancy stuff like cupcake cases, sparkles and other decorations, I would prefer to take the baking trays as baking gf really needs properly clean tins which have not been used for wheat flour.  They, however, are heavy, especially if you take enough to allow 150 cupcakes to be make without it being a whole day activity.  I also want to take my giant tiered cake-stand.  It is plastic and folds down, but even so it is quite large and heavy.

And the flour?  Well, Shipton Mill still haven't brought out the flour mix so I will need to grind, mix and package the flour here before I go.  I have been experimenting with my usual chocolate cake recipe, and making it premixed - just add eggs, oil and water, stir, put in cases and bake.  I tried out a batch on my embroidery chums.  They were complementary on the cakes, but the three that took a batch of the mix to bake for themselves haven't reported back yet.  I wanted feedback on how robust the mix was with different ovens as I have no idea what kind of ovens I will end up using.  If the cake is easy to make and the instructions clear it gives another level of safety if I do get sick - then pretty well anyone will be able to make the cakes even with very little supervision.

As to what I shall wear?  I think I will take my baking clothes, but don't reckon there will be room for a posh frock.  As long as the cake looks great I suppose I only have to look clean and tidy - must remember not to go to the ceremony with chocolate batter and icing all over myself.

Frankie & Bennies - an update on gluten free eating

I noticed that several people had read my blog from 2010 about eating gf at Frankie & Bennie's, where I said it was dull but safe.  However, since then I ate at one of their stores again.

This time the waiter said they were used to dealing with food intolerances.  I said I was very sensitive and they would need to take extra care - dishes straight from the dishwasher, not touching my food if they had touched bread etc.  I asked for a spiced chicken dish with salad.

The food came.  The chicken was not spiced - I presume they decided the spice mix had gluten or they weren't sure.  I didn't get an explanation or comment.

I don't remember much about the meal.  What I do remember is that I was ill for several days afterwards, a particular nuisance as I was starting a trip to France and Italy in the campervan.

So,  self-perceived knowledge about food sensitive may have increased but the capacity to handle food safely does not seem to be adequate.  Based on this experience I would be very loathe to eat at one of these restaurants again.

Venison and mushroom pie

I had a bit of venison left over so made it into a pie with mushrooms.  This is a double crust pie; if you want to make life easier or the meal less calorific just put a top crust on.

Make the filling ahead of time so that it has time to cool - though you can speed this up by putting it in a metal bowl in cold water.  The pastry needs at least fifteen minutes to absorb the water, but unless you want to make it the day before don't put it in the fridge.  If you try to roll this pastry when it is chilled it is very hard to work.

Filling
125g venison (this was already cooked, but raw would be fine)
250g mushrooms
1/2 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp umami paste or other flavouring like tamari
1 tsp ketchup (I thought it needed a bit of brightening)
pepper
water
oil

Finely chop the onion and cook until translucent in oil.  (If the venison is raw remove onion from pan and brown venison before continuing with other stages). Add the chopped garlic and the chopped mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown.  Add the venison, cut into bite sized pieces.  Add water and flavourings and cook until the mushrooms are soft.  Add some cornflour mixed with water to thicken the sauce, or, as I did, use a small lump of the pastry mixed into the sauce.  Don't make this as thick as you would like the gravy to be in the pie as it will reduce and thicken more in the baking.

Check flavouring and adjust as needed.  Put aside to cool.


Pastry
250g flour (40% urid, 40% tapioca, 20% cornmeal)
125 g chilled butter
water to mix to dough

Cut and rub the butter into the flour until it is evenly dispersed.  You can do this in a food mixer or by hand - which is harder, getting out the machine and washing up or rubbing gently for a couple of minutes?

Add water a little at a time and mix with finger tips until you get a slightly damp dough that holds together well.  Wrap in plastic and leave to rest at room temperature for at least fifteen minutes.


Put the oven on to heat - 170C fan, before you start assembling pie.

When the pastry has rested, roll out 2/3 of the pastry on floured board or just press into place in pie dish.  Place cooled filling into pie dish and top with the rest of the pastry.  Make a hole in the middle for the steam, brush with egg wash if you want a shiny top.

Bake at 170C, for about half an hour.  If you have kept the filling in the fridge allow a little extra time for the filling to get piping hot and the lower pastry to be cooked.  You may also need a little extra time if you use a ceramic dish rather than a metal pie dish.  The filling is already cooked so it just needs to be hot and the pastry crisp.

Serves two hungry people or four with modest appetites.

McDonald's fries - are they gluten free? Warning!!

A while ago I posted a blog on McDonald's fries after a query on another site led me to look at their website and gluten information.  Theoretically they are safe, but I have had several comments posted saying how ill people are after eating them.  I haven't been brave enough to try - fast food places are scary as even the air feels dangerous.

Following on from these comments I have to say that I think you should avoid McDonald's fries if you are gluten intolerant.

How to visit friends

Sometimes it feels like the simplest thing would be to stay home and get all your food delivered and never spend time in the contaminated wheat-ridden world.  Getting people to shower and change when they came to visit would be nice. However, if this doesn't suit you, there are some precautions you can take to making it a little more likely you can enjoy your friends company and not spend all your time gazing at the door of their loo.

Take some food with you.  People get uneasy when they are eating and you don't.  Pack something that you can eat while holding the wrapper so that you reduce the chance of getting gluten on your food from your fingers.  Remember, their sofa, chair back, novels, baby photos...all will be covered with invisible gluten.  Their cutlery will live in a drawer that has crumbs in it.

Don't allow your niceness to persuade you to eat food made specially for you using normal dishes.

Accept a tea or coffee unless you have an important day following, but be aware that unless they use a dishwasher you will probably get some gluten contamination from the cup.

Take some glutenzyme capsules with you.  Before I discovered these I couldn't spend an afternoon with my friends as the gut ache would start after an hour, and the brain fog an hour later, even if I didn't eat or drink anything. Taking one of these every hour allows me to enjoy my afternoon.  I buy these off the Internet.  Make sure you get ones that are lactose free if necessary.  You can order them from your local chemist.  With these I can stay for several days at my sister's house, without them I need to leave after a couple of hours (and she lives a five hour drive away; being able to stay is good).

Chose the right clothes.  Wear elasticated waistbands or clothes with belts where you can accommodate a sudden six inch increase in waist size.  Wear a long loose top so that the resulting gape between the zipper halves will be hidden.  A long loose dress allows a lot of expansion.

Carry hand wipes with you.  You can clean surfaces and hands.  I like Sani-hands, which have a textured surface on one side which is great for scrubbing.  I buy them in bulk off the Internet and always carry some.

Encourage people to eat as a separate activity from handling things.  I meet a group of friends who share an interest in the wilder end of embroidery - we look at each others work with clean hands and that reduces the spread of gluten.  I have handed someone a wipe and got them to clean their hands before looking at a book of mine...people do treat bread and biscuits as if they were clean items when the are not.

If you do get minor contamination, fennel tea can help with the colic, as well as medicines from your pharmacist.  If you have a day when you need to leave the house and feel well enough to go out, an anti-diarrhoea medicine can help give you some time.

Of course, a full scale contamination probably means you wont be able to do anything else for days, but the minuscule invisible contamination issues may be manageable with some of these tips.

Hagen Daz icecream shop, nr Piccadilly Circus, London - no gf icecream

Wandered along last night in the balmy dark looking for an icecream after a concert.  Found a Hagen Daz shop.  Normally wouldn't buy Hagen Daz as I regard it as a triumph of advertising over quality...but TT really wanted an icecream so in we went.  He was surprised by how good his praline and cream was.  They had three sorbets (lemon, raspberry and mango), and I was trying to decide whether to have all three flavours.

We asked if they had gf cones (not expecting them to, but I figure it increases knowledge just by asking).  The server said no, and also that they wouldn't recommend having any of the icecreams as they used the same scoop in all the tubs.  I asked if they had some sealed small tubs of sorbets for people with allergies/intolerances, but the answer was no.

So, full marks for the staff knowing about cross-contamination.  Minus marks for not having any information available on the menu board.  Minus marks for not dealing with the problem they had already identified.  If they just kept one type of sorbet in individual tubs they could offer that to people with nut, dairy and gluten problems.

Cafe Rouge - what about a gluten free christmas party?

Last year I gave the Cafe Rouge a gold star for a safe and interesting place to eat - provided you can afford the time you need for the meal to be served.  This year I have to take the gold star away even though I did eat there and didn't get ill afterwards. They have had a year to improve and seem to have gone backwards in the choices they offer.

They do publish allergens on the Internet, though it the current one only lasts until Oct 11, so not much use if planning a Christmas meal.  For the first time, I was offered the list when I asked to check something.  However, it is in very tiny writing, and doesn't make it clear which component of a menu item isn't safe.  For example, I wanted a sorbet, then decided to check.  Surely it would be gluten free.  Sorbet is mentioned on the line 'icecream and sorbet' and states it has gluten in.  Is this just the wafer that would normally come with it?  No one knew.  I handed my raspberry sorbet over to someone else to eat.  I don't understand how they can carry foods where they don't know the ingredients.

I ate the duck a year ago - it was said to be safe.  This year that item has gluten in.  The only safe meals were the steaks (some of the sauces have gluten so check), the mussels, and the lemon sole.  After my courageous and unsuccessful attempt to eat a scallop last month I decided not to try a great dish of mussels. Didn't want to eat steak. Had to eat the lemon sole - which was fine, but the accompanying vegetables were too few and not well cooked.  Just as well I managed to give up being a vegetarian before I discovered it was gluten causing all the trouble.

I was eating there as it was a leaving party for an old acquaintance.  Glad to have gone as lovely to see everyone, but disappointed in the meal.

I wrote to ask Cafe Rouge why the duck was on the safe list last year and isn't now.  I have got no reply.

trying to buy a treat - what's wrong with sorbet and chocolate?

I stopped at the National Trust cafe in Boscastle for a coffee and treat.  The man who runs is is passionate about quality, though his expertise is coffee.  The coffee was very good - flavoursome with none of that bitter or sour tang so often encountered.

They had mini tubs of melon sorbet, and I thought that would be lovely - started hunting for the spoon hidden in the lid and noticed, in tiny writing, that it had wheat in!  Took it back to the counter for a swap, didn't want the brownie as it had xanthum gum, nor the lemon drizzle cake (available individually packaged) or the Mrs Crimble coconut thing.

Little bars of gf organic luxury chocolate - that would do.  Hadn't had any chocolate for ages and I like that with coffee.  I bought a Nero & Bianco orange chocolate bar.

I unwrapped it, took a bite, and was completely astounded.  TT tried some too.  I took it to the chef and insisted he try some.  It didn't taste of chocolate at all and the closest I can think of as a description of the texture is plasticine.  You might be able to see from the bite marks on the chocolate that is has a gooey texture.

Supermarket strategies - only losers

I routinely find that my local supermarket shelves high gluten bread flour next to the gluten free flour in the free-from section.

This is a foolish strategy.  Those of us who need to avoid any traces of gluten are not going to buy a paper bag of flour that has been sitting next to another paper bag of flour full of gluten - these flour bags always seem to be slightly leaky.  It also seems very unlikely that someone setting out to make a traditional loaf of wheat bread would think to look in this section for their hard wheat flour.

Whenever I spot things like this I speak to the staff.  They always say they cannot do anything about it as the shelving details are set by Head Office.  I have now written to this supermarket about this - it will be interesting to see how they reply.

Tea bags - glue? gluten-free? Taylors of Harrogate

I am following a Facebook thread where tea sometimes causes problems for coeliacs.  Some herbal teas have barley in, but the writers were finding even tea with no named gluten-bearing product caused their usual symptoms.  Someone said they had come across teabags which were glued with a glue which contained wheat.  I wondered what was in the teabags I used - just curiosity, I have no problems with them so was pretty sure no wheat had got anywhere near them.

I wrote to Taylors of Harrogate and Twinings.  Within a couple of hours Taylors had replied:

Dear Lois

Many thanks for your enquiry, the teabag paper is not actually sealed with glue.

The teabag paper is made up in several layers. One side of the paper incorporates a very thin web of a meltable plastic (polypropylene).

Just to explain further polypropylene is a really commonly used plastic in the food industry, if you have any Tupperware at home the containers are made out of polyprop.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards

Judith Wagstaff

Customer Services Team

Taylors of Harrogate

customer.services@bettysandtaylors.co.uk

So, I learnt more than I expected - aren't modern food packaging processes amazing!  

Aquafresh, Senosdyne, Macleans - are these toothpastes gluten free?

There have been queries on one of the Facebook groups I belong to about whether toothpaste like Sensodyne are gluten free.  I use Sensodyne without any problems so I think this is fine, but what would the manufacturer say?

I checked their website.  There is no information available.  I wrote to the company - and got a very odd reply back.

"Thank you for your e-mail, and please accept our apologies for the delay in responding.

To the best of our knowledge, our Aquafresh, Macleans and Sensodyne toothpaste ranges are free from gluten.

Kind regards

Medical & Consumer Affairs Department

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare UK"

so I wrote to them again - "to the best of our knowledge" seemed like a very strange sentence from a company that makes many complex chemical products.  Was it just that that is what the consumer affairs person thought?  Was there any rigour to this 'best knowledge'?  I wrote again

thanks for yor reply - but that is an odd way to put it.  Is there anyone in your organisation that knows? 

This time I got an answer from a different part of the organisation:

"Hi Lois,

Thank you for your further email.

By saying to the best of our knowledge, what we mean is that whilst gluten is not an ingredient in the products, we cannot 100% guarantee that before the raw materials reach our factories, that they have not been in contact with gluten. Although this is extremely unlikely, we are unable to confirm this 100% as we, GSK, are not able to observe this part of the process.

Sorry we cannot be more helpful on this occasion.

Kind regards

Medical Affairs Department

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare UK

0208 047 2500"

This is a much more sensible answer.  I am pleased they replied, and I will take this to mean that these toothpastes are safe for people with gluten intolerance.  I know some coeliac support organisations think it isn't important what is in toiletries and cosmetics as they say you don't eat them, but if even a kiss from someone who has eaten gluten can cause extreme effects in some people then it makes sense to avoid all possible form of contamination.

Quite a few companies never reply at all, so thanks to GlaxoSmithKline for their responses.