Celiac Princess

Celiac Princess Blog Shown on CNN

Vanessa Maltin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:34:49 -0400

Breaking News! During the 5pm hour of the Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Internet Reporter Abbi Tatton reported new guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission urging bloggers to disclose their relationships with advertisers and companies for whom they review products for.

As part of the segment, Abbi showed a variety of blogs that currently do it right and you guessed it! She showed my blog, specifically a post I did about Bella Monica Gluten-Free Pizzas. If you look back at all of my posts about food products, you'll see that I clearly identify that I was sent the food items by the company and did not pay for them myself.

The new FTC rules will go into effect on December 1, 2009, however they do not mandate how a blogger must disclose the relationships. They only say that it must be easy to understand and clearly visible.

Check out Abbi's segment now!

Post 1: Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way & the Food Network Seminar

Vanessa Maltin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:55:40 -0400

For those of you who regularly read Delight Gluten-Free Magazine, you've already heard the fantastic news that for the next six months, I'll be attending culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and chronicling the experience in Delight Magazine!

You can probably guess the expression on my face when I was approached about attending culinary school. I pictured myself standing in a kitchen classroom with flour flying everywhere as I tried to make pastries and my stomach bloating bigger and bigger as the minutes went on. How could I possibly participate in lessons that required me to use wheat flour to make the most traditional dishes that every famous chef has mastered? Sauces, crepes, breads, cakes, roux-based soups, tarts, croissants and puffs!!

Yeah, I was scared at first, but quickly decided it would be the most amazing experience in the world to convert the most famous dishes from every cuisine from around the world into gluten-free alternatives and share it will all of the Delight magazine readers. Now, I obviously can't write about everything in the magazine, or we'd have an entire novel, so I'm going to be sharing some of the experiences with you here on the Celiac Princess blog.

My first two weeks of school were filled with tons of incredible information. I learned to properly use knives (yeah, you all think you know how, but you're totally wrong), taste spices and herbs to identify

them by sight and smell, properly cut vegetables in any shape or size, wilt and blanch greens and vegetables, cook eggs, identify by taste a variety of fats, filet all sorts of fishes and makes soups and chowders. Phew! What a crazy couple of weeks. You'll read about all of the techniques in the magazine, but for now I want to focus on a special seminar I got to attend that was put on by Chef Robert Bleifer, the executive chef of culinary productions at Food Network. Not only is he in charge of preparing all of the food for like 23 shows on Food Network, but he is also a judge on many of the Food Network competitions and prepares the food for Food Network hosted events. He studied economics in college, photography in graduate school and then decided he loved food, so ended up working as a culinary producer at the Food Network 14 years ago. His life is fascinating, so be sure to read more about him at www.foodnetwork.com.

The seminar focused on seasonal favorites from the Food Network kitchens and featured recipes from the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine. The menu included a Three Cheese Soufflé, Spanish-style Pork Burgers Stuffed with Manchego Cheese, and Glazed Apple Cider Doughnuts. The really interesting take-home point of the seminar is not to be afraid of Soufflé and that cider doughnuts can be incredibly delicious. I think that most people are typically afraid of messing up a souffle, but Chef Bleifer showed us first hand that you can make three mistakes (he actually made them in the seminar) and still have a perfectly risen Soufflé. Now, the only challenge is making it gluten-free!

Of course I was bummed when I first saw the recipe lists because two of the three recipes used flour. But, never fear, here are the three incredible recipes from Food Network's Robert Bleifer with my gluten-free conversions. They are insanely good, so make them!

Read more for the recipes......

Gluten-Free Three Cheese Soufflé

This is the gluten-free conversion of the Food Network recipe. It's delicious on its own, or try serving it with apples or carrot sticks.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 1/4 cups finely grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon corn starch
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups finely grated comte or gruyere cheese
1 cup finely grated emmentaler or appenzeller cheese
4 large eggs, separated, plus 2 egg whites
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Sliced baguette, for serving
Pate and/or apple butter, for serving (optional)

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375. Butter the bottom and sides of a 2-quart souffle dish up to the top edge. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan and the cornmeal. Place in the freezer while you prepare the souffle.

2. Make the roux: Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic. Stir in the flour, nutmeg and 2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring, until the flour is cooked but not browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture is as thick as pudding, about 5 minutes. Stir in the comte, emmentaler and 3/4 cup parmesan until melted, then remove from the heat. Stir in the 4 egg yolks one at a time. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir to cool slightly.

3. Beat the 6 egg whites and lemon juice in a large bowl with a mixer until soft peaks form. Fold a quarter of the whites into the cheese base, then fold in the remaining whites.

4. Place the prepared souffle dish on a baking sheet, pour in the batter and smooth the top. Run your finger around the inside lip of the dish to push the batter away from the edge and create a ridge. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan on top. Transfer to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 325. Bake until golden and puffed about 2 inches above the lip of the dish, about 35 minutes. Serve piping hot!

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Pork Burgers Stuffed with Manchego Cheese

These burgers are fantastic!! However, I generally do not eat pork, so when making these myself, I used ground turkey. You could also use ground beef or chicken and they'll still be delicious!

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/4 pounds coarsely ground pork
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 pound manchego cheese, broken into bite-size pieces
4 Portuguese rolls, split
Pimientos, tomato, red onion and/or lettuce, for topping

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Place the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, the olives, garlic, oregano, chili powder, paprika, coriander, cumin and allspice in a food processor; pulse until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons mayonnaise.

2. Mix the pork into the olive mixture; season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Make a deep pocket in each; stuff with some manchego, then close the patty around the cheese.

3. Brush the burgers with oil; season with salt and pepper. Brush the grill with oil; grill the burgers until marked on the bottom, 5 minutes. Flip and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 more minutes.

4. Brush the cut sides of the rolls with the remaining 1 tablespoon mayonnaise; grill until lightly toasted. Serve the burgers on the rolls with your choice of toppings.

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Glazed Apple Cider Doughnuts

Now, these were a little tricky, but well worth the effort to convert to gluten-free. Don't get discouraged with the sticky dough. If you can't form them into perfectly shaped doughnuts don't worry about it! They'll still taste great!

Vanessa's All Purpose GF Flour Mix
2 cups brown rice Flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together and set aside for use in the doughnut batter.

Doughnut Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 red apples, such as Cortland or McIntosh
2 1/2 cups apple cider
3 1/2 cups Vanessa's all-purpose gluten-free flour, plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons baking powder

1. Core and coarsely chop the apples (do not peel). Combine with 1 1/2 cups cider in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cover and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the apples are tender and the cider is almost completely reduced, about 5 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Measure the sauce; you should have 1 cup. (Boil to reduce further, if necessary.) Let cool slightly.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

3. Beat 2/3 cup granulated sugar and the shortening in another bowl with a mixer on medium speed until sandy. Beat in the egg and yolk, then gradually mix in the applesauce, scraping the bowl. Beat in half of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk and vanilla, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix to make a sticky dough; do not overmix.

4. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and pat into a 7-by-11-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

5. Meanwhile, make the glaze: Simmer the remaining 1 cup cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar until smooth and glossy, then set aside. Mix the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a shallow bowl; set aside for the topping.

6. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Cut the chilled dough into 12 rounds, using a floured 2 1/2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter, then cut out the middles with a 1-inch cutter (or use a doughnut cutter). Slip 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as needed. Transfer to the paper towels to drain.

7. Dip one side of each doughnut in the cider glaze, letting the excess drip off; dip just the glazed side in the cinnamon-sugar or roll all over in cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Serve warm.

Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity Increase Risk of Death

Vanessa Maltin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:23:11 -0400

A new study published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that people with mild intestinal inflammation and a sensitivity to gluten have a greater risk of death even amongst patients who do not have severe symptoms.This means you could have only mild issues and perhaps not even test positive for celiac disease, yet still have a greater risk of death.

For the study, Swedish researchers examined tissue biopsies collected from 46,121 patients in Sweden between 1969 and 2008. Amongst the samples, they found 29,096 patients with celiac disease, 13,306 with inflammation of the small intestines and an additional 3,719 with latent celiac disease. For those of you who don't know, latent celiac refers to patients who have celiac disease antibodies present in their blood, but do not show signs of damage to their intestines.

After a median of 7.2 years follow-up, the researchers determined that the risk of death increased by 75% for patients with mild intestinal inflammation, 35% for patients with latent celiac or gluten sensitivity and 30% for patients with diagnosed celiac disease. Amongst the patients with celiac disease, the most common causes of death were cancer and cardiovascular disease.

In an editorial accompanying the article, Dr. Peter Green of the Celiac Center at Columbia University Medical Center said the most interesting finding was that about patients with latent celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, largely because the issue has received little attention in the United States.

He adds that there is "increasing evidence for [gluten sensitivity] presence in patients with various neurological disorders and psychiatric problems. The study....reinforces the importance of celiac disease as a diagnosis that should be sought by physicians. It also suggests that more attention should be given to the lesser degrees of intestinal inflammation and gluten sensitivity."

Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Diet in the Washington Post

Vanessa Maltin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:53:31 -0400

Check out today's issue of the Washington Post Health Section. There's a great article about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. Reporter Jennifer Huget interviewed me and Dr. Alessio Fasano from the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research. It's a great look at the basics of celiac disease, diganosis, and treatment, as well as new trends in genetic testing. And...I love that she mentions my soon-to-be gluten-free wedding!

Check it out at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/28/AR2009082803198.html

NBC 4 Airs Segment About Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Diet

Vanessa Maltin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:47:10 -0400

NBC 4 in Washington DC this week aired a great segment on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. The segment featured Blair Raber's family as well as Dr. John Snyder from the new Celiac Disease Center at Children's National Medical Center in DC. Check it out!

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

Gluten-Free and Engaged

Vanessa Maltin — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:45:53 -0400

Every girl dreams of hearing those magical words from their prince charming..."Will You Marry Me?

My wonderful boyfriend of three years, Eric, popped the question last weekend and I can confirm that I did say YES and it was one of the most wonderful and magical moments of my life, complete with a whole day of celebrating that included the most wonderful gluten-free meal.

After the amazing proposal overlooking the falls at Great Falls, MD, Eric whisked me off for a romantic evening at the Lorien Hotel & Spa in Alexandria, VA. The hotel had been briefed about the celebration and already had champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in the room for us....both were gluten-free of course!

But the real gluten-free gem was at dinner at Restaurant Eve. Chef Cathal Armstrong cooked up a fantastic five course (although it felt like 10 courses) chef tasting menu for us that was personalized with our names and several gluten-free options for me! He even baked up a loaf of homemade gluten-free bread so I could partake in every piece of the meal.

The first course was Manni "Per Mio Figlio" Custard with Garden Basil, Sungold Vinaigrette, Micro Basil and a Parmesan Crisp. The best way I can explain this was a custard salad. It had all of the flavors of a delicious salad, but looked almost like a custard dessert. It was exquisite! The second course for a Filet of Salmon with Garden Basil, Castelmagno Risotto and a Tomato Coulis. The salmon was perfectly cooked and the risotto had a rich cheesy flavor that was divine.

The third course was a Roasted Breast of Squab with Cassoulet of Summer Beans and a Wild Plum Jus. Now parents, if you're trying to get your kids to eat their vegetables, then this is the dish for them! The sauce was delicious and I'm going to try to figure out a recipe to make it at home!

The fourth course was a delicious cheese course. I had the Pipe Dreams Farm Ashed Log cheese which came with Pickled Heirloom Beets. It was sooooo good! The final course was of course dessert. The chef came up with the most incredible chocolate concoction. There was a chocolate mousse, a coconut Mouse, dark chocolate and a variety of fruits. It was amazing!

The Eve Tasting Room is definitely an expensive night out, but if you're looking for a big celebration--like an engagement--it's a perfect place to go for a very classy gluten-free meal!

And, of course, I couldn't resist adding in the photos...Isn't my fiancé the BEST EVER!!!! Now it's on to planning a gluten-free wedding!

Bella Monica Gluten-Free Pizza for Me & You

Vanessa Maltin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:15:00 -0400

Imagine being a college junior and not being able to order pizza delivery at 2am, especially during final exam periods or after late nights out on the town. Yes, that was me six years ago right after I was diagnosed with celiac disease. It stunk! I hated that I was the girl who couldn't eat Papa John's addicting pizza with the garlic sauce. The situation got a little better a couple of years later when stores like Whole Foods started carrying frozen gluten-free pizzas. I would buy them and keep them in the freezer for those late nights when I just had to have it. But still, when I popped my pizza in the oven, my friends stuck up their noses and scowled at the seemingly gross gluten-free pizza. It tasted somewhat like cardboard and after eating these pizzas, I kinda wished I had just gone for carrot sticks!

But those awful days were in the past and today, I eat gluten-free pizza that my boyfriend, friends and family also adore. About six months ago, this guy Trevor from Bella Monica Pizza started calling and emailing me repeatedly. He really wanted me to try his pizza, so I told him to go ahead and send it. Before the pizzas even arrived, I was incredibly excited to try them. There was something about the way Trevor described the pizzas to me and the company's philosophy on food that I found incredibly touching. He said:

"Our main ingredient is passion. We want our customers to love the food they eat and for everyone to feel normal."

Normal I thought....For so long I've felt abnormal about food, especially when it came to pizza, so just hearing those words really gave me strong sense of excitement to try the product. And, when the pizzas arrived, I was not disappointed.

Bella Monica uses a unique cooking method for each of their three pizzas (Mushroom & Herbs, Spinach & Tomato, and Margherita). They bake the fresh toppings and raw dough together so all of the flavors blend together into amazing combinations! And, they don't skimp on the toppings. The Mushroom & Herb pizza was piled high with mushrooms and the Spinach & Tomato pizza had a tremendous amount of perfectly chopped tomatoes and spinach. Additionally, they company uses only cold press, extra-virgin olive oil to give the pizzas a robust flavor.

Cooking the pizzas was super easy. I preheated the oven and baked them for about 12 minutes. The first pizza I made I used a pizza tray, but Trevor gave me some great advice for the next one. Bake it right on the oven rack. So I did, and it was incredible! The crust was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The garlic sauce was outstanding and the crispy cheese was divine.

The night I made the first 3 pizzas, I had 3 friends over. They had ordered pizza for delivery but actually ended up eating mine instead! They loved it! I thought to myself...."wow...I finally found a gluten-free frozen pizza that was good enough for me and everyone else in my life!"

So if you've got a pizza craving, but sure to check out the Bella Monica pizzas. You, your family and friends are in for a delicious gluten-free treat! I guarantee it...you'll take one bite and feel the passion, love and enthusiasm for food that Trevor said the company relies on.

Check them out at www.bellamonica.com.

Delight Gluten-Free Magazine August Issue

Vanessa Maltin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:04:14 -0400

Get ready! In just a few short days, the August issue of Delight Gluten-Free Magazine will hit newsstands, grocery stores and mailboxes and I know you're going to love it!

The issue is filled with incredible recipes, tons of useful tips for managing a gluten-free diet, advice for being safe in the kitchen and as usual, eye-popping photos! Some of the highlights include:

Comfort soups
Fall Flavors
Asian Inspired Gluten-Free on a Budget
Understanding Distilled Alcohol
Healthy GF Desserts
Pleasing Picnic Ideas
Back to School Feature including a tear-out card for teachers
Halloween Candy Ideas
MSG Mysteries
Gluten in Medications
The Ergonomics of Cooking

Check it out now and order your subscription today! It's just $14 per year, so order today!

Celiac Disease & GF Diet on ABC News

Vanessa Maltin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:02:03 -0400

Check out this awesome article on ABC News about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. Reporter Lindsey Ellerson did a fantastic job talking about the disease, the most recent research from the Mayo Clinic and the personal side of living on a gluten-free diet.

Check it out!

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/story?id=7988436&page=1

Blue Cheese is Safe for a Gluten-Free Diet

Vanessa Maltin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:56:21 -0400

The Canadian Celiac Association has published new guidelines regarding the safety of blue cheese for those on a gluten-free diet. Here's what they say:

"The Canadian Celiac Association (CCA) has recently investigated a variety of blue cheese on the market and found that very few are made using bread mold, and when they are, the test results completed by Health Canada found no detectable levels of gluten in the final product. The new CCA Acceptability of Food and Food Ingredients for the Gluten-Free Diet pocket dictionary lists blue cheese as allowed on a gluten-free diet."

For more information, please visit the Canadian Celiac Association at http://www.celiac.ca.