Hey Mrs. Bickel, The other day I was talking to the chef at our local pizza parlor, asking him to please offer gluten free pizza in his restaurant; he told me that his friends all said that “gluten free is a crock!”. What can I say to change his mind? Peeved in Puyallup Dear Peeved, Good question...and I’ve been trying to form a coherent thought for the last few hours but the coffee maker is rebelling, the pizza oven is on the fritz and the forecast is “cranky with a chance of brain clouds”. Let me re-group... Ahhhhhh...coffee accomplished, pizza delivered and we’re back! It’s no wonder that this chef’s friends are calling gluten free a “crock”. So many people are so confused these days, about gluten! So...let’s break it down. Gluten is a combination of two proteins, or a protein composite, found in wheat and grains related to wheat. Some people find that they feel better when they don’t eat foods containing gluten. Some people have an actual autoimmune disorder called “celiac disease”, this disease affects the digestive process of their small intestine; gluten causes these people physical harm! (now when Jimmy Kimmel asks you what gluten is you won’t embarrass yourself.) The most important thing for your chef to know is that people are running, in droves, to the “gluten free” side...and these people want pizza! If he doesn’t supply it, the pizza parlor around the corner will...(and probably already does!) When I’m in a restaurant, I find that the more seriously I take the process of ordering and the more questions I ask the server, the more seriously I, and my medical condition, are taken. It is not only reasonable, but quite necessary to ask about the surface that your pizza is being prepared on, the utensils being used to prepare your pizza, and the oven that your pizza is being cooked in! Don’t expect the restaurant staff to take your gluten free needs more seriously than you do and you will be pleasantly surprised at how helpful they will be. Ask Mrs. Bickel is written by Patricia Lyon Carr
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 23:48:04 +0000
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