CeliacChicks

FREE Gluten-Free Pizza Sampler At Pala

I literally just got off the phone brainstorming with Edena at Pala Pizza and we need your help!

Crazy (in a good way) Edena just came up with a great idea: FREE gluten-free pizza for all of us! Since Pala offers so many different types of pizza, she wants you to be able to sample as many as possible. We have picked Saturday May 31st as the date and we know the time will be after 12pm sometime, but we thought we would get your input on how to go about this. After all, it's all about YOU!

PLAN A (aka The Anti-Social Plan)
Would you like to drop in at your leisure between 12-3pm and pick out your sampler plate of up to four different gluten-free pizza creations that will be the equivalent of two regular gluten-free slices of pizza and enjoy them in anonymity?

OR...

PLAN B (aka The Socialite Plan)
Would you like the restaurant to be closed to anyone else except for us where you all can mingle from 12-2pm and platters of many gluten-free pizza samples will be passed around?

*For either plan we will need to give a proper rsvp in advance.

Make your wishes known in the comments below! Don't be shy, c'mon this is about FREE Pizza! After we figure out what you want then I'll get back to you with the official invite and details.

Gluten-free Italy

If you're like me, your Italian vocabulary is limited to a few indispensable basics , like "Gucci", "Fendi" or "Prada". And when I'm really showing off my multi-lingual skills I'll throw in a "Mama Mia, Pizzeria!" or  "Holy Cannoli!" with no doubt an American accent that Dean Martin would make fun of. (That's ok, Dean baby.)

So, as you can see, trying to eat gluten-free while traveling in Italy without a skilled translator might be difficult for someone like me. Well, thanks to Maria Roglieri, author of The Gluten-Free Guide To New York and The Gluten-Free Guide To Italy we can all relax and enjoy the gondola ride. Maria is going to share with us today some extremely helpful tips about how to fearlessly eat gluten-free in Italy.

Ciao!

LA BELLA ITALIA- IL PARADISO SENZA GLUTINE

You wouldn't think for a minute that Italy, the land of pasta, is a gluten-free paradise, would you? 

But it is . . .

As a professor of Italian, a musician, and an Italian-American, I have traveled all over Italy; I have even been lucky enough to occasionally spend long periods of time (six months to a year) in my favorite Italian city, Rome.  The country, the people, the art, the history, and the culture are fantastic.  The food in Italy is a delight, a feast for the senses.

Ah, L'Italia:  il paese della pasta (the land of pasta) . . . Most people imagine it to be a daunting destination for gluten-free tourists.  Some even travel through Italy "surviving" on snack bars that they brought with them and eating only salad and meat in restaurants.  And yet, since my daughter Sara and I have gone gluten-free (she has celiac and I have gluten neuropathy), I have learned that Italy is a gluten-free paradise!

Anyone on a gluten-free diet can get gluten-free croissants (known as cornetti senza glutine) in the local hotels and bakeries for breakfast, gluten-free pizza for a mid-morning snack, gluten-free lasagna with fresh-made gluten-free bread for lunch, gelato with a gluten-free cone in the afternoon, and, if you still have room for dinner, three or four courses of anything you want gluten-free for dinner.  (Save room for the gluten-free tiramisu for dessert!)  My biggest problem in Italy is deciding what to eat first and trying not to gain 30 pounds from eating all the delizioso cibo italiano (delicious Italian food)!

Italy is gluten-free heaven (although some Italians beg to differ since you can't get a gluten-free hamburger bun at McDonald's) in large part because everyone in Italy knows about celiac disease.  When you ask restaurant staff about gluten-free food (il cibo senza glutine), they automatically respond with the question "Do you have celiac disease?"

All Italians are tested for celiac disease at an early age.  The many who test positive receive great services:  a monthly stipend from the government for gluten-free food plus extra vacation time to shop for and prepare gluten-free food!  Also, the companies that sell gluten-free products have all worked to promote awareness and understanding of celiac disease.  It is a law that gluten-free food must be made available in schools, hospitals, and public places and that all pharmacy products and food labels must indicate the presence of gluten if present.  In Italy, you can even study for a Master's degree in "Celiac Disease:  From Diagnosis to Management."

When I ask restaurant owners, managers, and chefs if they can provide a gluten-free meal, sometimes they say "no" but much more often they respond positively with comments such as,

- "Come no?" (effectively, "Why not?  Why do you even ask?"),

- "Lei vuole gli gnocchi o le tagliatelle senza glutine?  Tutti e due sono stati fatti in casa stamattina" ("Would you like gnocchi or tagliatelle?  They're both gluten-free and homemade this morning."),

- "Anch'io sono celiaca e allora preparo tutto qui senza glutine" ("I am also a celiac and so I prepare everything here gluten-free").

This is music to my ears!!

So, what can you do if you are a gluten-free traveler to Italy?  First, it is a good idea to call first to make reservations and request a gluten-free meal.  You can say something like:

Vorrei prenotare per stasera per ___ persone alle _______ (time) .  Sono celiaco. Potete preparare per me del cibo senza glutine?

I would like to make reservations for tonight for ____ people at _____ o'clock.  I am a celiac.  Can you prepare a gluten-free meal for me?

If you call a few days ahead, restaurants will often acquire or make gluten-free pasta and bread for you if they don't already have it on hand.  Secondly, when you are in the restaurant, remind the staff that you require a gluten-free meal.  You can also ask to talk to the chef (Posso parlare con il cuoco per favore?).  Thirdly. keep the cuisine of the region in mind.  In northern Italy, Italians eat risotto (a creamy rice) much more often than pasta.  (Just make sure to ask if the broth the rice is cooked in is gluten-free)  In Venice, they eat polenta (a creamy cornbread of sorts) much more often than pasta; this polenta is almost universally gluten-free. 

Some great restaurants in Italy that offer delicious cibo senza glutine are:

ROMA (Rome)

Arancia Blu (restaurant); Via dei Latini 55-65; tel. 06/4454105.  Offers vegetarian cuisine and gluten-free pasta; reservations required.  Does not accept credit cards and is not open for lunch.

Boccondivino (restaurant); Piazza in Camp Marzio 6; tel. 0668308626.  Offers gluten-free pasta.  Reservations are required; English spoken.

La Terrazza (restaurant): Via Ludovisi 49 (at the Hotel Eden); Metro--Barberini.  Menu includes gluten-free pasta. Reservations required; English spoken.

** Vecchia Roma (Roman/Italian trattoria): Piazza di Campitelli 18; tel. 066864604; Metro--Colosseo; www.ristorantevecchiaroma.com.  The owner is a celiac; the restaurant offers everything you can imagine gluten-free, including bread and dessert. Reservations are recommended; English spoken; closed Wednesdays.

VENEZIA (Venice)

Corte Sconta (restaurant): Calle del Pstrin, Castello 3886; tel. 041/5227024; Vaporetto stop--Arsenale. Menu includes gluten-free pasta.  Reservations required; English spoken; closed Sundays, Mondays during the months of January, February, July, and August.   

Il Molino (restaurant):  At the Hilton--Guidecca 810; tel. 041-2723311; fax 041-2723308.  Advance notice is required for gluten-free meals.  Open 7 AM - 11 PM.  Direct line to food/business office is 041 2723316; email fb.venice@hilton.com

Osteria da Fiore (osteria):  Calle del Scaleter, San Polo; tel. 041721308; Vaporetto stop--San Silvestro/San Stae; www.dafiore.net.  Very open to gluten-free.

FIRENZE (Florence)

l'Toscano (restaurant):  Via Guelfa 70R; tel. 055215475.  Menu includes gluten-free pasta.  Reservations required; English spoken; open Wednesday-Monday, 12:30-3 PM, 7-11 PM.

Osteria Numero Uno (osteria):  Via del Moro 22R; tel. 055284897.  Menu includes gluten-free pasta.  Reservations recommended; English spoken.

Vecchia Firenze (Florentine/Tuscan restaurant):  Borgo degli Albizi 18; tel. 0552340361.  Menu includes gluten-free pasta; Dinner 5-15 euros; closed Mondays.

SICILY (TAORMINA)

Hotel Villa Paradiso (Hotel):  Via Roma 2; tel. 094223922; www.hotelvillaparadiso.com .  Offers gluten-free breakfast.  On the top floor is the restaurant Al Settimo Cielo del Paradiso, which can also cater to any dietary needs. 

Ristorante La Griglia (restaurant):  Corso Umberto 1, 54; tel. 094223980.  Menu includes gluten-free pasta; English spoken; reservations recommended.

BOLOGNA

Pizzeria Ristorante Pepperoni (pizzeria/restaurant):  Via Barbiano 3; tel. 3932465748; www.pepperoni.it . Offers a special gluten-free menu with gluten-free beer, pizza, and desserts.  Open every day.

Ristorante al Pappagallo (Bolognese restaurant):  Piazza Della Mercanzia 3C; tel. 051-232807; www.alpappagallo.it .  Restaurant serves many celiac clients but does not offer gluten-free pasta; English spoken; 10-20 euros price range.

E Pulera (restaurant):  Via Isabella Vainiches; tel. 09098111158; www.bernardigroup.it .  Menu includes gluten-free pasta; English spoken; reservations required in summer.

Filippino (restaurant):  Piazza Mazzinin; tel. 0909811002; www.bernardigroup.it .  Menu includes gluten-free pasta; English spoken.  Reservations required in summer.

Il Trittone (restaurant):  Via Mendolita; tel. 0909811595; www.bernardigroup.it .  Menu includes gluten-free pasta; English spoken; reservations required in summer.

BELLAGIO (AROUND LAGO DI COMO)

Here is one of my favorite picks, set in one of the most beautiful and romantic towns in Italy around Lake Como in Lombardia:

Hotel Du Lac (hotel):  Piazza Mazzini 32; tel. 031950320; www.bellagiohoteldulac.com .  Hotel includes 2 restaurants that offer gluten-free breakfast and dinner!

So go to Italy, leave your snack bars at home, and revel in your new-found gluten-free paradise!

Buon viaggio e buon appetito!  Ci vediamo a Roma!

Ciao, Maria

P.S.  While you're planning your trip, sit down and enjoy an espresso and some gluten-free biscotti or ricotta cheesecake!

******

Grazie, Maria!

And if you, our lovely readers, have any tips of your own about dining gluten-free in Italy, please let us know in the comments below!

Dr. Laura's Wholesome Junk Food Cookies

Like moist, soft cookies? Send Dr. Laura an email (info@lauraswholesomejunkfood.com) with your name, mailing address and "CeliacChicks Cookie Giveaway" as the subject line. The first ten households to respond will be chosen to receive a free case of gluten-free cookies (six 6.5-7oz tubs) from Laura's Wholesome Junk Food! Deadline to respond is May 10th. Please tell them in the body of your email what flavor you would like.

Laura's Wholesome Junk food was started by Laura Trice, M.D. because of her passion for great tasting food that was also healthy. Four of the ten Bite-lette flavors are gluten-free: Sally's Raisin, Charlotte's Chocolate Chip, Better Brownie, and the newest gluten-free Bite-lette, Cole's Cashew Chocolate Chip. Cole's has a rich cashew and chocolaty taste with a smooth texture that is less sweet than the other flavors, and has been described as, "totally yummy"! Independent laboratory tests on these gluten-free products show less than 5.0 ppm gluten. Products are manufactured on shared equipment that also processes wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts, tree nuts and soy.

Dr. Laura's goodies are:

-Vegan, no animal products

-Kosher Dairy-Moist & Chewy

-Dates are #1 Sweetener

-Have no trans-fats, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives

-Cholesterol free

-Have a 6 month shelf life

-Packaged in six 7 oz. tubs (Cole's Cashew 6.5 oz.) per case

Products retail for $4.99 to $6.99 and are sold in over 500 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods Markets, Gourmet Garage, Food Emporium, Roots, Earth Fare, Harris Teeter as well as numerous other independent stores. For more information or to order directly, visit our website at www.lwjf.net.

Pala: Roman Style Gluten-Free Pizza

Pala Pizza
198 Allen Street
NY, NY 10002
212.614.7252
Delivery available*

The creation of Pala Pizza ended the argument between feisty Brooklynite, Edena, and the homegrown Italian, Gigio. She had dug her heels in making proud claims that New York style pizza was the best, and he passionately believed that only Italy produced “real” pizza. They combined both of their palates and ended up with an authentic Italian pizza in New York that is both healthy and delicious.

If the name Gigio alone doesn’t instill enough confidence in you that this can be done, knowing that he received a culinary education at the famed Gambero Rosso along with a history of working with several Italian pizza masters might put you at ease. You see, Gigio is passionate about dough. He explains with his thick accent, “Pizza is all about the dough- it’s the foundation. Toppings are the personalized way of eating the dough and our toppings are made fresh daily.”

While doing research on flours to come up with the perfect tasting yet healthy pizza crust, Gigio learned all about gluten-free  flours. The two business partners knew they eventually wanted to make gluten-free pizza and planned ahead by allowing space for two extra brick lined electric (for the health benefits) ovens which are used exclusively for gluten-free foods. Gigio's gluten-free pizza dough recipe includes fava bean, tapioca, garbanzo, potato, and rice flours from Bob's Red Mill. Either Gigio or his assistant will mix up some dough by hand for each customer. Fridays and Saturdays they will have a bunch made and ready to go, but Sunday-Thursday please call them before 6pm to put your request for gluten-free dough in.  Every pizza on their menu can be made gluten-free and they also have several vegan options.

Pala Pizza offers date-worthy atmosphere to go along with your gluten-free pizza. Fresh oregano imported from Sicily graces every table where you can pinch some off to sprinkle on your pizza!

There are many reasons, besides gorgeous presentation, that make Pala Pizza an exceptional place to dine. Whether you are gluten-free or not you will appreciate that they use only natural ingredients and nothing ever comes out of a can. They offer 3 types of pecorino and over ten of their cheeses are imported from Italy.The grass fed water buffalo mozzarella is from Vermont, the only place in the U.S. that makes it, and it is made fresh Monday and served at Pala that same week. Oh, and  not to be overlooked, Gigio's pesto is delicious and just happens to be dairy-free! As if this isn't enough, there is a great wine selection and they now serve gluten-free bread along with your salad!

This weekend they will start serving pizza by the slice. The price of a 1 ft. gluten-free basic pizza (sauce and cheese) starts at $16.  Regular glutenous pizzas range from $12-$22. Remember, one pizza feeds two people.

Pala is the Italian word for the wooden peel that pizza is traditionally served on in Rome. (The shape of the pizza also follows Roman tradition.) The owners of Pala Pizza order their palas from a craftsman in Italy. They are awaiting a new shipment of them that will be specially marked and used only for the gluten-free pizzas. In the meantime, the regular palas are wrapped in tin when used to serve gluten-free pizza in order to avoid any cross contamination. For now gluten-free pizzas are cooked in the main ovens until enough gluten-free orders start coming in for it to be practical to use the separate ovens downstairs. If you absolutely have to have your pizza cooked in the special ovens let them know. Otherwise, great care is taken to avoid cross-contamination in the main ovens.

You might find it interesting to know the details behind the making of Pala's regular non-gluten-free dough. In order to get the desired texture and taste they mix nine different flours all of which are 100% organic , unbleached, and unbromelated. Surprisingly they include some gluten-free flours (oat, rice, soy and amaranth) in order to add vitamins, riboflavin, B12, and protein. This along with a lot of water creates a healthier pizza that is easier to digest. The dough is made the old fashioned way: three days to rise with a little yeast. This creates the chewy and crunchy qualities sought after in a crust.

Have I talked you into trying out Pala Pizza yet? I knew it wouldn't be hard.  You can save your euros by getting a taste of Rome at Pala Pizza!

*Regarding delivery: the radius is from 14th to Canal and W. B'dway to Ave. C.  Pala uses electric pizza boxes so that your pizza will never arrive cold. Delivery can be negotiated for other areas with a minimum order of $50. Remember Pala Pizza for your corporate lunches and parties!

Gluten-Free Starbucks Update

When I asked you to vote for gluten-free food at Starbucks the number of votes was around 500. Now almost 6000 people have told Starbucks they would like something gluten-free to nosh on with their coffee. We've got Starbucks attention, now they have asked us to post a comment specifically telling them what kind of gluten-free food we want. They don't necessarily want brand names, but categories like "muffins, cookies, lunch...", whatever you genuinely would buy if they had a gluten-free version available. So now is our chance to tell them exactly what we want! Go ahead, don't be shy.

BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL UPDATES. WE HAVE SOME FUN GLUTEN-FREE GIVEAWAYS COMING UP (LOCAL & NATIONAL)  AND A SECRET CODE FOR THEM WILL BE IN YOUR EMAIL!   

NYC & Long Island Gluten-Free Weekend

Starting this weekend, the Financial District will have gluten-free pizza! I can foresee a day when every neighborhood in Manhattan will have gluten-free pizza! [the crowd cheers] 
Check it out at PizzaBolla.
102 North End Ave.
New York, NY 10281
212.786.3300
(downtown location only) 

How about some gluten-free fried calamari? Or a gluten-free cannoli? Yes, they do exist at Mama's Restaurant! Mama Mia!! Join the Long Island Celiac Disease Meetup Group for a special gluten-free lunch Saturday, April 19th at Mama's Restaurant. I've heard great things about Mama's gluten-free menu.
Mama's Restaurant
1352 Montauk Highway
Oakdale, NY 11769
631.567.0909

Have a great weekend!

BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL UPDATES. WE HAVE SOME FUN GLUTEN-FREE GIVEAWAYS COMING UP (LOCAL & NATIONAL)  AND A SECRET CODE FOR THEM WILL BE IN YOUR EMAIL!   

Gluten-Free Pizza Everywhere In Toronto!

Kim's aunt in Canada tipped us off that Pizza Pizza (a huge pizza chain comparable to America's Pizza Hut) now has gluten-free pizza! It is available at 50 locations in Toronto and you can even have it delivered!  Here is an excerpt from the The Star:

Pizza Pizza's chief marketing officer, Pat Finelli, says the trial at 50 GTA locations has been so successful the company will expand it across the country. The reaction has been even stronger than with the launch of whole-wheat and multi-grain crusts, he notes. Last week they sold 2,100 gluten-free pizza crusts with no advertising, other than word-of-mouth and a mention on their website.

Hopefully other food companies everywhere will see this and want to get their piece of the gluten-free sales action!

While we're talking about Canada...

Evidently the Montmartre Bakery in Scarborough sells gluten-free breads.
105 Midwest Road
Scarborough, ON
M1P 3A6
416-757-7771

AND...

The Magic Oven also has gluten-free pizza.

So here is the question: Have any of our Canadian readers tried any of these places? What did you think? Now will someone pleez go scarf down a Canadian bacon w/pineapple for me?

Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese In NYC

S'MAC
345 East 12th Street (between 1st & 2nd Ave.)
212-358-7912
Email
GFRAP

Fasten your gluten-free comfort food seat belt, because S'MAC is going to take you for a cheesy ride! I can't eat there (for now) due to my stupid corn and dairy allergies, but I wanted to get the scoop about their gluten-free options for everyone else.  I emailed the owner, Sarita, and her reply seriously impressed me:

Hi Kelly,

 

From the day we opened (actually, since a few days before we opened), we have had requests for specialty mac & cheese. Dairy-free and Vegan being one, Gluten Free was another, Rennet Free cheeses, etc. Of all these requests, GF was the one we heard the most. We knew we always wanted to extend mac & cheese to more and more people, so we decided upon GF as the best one to start with. Seemed like a simple enough idea at the time. But as we dug deeper we realized that it would be harder than we had first imagined. Restaurant cooking is very different than home cooking and a recipe that might work in your home would not necessarily hold up in a restaurant. The considerations we had were,

 

1) Gluten is a great emulsifier and helps to bind cheese sauce to pasta. Non-gluten mac & cheeses, especially ones made with starches, tend to have cheese sauce that runs off the pasta. We wanted to make sure that the "goopiness" factor was not lost.

2) Gluten is also a great stabilizer and mac & cheese made with gluten in it will not separate when sitting in your fridge for a few days. This stability was very important to us because people order Take & Bake from us and typically hold them in their fridge for a few days before baking and eating. People also take leftovers home and have to be able to reheat and eat them at least a few days later.

3) Any thickener, stabilizer used in mac & cheese needs to be pretty tasteless and a lot of the alternative flours out there (like bean flours, sorghum, etc.) tend to have very strong flavors of their own, completely masking the cheese flavors.

 

So you can imagine that it took us a good 6-7 months of playing with ingredients before we got everything we wanted. The successful thickener turned out to be a blend of Sweet Rice and Potato flours. Sweet Rice is blander, starchier and not grainy like its other Rice cousins, and Potato flour tends to be a very gummy flour.

The other big consideration was Cross Contamination. We knew that in our tiny kitchen, with food flying everywhere when a rush hits, there was no way we could, (a) maintain a separate set of sauces and pasta for GF people, and (b) prevent cross contamination. So the next rule we made was that either we serve GF bechamel and GF breadcrumbs to everyone, or give up on the GF idea. A lot of other restaurants will sometimes put GF (or other allergy friendly) items on their menu that taste sub-par, because they know it is not their main business and they are doing it just to appease a certain constituency. We, on the other hand, had to make sure that our GF mac & cheese tasted just as good (or better!) as the regular one because we would be serving it to everyone, not just GF customers. So that took some time too, doing blind taste tests with regular customers and tweaking proportions until we got to a point where neither our own staff nor our regular customers (who had been eating our food for a year and a half) could tell which was which in a blind taste test. When we reached that point we knew that we could now go ahead and put it on the menu.

 

So we have eliminated All-Purpose flour completely from the restaurant, and everyone gets their mac & cheese with the Sweet Rice & Potato flour base. We have also eliminated Breadcrumbs from the restaurant and everyone gets their mac & cheese with GF Corn Flake crumbs. We went over our pantry with a fine tooth comb and talked to all our suppliers, and so at this point, there are only 4 sources of gluten contamination at S'MAC ....

 

1) Regular Pasta

2) Multi-grain Pasta

3) Cookies

4) Brownies

 

So you can see that it is much easier to control these than breadcrumbs and flour flying around our kitchen. Once that was accomplished, it was just a matter of designating separate pots and utensils for cooking GF and non-GF items, rearranging the kitchen a little bit to ensure things don't fall into one another, and then training all the staff so they understood what Gluten is and does to people and how to avoid cross-contamination.

 

It does help that just over 8 months ago I suddenly developed an intolerance to gluten myself, and was unable to eat my own mac & cheese until now :(. That's the story - sorry for the thesis but it's hard to condense! Now that GF is on the menu, we will be turning our attention to dairy-free. So rest assured, we will get you to S'MAC one day!

 

Also -- yes we do have a membership with GFRAP and are just waiting on them to link to us now. 

 

There is an additional charge for people ordering "gluten-free" pasta -- it is as follows:

Nosh:  $1.50

Major Munch:  $3.00

Mongo:  $6.00

Partay!:  $15.00

 

Best,

Sarita

It looks like S'MAC may change the term "cheesy" into a compliment!

So go get yourself some gluten-free mac n' cheese!! Be sure to come back here and give us your feedback.

Two Celiac Disease Studies At Columbia University

The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University is currently seeking volunteers to participate in two clinical trials.

Can you help?

STUDY #1
Evaluating the effectiveness of an antibiotic (Rifaximin) in the amelioration of symptoms in patients with poorly responsive celiac disease.

To be eligible for this study you must meet the following inclusion criteria:

Men and women 18 years of age or older
Biopsy proven celiac disease
Persistent symptoms of one or all of the following: diarrhea, gas, bloating and cramps despite a gluten free diet of at least six month.

The study is approximately 12 weeks long and it involves 3 visits to our center.  If you are eligible you must remain gluten free for the duration of the study, you'll be randomized as in the flip of a coin to either study drug or placebo (sugar pill). On each visit you will be tested for bacterial overgrowth with a simple breathtest and you?ll also complete a small gastrointestinal questionnaire to record symptoms.

If interested, please contact the research coordinator Maria Teresa Minaya @ 212-305-5422 or mtm2111@columbia.edu.

STUDY #2
Research Clinical trial to study the safety and effectiveness of a new study drug (AT- 1001) that may allow patients with celiac disease to ingest gluten.

To be eligible for this study you must meet the following inclusion criteria:

Men and women between the ages of 18- 72 inclusive
Biopsy proven celiac disease
Gluten free diet for at least six months
Willing to complete 7 study visits in a period of 10 weeks
You cannot have any chronic GI disease other than Celiac Disease
You cannot have diabetes
You cannot chronically consume non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS) such as Advil or Aleve or take drugs like Nexium.

Willingness to use an approved form of birth control (if required)

You must remain on your gluten-free diet for the duration of the study. You will be randomized (as in the flip of a coin) to either the study drug or drug placebo (sugar pill) and a pill containing gluten.  You will have a physical exam by the study doctor.  Blood and urine will be collected from you at each visit.  You will be asked to fast and collect your overnight urine before each study visit.  You will also answer weekly gastrointestinal and health questionnaires in an electronic (computer) diary that will be given to you while you participate in the study.
If interested, please contact the research coordinator Maria Teresa Minaya @ 212-305-5422 mtm2111@columbia.edu.

THANK YOU!

******
Bistango is closed the month of April for renovations.

Disturbing Gluten Digest Enzyme Ad

Click here to view a large print version of this.

Kim found this ad in the March issue of Vegetarian Times. You know it's not our style to rain on anyone's parade, but we were concerned that this information might mislead someone. I didn't know whether to just ignore it, or to bring it to your attention, so I ran it by Dr. Peter Green at the Columbia University Celiac Disease Center and these were his comments:

"This advertisement is misleading. There are currently no rigorously tested enzymes on the market that digest all ingested gluten. There is currently considerable expenditure on the development of enzymes that digest the usually very resistant gluten molecules. Unlike lactose that requires just enough lactase to eliminate enough lactose to let people be comfortable, gluten needs to be fully digested. The enzymes need to be tested in the test tube, on animal models, and in humans. The enzymes have to be proven safe and very effective. This drug development is very expensive. The investors in the development of these drugs will need to recoup their investments so the drugs will not be available OTC. They will be prescription drugs. In addition, the ad states that there is amylase activity. That is irrelevant because amylase is a carbohydrate with nothing to do with gluten. This ad is misleading and should be challenged."

What do you think about this?