<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Dear Members,

Some of you might remember a query I posted regarding travel in and
around Memphis TN.  I received responses of two types, General travel
information, and travel information regarding Memphis.  I have chosen to
break up my summaries accordingly.

Not all of this information may work for everyone  -- I for one could not
eat corn or beans for a very long time after initially becoming gluten
free, and I still can't eat corn derivatives (high fructose corn syrup,
corn vinegar, corn maltodextrin) without feeling unwell.  As I said in my
query, restaurants still cause me discomfort  -- I do not know if it is
gluten induced, or something else.  I find that almost all processed
foods give me a degree of discomfort.  Anything, it seems, that has
ingredients that don't have a strictly defined source, or that is not
made of whole ingredients (derivatives), it would seem is a potential
threat.  That is why I believe restaurants are such a trial.  I do not
mean this as a criticism to those who can eat citric acid, lactic acid,
acetic acid, phosphoric acid, or acitate just to name a few ingredients I
don't understand, only that the odds of illness increase with the amount
of derivatives involved.  Cross contamination in factories could be
another possibility.

I actually envy those of you who can tell immediately if something is bad
for you  -- it takes me a few days, and by that time I could have
repeated the same error multiple times.  Which means a long recovery
period - hence my initial fear at traveling.

That said, here is a summary of the points made on Gluten free travel.

*Carry Ann's Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing ordered from the Gluten
Free Pantry.  At public meals order a made to order salad without
croutons, and use your dressing.  You can use olive oil too, but that
get's boring fast.

*Avoid the coffee in restaurants, too much in the way of flying crumbs
and flour, they also use vinegar to clean coffee makers.

*Travel with a paring knife, peeler, and a collapsible steamer(for use as
a colander).

*Learn to use products available in any grocery store:
        Fresh Fruit & Vegetables (celery, potatoes for baking, any fresh fruit)
        Del-Monte canned vegetables (unless marked otherwise)
        Rice Vinegar (unseasoned)
        Canned corn
        Canned beans (with corn, seasonings, and vinegar makes a great salad)
        Any McCormick's Seasoning (unless marked otherwise)
        French's Mustard
        Wine/Cider vinegars
        Libby's plain pumpkin (NOT the pie filling) well peppered and salted
           makes a fine dip.

        untreated dried fruit
        Nuts (in the shell)
        Instant Grits
        Real Butter
        Rice Cakes
        Apple butter
        Philly Cream Cheese
        Best Foods/Hellman's Mayonnaise, Also Kraft was recommended
        Corn chips or tortillas -- nothing with hydrogenated oils (nachos
           microwaved with tomato and cheese)

*Beg, borrow, or steal a microwave (sometimes a public one is available
in the lobby).  Then you can have sweet potato, potato, summer squash, or
if you're brave, rice.

*Rice Crackers, are hard to find "in the field", bring your own.  Also
consider bringing Genisoy protein bars, almond or cashew butter, and some
rice pasta.

*Any restaurant should be able to fix a very plain meal.  Plain potatoes,
rice, and plainly broiled fish, chicken, or steak should be doable.

*Indian food, including Tandori, is GF. Most Tandori uses a yogurt/lemon
based marinade.

*Utilize the small refrigerator supplied in most hotel rooms.  If no
refrigerator, you can take plastic trash bags, poke a hole in the bottom,
fill with ice, and leave in the bath tub for a cooler.

*If you have a restaurant card from CSA, you may be able to give it to a
favorite restaurant in each town you travel.  Enlist the help of the
concierge--that's what they are there for.

*Explain to the waiter what you cannot have as an allergy (they seem to
take that more seriously) and that you are not trying to make their lives
any more difficult but that you will become extremely ill if you have
anything with those foods in it.

*My experience is that many chefs pride themselves on making things from
scratch, not from bottles and cans, and that is the sort of place you
will find good GF food.

*"Go first or last when ordering so the waitperson will remember you."


Many thanks to everyone that responded -- you know who you are.

Matthew W Schneider
Portland, OR