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

Miscellaneous Notes:
--------------------

The American Celiac Society will hold this year's Celiac Sprue
Conference on July 14-15 in Baltimore, Maryland.  We got a lot out of
last year's conference and will probably be sending some people again
this year.

Don't be fooled by these grains: Spelt and kamut are both classified
on the grain chart as Triticum, which is the same as wheat.  Both of
the grains contain gluten, and should be entirely avoided by anyone
who has celiac disease.

If you find problems with food products not being appropriately
labeled, contact the National Exchange for Food Labeling Education,
Food & Nutrition Information, National Agriculture 304-10301
Baltimore Blvd., Beltsville, MD 20705-2351.  The phone number is
301/504-5719.


From Marion MacLeod:
--------------------
A lot of people don't realize what perfect gravy can be made with
rice flour and water.  Just shake them up in a jar and add them to
browned fat and salt.  I have used rice flour to make gravy for years
now, and so have my non-celiac daughters.  The gravy will not lump up
the way it sometimes does with wheat flour, and tastes much better
than gravy made from corn starch.

Chick pea (garbanzo bean) flour can be used in recipes that call for
soy flour, with the same results.  This can be handy for those of us
that can not tolerate soy bean products.  This tip comes from Going
Against the Grain, by Phyllis Potts.


Small Group Discussions from the January Meeting:
-------------------------------------------------

It is hard to capture on paper the results from five separate
small-group discussions, but I'll try anyway.  Here are some of the
highlights:

  *  Whenever you eat out, take the CSA/USA restaurant card with you.
     It helps to call ahead when visiting an unfamiliar restaurant.
     It also helps if you eat out on days and at times when the
     restaurant is not busy.

  *  Be careful in following your dietitian's advice for celiac
     disease.  Most dietitians don't know much about celiac disease,
     and could make some mistakes.  If you have any doubts or
     questions, feel free to consult with our dietitian advisor,
     Dorothy Vaughan.  Remember, not only is she a dietitian, she is
     also a celiac herself and must live with the same diet
     restrictions you have.

  *  Some good area restaurants to try: Cooker's, Outback, Sweet
     Lorraine's, and Applebee's.

  *  Communion at church: Some celiacs simply refuse to take the
     host.  Some provide their own host, on a separate plate, to the
     priest/minister.  Some ask to partake of the wine/juice in place
     of the bread.

  *  Sembai rice crackers keep well and were highly recommended.

  *  The Chocolate Truffles produced by Great Pacific Dessert Company
     appear to be gluten-free (according to the ingredients), and
     "are to die for" according to one of our chocoholic members.

  *  Fearn produces a pancake and baking mix that is gluten-free and
     was highly recommended.  (It's not quite at the "to die for"
     level, but none-the-less is very good.)

  *  If you suffer from Dermatitis Herpeteformis (DH), you need to be
     careful in selecting shampoos.  Some of them have wheat products
     in them, and apparently can cause fresh skin outbreaks in the
     scalps of DH sufferers.

  *  When it comes to making pizza, everyone agreed that it is best
     to use Toni Richardson's recipe for pizza shells.  Actually,
     it's a good rule of thumb to look for Toni's version of any
     recipe before trying any others.