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

To guide chefs in good restaurants, I wrote my own expanded version of the
restaurant "card." It's a letter that (barely) fits on one page. I formatted
it to be easy to read (forbidden grains are in bold type). It lists the foods
I can eat and the foods I can't (thanks to Scott Adams' web page). It is
designed to be complete enough to avoid my having to explain anything
verbally.

 I haven't decided yet whether I will fold a $5 bill in it before I hand it
to the waiter with the request that s/he take it to the chef. What do you
think?

I offer it here in case any of you wish to revise it to fit your own needs
(e.g., I am willing to risk exposure to anti-caking agents in spices but you
might not be; I carry lactase and don't worry about dairy). Here it is
without formatting:
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
To the Creative Chef:

I have Celiac Disease, a non-contagious auto-immune condition that causes me
to become ill if I eat anything containing or derived from wheat, oats,
barley, rye or malt. I cannot eat anything containing even small amounts of
pasta, breading, flour, croutons, blue cheeses made from breadmold, etc.

I love your food and would be very appreciative if you can create a meal
without any of those glutinous grains in it.

 I can eat: all unprocessed fruits, vegetables, salads, meats, eggs, seafood
(except artificial crabmeat), dairy, nuts, rice, corn tortillas and potatoes
-- providing they are not cooked on a grill (or in a fryer) containing
residue of wheat products. (Please cook in a separate pan or wipe the grill).


 Foods can be flavored with most spices, herbs, garlic, shallots, onions and
wine, but *not* mustard, curry powder, white pepper, sour cream, beer, soy
sauce containing wheat or white vinegar made from grain. Balsamic vinegar,
rice vinegar and wine vinegar are OK. Please thicken sauces with cornstarch,
not wheatflour.

Please be careful using processed flavorings, sauces or soup stocks without
reading the labels carefully. I cannot tolerate even small amounts of the
grains that are added to them (I need to avoid even the breadcrumbs on a
butterknife).  Please do not use anything in my meal that contains the
following grain-derived ingredients:
    *  annatto color
    *  binders
    *  caramel color
    *  cereal or bran
    *  cottage cheese (may contain food starches)
    *  curry powder (may have flour as an unlisted ingredient)
    *  emulsifiers
    *  fillers
    *  gluten
    *  granola
    *  gum (though guar gum and xanthan gum are OK)
    *  hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)
    *  hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
    *  ice cream (though Hagaan Daz is OK)
    *  ketchup (though Heinz is OK)
    *  leavening (if unspecified)
    *  licorice
    *  maltodextrins
    *  modified food starch
    *  mono & diglycerides
    *  MSG
    *  mustard (wheat flour may be a hidden ingredient)
    *  "natural flavor" (might be from grain)
     *  plant protein
    *  rice syrup (may use barley enzymes)
    *  shortening (vitamin E from wheat germ may be added)
    *  sour cream (may contain food starches)
    *  soy sauce (Read label! Wheat is used in most brands)
    *  stabilizers
    *  textured vegetable protein (TVP)
    *  tomato paste if listed as an ingredient in something else
    *  vegetable gum (may be made from forbidden grains)
    *  vegetable shortening (may be made from forbidden grains)
    *  white pepper
Thank you!!