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

Hi, all!

I have received so many responses concerning my successful eating orgy in
New Orleans.  I will try to write everyone back individually.  For those
who expressed a desire to visit there but were hesitant, I strongly
encourage you to go!

What follows is the letter that most of you requested which I sent to the
fine restaurants in New Orleans with large, sophisticated kitchens.  (I
also use this letter when I go to similar restaurants at home in NYC).  I
adapted this letter from letters that I have seen on this list and from
other reading that I have done.  I merely called some of the more
"down-home" restaurants such as the Acme Oyster House and explained my
needs, fearing that the attached letter would scare them.  Even the Acme
Oyster House presented the chef to me when I arrived and reminded them of
my diet.

One hint:  Call the restaurant before sending or faxing a letter.  For
instance, at Emeril's I was told to send my letter to the reservation
department after being informed me that since the chef gets so many
letters, mine would never be read if sent directly to him.

Here goes:

"To the Creative Chef:

My husband and I are traveling to New Orleans to celebrate our second
anniversary over Memorial Day weekend.  We have heard truly wonderful
things about your restaurant, and have reservations to dine there for
dinner at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 22nd.

Unfortunately, I have what is known as 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 or rye.  I cannot eat
anything containing even small amounts of pasta, breading, flour,
croutons, blue cheeses made from breadmold, etc.  I would be very
appreciative if you could create a meal without any of those glutinous
grains in it.

I CAN EAT many foods, including 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 fine.  Please thicken sauces with cornstarch rather than
wheat flour.

Please be careful using processed flavorings, sauces or soup stocks.  I
cannot tolerate even small amounts of the grains that often are added to
them (I need to avoid even the breadcrumbs on a butterknife).  Please DO
NOT USE anything in my meal that contains wheat, barely, oats, rye or 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 fine)
hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
ice cream (though Hagaan Daz is fine)
ketchup (though Heinz is fine)
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)
rice syrup (may use barley enzymes)
shortening (vitamin E from wheat germ may be added)
sour cream (may contain food starches)
soy sauce (wheat is an ingredient in most brands)
stabilizers
textured vegetable protein (TVP)
vegetable gum (may be made from forbidden grains)
vegetable shortening (may be made from forbidden grains)

I know that this is quite a lot to ask and may be a challenge.  I truly
appreciate all that you can do and look forward to thanking you in
person.  Please feel free to call me at (212) 326-0129 if I can provide
you with any further information.

Thank you in advance!

      Sincerely,
      Lisa Spivack"

I hope that this is useful.  Feel free to e-mail me if I can provide any
further information!

Stay GF!

Lisa Spivack
[log in to unmask]