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     Annmaureen recently posted a response regarding gluten attacks
from unwitting ingestion of gluten and mentioned that she ate a plate
of dry, undressed greens because the restaurant did not have oil and
vinegar.  While I would hate to do without the oil (I have done so
when unable to get a straight answer to "What kind of oil?"), I often
ask for oil and a couple of lemon wedges for my salad after getting
ill from what I suspected wasn't pure wine vinegar in a restaurant.
Also, being a woman with a large handbag enables me to carry a bottle
of McCormick's Salad Herbs.  Frankly, I am not embarassed to walk into
a restaurant with my little nylon lunch sack with my "dining out" kit
-- rice cakes, corn chips, cookies for dessert (I have yet to find a
restaurant where I could order dessert), salad herbs and, if we are
travelling, I add a small bottle of olive oil.  I order what I can,
supplement the rest -- if I can't eat a full meal that way, then the
restaurant loses my business as well as the that of my companions.
Most restaurants don't seem to have a problem with this.  They also
hear "food allergies" and envision someone having a fatal reaction at
one of their tables -- makes most very cooperative.  Good luck eating
around this holiday season!

Jane
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