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                       Tips from the Membership
                       ------------------------
                   from the April 14, 1997 meeting
                     compiled by Carolyn Sullivan

Here are some pearls of gluten-free (GF) wisdom from the membership,
as reported at our last meeting:

  1. Take commercially-available GF Blueberry Muffin Mix and make flat
     cakes out of it.  It freezes well and travels well.  For a tasty
     variation, add dried cherries to the mix.

  2. Soup can be frozen in single-serving amounts using 1-1/2 cup
     Rubbermaid containers.

  3. Keep a small size can of GF tuna and a fork with you at all
     times.

  4. Dietary Specialties carries Bi-Aglut Cracker Bread and Bi-Aglut
     Penne (a type of pasta).

  5. When making pizza shells, you can avoid "soggy" crust by baking
     the shell without toppings for 1/2 the time listed, then adding
     the toppings and baking for the remaining time.

  6. Add baked potatoes to soups, chili, and other dishes, to add
     nutrition and make them more filling.

  7. To reduce fat in bread and muffin recipes, substitute an equal
     amount of applesauce for half of the oil, butter, or shortening
     called for in the recipe.

  8. For lower fat, higher fiber meals, cook more lentil and bean
     dishes in place of meat.

  9. Time-saver:  In the 3rd Bette Hagman book (_The Gluten-Free
     Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy_), there are several shelf-stable,
     dry mixes listed which can save you time.  For example, she has a
     dry mix for making cream soup, which can easily be changed to
     mushroom soup.  When a recipe calls for a can of soup, you can
     easily make up a batch from the mix.

 10. Vacation Tip:  GF biscotti (whether you buy it or make it
     yourself) is a good bread substitute that lasts a long time if
     kept in a sealed container.

 11. When making bagels from GF Gourmet Mix, add dried fruit.  It
     seems to help preserve the bagels.

 12. When eating in restaurants, bring your own salad dressing, or use
     lemon as a substitute for dressing.

 13. When ordering a hamburger at a restaurant, always check to make
     sure it is 100% beef.  (Most are, but not all.)

 14. Bake bread in small pans or freeze it in small quantities.

 15. A small piece of rice bread can often be used for a communion
     wafer if it is agreeable with the priest and discussed with him
     beforehand.

 16. Store flours in the freezer or refrigerator to prevent bugs from
     appearing in them.

 17. Attend support group meetings as often as you can.

 18. Sweet rice flour is also called glutinous rice flour.
     ("Glutinous" refers to its sticky properties; sweet rice flour
     does NOT have gluten in it.)

 19. A lot of recipes improve with buttermilk added:  e.g., pancakes.
     See _Joy of Cooking_ for more information.

 20. El Peto in Kitchener, Ontario (Canada) has numerous GF products.
     They have a really good soup concentrate.  Their chicken soup
     concentrate is excellent, and with added GF noodles it makes a
     great treat for kids.  For more information call (519) 748-5211
     or send an e-mail note to <[log in to unmask]>.  [Thank you to
     Judy Phelps for providing these details.]

 21. For airline travel, always order a GF meal (but also take your
     own GF food just in case).  Be sure to commend airlines that do a
     good job.