Column
BEYOND THE LINE
Patience, fortitude keys to managing celiac disease
I always have cherished the moment the scones I make daily — and love dearly — start to brown in the oven. I froth the milk for my decaf latte and open the lid of homemade four-berry preserves to top a scone to eat as I prepare breakfast — a morning ritual for the past five years.
But lately, I had been feeling not just tired, but exhausted, after cooking breakfast for the inn’s guests. For a while, I attributed it to a long summer season and thought I’d be feeling chipper soon, but come November, I still was feeling lethargic and, frankly, a bit depressed that I was just not myself.
During my last doctor’s visit, he suggested conducting the annual blood work and I asked him to test me for celiac disease, which only takes a blood test to diagnose. A dear friend of mine has the condition and I was wondering if maybe that was my problem.
This week, my doctor called me and told me, to his surprise, that I had celiac disease. He was very reassuring that diet would improve my condition and I have an appointment with a dietician so I can figure out where all the gluten hides — like on just about every label of prepared food. (And don’t kid yourself; it’s only gluten free if you read “gluten free” on the label — carefully examine all ingredients.)
Celiac disease has many symptoms of a gastrointestinal nature, from bloating to poor digestion and ailments including rashes, muscle cramps, joint pain and osteoporosis.
Through research, including on the Mayo Clinic’s Web site, I learned the base of the small intestine has a filtration system that separates the nutrients and vitamins to be kept in the body. People with celiac do not have a functioning filtration system and a large majority of the nutrients are lost, leaving people anemic, exhausted and with many other symptoms.
Remember: Knowledge is power. And if you truly “are what you eat,” the proof certainly will be in the pudding. I decided instantly to embrace the dietary challenge. I wanted to feel better more than anything. I was cranky and emotional — I did not like the way I felt.
It occurred to me that things would have to change for me both as a chef and as a food writer. What would dining out be like? Many chefs use flour in sauces and I would have to forgo anything breaded — bye-bye to fish and chips and crab cakes.
I would be one of those people — so annoying to chefs — who had a food allergy.
Don’t misunderstand me; chefs can be compassionate, but they don’t like having to take their creation apart. There are many diners with true allergies, but just as many who say they have an allergy just because they don’t like something in the dish. When I still was behind the line, we used to say those people should go to the “plain restaurant” or stay home. How my words have turned to bite me back!
My friend Dan Benson, recently diagnosed with celiac, said: “I quickly learned that moving forward, to avoid gluten, I would be eating in fear.” And in the long run, “The body is a lot happier on this diet, but the soul suffers — good food is a perk of life, not a necessity.” How poetic.
But I have tasted so many wonderful things in my life, and the multi-course meals in Manhattan, the South of France, Switzerland and Paris are not distant memories, they are canvases of incredible experiences I have been fortunate enough to have had.
And don’t you worry about my dining experiences being thwarted by this challenge — I always will have a friend with me to taste what I cannot.
If you think you have a chance of having this disease, it only means a dietary change — no pills to pop — and you can cure yourself. After two days without gluten, I already feel more energized. It is well worth the blood test. More and more people are being diagnosed than ever before, so there are many more food products out there — it just takes patience and fortitude to find them.
Here’s a meal tip: I often cut up my favorite vegetables and roast them together. Root vegetables, sweet potatoes, onions and peppers tossed in olive oil with sea salt and pepper with some sautéed spinach makes a great dinner — and then you can have ice cream for dessert (just check the labels)! Haagen Daaz has a new brand called “5” — only 5 ingredients, and it’s the smoothest ice cream out there. See? That wasn’t so hard!
Tasty morsels
u On Saturday, Nov. 21, the Newport Wine Cellar’s new venture right next door, Le Petit Gourmet will have its grand opening. I visited the shop the other day and the same Parisian-like aesthetic is being created there with fabulous cheeses, pates, condiments and breads. They will be open 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. that day.
u Laurent Vals is conducting chocolate classes at Newport Chocolates, 82 William St. in Newport, on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. — a fun thing to learn and to spend an evening, especially if you want to make homemade gifts for Christmas.
Midge Knerr, a former executive chef in New York and Newport restaurants, is a Daily News columnist. Send her e-mail at midgelknerr@aol.com.
Patience, fortitude keys to managing celiac disease
I always have cherished the moment the scones I make daily — and love dearly — start to brown in the oven. I froth the milk for my decaf latte and open the lid of homemade four-berry preserves to top a scone to eat as I prepare breakfast — a morning ritual for the past five years.
But lately, I had been feeling not just tired, but exhausted, after cooking breakfast for the inn’s guests. For a while, I attributed it to a long summer season and thought I’d be feeling chipper soon, but come November, I still was feeling lethargic and, frankly, a bit depressed that I was just not myself.
During my last doctor’s visit, he suggested conducting the annual blood work and I asked him to test me for celiac disease, which only takes a blood test to diagnose. A dear friend of mine has the condition and I was wondering if maybe that was my problem.
This week, my doctor called me and told me, to his surprise, that I had celiac disease. He was very reassuring that diet would improve my condition and I have an appointment with a dietician so I can figure out where all the gluten hides — like on just about every label of prepared food. (And don’t kid yourself; it’s only gluten free if you read “gluten free” on the label — carefully examine all ingredients.)
Celiac disease has many symptoms of a gastrointestinal nature, from bloating to poor digestion and ailments including rashes, muscle cramps, joint pain and osteoporosis.
Through research, including on the Mayo Clinic’s Web site, I learned the base of the small intestine has a filtration system that separates the nutrients and vitamins to be kept in the body. People with celiac do not have a functioning filtration system and a large majority of the nutrients are lost, leaving people anemic, exhausted and with many other symptoms.
Remember: Knowledge is power. And if you truly “are what you eat,” the proof certainly will be in the pudding. I decided instantly to embrace the dietary challenge. I wanted to feel better more than anything. I was cranky and emotional — I did not like the way I felt.
It occurred to me that things would have to change for me both as a chef and as a food writer. What would dining out be like? Many chefs use flour in sauces and I would have to forgo anything breaded — bye-bye to fish and chips and crab cakes.
I would be one of those people — so annoying to chefs — who had a food allergy.
Don’t misunderstand me; chefs can be compassionate, but they don’t like having to take their creation apart. There are many diners with true allergies, but just as many who say they have an allergy just because they don’t like something in the dish. When I still was behind the line, we used to say those people should go to the “plain restaurant” or stay home. How my words have turned to bite me back!
My friend Dan Benson, recently diagnosed with celiac, said: “I quickly learned that moving forward, to avoid gluten, I would be eating in fear.” And in the long run, “The body is a lot happier on this diet, but the soul suffers — good food is a perk of life, not a necessity.” How poetic.
But I have tasted so many wonderful things in my life, and the multi-course meals in Manhattan, the South of France, Switzerland and Paris are not distant memories, they are canvases of incredible experiences I have been fortunate enough to have had.
And don’t you worry about my dining experiences being thwarted by this challenge — I always will have a friend with me to taste what I cannot.
If you think you have a chance of having this disease, it only means a dietary change — no pills to pop — and you can cure yourself. After two days without gluten, I already feel more energized. It is well worth the blood test. More and more people are being diagnosed than ever before, so there are many more food products out there — it just takes patience and fortitude to find them.
Here’s a meal tip: I often cut up my favorite vegetables and roast them together. Root vegetables, sweet potatoes, onions and peppers tossed in olive oil with sea salt and pepper with some sautéed spinach makes a great dinner — and then you can have ice cream for dessert (just check the labels)! Haagen Daaz has a new brand called “5” — only 5 ingredients, and it’s the smoothest ice cream out there. See? That wasn’t so hard!
Tasty morsels
u On Saturday, Nov. 21, the Newport Wine Cellar’s new venture right next door, Le Petit Gourmet will have its grand opening. I visited the shop the other day and the same Parisian-like aesthetic is being created there with fabulous cheeses, pates, condiments and breads. They will be open 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. that day.
u Laurent Vals is conducting chocolate classes at Newport Chocolates, 82 William St. in Newport, on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. — a fun thing to learn and to spend an evening, especially if you want to make homemade gifts for Christmas.
Midge Knerr, a former executive chef in New York and Newport restaurants, is a Daily News columnist. Send her e-mail at midgelknerr@aol.com.