<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>We have the family vacation (the one at the lake 
) with my dh’s family. We take turns cooking for about 20. One of my nephews has just be diagnosed with a gluten problem. I am not sure what the problem is but I know he is suppose to be on a gluten free diet. I need some ideas on what to have for him including a dessert idea. I will either make a separate entree for him or if possible use it for all. Thanks!</p>
<p>For a recent meal, I made homemade chili, bought GF hot dog buns, served GF hot dogs and Mac and cheese made with GF pasta (there are boxed Mac and cheese kits available, and Velveeta is GF) and let people make their own chili Mac, chili dogs, etc. The Betty Crocker GF cake mixes are excellent! Amazon sells GF bisquick (shortcake, biscuits). Trader Joes sells a lot of GF foods. Buffalo Wings hot sauce is GF and makes a tasty dip when mixed with sour cream. Veggies are GF and stores sell GF crackers, and flavor-free potato and corn chips are GF. Good luck!</p>
<p>We have many celiac family members. For starters, I would serve fruit for dessert!</p>
<p>Other things to consider:</p>
<p>Food preparation: you can’t even stir, serve, or prepare gluten free items in the same area as food with gluten. Bread crumbs, flour, etc. will be enough to make him sick. So cordon off a small piece of counter and a small chunk of the fridge for him, so he knows his food is safe. Save labels so he can read them for himself. Most grocery stores now have some gluten-free foods – even Walmart does. If you bake for him, get a disposable foil pan and use metal implements to mix — non stick or plastic will retain gluten from anything else that’s been in contact with them. </p>
<p>I would ask him what he prefers. My celiacs would prefer their own entree, brought from home. That’s what we do – we have a freezer full of portable casseroles, etc. and we bring them, then nuke them. Nobody has to stress about it, and my people don’t get sick on vacation.</p>
<p>That being said, there are lots of naturally gluten free foods in the world. But ask the nephew for a list of what he’d like to have there (for us it’s cracker barrel cheese, YoPlait yogurt, Sprite, salad with no croutons. Boar’s head meats, Glutino prezels)</p>
<p>Lots of gluten free foods… Dessert? Well, ice cream is gluten free. So is fresh fruit. So are chocolate bars. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gluten-free-diet/my01140[/url]”>Gluten-free diet - Mayo Clinic;
<p>I would disagree with greenbutton that people w gluten problems can’t be near gluten and you need to sanitize your kitchen to gluten. It really depends on his level of sensitivity. Gluten issues typically don’t produce an anaphyalaxis (ie life threatening allergic) reaction like someone with a nut allergy. Consuming gluten generally triggers GI issues, which are typically bloating, gas & diarrhea that can last 1-4 days. D1 & I are GF and we live around the other 2 family members that eat plenty of gluten. I watch for cross-contamination of utensils such as knives and stirring spoons and wash out pots before re-using.</p>
<p>The naturally occurring GF starches are corn, rice & potatoes. Some typical GF items that you find in the grocery store include Tostitos & salsa, most humus, fresh crudites, and corn tacos. Most of the Chex cereals are GF - my personal favorite is the cinnamon. In general, the best thing is to omit sauces and just grill or steam everything. </p>
<p>Agree the Betty Crocker GF mixes are quite good - the brownies are amazing and taste like an expensive flourless chocolate cake.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, everyone. I really didn’t know much about gluten free food. He is not allergic so we don’t have to be super careful. Now I just need to figure out what to pick.</p>
<p>[Gluten-free</a> diet: What’s allowed, what’s not - MayoClinic.com](<a href=“Gluten-free diet - Mayo Clinic”>Gluten-free diet - Mayo Clinic)
[Gluten</a> Intolerance | Gluten Intolerance Group](<a href=“http://www.gluten.net/]Gluten”>http://www.gluten.net/)
[Gluten</a> Intolerance, Sensitivity, & Gluten-Free Diets](<a href=“http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/features/gluten-intolerance-against-grain]Gluten”>Gluten Intolerance, Sensitivity, & Gluten-Free Diets)
[Gluten-free</a> diet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet]Gluten-free”>Gluten-free diet - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>My roommate freshman year had Celiac Disease. I remember her eating a lot of curry over rice and gluten-free pasta with veggies/chicken. I’ve tried quite a bit of the gluten-free pasta/bread/etc. and it’s pretty good. Not too noticeable of a difference.</p>
<p>Paella is a great gluten-free option for a big group.
For dessert, we go with sorbet and berries.</p>
<p>Am I the only one having trouble reconciling the concept of “vacation” with “cooking for 20”?? To be serious, though, I think a person with a food sensitivity (or his parents, if he’s young) should have the responsibility for dealing with his own dietary issues, including supplying any special ingredients (or at least a grocery list) and suggesting recipes, rather than placing the burden on someone without any expertise in the area who has to come up with a meal that will make 20 people happy. E.g., if sandwiches are the typical lunch, the nephew should bring his own bread or rolls. Certainly if I were the boy’s mom, I’d be handling his food needs myself, not expecting anyone else to become a gluten free expert.</p>
<p>There are some great recipes out there for flourless chocolate cakes! They are VERY rich so it may be too much for certain people. I’m a chocoholic so it’s one of my favorite desserts ever. Also for breakfast, I’ve recently tried this new pancake mix that is so so so good. They are so fluffy and delicious. I made them for my brothers who are picky eaters, and didn’t tell them they were gluten-free. They said the pancakes were the best they’ve ever had and couldn’t tell the difference. Here is the brand I used:
[King</a> Arthur Flour Gluten Free Pancake Mix – 15 oz - Vitacost](<a href=“http://www.vitacost.com/king-arthur-flour-gluten-free-pancake-mix-15-oz?csrc=GPF-PA-071012075034&ci_sku=071012075034&ci_gpa=pe&ci_kw=gluten%20free]King”>http://www.vitacost.com/king-arthur-flour-gluten-free-pancake-mix-15-oz?csrc=GPF-PA-071012075034&ci_sku=071012075034&ci_gpa=pe&ci_kw=gluten%20free)
I found it at Safeway.
There are plenty of good types of gluten-free breads that can be found at virtually any store. If you are stuck for a breakfast idea, just toast some GF bread and put peanut butter on it or something. Good luck!!! :)</p>
<p>I only have to do dinner so it is really no big deal. Usually I cook burgers and brats with something for the vegetarians in our midst. Adding one more fairly mild request is no biggie. I think chocolate cake or brownies for dessert sounds good. I will give his mother the pancake recipe. I feel more confident now about checking out the local grocery store for gf food. I sure wish I lived near a Trader Joe’s and not just for the gf food.</p>
<p>The GF Bisquick is decent and available at most grocery stores. </p>
<p>If you are picking up the GF bread, I think Udi’s comes the closest to the taste & texture of ‘real’ bread. They also make burger rolls. Be prepared, however, for sticker shock, as a 4 pack of Udi’s rolls is close to $5. You can search on their website for the closest store that carries it:</p>
<p>[Udi?s®</a> Gluten Free Bread | Gluten Free Foods & Recipes](<a href=“http://udisglutenfree.com/]Udi?s®”>http://udisglutenfree.com/)</p>
<p>DH has celiac and D has a gluten sensitivity. Gluten free baked goods that are flourless or made with almond flour are delicious and IMO, better than wheat flour versions. Our starches are rice, Quinoa, potatoes, or corn tortillas. Since preparing meals and baked goods gluten free, I see no reason to cook otherwise. I will buy English muffins or scones for myself. DH is happy with an egg, corn tortilla, and nuts in the morning. You just have to be careful and read package labels for hidden sources of gluten. </p>
<p>Also, Bisquick gluten free mix is great, just expensive :(</p>
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<p>Love the Betty Crocker GF brownie mix. The only thing is that the brownies get stale pretty quickly…so GF brownies one day, GF brownie sundaes the next!</p>
<p>As you know, I can identify with cooking for 20 at the lake - I think we’re up to 19 and I’m the one with the gluten issue.</p>
<p>As others have mentioned, a person with celiac disease will probably want to provide his own food to avoid cross contamination. I’m just sensitive, so I’m not that careful.</p>
<p>Really, you can throw a great meal together on the grill - meat, veggies…wrap some white or sweet potatoes in foil and cook them a while. I am also thinking of a “baked potato” bar…cheese, sour cream, bacon, chili (if canned, check ingredients)…easily, filling, gluten free.</p>
<p>Summer is a great time to start being gluten free…so many fresh fruit and veggie options. For dessert, how about strawberries and freshly whipped cream? </p>
<p>I also like to make crisps from canned peaches and pears. (Just buy a LOT of cans of fruit.) I use oats and margerine and brown sugar in the topping…normal oats don’t bother me but use steel cut for him.</p>
<p>I think cooking for twenty sounds fun as long as that meant I didn’t have to cook every day.
Gluten free baked goods get stale really quick.i have learned that when we go out for hamburgers & I only eat half, I better eat it as soon as I get home, otherwise:p
Taco bar & you can use leftovers for breakfast.</p>
<p>When my sister visited, I made my usual egg casserole but used GF flour (only need 1/2c) instead. I like to make it without the hot peppers and serve with green salsa on the side.</p>
<p>I just discovered gluten free rice pasta. Maybe a big pot of pasta with 2 or 3 types of sauces for everyone to choose from.</p>
<p>Over the past 10 years, I have tried every GF pasta I can get my hands on. This is my clear winner by a huge margin:</p>
<p><a href=“Temporarily Disabled”>Temporarily Disabled;
<p>Tastes great and texture is much closer to traditional pasta that rice pasta, which I find gets very hard within a few minutes out of the pot. (favoritee shape is Pagoda) In NJ, I have only found it at Wegman’s, where I typically buy 10-12 boxes at a time.</p>
<p>I just baked the betty crocker gluten free chocolate chip cookie box mix and brought them to work with me, and they were devoured. Nobody even knew they were gluten free or from a box mix-- they tasted homemade. Makes for a VERY easy dessert and they were delicious.</p>
<p>With my dairy allergy, I don’t get chocolate chip cookies very often anymore so these were a real treat.</p>