University of Virginia Health System

December Newsletter

You’re Invited to theCharlottesvilli Celiac SupportGroup Meeting!

January 28^th, 2005

10 am – noon

Dining Conference Rooms

Main Hospital at University of Virginia

Please join us for a discussion on food labeling issues

All meetings are supported by theUniversity of Virginia ’s Digestive Health Center and are open to the public at no charge.

Upcoming 2006 meetings:

January 28^th

March 25^th

May: TBA

July 29^th

September: TBA

December: 2^nd

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DECEMBER 3^rd MEETING

• A Holiday Party!  We had quite a celebration with many new and familiar faces.
  
• Members were able to enjoy fabulous gluten-free sweets from the Hungarian Bakery in Earlysville.  We had a “Hungarian Rhapsody cake” (a walnut torte), a yule log cake (compliments of Gay and Fred Morris) and raspberry linzer cookies.  All were delicious as always!   To order your cakes, cookies, hamburger buns or other baked goods from the Hungarian Bakery, check the website at www.hungarianbakery.com or call 434-973-8863.  Please note, freshly baked Hungarian Bakery items are now available at Rebecca’s Natural Foods in the Barracks Road Shopping Center .
  
• Check the end of the newsletter for recipes for the Almond Butter Cookies brought by Dan Wachspress and the ‘Oatmeal’ Deluxe Bars brought by Carol Donahue (this recipe does not actually contain oats).  YUM!!

Many companies donated products for our holiday meeting allowing us to assemble exciting gift bags to raffle off for free. Everyone went home with something!  Thank you to the following companies for their generous donations to our group:

• 123 Gluten Free    http://www.123glutenfree.com/
• Bumble Bar           http://www.bumblebar.com/  (*If you liked these items in your gift bag, see the online sale they are having throughout December!)
• Comfy Cuisine       http://www.comfycuisine.com
• Dowd and Rogers   http://www.dowdandrogers.com/
• Enjoy Life Foods   http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/
• Foods by George   http://www.foodsbygeorge.com/
• The Picky Palate   http://www.pickypalategifts.com
• Rebecca’s Natural Foods   (Barracks Rd Shopping Center, Charlottesville )
• Whole Foods Market         http://wholefoodsmarket.com/

• FOR SALE !                                                                                                                                                                             We have celiac awareness bracelets ($2) and “Sharing Our Best”, the cookbook from the West End Gluten Intolerance Group from Richmond ($7) for sale at our meetings.  As always, we sell items for your convenience, not for profit.

GLUTEN-FREE NEWS, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

•  The NIH is establishing a National Commission on Digestive Diseases in order to guide future research in this area.  The commission will be made up of members in the medical, scientific and academic areas of digestive diseases as well as people with close personal or family experience (or with patient-oriented organizations) with digestive diseases.  We hope celiac disease will be well represented in this group.  For more information, go to http://www.niddk.nih.gov/federal/ncdd/index.htm

• University of Maryland- The Center for Celiac Research may be starting a new study in the near future for a possible medication to “treat” celiac disease.  If you are interested in being considered for any future studies and to receive information from the Center for Celiac Research regarding any studies, please fill out their application at: http://www.celiaccenter.org/trials.asp

• Glenda Walton and I had the pleasure of attending this informative and entertaining workshop in Richmond in October. The focus of the talk was on incorporating more nutritious gluten-free flours.  Donna and Heather’s cookbooks have been highlighted in previous newsletters.  To order, or for more information, go to: www.bestbreadrecipes.com

Here are a few highlights about the flours discussed in the workshop:

• AMARANTH FLOUR browns quickly.  It can also be used to thicken gravy and, unlike cornstarch, the product will remain thick when reheated.
• QUINOA FLOUR creates a moist product. It should be used in small amounts with other flours to avoid bitterness.
• SORGHUM FLOUR bakes ‘wheat-like’ products.  It browns well and quickly. 
• BEAN/PEA FLOURS are interchangeable with each other and produce a more tender product.  They go well with sorghum flour.
• NUT FLOURS add richness in both texture and flavor.  They can be made at home in a food processor but be sure not to process too much as you may create a nut butter instead of a nut-flour!
• SOY FLOUR has a strong aroma when wet that disappears when it is baked.  The full-fat version will brown quickly.

       It is also important to remember the following flours should be kept in the refrigerator or  

  freezer to prevent spoilage: amaranth, quinoa, full-fat soy, rice bran and nut/seed flours (including flaxseed or meal). The flours do not have to be brought to room temperature before using them.

RECIPES

Almond Butter Cookies

Recipe provided by Dan Wachspress

2 cups almond flour                             1 ½ sticks unsalted butter

1 cup rice flour                                      1 ½ cups sugar

¾ tsp xantham gum                             1 egg yolk

½ tsp baking powder                           1 ½ tsp egg replacer mixed with 2 Tbsp water

½ tsp cardamom                                 

¼ tsp salt

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and cover with parchment paper.

Mix together the almond flour, rice flour, xantham gum, baking powder, cardamom and salt.

Cream the butter until white.  Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.  Whisk the egg yolk and egg replacer mixture together.  Beat into the creamed butter and sugar. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Shape the dough in 1 ¼ inch balls and place on the cookie sheets.  Bake on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes.  While slightly warm, dust with confectioner’s sugar.  Cool before storing in an airtight container.

‘Oatmeal’ Bar Deluxe

Recipe provided by Carol Donahue

2 cups Featherlight Mix (see recipe below)     1 cup white sugar

½ tsp xantham gum                                         1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder                                        ¼ cup honey

½ tsp baking soda                                           2 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon                                                1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp salt                                                         2 ½ cups quinoa flakes

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks butter)                               1 cup raisins

¼ cup vegetable shortening                         1 cup chopped pitted dates

                                                                        1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350° F.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour mix, xantham gum, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter, shortening and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in the honey, eggs and vanilla.  Gradually beat in the flour mixture.  Stir or mix in the quinoa flakes, raisins, dates and nuts. Put batter into a greased 9x13” pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done.

Featherlight Mix:         3 cups rice flour (1 part)

                                    3 cups tapioca flour (1 part)

                                    3 cups cornstarch (1 part)

                                    3 Tbsp potato flour (1 tsp per cup)
                                    *Do not use potato starch*

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND US A FAVORITE RECIPE TO SHARE WITH THE GROUP.  

Please let us know if your contact information changes so we can make sure we get the newsletters to you.