Cooking with Food Sensitive Kids

The latest foray into the land of cooking took us to soups.  My child now has a thing for soups.  It started with chicken noodle and quickly progressed to clam chowder and lobster bisque.  One of the favorites turns out to be broccoli and cheddar soup.  A famous bakery chain restaurant with a lot of soups carries it, but like most of their soups it has wheat in it.  We should not eat wheat, even the amount they use to thicken the broth.  So we made our own.

This version uses gluten free flour as part of the roux that thickens is.  The base is partially milk.  Lactose free milk was used for that.  The hardest part would be to find a lactose free cheddar cheese.  That was impossible in a super market.  We actually did use standard cheeses and just took a lactaid pill, just in case.

It turned out very good.  Now for those of you worried that broccoli is dangerous to those with sensitive digestion, certain foods like broccoli are to be avoided as they may physically irritate the colon due to their shape or roughage, what we used was chopped very fine.  It still had a texture to it but was not the large brush-like shapes that can irritate.

This is a quick, easy dish most any kid can do.  It does have some risk if you are very sensitive thanks to the cheese and broccoli. But if you are able to tolerate those then this is worth trying.

Cooking and kids

Teaching kids to cook makes them aware of what's in the food they are eating.  This is a pizza made by my nine-year-old.  The crust is flaxseed and the cheese is low lactose.  The sauce is organic while the pepperoni has no additives, preservatives.  The meat has no hormones or antibiotics.

He is getting so much better at reading labels on foods.  The ingredients matter, not just the labels.  That happened with learning to cook.  The pizza came from Wheat Belly, by William Davis, MD.  While not specific to celiacs the wheat free diet goes a long way in eliminating the gluten that damages so many who are sensitive to it.

Cooking is another fun activity with the kids, and it imparts insight into food realities.  I'm very proud of my son for stepping up.  He checks labels and ingredients, and now wants to cook more of his own food.

Bake your own bread

So I am not all that thrilled with #glutenfree bread that's available commercially.  They are all frozen, except one that I found which was like a small brick of sawdust, and that makes them dry.  Crumbly, stale tasting bread is what you get when it is frozen no matter how good the initial bread.

That said, for me to find some good bread for toast or sandwiches I broke down and got a bread maker.  It has a setting for gluten free breads.  That means there is only one rise.  The machine, as a real baker, normally lets a standard dough rise once only to be punched down to let rise again.  Gluten free doughs do not have the structure to rise again so can't go through this process.  The program in the machine took away from any manual parts to the process.

The above loaf is from my own dough concoction.  I had recipes but not all the ingredients.  My local supermarket had almost all gluten free flours and stuff so I was able to get this done.  It's not the really airy white bread, a tad on the cake-y side for that, but it is good with nice texture and crust.  I will experiment some more with my new toy.  Looks like I am eating a lot of bread in the near future. Apparently have to make up for the seven months of no bread.

Cross Contamination Worries

I started to think dining out was getting better in the greater Boston area for people with food sensitivities.  The menus might be limited but they existed.  And servers seemed to know about the issue, as in really know, not just the lip service like having to wash your hands.

I was wrong.  Recently we went out to a couple of different restaurants.  One was a steakhouse in Weymouth, MA.  The other was all-American fare in Quincy, MA.   The both got things wrong, much to our detriment, although one more than the other.

In Weymouth, we figured a steak house was a safe bet.  Beef has no gluten.  Now many of the sauces, demi glace or whatever will have gluten.  They usually use flour to thicken them.  However, ordering a steak without sauce should be fine.  It didn't turn out that way.  We ordered after informing our server several times about gluten allergies, and asked questions about specific dishes regarding gluten content.  That still was not enough apparently.  My lovely date ordered filet with a lobster tail.  Now for her I will give the benefit of the doubt that it may have been the lobster.  It came out dull with brown edges instead of the bright red that one would expect.  Our guess is that it was cooked well ahead of time and just reheated when served.  You CAN'T do that to lobster.  I ordered sirloin.  It was a little tough but the butter on top may have had some additive that made me sick.  That is only my guess, there could have been something in the mashed potato.  In any event the food was somehow contaminated.  That is inexcusable in light of informing the server of our food allergies.  What should have let me know was that the same server brought the food.  Previously in other restaurants a designated food allergy server brought out the actual food as a way of insuring against cross contamination.  One place even uses slightly different shaped plates also.  This steakhouse did not.  And we paid for it.

The Quincy restaurant was a bit better.  The server acknowledged our food allergies and even went to check with the chef about our questions on some dishes.  Even with all that there was still something possibly wrong.  I am only mentioning this to highlight the food sensitive's need to be ever vigilant.  She ordered a Cobb salad with steak tips.  The steak was obviously marinated in something, presumably teriyaki.  That may have been good except she cannot have any marinades, and most teriyaki contains soy sauce, which has gluten.

Even with the best of places, and when doing everything a person should do when food allergies are involved - reviewing ingredients, asking questions, informing servers - there is still a significant risk of becoming ill when dining out.  Restaurants are not automated, they are run by people.  People make mistakes.  While that is a fact of life, that fact can ruin another person's day, or life.

Children's Hospital - Boston

So recently we have had to go to Children's Hospital in Boston.  This is an awesome place, but it does give me some concerns.  The doctors and nurses are the best in the world, offering unparalleled care. The hospital itself has undergone some renovations to make its services up to date.

That is where the concerns come in.  The cafeteria has been turned into a food court.  Yes, a food court like at the mall.  There was nothing available for a person with food sensitivities.  At best there was a salad station, but it was not a salad bar, gross as they are, but a manned salad station.  The salad station was closed for the day at least since there seems to be limited services on weekends.  The Subway sandwiches or Pizzeria Regina offered nothing for gluten sensitives.  When I mentioned this situation to the cashier I was informed I could speak to the manager, he was aware and mentioned it but was just a cashier so nothing was done.

The room service for food likewise does not have many options.  There is a note to mention if there are any food allergies, however, that is required of every restaurant in this state.  There is a gluten free menu in this hospital.  I have seen it.  When in the infusion center the wonderful nurses there presented one.  So this place can do it.

The most disturbing event was speaking with the nutrition department.  When I expressed concerns about gluten in a diet and a sensitivity to dairy I was advised that a gluten sensitive diet can be introduced later.  At the moment ensuring more nutrition was absorbed was better.  There was no real validation of my concerns or attempts to accommodate them in a comprehensive diet.  The main focus seems to be on medication.  Since the overall picture involves digestion a more comprehensive approach seems more appropriate.

For the center of medicine and research for the care of children I would think this hospital would be much more aware of how nutrition affects children.  But because there were no blood markers for Celiac's there is no concern what so ever about diet.  It is all black and white, when we just don't live in that kind of world.  There is good food here, but in this case, while it is not making things worse it may not be contributing to a long term recovery.  And full remission needs to be for the whole person, not just what the medicine treats.

Thank you to Children's Hospital - Boston for all the amazing care they provide.  The attention and treatment heals so many ill children from around the globe.  The doctors, nurses, and staff do incredible work.  It is a shame it seems they are slipping in this one area.

Bonefish Grill - Review

The other day we went to the recently opened Bonefish Grill in Westwood.  This whole area along University Ave is being developed with a large shopping area featuring Target, Nordstrom Rack, and a Homegoods among others.  It will soon be home to a Wegman's grocery store, which could be exciting and start to give Whole Foods a run for its money.

Across the street is a new restaurant, Bonefish Grill.  Now this is a chain restaurant that started in Florida but is making its way up north.  The Westwood location is one of three in the area.  Burlington and Rhode Island are the other two, although there is also one off in Connecticut.  We went in between the meal rush hours on a hot holiday weekend.  There were probably about a dozen patrons there at that time, and several friendly staff.  With plenty of space available I am glad we were quickly shown to a nice booth.  It would have been a little disappointing to have to wait for a smaller two person table in the middle of the room, which has happened in other places.  

It has a nice, contemporary decor.  The darkness was very welcome after being out in the hot sun, yet the lighting was still subtle and sufficient between the natural light and house lighting to be able to carry on a conversation.  If it gets too dark I always want to speak briefly in hushed tones.  That stifles a free flowing conversation, but that might be just me.   

I did check out the menu on line and on my phone previously so pretty much knew the offerings.  Seafood, obviously, with some good meat and salads also.  After a quick glance at the menu we did ask for a gluten free version.  It was my fault we did not do this at the Hostess station.  The very friendly server was quick in getting them though.  Throughout the whole meal she was very pleasant and attentive.

The gluten free version of the menu is, like most places with them, a really pared down version of the standard menu.  I usually get a little worried when the gluten free menu does not have prices on it.  This tells me that it is more of an after thought.  The gluten free offerings may not then be updated when the standard menu gets its changes.  

We both ordered salads.  This is what my date settled on after some questions about the menu.  Fish was first considered but the gluten free sides were mostly potato.  We did ask why a sweet potato mashed was not gluten free.  The server asked the chef for the answer that the add cream.  Not pressing the issue that neither cream or sweet potato have gluten, we just assumed the product was not sourced from a gluten free facility.  She handled the questions well so there was no point in torturing her over it.  I went with the Caesar and added chicken.  It was hot out and I wanted something lighter.  My date had their Florida Cobb Salad with some minor modifications.  They both came out quickly but mine did have croutons.  Before I could ask about that, did they have gluten free bread?, by date mentioned it.  So the mortified server readily admitted that this was her fault, she neglected to mention the gluten free on that salad.  She quickly had it corrected and apologized several times.  I thought she might have just said sorry and moved on, blamed the kitchen or something, but no, she took full responsibility without any prompting.  That was a bit impressive and shows she has character.  I can appreciate that.

The salads were good.  They came out with a bit of theatrics, plated in a transparent tall ring mold which was then removed by the server to give a bit of a last toss. The Caesar is basically just lettuce with dressing and cheese.  The Florida Cobb has mangos and avocado with the tomato and blue cheese.  The mangos were a big hit along side the adored avocado.

Once the lunch was done I indulged in dessert.  Bonefish does have a macadamia nut brownie, which is flourless so is gluten free.  With ice cream and a raspberry sauce this sounded perfect.  When it was coming out, just before it reached the table, our server intercepted it.  Restaurants often use a dedicated server for food allergies.  This one person brings them all out to help insure mistakes are not made.  Apparently another mistake was made though.  Our server mentioned to the other person that the whipped cream was not supposed to be on it.  It was sent back before reaching us to be remade in the gluten free version.  (what gluten is in the cream was never explored and is another topic)  After the first occasion she was being very diligent.  The dessert was great.  A moist chocolaty cake with rich sauces and macadamia nuts.  I was expecting a lava cake as gluten free desserts seem to have trouble baking in the middle so places just go with it.  But no, it was a real cake 'brownie'.

Overall this was a good dining experience.  We certainly will try it again for dinner and see how the place does in a rush.  It is new so may be working out some of the kinks that happen with places no matter how well planned, but it is new so is certainly a different experience.  They didn't have in integrated menu accommodating food allergies, but did make reasonable allowances.  Though not perfect they tried.  That's a bit better than some places.  

A Good Pizza Tip

I got a good tip for pizza dough from Scott and wanted to share.  Here it is:

Hi Doug, 
I found this cauliflower "dough" a useful repalcement

best
Scott

1 medium-sized cauliflower head
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed basil
1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 egg

Directions:

Place your pizza stone/upside-down baking sheet in the oven and heat to 450F.
Trim the large green leaves and stems from the cauliflower and roughly chop into 2 inch pieces.
Rinse the cauliflower under running water.
Place the cauliflower in a food processor or blender and pulse until the cauliflower is finely ground—it will look like powdery snow. If your processor/blender is smaller, just ground the cauliflower in batches.
Remove the grounded cauliflower from the processor/blender and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with a paper towel or plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes.
Place the (hot!) grounded cauliflower onto a dish towel and spread evenly so that it will cool down faster. After the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, gather the cauliflower into a pile in the center of the dish towel, gather the corners, and wring the water content out of the cauliflower over a sink. This is VERY IMPORTANT—spend a few minutes wringing out the water! Just one or two wrings will not get the job done. I spent ~5 minutes on mine.
Empty the cauliflower from the dish towel back into a bowl. (Don’t be alarmed if the amount of cauliflower without water fits in your hand—this is still enough to work with!)
Mix the cauliflower with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, the oregano, basil, kosher salt and garlic powder. I used my hand and found this easier than using a spoon.
When everything is mixed, add the egg and mix again with your hand until the egg is fully integrated.
If you have a pizza paddle( called a peel), place parchment paper on the paddle. If not, a cutting board will still do the trick—just place your parchment paper on top of the board.
Dump the cauliflower mixture onto the parchment paper and form into a 12-in. diameter crust with a thickness of ¼ inch. [NOTE: You may want to grease your parchment paper well before placing the mixture to ensure that the crust doesn’t stick to the surface!]
Slide the parchment paper off your peel/board and onto the pizza stone/baking sheet in the oven and bake for 8-11 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown and looks crispy at the edges.
Grab the parchment paper and slide it and the pizza crust back onto your peel/board, close the oven, and garnish with your chosen toppings.
Place the pizza and the parchment paper back into the oven and on the stone/sheet for another 5-7 minutes. My pizza finished baking in 5 minutes!
Let it cool down for a few minutes before slicing up and digging in.