Today is a special guest post by Catalin Varela, an expat with celiac disease currently living in Italy. It’s been a number of years since I’ve been to Italy but I have fond memories of all the wonderful, gluten-free food I ate while traveling there. Many people are surprised that you can eat gluten-free so easily in Italy, but it’s true! Catalin’s tips below are a great starting place for anyone interested in traveling to and eating gluten-free in Italy.
Continue reading “Guest Post: Tips for Traveling as a Celiac in Italy”Tag: guest post
15 razones del por qué debes amar a alguien con la enfermedad celiaca
Last year, I put together a fun post called 15 Reasons Why You Should Love Someone with Celiac Disease for my Gluten-Free Fun website. The post was very popular in the gluten-free community and went viral two years in a row. I wanted people to appreciate those of us living with celiac and show that there’s a lot to love!
This year, I had a great surprise when Gluten-Free Globetrotter reader Alicia Olivares Romo asked if she could translate my post into Spanish. Alicia is part of the Facebook group Celiacos de Mexico, a group that posts information about celiac disease in Spanish. If you are a native Spanish speaker, this is the group for you! I am currently taking Spanish classes and my boyfriend Victor is a native Spanish speaker, so this post came at the perfect time for me to practice my reading. Muchas Gracias, Alicia!
15 razones del por qué debes amar a alguien con la enfermedad celiaca
Hoy es día de San Valentín así que pensé que sería una buena oportunidad para reflexionar en todas las razones maravillosas del por qué hoy y siempre debes amar a una persona con la enfermedad celiaca. Por favor no duden en agregar sus razones en la sección de comentarios abajo:
1. ¡Somos poco comunes!
Solo el 1% de los americanos tienen la enfermedad celiaca. Menos personas africanas, hispanas, asiático-americanas tienen la enfermedad celiaca. Somos menos de uno en un millón y serías afortunado si puedes encontrar a uno de nosotros.
2. ¡Somos únicos!
La enfermedad celiaca tiene más de 300 síntomas. La enfermedad se manifiesta de diferente forma en todos y cada uno de nosotros. No hay dos celiacos iguales.
3. ¡Conseguimos que se logren hacer las cosas!
Fue la comunidad celiaca la que se manifestó hacia la apertura de las conversaciones del etiquetado libre de gluten de la FDA y subsecuentemente ayudo a que estas leyes se aprobaran en el verano del 2013, logrando que la compra de alimentos seguros sea más fácil para nosotros.
4. ¡Somos persistentes!
En promedio, toma de 6 a 10 años obtener el diagnóstico de la enfermedad celiaca. Nosotros no aceptamos a los doctores que no ofrecen una respuesta u ofrecen diagnósticos vagos. Nosotros seguimos buscando una respuesta y no nos damos por vencidos hasta que la obtenemos.
5. ¡Conocemos los mejores restaurantes de la ciudad!
Pregúntale a un celiaco donde ir a comer y ellos probablemente te enumeraran rápidamente una lista de restaurantes libres de gluten y que sean seguros en un radio de 50 millas a la redonda. Nosotros investigamos con tiempo y probablemente el gerente y el chef son nuestros “amigos”. También nosotros dejamos buenas propinas. (Debes hacer esto, si no es que ya lo haces, especialmente si fuiste bien tratado y se te ofrecieron alimentos seguros).
6. ¡Nosotros no discriminamos!
Compartimos nuestra enfermedad celiaca con hombres y mujeres de todas las edades y razas. Somos güeros, castaños, de ojos azules, de ojos grises, bajitos, altos y muchas cosas más.
7. ¡Amamos la comida!
Actualmente nuestra única “cura” para la enfermedad celiaca es la comida libre de gluten. ¡Sí, nuestra medicina es la comida! ¿Cómo no te va a gustar eso? algunas de las comidas más decadentes en el mundo son por naturaleza libres de gluten. Con toda confianza nos pueden consentir con vino, chocolate, caviar y trufas.
8. ¡Somos estupendos comunicadores!
Realiza una búsqueda en Google y encontraras cientos de blogs libres de gluten, nombres de usuarios de Twitter y páginas de Facebook dedicadas a vivir siempre la mejor vida celiaca. Nosotros seguramente creamos nuestros blogs para compartir las investigaciones que hemos hecho en nuestro camino hacia nuestro propio diagnóstico, con otros que están luchando con la misma búsqueda. Simply Gluten-Free tiene una muy buena lista de blogueros libres de gluten en nuestra comunidad celiaca.
9. ¡Somos empresarios!
Algunos de los mejores productos libres de gluten vienen de aquellos de nosotros que vivimos con la enfermedad celiaca y que no se conforman con el sabor horrible de algunas comidas libre de gluten.
10. ¡Somos sociables!
Después de nuestro diagnóstico, a menudo sentimos que somos los únicos viviendo con la enfermedad celiaca. Para resolverlo, buscamos grupos de ayuda, comunidades en línea y otros recursos que nos conecten con otros viviendo con la enfermedad celiaca. Meetup.com es un buen lugar para conectarse con otros que viven con la enfermedad celiaca.
11. ¡Somos globales!
La enfermedad celiaca no conoce fronteras. Existen organizaciones celiacas tanto nacionales como internacionales alrededor del mundo. Estas asociaciones a menudo están deseosas de ayudar a los turistas americanos a navegar dentro del mundo libre de gluten cuando viajan a su país. Gluten-Free Globetrotter tiene una creciente lista de organizaciones celiacas internacionales.
12. ¡Sabemos cocinar!
Muchas personas con la enfermedad celiaca eligen no salir fuera de casa a comer, lo cual hace una necesidad el ser creativos en la cocina. Existen cientos de recetas en línea que por naturaleza son libres de gluten y nosotros estamos ansiosos de probarlas todas.
13. ¡Somos fieles!
Cuando encontramos una marca o restaurante libre de gluten de buen sabor y son seguros, tendemos a ser clientes repetitivos. Estamos emocionados de contarle a los demás de nuestros descubrimientos libres de gluten y continuamos comiéndolo y siéndole fiel a ese producto.
14. ¡Somos meticulosos!
Probablemente le toma a un celiaco lo doble de lo normal hacer las compras del supermercado, pero esto es porque nosotros leemos las etiquetas de cada producto que compramos. Buscamos señales de alerta tales como “hecho en instalaciones donde se produce trigo” o “puede contener…” Prestamos atención y somos muy cuidadosos acerca de todo lo que comemos.
15. ¡Somos agradecidos!
Un gesto tan simple como el comprarnos un brownie libre de gluten que sea seguro, un nuevo libro de recetas libres de gluten o incluso el enviarnos por mensaje de texto una foto de algo libre de gluten que te hizo recordarnos significa mucho para nosotros. Seremos muy felices de que estas consciente del mundo libre de gluten a tu alrededor y que quieras compartirlo con nosotros.
¡Mucho amor para ti y tu celiaco favorito en este día de San Valentín!
Traducción de Alicia Olivares Romo
Publicación original en inglés:
http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com/2014/02/15-reason-why-you-should-love-someone.html
Guest Post: Gluten-Free in Madrid (Sin Gluten en Madrid)
In January, I connected with Amaya of celiaquitos.com after she found and used my Gluten-Free NYC map during a recent trip. I was so pleased she found it helpful and shared this map with her readers. Amaya and I continued to email the past few months so I asked her to contribute her top five gluten-free friendly restaurants in Madrid, Spain. Here is her guest post.
Los 5 Mejores Restaurantes de Madrid para Celiacos
(The Top 5 Restaurants in Madrid for Celiacs)
Hi my name is Amaya, I am a celiac person living in Madrid, Spain.
I am lucky of living in a city with a lot of options for eating gluten free food, so it has been very difficult to decide the best five gluten free restaurants in Madrid.
These are the places that I prefer:
1. Danicola http://www.danicola.es
The best restaurant for gluten free people in Madrid in fact, they have a special gluten free menu with a wide variety of pasta done by themselves, specially a spectacular lasagna. They have meats, fishes, rices, gluten free beer and special desserts. Their gluten free bread baked in the moment with spiced oil is the best!
They have two restaurants, one very near the city center (Plaza de los Mostenses 11), near Gran Vía, and the other is near Santiago Bernabeu Stadium (Calle Orense), this place is an obligatory visit if you like Real Madrid football team.
2. Celicioso http:// www celicioso.es
Gluten free Bakery. The owner is celiac, so all is gluten free, it is a paradise for us. American bakery, with delicious cupcakes, cakes, cookies, alfajores, sandwiches, lasagnas, bread, etc… I like so much the carrot cake there. It is placed very near Gran Vía (calle hortaleza 3).
3. El Arrozal http:// www elarrozal.com
It is placed in the old city centre (Madrid de los Austrias). Here you can enjoy the typical Spanish gluten free paella. The owners have a celiac child, so they know perfectly the celiac disease. All the rices are prepared gluten free, spectacular croquettes. It is very near Palacio Real, Almudena Cathedral or Plaza Mayor.
4. Taberna la Concha http://www.laconchataberna.com
Something very typical in Spain is going out with friends and have dinner sharing plates or eating “tostas” (bread with something onside). Here you can enjoy a gluten free beer, or a wine in a very good environment (“La Latina”), one of the most fun areas in Madrid at night.
5. Bar el Taller http://www.bareltaller.es/
It is the furthest place from the center, but it is near of Bull ring “Las Ventas”. It is the typical Spanish bar with a good terrace to enjoy in summer time. They have a great variety of gluten free food. Home-made food, paella and cocido madrileño, all gluten free. Other option is sharing plates, the croquettes are very nice, or you can eat “tostas” or sandwiches with a home-made bread. They have gluten free beer.
We have more gluten free restaurants that you can search in www.celiaquitos.com. I have recommend the places that I prefer and where it is easy to eat with less risk. I hope that you decide to come to Spain and enjoy our gluten free cuisine
Blog: http://celiaquitos.blogspot.com.es/
Restaurant guide: http://www.celiaquitos.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/celiaquitos.puntocom
Twitter @celiaquitos
Instagram: http://instagram.com/celiaquitoscom
Guest Post: Gluten-Free in Amsterdam
One of my favorite parts about writing Gluten-Free Globetrotter is connecting with people across the globe. In December, Barbara left a comment on this site. She is the author of Gluten-Free Amsterdam, a website (in English) about restaurants and tips for eating gluten-free in Amsterdam. Barbara graciously agreed to sharing her top five gluten-free friendly restaurants in Amsterdam.
Gluten-Free Amsterdam
My name is Barbara, and I am a celiac living in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Amsterdam is not the easiest city to live in. Going out for dinner can be hard sometimes. However, the gluten-free options are increasing and I would love to share my top 5 restaurants with you!
1. Heasje Claes (www.haesjeclaes.nl)
The absolute winner is restaurant Heasje Claesje. This restaurant has the best gluten-free service in town. They have a gluten-free menu, gluten-free bread and gluten-free beer. The menu offers typical Dutch dishes with many choices of meat and fish. They also have a special gluten-free kids menu! It’s located in the city centre. The menu is translated in several languages. So if you are visiting Amsterdam as a tourist, this is absolutely the place to be.
2. Restaurant Lieve (www.restaurantlieve.nl)
You will find this great place for celiacs at one of the main canals of Amsterdam. The service in Restaurant Lieve is very nice and they have a gluten-free menu with delicious food. The atmosphere of the restaurant is great.
3. Spaghetteria (http://spaghetteria-pastabar.nl)
This little pasta-bar is one of the hotspots of Amsterdam. This means it’s always really crowded, and there is no possibility to make a reservation. However, it’s worth waiting for. They offer all the pasta’s in a gluten-free variety as well. Just ask for it. It’s located in the popular living area called ‘de Pijp’.
4. The Seafood Bar (www.theseafoodbar.nl)
If you are into fish, this is your restaurant. They offer al kind of fish and have a great gluten-free service. They know how to deal with celiacs, are always really friendly and have gluten-free bread as well. You’ll find this place next to the Vondelpark.
5. Bazar (http://bazaramsterdam.nl)
This restaurant has an Arabic menu. As soon as you walk in this (huge) restaurant you are not longer in Amsterdam, but in the Middle-East. You can ask for their allergy menu. On this menu you will exactly find which dishes are ok for which diets. It’s really delicious.
This was my top 5 gluten-free restaurants in Amsterdam. I am still exploring the gluten-free scene of the city, so for any updates please visit my blog:
www.glutenfreeamsterdam.com.
Glutenfree Amsterdam
Website: www.glutenfreeamsterdam.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AmsterdamGF
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GlutenfreeGlutenvrijAmsterdam
Guest Post: Gluten-Free in Nottingham
When I was doing my research for my Wales and Scotland trip in the fall, I connected with Sam via Twitter. Sam is the owner of Gluten-Free Nottingham, a business that supplies high-quality, handmade, gluten-free food to people in the UK. Here is today’s guest post from Sam about all things gluten-free in Nottingham, England.
Gluten-Free in Nottingham, England
Twitter: @glutenfreenotts
www.glutenfreefoodnottingham.co.uk
www.facebook.com/glutenfreefoodnottingham
Hello, I’m Sam and I live in Nottingham, England. I run my own business making fresh handmade food for Coeliacs. To make life simple I named my business Gluten Free Food Nottingham – does what it says on the tin. I set up my business in August 2012 after discovering I was Coeliac in Summer 2011. I was really disappointed with the food that I could find in the supermarkets so I decided that I would do something about it. Through my business I sell baked goods such as cakes and quiches to shops, delis and the public, I also provide catering and run pop up restaurants at different venues around the city. I am very fortunate to be able to do this and it is just the best thing making someone smile when they realise that they can eat anything on the stalls that I run or anything on the menu at the pop up restaurant nights. The service is very unique to the area and I pride myself on being able to provide great tasting food that not only the Coeliac enjoys but everyone else at the party too.
Even though I cook a lot myself it is always nice to have a break from this. The number of venues in Nottingham that cater gluten free are growing all the time. There’s plenty of choice in and around the city. All the following are places that I have been to and eaten at safely and would happily recommend:
The Manor
Nottingham Road Beeston, Nottingham NG9 6DN
http://www.themanortoton.co.uk/home.htm
The Manor offers a brilliant gluten free pub grub menu and at great value. There’s a really good range across all three courses, expect hunters chicken, fish goujons, burgers and tasty desserts. The owner and staff are super friendly and provide a great service.
La Rock
4 Bridge St, Sandiacre, Nottingham NG10 5QT
http://www.larockrestaurant.co.uk/index.php
For fine dining head to La Rock in Sandiacre. Pretty much everything on the menu will be gluten free. A recent meal included wood pigeon for starters, venison for main and my very own gluten and dairy free dessert that they rustled up just for me.
The Griffins Head
Moor Rd, Papplewick, Nottingham NG15 8EN
http://www.griffinshead.co.uk/
Heading north away from the city in a little village is the Griffins Head, a traditional local pub which has extended in to restaurant with a brilliant menu for Coeliacs. A wide menu is on offer.
Alley Cafe
Cannon Ct, Longrow West, Nottingham NG1 6JE
http://www.alleycafe.co.uk/
The Alley Cafe is the cities long standing vegan bar. They have a range of gluten free snacks such as GF vegan burgers and cakes. Good for a chilled out drink with friends too.
Hartley’s Coffee & Sandwich Bar
21 Carlton Street, Hockley, Nottingham. NG1 1NL
http://www.hartleyscoffeebar.co.uk/menu–blog.html
Hartley’s is a family run business in the heart of the city, open daily they offer gluten, egg and dairy free options on their menus. Dawn the owner is gluten, egg and dairy free, her and husband Kevin train all the staff in preparing the food safely. Great for sandwiches, a slice of cake or an all day breakfast with GF sausages.
Nando’s
12 Angel Row, Nottingham NG1 6HL
http://www.nandos.co.uk/restaurantmenu/mains
Chain restaurant Nando’s has one of the best system I have discovered so far for serving customers with allergies and intolerances. Go in and tell them you are Coeliac and they will provide you with a menu that has every food that they sell and the ingredients and allergens for each of them. Go to Nando’s if you want chicken and fries or a vegetarian option.
D’s Pop Up Kitchen
https://www.facebook.com/dspopupkitchen?fref=ts
Dena makes beautiful vegan food that is gluten and wheat free too. Search her on Facebook to find where her next event will be.
Green Revolution
Vegan Takeaway service – call 44(0)7974 507 097
https://www.facebook.com/vegan.greenrevolution?fref=ts
The fantastic Hanna Garcez provides a vegan and raw food takeaway service direct to your door. With advance warning she can cater for multiple intolerances. Not least my demands for Gluten Free, Oat Free and Maize Free food.
Rectory Road Fish Bar
Rectory Road, West Bridgford. NG2
https://www.facebook.com/RectoryFishBar?fref=ts
Every Monday evening until 8.30pm Rectory Road Chippy offers Gluten Free fish and chips. Also try out the mushy peas, the homemade fishcakes and the battered sausages too.
Oriental Pearl
42-44 Bridgford Rd, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 6AP
http://www.the-pearl.co.uk/
This is a stylish Chinese Restaurant that uses locally sourced produce and has a separate gluten free menu.
Carluccio’s
12 Low Pavement, Nottingham NG1 7DL
http://www.carluccios.com/
Chain restaturant serving beautiful Italian food. A good selection for GF
Find my gluten free cakes in the following places:
Deli No. 8 – 8 Gordon Road, West Bridgford,Nottingham. NG2 5LN
Cafe 118 – 118 Burton Road, Carlton. Nottingham. NG4 3GP
Taste – Clumber Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. NG2 6DP
The Ned Ludd – 27 Friar Lane, Nottingham. NG1 6DA
Hartley’s – 21 Carlton Street, Hockley, Nottingham. NG1 1NL
Eats n Treats – 43 Nottingham Road, Eastwood, Nottingham. NG16 2DH
The Deli @ Radcliffe – 29 Station Terrace, Radcliffe on Trent, Nottinghamshire. NG12 2AH