Gluten Free Eating

Halloween is two and a half weeks away. If you have celiac disease or you cook for someone who does, the candy bowl needs a plan before the trick-or-treaters show up. Most candy is a gray area. Some bars are fine one year and risky the next. The label rules for candy are not the same as the rules for bread or pasta, and the fine print matters more here than almost anywhere else in the grocery store. Here is how I sort through it. The formula you remember can change Candy companies change recipes and suppliers without announcing it. A bar that was safe last Halloween can carry a new "may contain wheat" warning this year, or the other way around. I check the label every October, even on brands I bought last year. The ingredient list is the only thing that counts. "Wheat" is a required allergen on US labels, so it will show up in the contains statement or the ingredients. Barley and rye are not top allergens, so they can hide under words like "malt flavo...

Taco night feels like the safest dinner on a gluten-free menu. Corn tortillas, grilled meat, fresh toppings. Nothing about that needs wheat. And yet tacos are one of the places cross-contact hides most easily, especially if you are cooking for someone with celiac. Start with the tortillas. "Corn tortillas" on the package does not always mean 100% corn. Some brands blend in wheat flour for softness, and others run corn tortillas on shared lines with flour ones. For a celiac-safe table, buy tortillas labeled certified gluten-free and skip the bulk bin. Then check the marinade. Al pastor marinade is built on dried chiles, achiote, vinegar, and spices, all naturally gluten-free. The risk is the shortcut ingredients people add: a splash of beer for depth, regular soy sauce in the mix, or a pre-made achiote paste thickened with wheat flour. Read every label, or build the marinade from whole spices so there is nothing to hide. The grill is the third risk. At home, grates carry re...