Gluten Free Trini

Nutritional deficiencies can occur with people suffering from Celiac Disease due to poor absorption and also from a limited gluten-free diet. Wheat, barley and rye provide many important nutrients. Cutting out gluten can reduce some important vitamins and minerals in the diet. There are few gluten-free grain products enriched with the vitamins and minerals that gluten-containing grain products have. People would have to make substitutions in their diet to make up the nutrients. Here is a graphic that I created to show some foods rich in thiamin/vitamin B1. I used the information found from the World's Healthiest Foods website .

I had ordered gluten-free carrot cake cupcakes from Zayas last week. The cupcakes could be dairy-free and also egg-free but I ordered them to be dairy-free and gluten-free. They tasted great. They weren’t oversweet like some other gluten-free products or desserts. It was just right. There were raisins and nuts in them and that added a really nice flavour as well. The texture of the cupcakes was similar to a cupcake made with wheat. It had a nice crumby texture and it wasn’t heavy or dense. The frosting was made with egg-whites and it tasted great as well and it did not have an overpowering sweet taste. Of course, I ate one as soon as I got them and after that I ate two within the same day. I had to use a lot of self-control to eat one per day.

Yesterday, I went to some businesses that sell gluten-free products to hand out flyers and posters for the Gluten Intolerance Group of Port of Spain . I went to Malabar Farms Gourmet Shop , Whole Foods Market , Adam’s Bagels , Cascade Mini Mart , Peppercorns in Ellersie Plaza, Nature’s Discount Nutrition Centre , Petit Gourmet , New Earth Organics Enterprises Ltd , Be Free Foods Organic Grocery , Zayas and Hi-lo West Mall. I would’ve visited some more stores but there were time constraints and my energy level was running low. Let me know if there are any other places that you think should have flyers or posters for the Celiac Awareness Campaign for May. Contact me at gigofportofspain@gmail.com or gluten.free.trini@gmail.com A poster in Malabar Farms Gourmet Shop

Image Source Most of the Celiac Disease Organizations and Research centers recognize May as Celiac Awareness Month! For this month, I’ll try to increase my efforts in educating the public about Celiac Disease, gluten-related disorders and the gluten-free diet. I’ve recently set up the support group with the Gluten Intolerance Group . The Gluten Intolerance Group of Port of Spain ’s goal is to raise the profile of celiac disease in the area, reach people who haven’t been diagnosed and educate the public about the gluten free diet and celiac disease.

I recently formed a support group with the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America for the Port of Spain Area. If you are interested in helping with spreading awareness about Celiac Disease, gluten-related disorders and the gluten free diet, you can contact the group at gigportofspain@gmail.com . Here is a link to the  branch website .

I've been experimenting with the Namaste Food's Perfect Flour Blend to see how a pastry would come out. Since I had an issue with the margarine, I decided to use Grapeseed oil. Next time I try making pastries, I will use the coconut oil. I made something similar to Poptarts and I used Del Mano's Guava Jelly for the filling. I bought the Jelly at the Upmarket . They came out okay-ish. The pastry dough kept falling apart when I was trying to roll out the dough. After I made the tarts, they cracked a bit and the Jelly also leaked from the sides because they weren't sealed properly. The taste was cool, the jelly was awesome but the flour gave the pastry a grainy texture. I got one of my family members to try out one and she liked them but she noticed the grainy texture too. I think the gluten free flours tend to have a different texture from wheat flours so it is something I have to get used to.

On Sunday, I made some Coconut Drops and they came out great. The only new ingredient that I used was the Cookeen Margarine but I’ve been getting some allergic reactions after I ate a lot of them. I’ve reached to the point where my eyes get itchy and swollen 30 minutes after I eat them. My skin has been getting pretty bad as well. I bought the margarine because when I read the ingredients it looked safe enough.  Here is the ingredients list: Vegetable oils, Interesterified Vegetable Oils (Blend: 60% Palm Kernel / 40% Palm Oil), Water, Emulsifier (Vegetable), Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid. I should’ve known better because Blue Band also makes products with dairy. It was a personal experiment so I’ve learned my lesson ^_^. Thank god it wasn’t enough to affect my throat or breathing. Someone commented on my Coconut drops recipe that the margarine is not dairy-free. After eating it for 3 days now I am feeling the ill effects lol. I am not a pro at baking so that was why I w...