Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back...And How You Can Too

289 Pages·2007·13.32 MB·English

by  Shauna James Ahern

g l u t e n - f r e e g i r l
HOW I FOUND
THE FOOD THAT
LOVES ME BACK . . .
& HOW YOU CAN, TOO
shauna james ahern
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
g l u t e n - f r e e g i r l

g l u t e n - f r e e g i r l
HOW I FOUND
THE FOOD THAT
LOVES ME BACK . . .
& HOW YOU CAN, TOO
shauna james ahern
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Copyright © 2007 by Shauna James Ahern. All rights reserved
All photographs by Shauna James Ahern except page 253, by Molly Wizenberg
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
Design and composition by Navta Associates, Inc.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans-
mitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record-
ing, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the
1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of
the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to
the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978)
750-8400, fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to
the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax
[phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
The information contained in this book is not intended to serve as a replacement for
professional medical advice. Any use of the information in this book is at the reader’s
discretion. The author and the publisher specifi cally disclaim any and all liability aris-
ing directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained
in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your specifi c
situation.
For general information about our other products and services, please contact our
Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the
United States at [phone] or fax [phone].
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that
appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information
about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.
ISBN: 978-0470-13730-7
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Danny, whose love feeds me.

content s
Acknowledgments ix
1 A Brand-Name Childhood 1
2 On My Own 9
3 The Ten Noble Tastes 23
4 Free to Be You and Me, Gluten-Free 53
5 Vegetarians, Please Avert Your Eyes 83
6 Going Against the Grain 109
7 The Pleasure of Vegetables 135
8 Luscious and Sumptuous Fruit 153
9 Truly Tasting My Life 173
10 Guilty Pleasures 185
11 Feeling Comfortable in the Kitchen 207
12 Life, Gluten-Free 231
Epilogue Yes 253
What Is Gluten and Where Does It Hide? 257
Resources 259
Index 267
vii

ack nowledgment s
You know it’s a good party when everyone is in the kitchen, leaning
against the countertops with wineglasses dangling from fi ngertips,
talking and laughing, hands reaching for another bite of food. There
is nothing I like more than making food for hours, then watching
everyone sigh with pleasure at the fi rst bite.
This party is a particular celebration.
Dear Merida comes up the steps bearing a spiced lentil salad,
ringed with slices of lemon. Sharon—up from Los Angeles for the
weekend—is laughing as she reaches for another homemade potato
chip. Cindy and Gabe, in from New York, talk animatedly in the
corner, their eyes wide. Tita unwraps the casserole she has brought
from Vashon Island, as John stands by her, a little shy with all
these people. Daniel arrives bearing dahlias from his garden, and
Jeff holds two bottles of Washington State wine. Amal is eyeing the
lemon sorbet. Seis and Pia are standing in the living room, talking
with Lisa and Mane, while Reina and King play with my blue exer-
cise ball. Bill and Carol are beaming at their daughter’s photographs
on my wall, while Monica meanders over for more coffee. Molly
brandishes her homemade applesauce with a meringue topping, and
Brandon has brought another skillet he found at Goodwill. Dorothy
made roasted red pepper soup. Paul and Amy brought a platter of
caprese salad: slices of fresh mozzarella, rounds of beefsteak toma-
toes, and basil from the garden. Françoise arrives, and the entire
room lightens with the energy she shepherds in behind her, along
ix