It’s in the mainstream women’s magazines and has hit all of thedaytime talk shows.

Gluten makes cakes fluffy and holds bread dough together, but asmuch as 30 percent of the population may have sensitivity to it,and one in 100 Americans may have celiac disease, the autoimmunedisease that damages the intestine (Better Homes and Gardens, July2010).

The only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet,which can be troubling when one considers that gluten is not onlyin wheat, barley, and rye, but also nearly every baked good, loafof bread, hamburger bun, beer, soy sauce, some salad dressings anda host of processed food products.

Borrowed from several different sources, here are just a fewvery basic things to know about cooking for celiacs.

*If you have a loved one or close friend who is celiac, it maybe worth it to purchase a couple of pieces of new cookware and useit only to prepare their food. many celiacs will not eat out ofcookware that may have been exposed to gluten, nor in restaurantsthat cannot guarantee the same. If you’re not able to do that butstill want to cook for them, you might consider asking them tobring their own cookware.

*Concentrate on what celiacs can eat: Rice, maize, potatoes, allkinds of vegetables and fruit, eggs, cheese, milk, meat and fish,nuts, seeds, beans as long as they are not cooked with wheat flour,batter, breadcrumbs or sauces, wine, any food specifically labelledas gluten-free. source: celiactravel.com

*These foods can make a celiac ill: Any food that containsflours or grains of wheat, rye, barley and oats, including speltflour; marinades, sauces, mayonnaise, pickles, gravy mix; pasta andcouscous; batter, breadcrumbs, pastry; soy sauce and mono-sodiumglutamate (MSG); stock or bouillon; modified starch; malt or maltflavoring (common ingredient in breakfast cereals) and maltvinegar; any ingredient listed as a “natural flavoring;” processedmeat or seafood; beer, grain-based spirits.

There is a large list of forbidden ingredients (e.g. dextrin andmalto-dextrin, citric acid), which generally are found in processedand prepared food and are sometimes made using wheat. as a simplerule, processed and prepared foods are not allowed unlessspecifically marked as gluten free.

source: celiactravel.com

There are numerous cookbooks out these days to help celiacs andtheir friends and family retain the joy of cooking without becomingill.

Here are some basic recipes you might be able to try: and thefinal disclaimer — a home cook is writing this. Please check withthe celiac for whom are you cooking before serving these.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/4 cup fresh rosemary, minced

1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic,rosemary and salt

2. Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry and place in an 7 x 11 inchpyrex baking dish

3. Pour marinade over chicken, cover and refrigerate for atleast 30 minutes or up to 6 hours

4. Heat grill and cook chicken for 5-7 minutes per side untilbrowned and cooked in the center

(Recipe courtesy of Elana Amsterdam, author of “The Gluten FreeAlmond Flour Cookbook”)

Flourless Chocolate Torte

1 pound semisweet chocolate chips

1-1/4 sticks unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon Chambord (raspberry liqueur)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. using an 8-inch cake pan, butterand line bottom with parchment paper and butter paper. In a bowlover simmering water, melt chocolate and butter together. Whilechocolate is melting, whip egg whites and cream of tartar to stiffpeaks but not over whipped and dry in appearance. When peaks form,add sugar.

When chocolate is melted, allow to cool for a few minutes thenadd egg yolks and Chambord. Gently fold in egg whites. When fullycombined, place batter in buttered and papered pan. using the waterin the double boiler, place cake pan in a larger pan and fill withwater until it is halfway up the sides of the cake pan.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until a crust is formed on thetop. the cake will not be set. allow to cool to room temperature.place in cooler overnight or until cake firms up and is cold.

Run a hot knife around the sides of the pan. place pan in asmall amount of hot water briefly, then invert onto a serving platemaking sure to gently remove paper. Garnish with fresh raspberriesand raspberry coulis.

1 (10 ounces) package frozen raspberries, thawed

2 tablespoons Chambord

Combine ingredients and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Forcemixture through sieve to remove seeds. Serve cold with yourfavorite chocolate dessert, ice cream, lemonade, or in yourfavorite cocktail. this can also be made with strawberries,blackberries, or blueberries using the same proportions.

(Recipe courtesy of Matt K. Stottlemyer, executive chef, thePaisley Shawl, Glenrock, in “Eatin’ with Sal,” Star-TribuneCommunications, 2008) 

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread with Dried Cherries and SunflowerSeeds

60 grams oat flour (make sure it’s certified gf)

60 grams superfine brown rice flour

240 grams sweet rice flour

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs, at room temperature, beaten

3 cups fresh-grated zucchini

2/3 cup (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Preparing to bake. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease 2 5-by-9 loafpans or one larger pan.

Mixing the dry ingredients. Sift the teff flour, oat flour,superfine brown rice flour, and sweet rice flour into a large bowl.Mix in the guar gum, xanthan gum, the cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Setaside.

Making the batter. Combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in alarge bowl. Add the grated zucchini and melted butter. Stir,gently. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the top of themixture, then gently stir them in. Add the flour combination to themix, 1/3 at a time, stirring after each addition. Add the driedcherries and sunflower seeds and stir until they are combined.

Baking the bread. Slide the loaf pans into the oven. Bake thezucchini bread until the tops are browned and a toothpick insertedinto the middle comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes, dependingon your oven. allow the bread to cool for 20 minutes, then turn thepans over and gently release the breads onto a waiting coolingrack.

Makes 2 small loaves or 1 large loaf of zucchini bread.

(Recipe adapted from “Simply Recipes” by Shauna James Ahern,blogger and co-author of “Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef”)

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks

1 cup seedless red grapes

2 medium bananas, sliced

2 medium oranges, sectioned

1 medium grapefruit, sectioned

1 pint strawberries, sliced

2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

In a medium saucepan, combine the first six ingredients; bringto a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for five minutes. Removefrom the heat; cool completely. Meanwhile, layer fruit in a glassserving bowl. Remove cinnamon stick from the sauce; pour sauce overfruit. Cover and chill for several hours. Yield: 8 servings.

(Recipe courtesy of “Taste of Home’s Low-Fat Country Cooking,”Reiman Publications)

1 cup Flour Blend (recipe follows)

1/2 cup cocoa (not Dutch)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup warm (110-degree) water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8-inch square nonstick pan. Stirtogether flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum.

In large mixing bowl, beat the butter (room temperature) andsugars with electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Addegg and vanilla; beat until well combined.

With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients and warm water. Mixuntil just blended. Gently stir in chocolate chips and nuts (seebelow).

Spread batter in prepared pan and bake 20 minutes or untiltoothpick inserted in center comes out clean. cool brownies beforecutting. Serves 12.

Double Chocolate Nut Brownies: Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips (orchopped bittersweet chocolate squares) and 1/2 cup chopped walnutsor pecans. Bake as directed.

Carol’s Gluten-Free Sorghum Flour Blend

1-1/2 cups sorghum flour

1-1/2 cups potato starch or cornstarch

1/2 cup corn flour or almond flour or bean flour or chestnutflour

Makes 4 to 5 cups.

(Recipes courtesy of “Gluten-Free 101 — Easy, Basic Disheswithout Wheat,” Carol Fenster, Ph.D.)

1/4 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup sliced celery

1 8-ounce can V8 juice

1/2 cup chopped cabbage

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Brown beef in pot and drain fat. In same pot, add all otheringredients and simmer until vegetables are tender. Makes 4servings.

(Recipe courtesy of “The Gluten-Free Gourmet,” Bette Hagman)

Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons sweet rice flour

1/2 cup cream or nondairy substitute

1 tablespoon minced parsley

Salt to taste

Simmer chicken stock, celery, and chicken until celery istender.

Melt butter and blend in the sweet rice flour, adding a smallamount of the chicken stock. Stir this mixture into the simmeringstock.

Heat the cream (or nondairy substitute) and add this plus theseasonings. let cook for a short while. Do not boil after addingthe cream. Makes about 5 cups soup. May eat as is or freeze in1-cup portions for recipes that call for cream of chicken soup.

(Recipe courtesy of “The Gluten-Free Gourmet,” Bette Hagman)

Community News editor Sally Ann Shurmur can be reached at (307)266-0520 or . Read Sal’s blog attribtown.trib.com/Sal/blog and follow her on Twitter attwitter.com/WYOSAS