The Onion made us giggle with this Gourmet Without Gluten
The Denver Post recently posted an excellent primer on celiac disease and how to deal with it by Ellen Sweets:
For some, being unable to eat fried catfish, macaroni and cheese, pastrami on rye or chicken barley soup borders on truly bad news. For millions of Americans, however, eating those foods is actually dangerous. They are living with celiac (pronounced "SEAL-ee-ack") disease, which means that anything with gluten - wheat, barley, rye or oats - wreaks havoc with the body. Ingesting gluten jump-starts a reaction that causes certain immune system cells to attack the intestine, leaving the gluten-intolerant unable to properly absorb nutrients.
Celiac disease affects about one in every 133 people and has been described as "the most common genetic disease" in the US, so even if you've never heard of it until today chances are pretty good you know someone who suffers from it. If you'd like to find out more about celiac disease, two of the most informative sites on eating for celiac disease sufferers are blogs, CeliacChicks and Gluten-Free Girl.
