Fluff Festival 2009

Once a year, Union Square in Somerville, MA celebrates a hometown first - the invention of marshmallow Fluff. Until this year, I had never been able to attend the What the Fluff? celebration, but as I was one of thousands that poured into Union, Saturday afternoon, I began to realize what I was missing. From high school students making and doling out fluffernutters, to kiddie games involving Fluff containers, even a Fluff baking contest, 2 different stages hosting bands and Fluff + ____ tastings... it was truly an event to behold. Did I mention that there is crowning of a Fluff queen?

Sadly, I didn't get to see the tug-of-war (losers landing in a kiddie pool of fluff). Here are some of my favorite pictures:


Fluff + _____ tastings (rumor had it one of the combos was ketchup, ewww)

Fluff Bowling

Fluff cover fishing - this was right after one tike toppled into the pool!

Pin the "F" on Fluffboy

Fantastic Fluffettes

Fluff baking competition. Yes, you spy correctly, that is Darra Goldstein on the right!

Celiac Diase 4x more common than in 1950s

Science Daily's piece "Celiac Disease Four Times More Common than in 1950s" looks at the Mayo Clinic study which appeared in the July issue of the journal Gastroenterology.

The cool part of this study is that they were able to use over 9,000 blood samples from 1948-1954 and do follow-ups with people 45 years later.

The less awesome part is the increased mortality rates in undiagnosed persons with Celiac Disease. Not seeing the full text, its a little hard to say what is going on, but the fact that so many more people are being diagnosed and it appears that the rate of Celiac Disease, in the US, is growing almost exponentially. While I agree that it would be helpful to provide more wide-spread screening for Celiac Disease - the article makes comparison with testing for high blood pressure or cholesterol - its a bit alarming at the rate of increase. What is going on?

Journal article: "Increased Prevalence and Mortality in Undiagnosed Celiac Disease"

Danielle Crispy Rolls

These are my new favorite snack. Light, crispy and not-too-sweet, Danielle's Crispy Rolls remind me of Pepperidge Farm Pirouettes, but even better. They are made with tapioca and coconut milk, though they don't taste coconutty.

I could eat them on a plane, on a train. I would not eat them with a fox, but I sure could eat a whole box!

Chicken of the Woods

The first time I tried chicken of the woods mushrooms I swore they tasted like grilled cheese. When I saw them at the farmers market I couldn't resist picking up some more. (At $1.25 an ounce, I didn't grab a ton.)

In addition to having interesting flavors - chicken most notably recoginzed over grilled cheese - these fungi retain their bright orange hues even when cooked.


I sauteed mine in brown butter with onions, garlic and salt. I served them over a bed of lettuce with a lemon vinaigrette.


*Not pictured: left over slice of Zings gluten free pizza, which was a great side dish

Farmers Market Dinner

Farmers Markets are one of my most favorite things. Farmers markets in New England in September are the best! Apples are coming into season, the best tomatoes are coming off the vine and corn, oh sweet corn - especially this year - is so good.

After enjoying a few nights of rather rich food, I was thrilled to make some veggies - LOTS OF VEGGIES. I started with a fresh sweet corn (raw, just cut off the cob), heirloom tomato and chive salad topped with just a little olive oil, apple cider vinegar and crunchy Maldon sat.


I also roasted some of the Japanese eggplant, summer squash, wax beans and red onions with a little oil and topped them with more salt.


Dinner was so good and there were oodles of left overs.

For you, a list of Boston area farmers markets and here.

I also grabbed some info on Austin Brothers Family Farm's new meat CSA (also posted on Boston Locavors)

Movie Theater Popcorn

I love movie theater popcorn. I love Dr. Who. The Brattle Theater has combined my loves into a 2-day event: Hooked On Who.

Not every movie theater knows what is on their popcorn, so it is important to ask to make sure its gluten-free. (Sometimes the anti-caking agents in the popcorn salt can contain gluten.)

The Brattle Theater in Cambridge, MA & The Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA both make their popcorn in-house with real butter, and are at the top of my movie theater popcorn list!

Eggs

The first time I had an egg from a farmer's market, I was floored. I had never tasted anything that tasted, well, so intensely eggy. It totally changed what I thought eggs were all about. They are so much more intense in both flavor and color - sometimes the yolks are even orange! I always thought I hated scrambled eggs and omelets, but I think the culprit was just boring eggs.

For those who cannot, or choose not to, eat eggs, Cory Ramey blogged on Bitten last week about subbing in flax seed meal instead.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a word that refers to the proteins gliadin and glutenin, found in certain grains.

What grains contains gluten?*
-wheat (Triticum spp.)
-rye (Secale cereale)
-barley (Hordeum vulgare)
-kamut (Triticum turanicum - also known as T. turgidum subsp. turanicum)
-spelt aka dinkle (Triticum spelta)
-bread wheat (Triticum aestivum)
-bulgur (made from wheat, usually durum wheat - Triticum durum or Triticum turgidum durum)
-semolina (made from durum wheat Triticum durum)
-triticale ( is a hybrid of wheat and rye -Triticosecale)
-emmer wheat aka farro (Triticum dicoccon)

I added the Latin terms because the "tricicum" genus is helpful. Wheat, rye and barley all belong to the taxonomy tribe triticeae; the red flag that indicates GLUTEN IS HERE.

The Oat Exception
Oats, (Avena sativa), do not contain gliadin or glutenin, but many people who are alergic or intollerant of gluten, react to oats. This is because:
1. Oats grown, harvested, stored and processed on/with shared equipment with gluten-containing grains are contaminated.
2. Oats contain different protein structures, avenin, which some persons with Celiac Disease have avenin-reactive mucosal T-cells, which might cause intestinal villi damage. (Some people have a gluten-like reaction to avenin, thus also need also avoid oats in addition to gluten-contianing grains.)

Certified gluten-free oats are available in some specialty food stores and online. Some people tolerate them, others do not.

*For a full list and more common names and products containing gluten, visit celiac.com

New England Celiac Conference

Healthy Villi is co-hosting the first New England Celiac Conference on October 3, 2009, in Marlboro, MA.

PSA - Milkyway, not gluten free

I thought they were, and they used to be, but now they contain malted barley.

Always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS read labels, even when you think you are sure.

(I am going back to cursing the lack of appropriate labeling laws and my own foolishness.)