What challenges are we facing this Thanksgiving? Where do we start?! Ann Kelly trying not to make too big a list, but for those who have to make sure that their dinner is not only tasty, but safe for all to eat can be especially tough. We’re not talking about food that’s cooked properly; we’re talking about those who have to deal with special dietary needs. Carol Kicinski has been a guest in Kelly’s Kitchen before to tell us what changes she faced when she was diagnosed as gluten-intolerant. The one thing that we did agree on then, and still do, is that gluten-free does not mean taste-free. And that's especially true when it comes to the dinner table over the holidays if you’re making the adjustment to a gluten free diet.

   So what do you do on that first shopping trip? There are some things to keep an eye out for; the Celiac Sprue Association has a gluten-free mark to look for. The same is true for The Gluten-Free Certification Organization, a well as Organic Certifier QAI and the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. I want to thank the fine folks at Nature’s Food Patch on Cleveland Street in Clearwater for pointing those out to me. They have the latest issue of Delicious Living in the store you can pick up for free with more information. I happen to love their salad bar!

   Carol’s first book Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is a tremendous resource for information and over 150 recipes, but there’s another on the way for easy entertaining. We’ll make sure to talk with Carol again when the new book comes out, as we all learn more about what it means to reduce the gluten in our diets. But the Desserts cookbook would be a nice gift for anyone to add to their collection. 

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. -Buddy the Elf (2003 film)