The September issue of Bon Appetit has a “Good Health” article entitled “Gluten-Free for All.”  The article discusses the notion that more and more people are realizing that following a gluten-free diet makes everyone feel better, not just those of us with celiac disease or a diagnosed gluten allergy. I’ve been saying this since I went gluten free!  I’m glad to know that the medical world has finally caught up with me.

The Bon Appetit article states, “Devotees say eliminating gluten gives them more energy, fewer aches and pains, and less bloating and depression…after years of skepticism, doctors now think they’re right.”

“Gluten-Free for All” also includes two yummy recipes that I will definitely be making: South Indian Lentil Cakes with Raita and Thai Ginger Chicken Salad.  Yum!

Any of you gluten-eating folks willing to give the gluten-free diet a try for a couple of weeks?  Do it for your health!  I promise, you’ll feel energized and your tummy won’t be so darn temperamental.

My apologies for the delay in writing this post.  I love my subscription to Bon Appetit and usually I devour the material the minute it arrives.  When my January issue arrived, I was wrapped up in my favorite author, Barbara Kingsolver’s, new book, The Lacuna, so I held off on diving into Bon Appetit.  Of course when I was ready to start reading this month’s issue, I couldn’t locate my copy.  Fortunately, David found it yesterday on our coffee table, and I immediately started scouring its contents.  Even though Bon Appetit doesn’t create recipes that are labeled ‘gluten-free,’ they have many recipes that are naturally gluten-free, and the ones that aren’t GF, I simply modify to make gluten free.

To my surprise and excitement, Bon Appetit’s Conscious Cook selected her “Top 3” brands of gluten-free pasta.  While I’m not a huge pasta person in the first place, I will say the editor was smart to select pasta brands that use a combination of flours, such as corn and quinoa, as opposed to just rice.  She selected Riso Bello Spaghetti al Riso, Ancient Harvest Supergrain Quinoa, and Rustichella d’Abruzzo Organic Corn Spaghetti.  Cooking gluten-free pasta can be a little tricky because it gets sticky pretty easily, but I find that good brands don’t taste too different from regular pasta.  Bon Appetit’s attention to gluten-free items is another example of the rising prevalence of celiac and gluten intolerance in the U.S.  This only affirms my belief that you can be a gluten-free foodie.

What gluten-free pasta brand do you prefer?  Do you have a favorite pasta dish?  I enjoy tossing homemade pesto with chicken and pasta.  While fresh basil is not seasonal right now, it makes me excited for warmer weather ahead.  We’re not too far from spring, right?