New Books Explore Living (and Eating) With Celiac Disease

Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern share 100 gluten-free recipes in their new cookbook.

A friend of ours discovered she had celiac disease, after years of mistakenly believing she suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. But we didn’t fully understand the implications of the autoimmune disorder that makes it impossible for her to digest gluten, until she stayed with us for a weekend. Knowing that just the smallest bit of gluten would make her joints swell, we were in charge of finding places she could eat without getting sick. Since then, we’ve been more aware of how important it is for those with celiac disease to have access to good resources and information. So we were eager to read two of the latest books about living with celiac disease: Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef (Wiley, 2010) by Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern and Real Life With Celiac Disease (AGA Press, 2010) by Melinda Dennis, R.D., LDN, and Daniel Leffler, M.D.

Before Ahern discovered she had celiac sprue (another name for the same condition) in 2005, she suffered for years, remaining undiagnosed even after CT scans and trips to the emergency room. Because only 5 percent of those with celiac have been diagnosed, she says, “I’m one of the lucky ones.” Wanting to reach out to others and share her story, she started a blog and penned a memoir of the same name, Gluten-Free Girl (Wiley, 2007).

Her latest work is not only a cookbook with 100 gluten-free recipes, but it’s also subtitled “a love story.” The book chronicles her life with husband Daniel Ahern, a chef at The Hardware Store in Washington state, and their shared love of food. Recipes include pumpkin soup, smoked duck breast ravioli, roasted chicken with apricot-corn relish and cilantro sauce — and even crusty bread. “Told I should never eat gluten again if I wanted to save my life, I vowed to taste everything I could eat, rather than focusing on what I could not,” Ahern says.

For the undiagnosed 95 percent, Real Life With Celiac Disease seeks to raise awareness. Dennis, who was diagnosed with celiac disease 20 years ago, and Leffler, founding member of the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston — as well as 50 additional experts — show readers how to adjust to gluten-free living — and thrive. The book is divided into three sections, with the first providing an understanding of the disease, while the second explores gluten-free living. The third deals with overcoming obstacles, including celiac-related diseases and complications and a chapter on cancer risks. There’s also a handy list of resources.

Both books emphasize that there’s life without wheat (and rye, barley, triticale, spelt, kamut and farro). “I wanted to eat,” Ahern says. “I didn’t want to nibble on beige food for the rest of my life.” Below is one of the Aherns’ tasty gluten-free recipes.

Roast Turkey Breast With Kiwi Salsa

For kiwi salsa:

10 kiwis, peeled and medium diced

2 navel oranges, cut into segments

2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded

½ cup sliced green onions

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 bell pepper, medium diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, finely diced

2 tablespoons brown-rice vinegar

1 tablespoon each kosher salt and cracked black pepper

For roast turkey breast:

One 3- to 4-pound turkey breast, skin on, bone in

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Making the salsa: Combine all the salsa ingredients in a large bowl and stir. Remove a quarter of the mixture and purée it briefly in a food processor. Add the puréed part back into the salsa and stir. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Preparing to roast the turkey: Heat the oven to 500° F. Meanwhile, place the turkey, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Season the breast with salt and pepper. Slather the turkey breast with the oil, rubbing it with your hands.

Roasting the turkey: Slide the roasting pan into the oven. Let the turkey roast until the skin gets a little crisp, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 375° F. Roast the turkey breast until the internal temperature reaches about 155° F, about 40 minutes. Take the turkey breast out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. To serve, carve up the turkey breast and place several slices of turkey on each plate. Top it with a generous spoonful of the kiwi salsa.

Serves 4

NUTRITION SCORE (per serving)

478 calories

17% fat

Fat 9 g

Carbs 20 g

Protein 76 g

Fiber 4.5 g

Calcium 90 mg

Iron 4.7 mg

Sodium 557 mg

We think these two books are must-reads for those who can’t digest gluten. What resources do you suggest for those living with celiac disease?