Watch your wheat (+recipes)

The prevalence of soy lattes, peanut bans in schools and artificially sweetened "health" drinks can send a foodie intolerant of intolerances.

In contrast to gluten intolerance, coeliac disease is a condition that can have serious consequences. This is not the place to explore them, suffice to say early diagnosis and treatment with a strict, lifelong gluten free diet can prevent and even reverse symptoms.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and - the jury's still out - possibly oats. Many processed foods contain unseen sources of gluten.

In recent years there has been a proliferation of gluten-free products: traditionally wheat-based staples like bread, cookies, cakes and pasta. And now we're seeing some things badged "Gluten-free" that never were - corn, rice and potato products - possibly as a result of people confusing gluten with starch or carbohydrate?

Many of the gluten-free substitutes are excellent, but come at a high price. Others have that phony "lentil cutlet" feel. So for coeliacs or anyone wanting a healthier digestive system, it's worth remembering how much great food is gluten-free and simply enjoying it for what it is.

Rice has satisfying bulk. Risottos, pilafs, steamed and fried. Keep a store of nutty brown rice, majestic Carmague, fragrant jasmine and fine Arborio for infinite variety.

Rice noodles, from strands of cellophane-like vermicelli to the thick, flat variants common across Asian cuisines are quick to prepare, versatile and nourishing.

Thinking bread and cheese, bread and dips, bread and pate? Think crudites! Serve cheeses with celery sticks and sliced pear. Hummus with crisp red pepper and radishes. Pate with carrot sticks and mushrooms.
Wet polenta - a golden porridge of corn meal - is underutilised in this country as a base for stews and sauces. Assemble burgers on a slice of set, grilled polenta. Use coarse polenta to prepare meat and vegetable dishes ordinarily based on couscous or tabouleh, both of which are wheat-based (baddaz in Morocco).

Pulses such as chickpeas are a healthy source of carbohydrates and another fine substitute for pasta under a meaty ragout. They fry up into delicious patties like falafel. Their flours make the wonderful batters common in Indian cookery, as well as the Ligurian Italian pancake farinata.

And is anything as versatile as the potato? Fried in an omelette, who needs toast? Slice thin and layer with meat sauce and cheeses a la lasagne. Mash and bake to a golden crust on top of chicken pie filling.
Given the Coeliac Society's focus on children this year, let's think about lunchboxes. Bake quiche fillings in muffin tins with cooked rice in the bottom instead of pastry. Wrap sandwich fillings in corn tortillas. Get organised the night before: a tub of Waldorf salad (remember the fork!) and some potato crisps for carbs. A pot of tuna mayo' and corn chips for dipping. And a few squares of chocolate to say, "well done I know that sometimes it isn't easy".

RECIPES

Fish 'n' vegetable chips
All good feijoa nut crumble
Cheesy mushroomy polenta


* Anthony Joseph is a chef at Nosh food stores. noshgourmet.co.nz.