Parents Want To Cook For Me

[K8ling]

Okay guys, I am going to need some input on this. My parents own a successful restaurant and catering business. They are coming to visit this weekend for the kid's birthday. My mom said that they will plan a gluten-free menu and cook for me.

I haven't let ANYONE cook for me aside from my husband and fellow Celiacs. This is literally making me break out in a cold sweat. I figured I would just hover and supervise, checking ingredients?

AUGH like my day wasn't stressful enough...

[Dixiebell]

Can you go shopping with them to make sure they purchase gluten-free ingredients? Or get them to e-mail you a list of their ingredients?

[kareng]

If they cook in your kitchen with your tools, it will probably be OK. If they want to make some gluten-free and some regular, that doesn't work so well. Everyone gets gluten-free pasta. No bread unless its gluten-free cornbread. This will work well this way. I know, I have tried to make 2 kind of pasta at once. No matter how hard you concentrate, its really hard to keep everything apart.

Ask them to bring you some gluten-free beer to try. I know you said they don't have it where you live.

[Jestgar]

Can you make this a positive for both of you? "Oh wow! I'm so glad you want to do this! I'll be there with you and tell you all the things that super sensitive Celiac people will ask you about so you'll know how to handle it in your restaurant. I hang out on this great forum and you wouldn't believe the things some people have had to deal with!"

[jerseyangel]

Yeah, I think if you go shopping with them and they make the food in your kitchen with your tools you should be fine and your parents will come out of this knowing first hand how to cook for you

[ravenwoodglass]

I think that is fantastic as long as it is happening at your home. What a great opportunity to educate people in the food business. Have a great time and maybe you will be able to go to the restaurant and get surprised by a gluten free menu in the not to distant future.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Are your parents generally supportive of your decision to eat glutne free or have they given you a hard time? As long as they are really supportive and you don't suspect they would try to "test" you by slipping some gluten in I say let them cook for you. Maybe you could just hover and act very interested in the ingredients/recipes so you can make it all later on your own. But beyond that, I think you should let them do all the work and enjoy the break from cooking.

[GFinDC]

They might be interested in the GFRAP program too. The GIG has the GFRAP program to train and certify restaurants to make/serve gluten-free food. I have no idea what the cost it for it.

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[Marilyn R]

Never underestimate the love of your mother, (unless of course, she's proven herself otherwise).

My 87 y.o. Mom consulted a dietician about my food issues and told me about it after she did so!

She knows about all of your food intolerances, right?

You could make an hors d'oeurve of flaked tuna or chopped shrimp or salmon with chopped celery, grated carrot, chopped scallions, safe mayo, hb egg, spinach, cucumber... go crazy chopping while she's cooking so you can watch what's going on in the galley.

You can serve your dip with Fritos Scoops or other corn chips, or make it a salad by putting a scoop over a few greens and serving with balsamic vinegar & olive oil.

If you decide to just have the appetizer you made yourself, maybe the baby will have to go to bed or be fed or something suddenly comes up.

Maybe you can set a reminder on your calendar on your cell phone to alarm you with a ring tone right around the time you're going to have to decide to eat somebody else's cooking. That could be a very important call if you had to duck out of the dining.

[i-geek]

What Marilyn said. Don't underestimate your parents. My mom scrutinizes all labels, calls me from the store to make sure I can or can't have something, opens new containers of margarine or butter when cooking for me, makes sure that my dad grills my food on foil, etc. It's one of the few places other than my own kitchen where I know I won't get sick.

Plus- like others said, this is an awesome opportunity to educate people in the restaurant biz.

[K8ling]

Yeah I want to help them cook..my biggest concern is I am very sensitive so I don't want my mom to feel bad if I get glutened by missing a label or something. You ARE right though, what a GREAT way to educate the restaurant business! I'll take one for the team LOL

[kareng]

Yeah I want to help them cook..my biggest concern is I am very sensitive so I don't want my mom to feel bad if I get glutened by missing a label or something. You ARE right though, what a GREAT way to educate the restaurant business! I'll take one for the team LOL

Did you ask them for the beer? Let's get to the important stuff!

(if they don't like you drinking, tell them its for making chili)

[K8ling]

Beer, I need to call and ask today. Also, I need to ask for some wine. Who am I kidding, if Ican't eat the food I'll just drink beer all weekend anyway HAHA (kidding- sort of)

[jerseyangel]

Beer, I need to call and ask today. Also, I need to ask for some wine. Who am I kidding, if Ican't eat the food I'll just drink beer all weekend anyway HAHA (kidding- sort of)

Hey--sounds like a good "plan B"

[Marilyn R]

Hope you let us know how it went... inquiring minds want to know. (It was better when they walked out the door to go home, right?!

Hope it all went well,

xo

m

[kareng]

Whisper voice: K8! K8! Can you sneak away and tell us how it's going?

[K8ling]

Well they ended not coming this weekend (my mom has the flu- booooo! ) but they ARE coming next weekend. My dad asked about food and I had to explain the vinegar, beer, and cross contamination I am going to take them to the store and teach them how to read labels and whatnot so I don't have to be so paranoid.

I am glad they want to learn though!!

[kareng]

Well they ended not coming this weekend (my mom has the flu- booooo! ) but they ARE coming next weekend. My dad asked about food and I had to explain the vinegar, beer, and cross contamination I am going to take them to the store and teach them how to read labels and whatnot so I don't have to be so paranoid.

I am glad they want to learn though!!

Do you have a problem with vinegar? Only malt vinegar is made with barley. A lot of it is made from wine or apples.

Your parents sound like they listen. You will be fine.

[Lexi]

I have had celiac disease for about 4 years now. I also have a lot of other food allergies. Still to this day, I totally freak out when anyone offers to cook for me. It doesn't happen very often, so I normally just try to grin and bear it, and hope everyhting goes ok. But, it causes me great anxiety, and I usually end up not feeling good. A lot of my family know I can't have wheat/gluten, but they all think I'm NUTS when I tell them I can't have dairy, soy, nuts, and egg as well. It's like they don't believe it, so they use them in the foods they cook for me anyway. It's like, why would I make this up?????? Nobody would eat like this if they didn't have to!!!!!!!!!! I just want to feel good - why can't people understand??????? Good Luck!