Are There Celiacs That Don't Worry About Contaminated Kitchens?

[carecare]

Like...for instance I was reading about people going to parties and as long as the guests were using gluten free items they'd be ok. However, everything I've read states you need to get rid of anything plastic, nonstick cookware, scratched surfaces of other metal kitchen items that you've used gluten in/on. How could you ever go to someone's house that is not gluten free and trust what you are getting is not CC because of their kitchen supplies (nonfood items). I keep thinking about our future...and staying at our family's homes who are not gluten free for weekends or longer to visit. I feel like we'll have to supply pots and pans and cutting boards and all sorts of things in order to be safe. I mean...just to cook an egg we'd have to use our own pans. We stay at Mother in Laws home and she has cooked my husband gluten free items but I know for sure they are not "safe". My husband is not diagnosed...just went gluten-free because of symptoms he had..and has felt sooo much better for 2 yrs now...we've dealt with it...but I don't know, I feel I'll want to keep my boys 100% safe and gluten-free without contamination. My boys and myself are back on gluten for a challenge so that they can get endoscopies in December but after that we will become a 100% gluten free household again. My 12 yr old is counting down the days until he doesn't have to eat gluten again...he's so ready to feel better again.

Anyway, do people actually trust family's homes that aren't gluten free with cooking gluten free items? I can't imagine. Makes planning future trips/vacations quite a challenge.

[kareng]

I have a folding colander, s few cooking utensils, a couple of pans, a couple of the cutting mats. I take those when I travel. Also, toaster bags. Whether you use someone else's pans, etc depends on them. Some people are very clean. they would never measure flour than stick the dirty measuring cup in the sugar. They have aluminum or Caphalon type (not teflon) pans that are so thouroughly scrubbed, they would be fine to use. Then there are the ones that clean enough that no one gets food poisioning but....

I think you would have to take that into consideration. You could bring some frozen prepared foods. If you visit alot, like going to Grandmas every month, maybe you could keep a big plastic bin of your cooking things in the basement.

In answer to the do you trust? The only one I trust is my BIL because he had to cook gluten-free for 3 years of college for a housemate. He understands cc. He gets more picky than I do at home. Usually, I just tell him I will bring my food because its too much trouble for him.

[pricklypear1971]

Ok, this shows my ignorance....what are toaster bags and where do you get them?

[Roda]

I feel alright using my MIL caflon (non teflon) cookware as long as I wash it first. I take along my electric skillet and spatula and can cook so many things it that. A cutting board is a must for me to take alont also. I always take a bin with food ect in so I don't have to be stuck without something. When she makes food I'm in the kitchen with her. I have allowed her to cook and make me basic things like beef stew(she uses cornstarch for me and actually perfers it now), basic veggies, and grilled items(no contamination on her grill) and I've done alright. As for my parent's house, I give my mom a well earned break from cooking. When I get there I clean an area of the couner just so I can prepare food etc. She also has some stainless steel cookware, that with a quick wash I will use. I take the same items there as I do to the inlaws house, so I have access to what I need.

[kareng]

History lesson for you youngins - Toaster bags were first marketed many years ago so college kids could reheat pizza in a toaster (before microwaves - dorms let us have toasters & many dorms had toaster caused fires).

Open Original Shared Link

You can sometimes get these at Health food stores & specialty kitchens shops as well as on-line. Make sure you get this brand or you check that the bags are full bread size (saw some half height ones).

Cutting mats are easier to take on a trip than a cutting board. they are great to use on a counter or picnic table to prepare food, too.

Open Original Shared Link

You can get these anywhere. I got some 2 for $1 at the dollar store.

[sariesue]

For me it depends on who it is cooking. I trust my mother who has some teflon but takes proper percautions with her cookware she does not metal utelsils in the teflon pans and throws them away any scratched teflon pans and since she has gone to culinary school and spend her life cooking and adapting to those with food allergies in the school systems. My both sets of my grandparents only have aluminum pans and have cooked for many years for important special diets. I trust some of what my husband's grandmother cooks depending on what it is. Like gluten free pasta with safe jarred sauce. I trust my husband because my kitchen is almost entirely gluten free, contain only gluten cereal and bread. I do not trust anything made by my inlaws to be completely gluten free. As they are not very in tune with the idea of eating gluten free and exactly what that means. One time she tried to make gluten free breaded chicken. She got gluten-free bread crumbs, however the flour she used was wheat flour. Then she got annoyed when I told her it wasn't safe. She often forgets to check ingredients of prepackaged things. But, I a not extremely sensitive.

[Skylark]

I'm not super-sensitive. I generally feel fine eating food where reasonable care has been taken to avoid high amounts of CC. I think eating one slightly CC'd meal is very different from eating CC'd food constantly (relapse studies support that idea). I don't worry about friends' houses for a single meal, as long as the food is gluten-free. I only remember getting a reaction in the past few years. If I go to stay with a relative for a longer trip, we scrub everything really well and use a plastic cutting board that goes in the dishwasher rather than wood. Karen - I love the idea of bringing a cutting mat. I use those all the time at home!

[GlutenFreeManna]

I take my own large skillet with a lid, cutting board and a knife when I travel. I can make a lot of meals in just the one pan without any special gluten-free items (chili, stir-frys, risotto, etc). I will use the big metal utensils/metal spatualas for cooking the food at my family's house (I just wash them off first to make sure there's no flour on them). I just don't use gluten-free bread much so no need for a toaster. I'll have some cereal, hard boiled eggs or fruit for breakfast. Salads, baked potatos, etc. for lunches. My family makes food on the grill a lot when I'm visiting and I will just have my meat cooked in foil to prevent cc from the grill. I'm pretty involved in the cooking process no matter what we're having and most of the time I end up planning the meals and cooking naturally gluten-free meals for everyone because it's just easier that way. It is a little tedious having to plan and prepare all the food while traveling but it's worth it to stay healthy.

[domesticactivist]

When we are staying with relatives we bring:

- crock pot

- large cast iron skillet

- medium stainless steel pot

- cutting board

- knives, spatula & serving utensils

- napkins

- new sponges

- dishrags

- potholders

For our son who is actually celiac, we also provide his own plate, bowl, and silverware.

We also bring some foods we made ahead at home, so that we don't have to cook everything from scratch at their house. The last trip we took, (spur of the moment due to a death in the family - I have a blog post about it on the site linked from my profile) I actually set up a cooking station on the deck so we wouldn't take over the kitchen.

When we are just sharing a meal or sending kids on a sleepover we make food ahead and bring it in thermoses, mason jars, etc.

[krystynycole]

My mom is great...I trust her whole heartedly. But I think it is a case by case basis. My mom is very supportive of me!

[Darn210]

But I think it is a case by case basis.

Yep!!

In general, I only travel with a small nonstick skillet and spatula and the toaster bags and sometimes a collapsible strainer. The relatives know that I will come and scrub all their stainless steel pots/pans before I use them. I tend to use paper plates as my cutting board. If tupperware looks suspect (you know, some people will reheat in tupperware and get that melted ring . . . makes me shudder to think about cooking in plastic) I save leftovers in ziploc baggies. Now food? That's another story. I bring a ton because I never know what I'm going to find (my Dad lives in a very small town . . . next to other really small towns)