7/28/2005

No Wheat? No Pizza? No Fair!

Mom Can Help Child Fit in with a Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Pizza

DENVER, CO: Imagine the disappointment if your child can’t attend a pizza party because pizza makes him sick. Yet, this scenario is increasingly common as more and more children react to wheat, pizza’s main ingredient.

Most of us are aware that children can be allergic to a particular food such as wheat, but many of us are unaware of an autoimmune condition called celiac disease where wheat is also the culprit. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced that celiac disease is 10 times more common than previously estimated. It currently affects nearly 3 million Americans and is the most common genetically transmitted condition in the United States.

Celiac children cannot eat wheat because a protein called gluten prevents the absorption of nutrients from food. Typical symptoms include chronic diarrhea and bloating, yet 65 percent of celiac children don’t exhibit these symptoms. Failure to absorb nutrients can lead to small stature, failure to thrive, and malnutrition in children. Untreated, it can result in anemia, osteoporosis, cancer and ultimately, death.

There is no pill, vaccine, or surgery to cure celiac disease. The only treatment is a gluten-free diet for life, which would ordinarily rule out many all-American kid foods like pizza (and cookies, brownies, or macaroni and cheese, for that matter). Most kids just want to fit in with their friends, yet this special diet can set them apart.

The good news is that pizza can be made without wheat, as the following recipe shows, and your child doesn’t have to miss any pizza parties due to diet. It makes one 12-inch pizza or two 6-inch pizzas. You can make the crust ahead of time, bake it for the first 10 minutes and then cool it thoroughly. Wrapped tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil, it can be frozen for up to three months. At the next pizza party, add toppings that are safe for your child’s diet. You will have a happy child who can enjoy pizza along with everyone else and whose diet allows eating differently without seeming different.

Carol Fenster’s Pizza Crust & Pizza Sauce

Reprinted with permission from Gluten-Free 101 by Carol Fenster, Ph.D.

ISBN 1889374083 (©Savory Palate Press, 2004)   (800) 741-5418   www.savorypalate.com)

Pizza Crust

1  tablespoon active dry yeast

3/4  cup warm milk (110º) or non-dairy liquid

1/2  teaspoon sugar

2/3  cup brown rice flour* or garbanzo/fava bean flour*

1/2  cup tapioca flour

2  teaspoons xanthan gum*

1/2  teaspoon salt

1  teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder (Knox)

1  teaspoon Italian seasoning

1  teaspoon olive oil

1  teaspoon cider vinegar

Extra rice flour for sprinkling

*Available at health food stores.

Pizza Sauce

8  ounces tomato sauce 

2  teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/4  teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4  teaspoon garlic powder

2  teaspoons sugar

1/2  teaspoon salt

Toppings of your choice

Pizza Sauce

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, while Pizza Crust is being assembled. Makes 1 cup.

Pizza Crust

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. In small bowl, combine yeast, warm milk, and sugar and let foam for 5 minutes.

2. In food processor fitted with knife blade, blend the yeast mixture with remaining ingredients (flour through vinegar) until thoroughly mixed. Dough will be much softer than regular pizza dough.

3. Put pizza dough on greased 12-inch pizza pan. Liberally sprinkle rice flour on dough, then press dough into pan, continuing to sprinkle dough with flour to prevent sticking to hands. Make edges thicker to hold toppings.

4. Bake pizza crust 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread Pizza Crust with sauce and add preferred toppings. Bake another 20-25 minutes or until top is nicely browned. Serves 6 (1 slice each in 12-inch pizza). Serves 2 (two slices each in 6-inch pizza).

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Carol Fenster, Ph.D., author of the cookbook Gluten-Free 101 and the newly released Cooking Free, is a gluten-free chef who wants all children to be able to enjoy pizza. For a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to make pizza, go to http://www.SavoryPalate.com/pizza101.aspx She develops gluten-free products for manufacturers and can be reached at Savory Palate, Inc., 8174 South Holly, #404, Centennial, CO 80122  (800) 741 5418.

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