Pack for Gluten-Free Travel
Airport Travel with Gluten-Free Casein-Free Recipes
Don't let celiac or autism dietary restrictions keep you homebound this summer. Create a tasty emergency pack of gluten-free, dairy-free delights and hit the road.
Airports
Airports are bereft of sustenance for a dairy-free celiac, save the occasional basket of coffee-shop bananas, so prepare an “emergency food stash” in both your checked and carry-on luggage.
- Designate one suitcase as "several-lunches-in-a-bag" to tide you over while you search for suitable dining at your destination. Fill it with single-serving organic applesauce, nuts, dried fruit, and organic cornflakes to mix with local fresh fruits found at your destination. Be aware that U.S. security will not allow the applesauce or other liquids on a carry-on bag. Also, investigate food prohibitions at your destination airport as some countries, such as the United States and Chile, will confiscate fresh produce and nuts upon entry. Don’t forget to throw in peanut butter and crackers for the return journey.
- A carry-on bag is a good place to pack more perishable food to eat at the airport, in-flight, and the next day. Bring boiled eggs and a little bag of salt, a pan of homemade, gluten free dairy free "parker house" rolls, and a container filled with your favorite room temperature entree, such as Indian rice with vegetables. Treat yourself and make a bag of Francois Payard's sumptuous, gluten free, dairy free dark chocolate cookies as seen in Oprah's magazine.
- Airlines sometimes offer a gluten-free dinner on long flights so call ahead to inquire and reserve.
On Holiday
- It is often easier to eat gluten-free abroad in places where food is prepared simply and from scratch. Grilled fish and meat are always safe bets. Ask for a dinner prepared "all natural, without spices or sauces" to avoid hidden sources of gluten and be sure to tell the waiter you have "a very strong allergy" to flour and bread. Print these phrases before leaving home in a variety of different languages at celiactravel.com.
- If you will be in a remote location for longer than a week or two, consider investing in a food dehydrater. Annie Jenkins writes in A.T. Journeys in May that her son hiked 2,100 miles down the Appalachian Trail eating meals that had been cooked and dehydrated at home and then mailed to 38 different points for pick-up along the trail.
Gluten Free Dairy Free "Parker House" Rolls
This recipe is adapted from Susan Carmack's wonderful almond flour bread:
- 1 c. brown rice flour
- 1 c. almond flour
- ¾ c. white rice flour
- ¼ c. tapioca flour
- 2 ½ t. xanthan
- 1 t. sea salt
- 2 t. yeast
- 1 ¼ cup warm water
- 2 eggs
- 2 T. olive oil
- 2 T. honey
- 1 t. apple cider vinegar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a round 10“ cake pan with gluten-free shortening.
- Mix the first five dry ingredients.
- Separately, mix the yeast, water, and a teaspoon of sugar and wait a few minutes to see the concoction bubble.
- In a separate bowl, mix the last four ingredients, then add the dry ingredients and the yeast-water mixture. Beat well on high speed for a couple minutes.
- Form “rolls” by dropping dough into pan using a tablespoon or large spoon in a parker-house-roll pattern.
- Bake for just under 30 minutes. These delicious rolls taste and smell like the real thing.
The copyright of the article Pack for Gluten-Free Travel in Culinary Travel is owned by Kathleen Madigan. Permission to republish Pack for Gluten-Free Travel in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
