Cooking your gluten-free holiday meals

Food allergies are the bane of every social gathering, but holidays can be downright difficult when attempting to prepare a gluten-free dish or meal that many people can enjoy.

This is where health coach Monica Amsterdam and Chef Gary Townsend can help. The pair is presenting a seminar on "Holiday Meals" on Monday, Nov. 10, 7-9 p.m., in the test kitchen at The Kitchen Guy in Little Falls. The business, located at 25 Amity St., is a kitchen design and installation showroom owned by Townsend.

Eat Healthy the Panini way

I really enjoy (and miss) a hot sandwich with melted cheese and onions. Prior to being diagnosed with celiac disease, cheesesteaks were a regular, but not-too-often part of my diet.

Photo/EatHealthyDeli.com

The panini sandwiches freshly made by the Eat Healthy Deli of Fairfield easily satisfy my craving. The roast beef with onions and cheese I sampled at the recent Gluten Free & Allergen Free Expo were To. Die. For.

Specifically, it was full of flavor, none overwhelming, and the texture was crispy or chewy in all the right places.