Thank goodness, in the 5 years since Portland author Laura B. Russell (The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen, Celestial Arts, 2011) has gone gluten-free, there has been constant improvement in the quality and availability of gluten-free options.

Gluten-free eaters largely didn’t exist 25 years ago, yet today there are an estimated three million Americans who have been diagnosed with Celiac disease, wheat allergies, and severe gluten insensitivities.

One reason for the gluten-free trend is an increase in the number of food sensitivities due to “tinkering” with our food system, Russell says. “When you mess with the inherent protein structure of wheat (or corn or soy), essentially changing its original genetic makeup, you run the risk of eventually having large numbers of people whose bodies don’t recognize these as fully digestible foods. Given the concurrent trend of foods made from genetically modified plants and animals, it seems the only direction for food sensitivities to travel is up.”

Try Laura’s recipe for  Red curry soup with chicken and rice noodles.

Some of Russell’s favorite places for gluten-free dining in the Pacific Northwest:

Jade Bistro Teahouse & Patisserie
7912 SE 13th Ave.,
Portland, OR
503-477-8985
www.jadeportland.com

Crave Bake Shop
460 5th St.,
Lake Oswego, OR
503-212-2979, www.cravebakeshop.com

Portage Bay Café
3 locations in Seattle
www.portagebaycafe.com

Andina
1314 NW Glisan,
Portland, OR
503-228-9535, www.andinarestaurant.com

Gluten-Free Markets

Lingonberries Market
6300 NE 117th Ave., Vancouver, WA
360-260-4411
www.lingonberriesmarket.com

G.F. Joe’s Market
5739 Littlerock Road SW
Tumwater, WA

From the March/April 2012 issue of Northwest Palate magazine