“In these days of intense heat,” Mendola explains, “the first piece of advice is one that applies to everyone: hydrate a lot. Celiacs might have some doubts about carbonated soft drinks, but the most popular ones do not contain gluten. Beer, on the other hand, is banned because of the barley malt from which it is made; intolerant individuals, however, should not give up the pleasure of an ice-cold beer. In fact, there are many gluten-free versions on the market that now have the same organoleptic properties as beer with gluten, in fact the taste is imparted more by the hops and the processing method than by the barley malt. And you can also buy them in regular supermarkets or specialty stores for gluten-free.”
Gluten-free rice or pasta salads are a fresh and light dish. “Rice is a naturally gluten-free grain,” recalls the founder of CeliachiaFacile, “and therefore has no contraindications. The same goes for corn, which many people add to salads. In the case of pasta, however, it is necessary to choose the gluten-free version as an alternative.” Mendola stresses, however, that some precautions need to be followed, especially if cooking for several people and, perhaps, taking the food to the beach: “If there are both intolerant and non-intolerant people in the group, it is good to cook a gluten-free dish for everyone, so those with celiac disease do not run the risk of eating food that has been contaminated by mistake.”
In summer, then, you cannot give up fish frying: “The risk in this case is the flour you use for the batter,” notes the expert. – Either you use those made from rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, and all those grains or pseudocereals that are gluten-free. Or you can easily find specific gluten-free flour blends on the market that are now, moreover, processed almost as easily as regular ones.” Green light for fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, fish and dairy products.
Another summer must-have is ice cream, for which a few precautions must be followed. “In the case of packaged ones,” Mendola adds, “just avoid ice creams with waffles and cookies and look for the label ‘gluten-free.’ The others usually do not contain gluten, but if there is any doubt it is a good idea to read the ingredients label. For artisanal ice creams, however, the best advice is to ask the staff, especially about the contamination that occurs if the scoop has previously come in contact with cones or brioche containing gluten; in fact, even a crumb from them would cause problems for celiacs. By now, however, artisanal ice cream is considered a product of excellence and ice cream makers not only have excellent preparation, but are the first not to use the same scoop to serve different flavors (those with and without gluten for example), so as not to alter the organoleptic properties. In this way,” concludes the founder of CeliachiaFacile, “the risk of accidental contamination is averted, along with the important expedient of taking the ice cream with a clean scoop and from an unstarted tub.
