Culinology - May/June 2011 - (Page 8)

GLUTEN FREE Susan Malovany editor@sosland.com At Maggiano’s, one chef will make a gluten-free dish from beginning to end. Specialized menu management Gluten-free menu items challenge chefs and kitchen managers mposing 11-ft.-tall stone horses grace the entrance to many P.F. Chang’s China Bistro restaurants. The horses symbolize the original Forbidden City in China, which was built for the country’s first emperor. For an increasing number of restaurant patrons with Celiac disease, appetizers and meals that contain gluten are forbidden. That is a major reason P.F. Chang’s, headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., developed more than 25 gluten-free menu items at its 200 U.S. restaurants and 10 international locations. The chain’s top-selling gluten-free menu items include chicken, Mongolian beef, and chicken lettuce wraps, according to Jim McCurley, a chef at P.F. Chang’s in McLean, Va. CULINOLOGY I MAY/JUNE 2011 I 8I “At P.F. Chang’s, gluten-free menu items continue to be our No. 1 request for our guests with allergy dining needs,” he said. It is easy to see why. According to estimates by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, 1 in 133 — or 3 million Americans — has Celiac disease, which may cause a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. While 5% of these people have been diagnosed, an increasing number of people are being examined for the disease as awareness of the condition spreads. Additionally, some restaurant-goers are avoiding gluten as part of fad diets or a desire to eat what they perceive as more healthful foods. “It seems that there continues to be an increase in the demand for gluten-free items, as there has

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Culinology - May/June 2011

Culinology - May/June 2011
WELCOME - RCA welcomes Sosland Publishing Co. as new CULINOLOGY ® magazine publisher
Fast-casual segment sets the restaurant sales pace
Local, regional claims appearing on more menus
GLUTEN FREE - Specialized menu management
CALORIES - Counting calories
BEEF FLAVOR - Savory infl uence
COST MANAGEMENT - Menu cost management
2011 SHOW SHOTS - RCA Annual Conference & Culinology Expo
UPCOMING EVENTS
N.R.A. WINNERS - ‘And the winners are …’
AD INDEX

Culinology - May/June 2011