Reader Report: Dartmouth, England

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I love it when Gluten-Free Guidebook readers share their travel and dining experiences. The Gluten-Free Guidebook group on Facebook has been a lively spot lately, with exchanges about where to dine in Ibiza, Oahu, and San Francisco, and even where to get a celiac-safe cinnamon sticky bun in Toronto (that would be Bunner’s, which I now know about thanks to Jay Brown). Even better, reader Mike Murphy wrote this report on his visit to Dartmouth last summer. A huge thank-you to Mike!

Mike Murphy’s Report on Dartmouth

“If a man wishes to eat well in England, he should have breakfast three times a day”

Somerset Maugham’s jaundiced advice (he was brought up in France) does not offer much hope to the gluten-tolerant, let alone the celiac. Breakfast is often a sticky time, whether it is the “continental” variety, with those wickedly tempting pastries, or the “full English” kind, gluten-enriched with black pudding and sausage, to say nothing of the toast and fried bread.

Well, if you have any reason to visit Dartmouth (like a son passing out of the Naval academy), look no further than the Churston Court Inn. We had not mentioned anything about my wife’s gluten intolerance when we made the booking; she finds it hard to have it talked about. So we were very happy when the hotel receptionist and management said “No problem – we shall have the executive chef attend to your needs”. Even more so because our appointment at the academy meant we needed a cooked breakfast half an hour before the kitchen officially opened. We were apprehensive after the waitress took our order – 2 full English, one of which adapted to the celiac regime. When it came, it was remarkably complete. Bacon, egg, mushroom, sausage, tomato. Mine had all of the above, plus black pudding, hash browns, and fried bread, of course. We paid the bill (in high season, a very reasonable GBP 70 for one night, including cooked breakfasts), and waited with some trepidation to see whether any problems would reveal that things had gone wrong in the kitchen. Not a sausage, so to speak!

Celiacs attending the passing out lunch at Britannia Royal Naval College should bring their own rations. None of the three main courses, nor either of the two puddings, were suitable. If my wife could have brought herself to eat anything, her lunch would have consisted of plain boiled rice and whipped cream.

Dinner the night before was at (Michelin starred) The New Angel [now Restaurant Angelique]. This restaurant had been recommended on the web as a celiac friendly place. In a way it was. Not in the way of having a menu of dishes specially cooked for celiacs. Not in the way of indicating which of the standard dishes on the menus were gluten-free. We could have the “menu dégustation” at GBP 50 each for the whole table. And the restaurant would prepare a special plate for my wife for each course, without any dangerous ingredients. We had a good bottle of Australian Riesling (perhaps a little overpowered by the sun), and a reasonable bottle of Nebbiolo. And 3 litres of mineral water, with 4 coffees. Total damage: GBP 344. My wife, who is fastidious for the same reasons as Somerset Maugham, thought the food was good, but not superlative.

So, if you don’t mind eating less than your non-celiac sisters or cousins or aunts, Dartmouth is a great place to go. But if you want to eat nearly the same, have breakfast at Churston Court!

Again, many thanks to Mike for sharing this. I’d love to hear from more of you about places you’ve visited, and about gluten-free finds in your own town. You can also share finds via the Facebook group, too.

Ulster County, New York

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At the beginning of July, I had the good luck to spend a few days in a scenic spot a couple of hours north of New York City. New York State’s Ulster County is home to lovely hiking trails, gorgeous waterways — perfect for canoeing — and some truly fine food. I was pleasantly surprised to find how celiac-friendly local businesses are. Here are a few of the gems I visited:

The Big Cheese (402 Main Street, Rosendale, [tel] 845-658-7175): located on Rosendale’s main drag, next to its theater, this eclectic shop has an impressive assortment of cheeses from around the world. It also boasts hot sandwiches, and offers a gluten-free option (as the board on the wall says, “For gluten-free, we usually have corn tortillas available.” There are also fresh-baked goods that change daily — when I was in, there were gluten-free lemon coconut squares. At the back of the store is an eclectic collection of vintage clothing, accessories, books, and art.

The Alternative Baker (407 Main Street, Rosendale, [tel] 845-658-3355): Across the street from The Big Cheese is this sweet bakery, which offers a terrific range of desserts. There are plenty of gluten-free treats (the bakery is aware of potential cross-contamination issues and avoids them), as well as dairy-free and vegan options, and even a few sugar-free goods.

Saunderskill Farms (5100 RT 209, Accord, NY, [tel] 845-626-2676): Situated a ways outside of town, this small market offers a phenomenal array of celiac-safe groceries (from breads and bagels to snacks and frozen dinners). There’s also a fresh-baked gluten-free treat of the day — blueberry muffins, on the day I was there. There’s a wealth of fresh produce, too, plus a gorgeous greenhouse filled with blooming flowers.

The Arbor Bed & Breakfast (44 Mohonk Road, High Falls, NY, [tel] 845-687-9888): for two nights of my stay, I was at this pretty, well-maintained B&B. The owner, Nancy, was happy to whip up a gluten-free omelette for me at breakfast, which I really appreciated.

So, where are you traveling this summer? Let me know if you make any great gluten-free finds!

Sweet Passover

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Passover is a special time of year for celiacs. What other holiday has so many gluten-free treats specifically created for it? Also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Passover generally prohibits the consumption of grains (rice and beans are also on the forbidden list for Ashkenazi Jews). That’s not to say that everything is celiac-safe, since one staple of the regular Passover diet is matzo, an unleavened bread that’s made from wheat. That means anything made with matzo — such as matzo-ball soup, gefilte fish, and any product made with matzo meal — is off limits. But there are many dessert options — which can range from traditional macaroons to raspberry rolls, chocolate-covered marshmallows to fudge brownies, and marble loaf cake to chocolate-chip cookies — that suit the gluten-intolerant.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to find a selection of gluten-free Passover foods at your local grocery store or Costco. You can also order online: Kosher.com will ship orders anywhere in the US. Another option for mail-order delivery is Shabtai Gourmet, a bakery that is entirely gluten-free; they are also dairy- caesin- and soy-free, and their products are certified kosher.

If you need advice and recipes to help you prepare a gluten-free yet traditional Seder, Elana’s Pantry is a great resource. There’s also an extensive list of Passover-appropriate recipes available from Kosher Celiac Cookery; some even feature that gluten-free favorite quinoa, which is actually a berry and not a grain. Nancy Lapid, About.com’s celiac guide, prepared a great list of items to watch for in “The Jewish Holiday of Passover: A Gluten-Free Bonanza.”

Wishing everyone who celebrates the holiday a very sweet Passover!

Allergic Girl: The Book!

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One of the very best things about creating the Gluten-Free Guidebook is that the site has connected me to some wonderful people. A case in point: my friend Sloane Miller, otherwise known as Allergic Girl. She’s a tireless educator and advocate for people with food allergies, and a warm, enthusiastic person both online and in real life. She doesn’t have celiac disease, but she follows a gluten-free diet, so I’ve referred the gluten-intolerant as well as people with food allergies to her site many times. Now I’m referring them to her new book, too. Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well With Food Allergies has just been published by Wiley. Library Journal gave it a starred review, saying:

“The book is divided into three sections: an introduction to food allergies, how to cope with them, and how to find the right doctor; several chapters on relationships with self, family, friends, lovers, and food; and discussions of how to manage dining out and participating in social events and celebrations involving food. Throughout, Miller emphasizes building positive relationships, and she coaches readers to be assertive but also patient with others who may not know how to respond to someone with food allergies… VERDICT As the parent of a child with a severe food allergy, this reviewer found Sloane’s approach both positive and practical. Highly recommended for anyone with food allergies, as well as their families and friends.”

Check out Sloane’s blog, book trailer, and book tour. I interviewed Sloane a while back for an “On the Road With…” feature; a more recent piece about her can be found on CNN.

While on the subject of books, I should mention why I haven’t been blogging much lately. My debut novel, The Damage Done, was published by Tor/Forge in September, and I went on a book tour that took me to eight states and two countries. (I’m grateful for the wonderful reviews the book has received, and the continuing interest in it.) I also wrote a second mystery novel, The Next One to Fall, which is set in Peru and will be published by Tor/Forge in January 2012. Right now, I’m at work on a new novel.

I also want to mention that, next Tuesday, one of my favorite authors, Linda Fairstein, will release her 13th novel, Silent Mercy. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy, and I can promise you it’s excellent. Happy reading!

Fairmont’s Gluten-Free Initiative

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Back in the fall, when I was on the road promoting The Damage Done, I had the good fortune to read at the Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, PA, and to stay at the Fairmont Pittsburgh. The latter is a gorgeous tower of glass and steel that opened last March just a stone’s throw from downtown’s trendy Market Square District and PNC Park. As much as I loved the hotel’s elegant, spare design, the best thing about staying there was hearing the news that Fairmont was very close to announcing a gluten-free initiative that would affect every hotel it owns.

That initiative has just become public: Lifestyle Cuisine Plus, a new menu that is available upon request to guests who have specific diet-dependent conditions. Celiac disease/gluten intolerance is on that list, as are diabetes and heart disease. The menu also guarantees options for macrobiotic, raw and vegan diets.

Here’s how Fairmont describes it in the company’s official release:

Fairmont chefs have been trained to prepare a vast array of special dietary and allergy-specific meals and are equipped with Nutritionist Pro™ by Axxya Systems (www.axxya.com), cutting-edge recipe analysis software to help customize entrees and menus to fit with guests’ requests for caloric and nutritional requirements.  Utilizing nutrient-rich ingredients, clean cooking methods and local food products, diners at Fairmont, whether in a restaurant, bar, banquet or in- room, can be sure dishes are wholesome, balanced and full of taste.
A typical Fairmont Lifestyle Cuisine Plus menu includes a selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts to address diabetes, heart healthy, vegan, raw, macrobiotic and gluten-free diets and will contribute to guests’ well-being, vitality and energy. Guests with specific food allergies and sensitivities are invited to have a direct conversation with the chef in order to plan their food options during their stay.
While the same nutritional parameters guide Fairmont chefs across the globe, actual menu offerings reflect the distinctive style and unique food products of each destination.  A sampling includes Baked Tofu with Bean Noodles (gluten free – Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa); Arame with Sunflower Seeds, Chives and Mustard (macrobiotic – Fairmont Beijing); Zucchini, Carrot, Portobello and Cashew Butter Pave (raw – Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club); Cornish Crab Cake and Marinated Cucumber & Grapefruit Salad with Homemade Aioli (gluten free – Fairmont Bab Al Bahr); Chilled Pea Soup with Tomato and Key West Shrimp (DASH and heart healthy – Fairmont Turnberry Isle); Free Range Chicken with Quinoa (DASH and heart healthy – Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle); and Chocolate Ganache Flan (vegan – Fairmont Hotel Vancouver).

So Fairmont hotels from Acapulco to Zimbali are now guaranteeing choices for gluten-free guests. In a move that I think is a particularly nice touch, the company has already posted some of these recipes online. If guests want to re-create the Cornish Crab Cake, Marinated Cucumber and Grapefruit Salad or the Chocolate Ganache Flan, they can. Recipes and more information about the program can be found at www.everyonesanoriginal.com. I’d love to hear from readers who stay at Fairmont properties about their dining experiences there. But in the meantime, bravo, Fairmont!

Lessons From the Road

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I’m back from my book tour for THE DAMAGE DONE! The past couple of months have been a whirlwind. My debut novel came out on September 28th, and I had a party that night in New York City. Since then, I’ve attended two conferences (Bouchercon and Noircon), had bookstore and/or library events in a dozen cities (including Houston, Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Pittsburgh and Toronto), and had six events in New York City alone. Also, I was writing my second novel, THE NEXT ONE TO FALL, which will be published by Forge in fall 2011 (I turned the manuscript in to my editor last Wednesday). There’s been a lot of work on the publicity front, too. This past weekend, I was honored to discover that the Los Angeles Times featured THE DAMAGE DONE as one the the books the paper is recommending for the holidays. Reviews of the book have been wonderful. There are also a number of interviews with me (many include coverage of the Gluten-Free Guidebook as well).

As tiring as it is to be on the road so much, there was a lot that was wonderful about it, too. I’ve had the chance to collect information about a lot of great restaurants, bakeries and shops, and I’ll be writing about those over the next few weeks. I also had the chance to meet some Gluten-Free Guidebook readers, and for that I’m incredibly grateful. Some observations from the last few weeks:

  • Phoenix/Scottsdale Is a Great Destination for Gluten-Free Foodies: I was expecting to find terrific Mexican cooking here (and I found it), but I didn’t realize just how diverse and sophisticated the dining scene is in Phoenix and Scottsdale. One tip-off: Phoenix Magazine, which had its “Best New Restaurants” issue on newsstands while I was in town; its list of hotspots included the Pomegranate Café ([address] 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 28, Phoenix [tel] 480-706-7472 [web] www.pomegranatecafe.com), which offers vegetarian, vegan, and raw dishes. Not everything there is gluten-free (there are spelt tortillas, for example), but most of it is, including a decadent cheesecake.
  • People Are Very Kind: I was surprised, over and over again, by how thoughtful people were. Just after I arrived in San Francisco, a writer friend (Joshua Corin, author of WHILE GALILEO PREYS) sent me a message about a gluten-free bakery he’d found in the Ferry Building (the wonderful Mariposa Baking Co., which I’ll have more to say about later). Before I went to Los Angeles, another writer friend (Rebecca Cantrell, author of A NIGHT OF LONG KNIVES) recommended a restaurant across the street from The Mystery Bookstore, where I was reading. A friend of a friend passed along recommendations for Houston. In Pittsburgh, the lovely couple that owns Mystery Lovers Bookshop researched gluten-free restaurants in the area so that they could take me out to dinner while I was in town. While I was in Phoenix/Scottsdale, I got to meet the lovely Liisa (who wrote a Reader Report about her trip to Hawaii a while back), and she gave me a list of very accommodating local restaurants.
  • Still, Never Travel Unprepared: My hotel in Houston, the Four Points Sheraton, left a lot to be desired. That was especially true on the food front. As one employee said to me, when I started to ask about gluten-free options: “What, do you want me to explain what’s in a steak to you?” I was very glad I had protein bars, pistachios, and fruit along with me.
  • Fast Food Chains Are Catching On: At Houston’s Hobby Airport, my only dining option turned out to be Wendy’s, which offers gluten-free salads. At Philadelphia’s Central Station, I was able to pick up dinner at Cosi. At Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport, I was able to have dinner at Paradise Bakery Café. To tell the truth, the employees at each of these places didn’t know what gluten-free was and had to get a manager, but each turned out to have a list (in Cosi’s case, a giant binder) of nutritional information for people with food allergies or gluten intolerance.

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If you’d like to read THE DAMAGE DONE, the first three chapters are available for free online. The book is available from independent mystery booksellers across North America, as well as from IndieBound, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powell’s, and — in Canada — Indigo/Chapters. Signed copies are available from The Mystery Bookstore, Murder by the Book, The Poisoned Pen, and The Mysterious Bookshop.

On the [Book Tour] Road Again

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I’ve finished the first part of my book tour for The Damage Done, with events in New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Huntington Beach, CA. But I leave tomorrow for the next leg of it. Here’s where I’m headed:

Of the places I’m going, I know Toronto well, and I’m aware of many places I can get gluten-free meals in Philadelphia. But Houston and Scottsdale, I don’t. If anyone has any suggestions for where to eat while I’m in these places, please let me know!

Also, I’m incredibly grateful for the warm response my novel has received! The Damage Done has been praised as a “razor sharp mystery debut… a great portrait of sisterly love, despite a dysfunctional past, as well as a highly satisfying mystery” by Publishers Weekly, “a tale of nonstop action with a nice final twist” by Booklist, and “one of the best debuts I’ve read in years” by Jon Jordan of Crimespree Magazine. The Globe & Mail has also given it a great review. If you’re a mystery or thriller fan — or know someone who is — I hope you’ll check out the book!

Book Tour for The Damage Done

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You’ve heard me mention my debut crime novel, The Damage Done. Today is the day that it’s released in the U.S. and in Canada! (If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I discovered it already on the shelves of the Barnes & Noble in Union Square on Friday night). The reviews have been terrific, with Publishers Weekly calling The Damage Done a “razor sharp mystery debut.” If you’d like to read the first three chapters, here’s an excerpt.

I’m touring extensively to promote the book. My stops include Pittsburgh (Oct. 2nd), Boston (Oct. 7th), San Francisco (Oct. 18th), Los Angeles (Oct 19th), Huntington Beach (Oct. 21st), Houston (Oct. 30th), Phoenix/Scottsdale (Nov. 2nd), and Philadelphia (Nov. 7th). Here’s the schedule of tour dates, which still has cities being added to it (including Austin and Toronto). Now I need your advice: can anyone recommend restaurants that serve good gluten-free meals in these cities? I would be grateful for any advice. And please come out to meet me when I visit your city!

I also have several events in New York City: tonight there’s a book party at Partners & Crime; on Oct. 11th, there’s a reading at McNally Jackson; and on Oct. 12th, I’m speaking on a panel at NYU about how to get a book deal. All of these events are free and open to the public. I hope to meet many of you in person this fall!

Reader Report: Gluten-Free in Italy

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I’m in work overdrive right now, preparing for the launch of my first novel, The Damage Done. (Publishers Weekly has called it a “razor sharp mystery debut”!) In the meantime, the very thoughtful Alice — who reviewed Machiavelli Restaurant in Montreal for the Gluten-Free Guidebook — has written another report, this time focusing on her trip to Italy. Thanks so much for sharing all of these places with us, Alice!

Alice’s Report on Gluten-Free Dining in Italy

Siena
Osteria Il Campino, Via Vittorio Veneto 29, 53100 Siena (Tel: 0577-236545).
The restaurant had a wonderful selection of gluten-free dishes, but I was excited to see a GF pasta dish on the menu and a couple of desserts that I could enjoy. They even provided me with GF bread to accompany my meal. Our waitress spoke English and was very helpful indeed. I enquired where I could purchase some GF bread nearby and she told me that the main distributor of glutenfree products in Italy is a pharmacy. Before we left the restaurant she packed up the remainder of the loaf and gave it to me. I was  truly touched by the gesture. I highly recommend this restaurant. Prices were very reasonable.

Todi (Perugia)
Ristorante Cavour, Viale Angelo Crtesi, 91 A, Todi.  Tel: 075-8943730
Beautiful restaurant, serving typical Umbrian dishes, with a beautiful garden and panoramic views from their windows, located in the historical center of Todi.  They have a gluten free menu. Prices very reasonable.

Florence
In Florence we tried the following gluten-free restaurants:
Il Portale Trattoria & Pizzeria, Via Luigi Alammani 29, 50123 Firenze, Tel: 055212992
I enjoyed their gluten-free pasta dishes. It was a real treat. The restaurant has a casual atmosphere and is located close to the main train station.

If you desire a classier décor, beautiful presentations, good food, but higher prices, then I recommend:
I Quattro Amici, Via degli Orti Oricellari 29, Firenze, Tel: 055-215413

Mestre (Venice)
Trattoria Dall’Amelia, Via Miranese 113, 30174 Mestre VE, Tel: 041-5441111 (www.dallamelia.it)
This restaurant has a wonderful ambiance,  great selection of seafood, and a broad selection of gluten-free dishes, including pasta. It opens only at 8 PM. It is a bit pricey but wonderful food. The restaurant is located in a residential district on the mainland of Venice, so I recommend going there by taxi.

For anyone travelling to Venice, it is a must to visit a wonderful shop called “Mea Libera Tutti!!” The shop consists of two rooms filled with a wonderful array of products and everything is gluten free. I wish I could find a shop like this in North America. The owner is very charming, helpful & knowledgeable about all her products. Her young son has celiac disease and that inspired her to open this shop. I actually purchased an extra suitcase to be able to bring home some of her delicious products.

Mea Libera Tutti!!, Cannadegio Calle Racchetta – Calle Priuli 3803, Venezia  Tel:041 5210454

Please also inform your readers travelling to Italy that the majority of gluten-free products are sold at the local pharmacy. They may not be displayed in the store because of shortage of space. You must ask for “senza glutine” products and they will bring them out for you from their storage room.

On the Road With Author Rebecca Cantrell

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According to her website, “a few years ago Rebecca Cantrell quit her job, sold her house, and moved to Hawaii to write a novel because, at seven, she decided that she would be a writer.” It turns out that was a very wise idea. Cantrell’s debut novel, A Trace of Smoke, was widely acclaimed when it was published in 2009, and it went on to win the Bruce Alexander Historical Mystery Award. Its sequel, A Night of Long Knives, came out in June (both novels are published by Forge, which is also my publisher). Thanks to Twitter, I discovered that she is also on a gluten-free diet, and since she was just on a book tour across the U.S., it seemed like a terrific time to talk to her about it. For more information about Rebecca Cantrell’s books, check out her website.

I read A Trace of Smoke and loved it. Your new novel, A Night of Long Knives is waiting in my TBR pile. For people who haven’t encountered the Hannah Vogel mysteries yet, how would you describe the books?
I’m glad to hear that you loved it! The Hannah Vogel books follow one woman through pre-World War II Berlin. Hannah tries to fight the Nazi Party, protect those she loves and bring out the stories of those being crushed by the rising regime. They are painstakingly researched literary historical mysteries. And they have some funny bits too.

You’ve written a book for young adults as well, under the name Bekka Black. Can you tell us about that?
I certainly can! My next project is called iDrakula. It’s a retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula using only text messages, voicemails, emails, photos, and web browsers—basically it’s as if you stole Mina Murray’s cell phone and read through it to watch her unmask and battle Dracula. It’s not just a new storytelling method, though, it’s also a brand new delivery system: iDrakula comes out first on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (in a week, I can hardly believe it’s finally almost here!) and then as a beautifully designed print book. The early reviews are quite positive, and Kirkus Reviews says: “Black brings Bram into the modern age with e-mails, smart phones and websites, all while preserving the brooding heart and vicious nature of Dracula, the literary ur-vampire….Mina’s heartfelt final e-mail to Lucy blends a traditional goodbye with the ephemeral nature of today’s digital technology.”

How long have you been on a gluten-free diet, and how difficult was the transition for you?
I’ve been on a wheat- and oat-free diet for about 13 months, and the transition was awful! The first two weeks all I did was mope around in mourning for bread and pastries. Then I got hold of myself and started trying to discover what I could eat, which must have been plenty as I’m still around.

You were on your book tour for A Night of Long Knives recently. Was that your first big trip since going on the gluten-free diet? How did you prepare for it?
It was my first long trip since I found out. I’ve done 4-5 day stints, but for the A Night of Long Knives tour I was away from home for a month. I stocked up on Zone bars (peanut butter) and made myself a few bags of my favorite snack food (dried apricots, pecans, and dark chocolate chips). Then I resigned myself to eating a lot of chicken Caesar salad, since most restaurants have it and so long as I skip the croutons I can actually eat it.

The thing that was the hardest was explaining to everyone I ordered food from that I was really allergic to wheat and oat and tomatoes (plus a variety of other stuff). It got very old, very fast and I constantly felt like Sally from When Harry Met Sally. Almost everyone was really wonderful about it, but I hate asking for special meals even though I pretty much have to these days.

Where did you go on your book tour, and were there any restaurants and/or hotels that did a really great job at taking care of a gluten-free guest? I seem to remember you tweeting about a castle in Colorado…
I hit 10 cities: Phoenix, Arizona; Encino and Westwood, CA (Los Angeles area); San Diego, CA; San Mateo and Tiburon (San Francisco area); New York; Chicago; Milwaukee; and Denver.

Au Bon Pain in Westwood (right across the street from The Mystery Bookstore) had a great quinoa salad that was quick, tasty, and filling. Bar Breton in Manhattan had tons of gluten-free items clearly marked on their menu (hooray!). And Castle Marne in Denver went out of their way to make me a tasty gluten-free breakfast: from my own scones to my own bread. It was all delicious and I was very touched! I also have to thank Jerrle Gericke who made me delicious gluten-free peanut butter cookies when I stayed with her. She gave me a box to take with me and that helped me through those hours I was stuck in O’Hare airport.

What was the toughest thing about traveling gluten-free?
Until I realized I was allergic to wheat, I never noticed how many events have only wheat foods. So, it’s tough when you go to your special debut author breakfast and they have a wide selection of muffins, croissants, and pastries you can’t eat. Often this gets followed up by lunchtime events filled with tons of sandwiches and then a few wraps that you can’t eat either. I ended up eating a lot of Zone bars and fruit. The worst experience was when I was stuck in the LaGuardia airport for several unplanned hours and the only thing I found I could eat was a boiled egg (man, was I ever grateful for that egg!) and I’d run out of my own snacks because it was near the end of my tour.

What things do you always bring with you when you travel?
My apricot/pecan/chocolate chip trail mix, my iPhone (cannot travel without it. I even dedicated iDrakula to my phone), my netbook, and a couple of pashminas.

You live in Hawaii, which is many readers’ dream destination. Have you found restaurants/shops near you that you’d recommend to others?
I like the Keei Café up in Kainaliu. Their buckwheat noodles are gluten free and tasty, but their open hours are odd, so it’s best to check before you go.

What’s your own dream destination to visit?
Berlin in 1931. Failing that, Berlin now. And Barcelona. And China. Also Japan. Really anywhere with good food and soft pillows.

Do you have any other advice for gluten-intolerant travelers? Also, any readings or conference appearances coming up?
Pack a meal before you leave the house and be prepared to spend hours more at the airport and on the plane than you think (after I was delayed on my way to Chicago, I got delayed again on the way out and this time we were stuck in the plane for three hours with only those snack boxes full of wheaty treats to eat). Of the 10 flights I took, two were delayed by more than three hours.

As for appearances, I’ll be at Bouchercon in San Francisco from October 14-17 and also will be launching iDrakula at the Books, Inc. book store in the Laurel Heights area of San Francisco at 5 pm on October 17. Please come! If they let me serve food, at least some of it will be gluten-free!