Upcoming Books: The Gluten-Free Guide To Washington, DC
I was looking for a place to eat lunch the other day when I stumbled upon a pizzeria in Middletown, NJ that serves a gluten-free menu. Morgano’s Restaurant & Pizzeria, in fact, is dedicated to ensure that those requiring a gluten-free diet can enjoy a “safe and pleasurable” dining experience.
At first I didn’t understand why someone might require a gluten-free menu. I know that there have been some links to gluten in the diet and autism, but I found out in my research that it is also associated with Celiac disease, an autoimmune disease associated with the inability of the body to absorb gluten, a component found commonly in wheat, barley and rye.
It was around the same time I was introduced to Sara Diana Friedman, author of the forthcoming book, “The Gluten-Free Guide to Washington, D.C.” I thought this would be a terrific resource for people who needed that Gluten-free resource when traveling, but that’s not the main reason I decided to interview Sara.
Sara, who is living with celiac disease, is only 12 years old.
You’d never know it from talking to her on the phone. She is mature and well-spoken, and clearly is dedicated to this book more as a service to others like her. She wants to give back to the community as part of her Bat Mitzvah, and she thought her book was a good way to do it. We thought so too, and so we decided to interview her for this week’s post.
Avelient: What inspired you to write about finding good gluten-free resources?
Sara Friedman: When I first went gluten free (at age 6), we didn’t eat out for a while because we did not know any restaurants that would cater to my dietary needs. Though I don’t remember much about that time because of my young age, my parents told me that they were very nervous about what to even feed me, and it seemed horrible. I’m writing this book so that people living in Washington, D.C., will not have to go though the same uncertain stage that my parents had to go through and can enjoy eating out, even with certain restrictions.
Avelient: What is celiac disease? Of what kind of symptoms should parents be aware?
Sara Friedman: Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that is set off by gluten. Gluten is in foods such as wheat, barley, malt, and rye. When gluten is ingested, the immune system attacks the small intestine. Symptoms of celiac disease include lack of growth, lack of weight gain, weight loss, no appetite, stomachaches, vomiting, constipation, and fatigue.
Avelient: Is celiac disease genetic?
Sara Friedman: Celiac disease often runs in families. I got celiac from my mother’s Italian side of the family. It is recommended that if one or more people in a particular family are diagnosed with celiac that all the other members of that family be tested every few years. After being diagnosed, I found that there were many people with celiac on my mother’s Italian side of the family. Celiac disease can take a while to kick in. For instance, I started feeling the effects of celiac when I was 4.
Avelient: What happens if you accidently ingest gluten now?
Sara Friedman: I’m not as lucky as some people who do not have any symptoms for celiac, but at least my symptoms are not unbearable. If I eat a little portion of wheat such as one goldfish, I will probably not feel anything. However, if I eat something like a couple pieces of bread, I will get a bad stomachache and I might throw up.
Avelient: Do you ever grow out of it?
Sara Friedman: I wish! No, I will not grow out of it. Once someone has celiac disease, they have it for life. I do hear that they are working on a pill so people with celiac can eat gluten, though.
Avelient: How did you come to write the book about Washington, DC? How often are you there?
Sara Friedman: I’m Jewish and am in the middle of preparing for my Bat Mitzvah. A mitzvah project (work that helps the community) is part of that process. My mom suggested that I work to help the celiac community since I have celiac disease, and she assured me that she would help me, so I agreed. My book will include information about restaurants with gluten-free menus and about food stores that sell gluten-free products. I chose to write about Washington, D.C., because my grandparents live near there, in Silver Spring, MD. Also, since it is the nation’s capital, many tourists go there every year. I thought that it would be helpful for them not to have to bring pre-packaged meals and help them find restaurants to try while they are on their trip.
Avelient: Your mother wrote two books about celiac disease and resources for gluten-free food in New York and Italy. Describe how her experience has guided you in your project.
Sara Friedman: My mom has been a lifesaver in this project. Because my book is similar to hers, she has been able to give me great advice. She helped me get over the “AAAAH! A book!” stage, helped me start writing, found websites that I could take information from, helped me develop a format, and gave me advice about how to organize the book, just to name a few things she’s done for me.
Avelient: How are you balancing writing a book and school?
Sara Friedman: I must say, I am really just starting to balance everything. I have worked out that after I come home from school I will finish my homework, practice my instruments, and then work on the book. I set a goal that I would like to accomplish every day for the book and work to achieve it.
It’s a bit odd to be writing a book at this age because I’m a normal person and have issues like dealing with friends and their problems, school and homework, playing piano and viola, and then I’m working on a book that most people would expect an adult to be writing.
Avelient: When is this book due for release?
Sara Friedman: The book is due for release in the late summer, if not earlier!
Avelient: Is this your first book? How have you liked the experience of writing your first book? Do you have plans to write another “gluten-free” book after this one (seems to me the West coast needs something like this!)?
Sara Friedman: This is my first book! It has been hard for me to work on it, but I know that I will be helping a lot of people through this project, and that serves as a motivation. I’m probably not going to publish another book like this one, but I love writing fiction stories. I want to be a writer when I grow up, so you might be seeing a fiction book by me on the shelves!
Avelient: Are you going to have a release party? Can I come? (I’m sort of kidding on this one!)
Sara Friedman: Umm… I haven’t really thought about a release party! Maybe… I’ll get back to you on that one!
Avelient: Okay, you’ve got a soapbox now. What do you feel is worth mentioning that doesn’t fit in your book, and you think people would benefit from knowing?
Sara Friedman: Celiac is a controllable disease. Living with celiac means living with dietary restrictions, but people have come up with gluten-free alternatives to foods that were originally made with gluten that are as good as the original food or ten times better. I hope my book helps people to find those alternatives!
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Sara lives in New York and is in 6th grade. She enjoys singing, playing music, reading books, and writing. To find out more about Sara’s upcoming book, go to:
For more gluten-free city guides, you can see Sara’s mother, Maria Roglieri’s books, “The Gluten-Free Guide to Italy” (http://www.gfguideitaly.com) and “The Gluten-Free Guide to New York” (http://www.gfguideny.com).
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