The following recipes and introduction were excerpted from Nothing Beats Gluten-Free Cooking--A Children's Cookbook from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. You can order your own copy online at: www.cdcc.hs.columbia.edu. We will be posting additional recipes in the coming months.

Introduction by the teen editor

I was diagnosed with celiac disease when I was almost 14 years old. I was relieved to know that I could reverse the damage that had occurred to my small intestine, but slightly unhappy about what I had to give up. I was a true "carbs" girl with pasta, pizza and bagels as my closest associates. I was a picky eater to the core and celiac disease seemed to be a tornado that was coming to topple my world. But it turned out that there was no storm headed in my direction.

I would like parents and their children to learn from my story. I think of the diet as something positive. It is an opportunity for kids, as it was for me, to learn how to broaden their food horizons. Having celiac disease is not the end of breads, pastas, cakes and cookies.

I hope that by choosing recipes and seeing the results, they discover the fun in cooking and the joy of eating what they have made. I also hope that this will help in the adjustment to the gluten-free diet and prevent kids everywhere from being left out and feeling different (Susan Cohen, 16, Teen Editor).

Recipes

Scotcheroos Snacks

Submitted by Jane Trevett

1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup gluten-free peanut butter
6 cups gluten-free puffed rice cereal

1. Bring sugar and corn syrup to boil in a large pan.
2. Remove mixture from heat.
3. Add peanut butter to mixture and mix thoroughly.
4. Add cereal to mixture.
5. Put mixture in greased 13" to 9" pan and press to flatten.
6. When cooled, cut into pieces.

Frosting

In top of double boiler melt 1 or 2 packages of gluten-free baking chips, depending on how thick you want it, and spread over mixture. Refrigerate. I sometimes use 2 packages of gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate morsels. Other times I use 1 package of gluten-free chocolate chips and 1 package of gluten-free peanut butter chips. Makes 24.

"Winnie the Pooh" Chicken Dinner

Submitted by Katie D'Ascenzo

2 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp gluten-free poultry seasoning
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp prepared gluten-free mustard
or
1 tbsp dry gluten-free mustard
1 1/2 lb. chicken pieces

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a dish in microwave.
3. Add other ingredients (except chicken) and mix.
4. Roll chicken pieces in mixture and reserve extra to baste while cooking. (Add extra early in cooking.) You may wish to add extra honey during cooking to prevent drying.

Cooking times: Breast meat 50-60 minutes. Drumsticks 45-55 minutes. Thighs 45-55 minutes. Serves 6.