Went to a GF cookie baking class at the Whole Foods on North and Halsted last Saturday. I found out about it in a Time Out article about FREE food and drink in last week’s issue. I went with great interest to see what kind of recipes Chef Susan from Cardamom Kitchen might have come up with for the GF chocolate chip and sugar cookies on that day’s menu.

Little disclaimer here—I don’t have celiac disease but in addition to being allergic to wheat, I am also allergic to milk, corn, and soy. Needless to say I don’t get to try baked goods very often. While WF has done an amazing job of expanding their Gluten Free Bake House, they have yet to come up with a single GF baked product that I can eat.

I didn’t hold out much hope I’d be able to eat anything baked at the class but I was excited about the opportunity to talk with a chef about ingredients that in addition to being safe for celiacs might also work for me. Best find of the day: vegetable shortening that’s made from palm oil and trans-fat free.

Better than the cookies (which I HEARD were delicious) was the opportunity to learn about WF’s commitment to celiacs and people who face other food challenges. Chef Susan has three more GF classes scheduled around the city in October and the folks at the North Halsted store seem willing to explore hosting some other cooking classes for people like me who have multiple issues with food (and if I can eat it, there’s like a 99% chance you can eat it, so they’d work for celiacs too).

Talking with the WF staff, I also learned that each WF store caters to their surrounding neighborhood. This explains why what seems like a staple at one WF doesn’t show up on the shelf at another. Don’t despair, WF is happy to make a special order for you as well as give you a tour of the store to identify GF (or other) products that most suit your needs.