Need gluten-free hor d oeuvres for celiacs

[SkylerY]

I'll be hosting a small party with heavy hor d oeuvres in a couple of weeks.  Three of my guests (a mother and her two teenaged sons) are celiacs.  I know that means the food they eat should be gluten-free.  I also saw a comment on this board yesterday about not even letting a single crumb get mixed into their foods.  I'm going to ask her what her boys' favorite finger foods are, but I don't want to grill her too much about what is allowed, etc.  So I was hoping to get some ideas, tips, and advice from the resident experts on here.

Is it okay if some of the food served is not gluten-free (such as a tray of crackers and cheese, some pig-n-blankets, etc.)  I could put them on a separate table or counter if necessary.

Are there other "triggers" besides gluten that affects celiacs?

Thanks!
Cristen

[Issa]

Here is a FAB site I just found recently. It's a link to "Gluten Free Girl". It's not ALL recipes, it's everyday blogs etc -but the recipes are in there, are totally gluten-free, and look very yummy. 

http://gluten-freerecipes.blogspot.com/

[Just Lori]

My niece has celiac disease, and we've found that simpler is better for her.  Corn chips and salsa.  Guacamole.  Raw veggies and dip.  Gluten can be hidden in unlikely places.  For instance, my niece can't have licorice.  Who would have thought?  Soy sauce or teriyaki sauce is another no-no.  Also, you must guard against cross-contamination by using separate utensils, serving bowls, etc.

People will have varying opinions on whether the entire party should be gluten-free.  In our family, anything with gluten stays separate from the rest of the spread, so there's no danger of crumbs falling into the GF dish.  I will caution you on one thing.  As someone who's not accustomed to GF foods, I've never been able to enjoy GF bread.  To me, it's crumbly and tasteless.  So I personally wouldn't serve little tea sandwiches on GF bread.  I'd probably forego the tea sandwiches.

I recommend this Delphooey board, which is a wealth of information:

http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/start

[cicero]

one of my friends had a great idea for hor d'oeuvres which involves no bread/crackers:

made some spreads - guacamole, egg salad, tuna, pesto and feta cheese , whatever.

then take some "hard" vegetables, peel and slice - cucumbers, kholrabi, radishes, also cherry tomatos cut in half, etc.

now take a row of cukes, spread with one of the spreads (you have to match up the colors and everything ), then a row of the next veg, and spread with a different spread, etc. it looks pretty.

[SkylerY]

Thanks for the feedback, very helpful!