A Comfortable Introduction, Gluten-Free

In Thompson's case, it was exhaustion that led her to consult a doctor during her first semester of grad school in 2004. She had lost 15 pounds in a month, had no energy for the gym and was malnourished, despite eating regularly. When doctors tested for celiac disease, the numbers were off the charts, and gluten became verboten. For someone whose childhood diet had consisted mainly of pasta, cheese and whatever her mother could grind up and sneak in between the two, that news was pretty devastating.

"There was definitely a mourning period," Thompson said. At first she tried eating substitute foods intended to mimic their glutenous counterparts. But the difference between those and the real thing, especially bread, seemed so stark that she decided to eat foods that are naturally gluten-free.

Streisfeld got on board quickly, determined not to let the disease become an obstacle to happiness. For Thompson's six-course birthday dinner last month, he prepared gluten-free acorn squash ravioli by making the pasta out of several kinds of rice and potato flour.

Is that love or what?

"Maybe I was biased because I hadn't eaten ravioli for so long," Thompson said, "but they tasted just as I remembered them."

McLean was not as successful in her efforts. She had tried to make gluten-free shortbread to go with the pineapple dessert. "I have five different versions working at the restaurant," she said. "I tried it with rice flour, cornmeal, cornstarch. They are all . . . gluten-free. That's about all I can say about that."

Then she focused on her lesson, starting with the dessert and working backward. Within 20 minutes a raspberry coulis was made, coconut was toasted, cider for the salad dressing was reduced and the pineapple was denuded, cut free of eyes and placed in the oven to roast.

"Moving on!" McLean chimed. She showed the couple how to peel the turnips and carrots and prep the kale, constantly reminding them to keep everything clean and do as much as possible ahead of time.

"You trim these turnips the day before, put them in cold water and store them overnight," she advised. "Makes your life less stressful."

Before long the turnips were blanched, trout fillets were smoking over tea leaves (be warned: smoke alarms will go off), salad greens were prepped. "Always keep up with your mise en place!" McLean reiterated, referring to the French term for having ingredients measured and ready before starting to cook.

"What is it that you said to me, Adam?" Thompson asked. "There's no mise in your place?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "You're all over the place." He even tattled that Thompson puts dirty pots and pans in the dishwasher and he has to go back and clean them later.

Thompson rolled her eyes. "That's what a dishwasher does. It is a magical machine that cleans everything!"

The banter continued. Throughout the day, McLean would start tasks by working in between Streisfeld and Thompson, but somehow the couple kept ending up side by side through the roasting of the chicken, the preparation of the quinoa pilaf and the final platings.

"Serve everything on big platters, family style, rather than restaurant style," McLean urged. "Because it's all about interacting, the parents meeting each other, the two families coming together at the table."

As if. When that dinner takes place, there will be six people in the room, but only two in the whole wide world.

David Hagedorn, chef and former restaurateur, can be reached atfood@washpost.com. His Chef on Call column appears monthly.