I always knew that the internet was a great place for people with specific interests to meet each other—you know, in a "casual encounters" or "come to this special party" kind of way. I honestly never thought about the internet as building communities in a, um, non-sexual sense.

When I was diagnosed with celiac disease four years ago, I had already done quite a bit of internet research on what could be wrong with me—I convinced myself that I had cancer, Crohn’s disease, IBS, or possibly another parasite (this, I now believe, is called “cyberchondria”). So it was with joy and relief that I received my celiac diagnosis: finally no more pain and suffering, no more invasive and terrifying medical tests, and no more being scared of eating.

Being me, I immediately went to the internet for more information. What I found, however, was about a zillion opinions, all contradictory. Vinegar? One site says okay, another says absolutely not. Whiskey? Commenter A says avoid at all costs, Commenter B says I have it everyday. And don’t even get me started on oats.

So I left the virtual world and sought the comforting, authoritative counsel of Anne Roland Lee at the Celiac Disease Center. And pretty much wrote off the internet when it came to celiac: bunch of crazies only talking about their own experiences, with no more information than I have. (There were a few gems, like celiac chicks, but they didn’t update quite enough to be compelling.)

Until a few months ago when I discovered a treasure trove of gluten-free blogs—those years when I was reading only tech blogs, other blogs matured and grew fascinating. There was Gluten-Free Girl, an effusive writer and amazing cook whom I followed through her pregnancy. There was the Kinnikinnick company blog from Canada, explaining how they make their stellar gf doughnuts. And Google Reader made Celiac Chicks so much more constant (all of the NYC specific reviews, none of the waiting.) There were tons of restaurant reviews, recipes, and personal stories.

All of which culminated with a visit to Lily’s 57—a Chinese place that has a special gluten-free menu. I took my family after a Broadway show, based on the recommendation of Celiac Chicks, months before (and carefully saved in Evernote). An entire gluten-free Chinese menu?! It was like being in one of those dreams I used to have where you’re at a thrift store and everything is amazing and in your size. I actually got a little overwhelmed, and had to ask the server for help. “Well, you should really have the dumplings” he said. “They are on all of the blogs.”

For more on the dumplings, and other favorites, visit my own contribution to this community at: gfbklyn.blogspot.com