Mealtimes for those who suffer from a chronic stomach condition are improving by `little steps' -- thanks to the efforts of one local woman.

Heidi Cowen and her Little Steps Bakery are allowing celiacs -- who have an incurable intolerance to gluten, found in a host of foods -- the opportunity to enjoy foods that were once strictly off-limits.

Ms Cowen said the tasty endeavour grew out of necessity rather than entrepreneurial spirit or a love for baking.

"I have been on this diet or six years,'' she explained. "It was out of necessity that I started baking.

"When you are diagnosed as a celiac you go into shock because you realise that everything you took for granted is gone. For me it was pizza -- I love pizza and all of a sudden I could not have it any more.'' But now Ms Cowen has found a way to enjoy her favourite food -- she has perfected a recipe for gluten-free for pizza crust.

"You have to be very careful when you are a celiac,'' she pointed out. "When you eat something that has gluten in it, you know it. The feeling is hard to describe but when you have eaten something wrong, you know it.

"Because of this celiacs tend to stay home a lot because it is easier than going out to a restaurant. Although people are becoming more knowledgeable about it, it is still so hard to eat in a restaurant.

"La Trattoria has gluten-free pasta and they do it up for you if you ask. It is the only restaurant that I know of that will do that for you.'' But she said she hoped that her baked goods would open-up a whole knew world for local sufferers of the medical condition.

"If you are diagnosed as a celiac it doesn't mean that it is the end of the world. You just have to put your mind to it to find foods you can enjoy.

"My baked goods have no flour in them,'' she explained. "Some are made with rice flour or tapioca. The recipes have required a lot of tinkering with. I've been seriously baking for the last two years and it has been a very expensive trial and error process.

"But eventually you get to know the textures of different ingredients.'' And she and others insist that gluten-free or lactose free baked goods taste just as good as those made with flour.

"It doesn't taste gluten free,'' said Toni Daniels of Down to Earth, the health food store that sells Ms Cowen's baked goods. "It is really quite tasty.'' Ms Cowen added: "My bread tastes good, it holds together and you don't have to toast it. With the frozen gluten-free bread that is brought into Bermuda you need to toast it.'' Consumers seem to agree with Ms Daniels, since Ms Cowen's telephone has been ringing off the hook with calls from lactose intolerant individuals begging her to create baked goods for their nutritional needs.

Ms Cowen now creates taste nibbles ranging from gluten-free chocolate chip cookies to gluten and lactose-free raisin bread and buns to gluten-free rosemary/Parmesan focaccia.

And by next week she said she hoped to have a low-cholesterol, but great tasting, bread on store shelves.

"I would like to make this a full-time endeavour, it started out slowly, but is picking up momentum. I'm putting as much time into this as I possibly can.

I try to bake every day.'' Ms Cowen said the response she had been receiving gave her hope that her baked goods were enriching the gastronomical lives of celiacs who are confined to gluten-free foods.

"It is a great feeling to help people,'' she said. "Everyone I've talked to have been very enthusiastic, so I think I am doing a good thing. I've met quite a few celiacs on the Island and they are pleased with what I'm doing.

"Bermuda has a great selection of gluten-free goods, honestly it is really good for such a small Island. But the stuff brought in is frozen and if something is sold out you have to wait for another shipment to come in.

"At least now if someone wants or needs fresh bread, they can call me up and I can whip something up for them.'' Down to Earth and Harrington Hundreds carry goods from Little Steps Bakery.

For more information 238-5149.