Our son was late in getting teeth, too. But, I remember taking him to Arby's when he was 8 months-old on our way to pick my husband up from the airport and putting some of the roast beef in front of him (along with baby food). He LOVED it. So, that's when I knew he was OK to have things like that.
I'd recommend trying things like slices (thin) of apple/pear that he can gnaw with his gums. Also, frozen mixed vegetables are great because they're cut small (carrots may need to be cut) and are soft enough for them to gum.
At that age, we were giving our kids American cheese (we'd get the white American from the deli at the grocery store) and break it into small pieces for them.
We'd also over cook noodles that were easy for them to gum to help them learn to chew.
We didn't do this, but I wish we had: hard boiled eggs. The whites, in particular, are really easy for them to mash between their gums.
As long as you're there to help in the event they're having trouble, I'd feel comfortable with most foods you're eating. The exception, of course, would be things like grilled chicken, steak that really require the molars to chew.