We all strive to live a long life. We all want it to be easy and fun to the last minute.
Few of us will ever get what we want.
Instead, life can be a bit troubled and, since we are eventually destined to die, the things that do kill us can make the final months or years difficult.
Actually, sometimes it isn’t the disease that is the problem. It is the cure.
If you develop cancer, the medical teams are ready to attack your disease with a bewildering battery of cure: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, … And if the cancer should be “cured” but then returns, well, no matter. There is a reserve army of specialists with even more intensive methods to extend your life.
I’ve been there. I am there. And I deeply appreciate the extra years that I have had and will have. My doctors say ten more years and I expect to get all those years in. By then, there will be new treatments so I plan on reenlisting for another ten years.
But. But, the road can be a tad difficult. The toll of chemo or radiation therapy can be very severe. The authors, José van Mil and Christine Archer-Mackenzie, have both had a spouse who developed cancer and who found the treatments for that disease to really deliver a wallop.
Your body fights invasion, even if it is medicine or radiation meant to help. Your body can still react adversely and your ability to eat can be totally disrupted. Just at the time when what you need is extra good nourishment.
This book delivers over 100 delicious and healthy recipes designed to help you edge over the culinary hurdles. Your senses of smell and taste may have been disrupted. Your ability to chew or to enjoy the texture of food may have gone haywire.
So, the recipes here are organized by texture to meet your specific needs:
Light: fluffy and soft, so soft you don’t even need to chew
Smooth: creamy dishes that slip down easily even if swallowing is a bit of an issue
Soft with a Bite: perfect if you can chew and swallow, even if you have a dry throat
Liquid: for people with badly affect mouth or throat
Crispy: designed to stimulate your senses and give you enjoyment, if you can just chew and swallow
Firm: everyday food but in smaller portions for folks whose appetites have decreased
Now, what kind of recipes can you make in these categories? Here are a dozen ideas that show the delicious range of this book:
For Light dishes: Carrot Cream, Smoked Chicken and Almond Mousse
Smooth: Creamed Asparagus and Shrimp, Banana and Lemon Mousse
Soft: Melon and Feta Salad, Chicken Ragout
Liquid: Chilled Tomato and Red Pepper Soup, Spinach and Walnut Smoothie
Crispy: Veal Scallops with a Cornflake Crust, Lemon Curd Tartlets
Firm: Curried Veal Stew with Pasta, Baked Potatoes with Spinach Cream and Ham
These are excellent recipes. Full of color and flavor. They will have appeal to anyone. Anyone. There is no sense of challenge or sacrifice in these recipes. This excellent collection will give both nutrition and happiness to anyone who eats them. The authors have approached this book with passion and intelligence. José is Cordon Bleu trained culinary consultant. Christine is a food scientist, specializing in nutrition for cancer patients. Their book begins with a strong discussion of what you need to eat to defeat cancer and deal with the side effects of treatment. Their selection of recipes and ingredients is based both on culinary inspiration and proven food science. It’s a strong combination.
You’re probably going to fight to the last day of your life. Enjoy your food. Right to the last bite. And there are 100 recipes here, each deserving of a last bite.