Easy-to-Swallow, Easy-to-Chew Cookbook: Over 150 Tasty and Nutritious Recipes for People Who Have Difficulty Swallowing Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this book (along withe Randy Wilson's "I-Can't-Chew Cookbook") because I suffer from severe TMJ and have been placed on a soft food diet by my doctor. Both books were disappointing; this one slightly less so than the Wilson. There is still too much canned, condensed soup for my taste here--but this may be because Weihofen is writing for the over-70 crowd. Really, though, the emphasis on jello (including a truly frightening dish made with a crushed pretzel crust, sugar-free strawberry jello, sweetened strawberries, loads of cream cheese and Cool Whip) and "creamy noodle bakes" is a bit depressing. I just want to eat, not feel like I checked into a nursing home. (We'll all be there soon enough--no need to hurry the process along!).
That said, this book has more "fresh food" options than the Wilson, along with a mind-numbingly complete introduction to all the problems one can have eating and swallowing. Some of the vegetable and side dish options look good (Apple and Butternut Squash Bake, Glazed Carrots) but aren't particularly original.
My main complaint is with the entree section, where the choices are uninspired. I don't need a cookbook to tell me how to make angel hair pasta with garlic and oil (which, by the way, I can't even chew). Very few of the entree recipes are truly what I would call "easy to chew" (maybe they're more for the dysphagia crowd). Her tactic seems to be to include traditional recipes--beef stroganoff, stews with cubed chicken, etc.--and then encourage us to blend them to kingdom come. Ugh. Meat puree: not my cup of tea.
But if you're truly in trouble and your own cookbooks (and the internet's recipe search function) aren't doing anything for you, you may find something here for you. As for me, I'm returning both of these books and sticking with my own cookbook collection.

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Delicious and nourishing recipes that are easy to eat and swallowThe simple act of eating is a challenge for millions of people whose ability to chew and swallow has been compromised by the debilitating effects of age or disease. The Easy-to-Swallow, Easy-to-Chew Cookbook presents a collection of more than 150 nutritious recipes that make eating enjoyable and satisfying for anyone who has difficulty chewing or swallowing. It also shares helpful tips and techniques to make eating easier for the elderly and those with such diseases as Parkinson's, AIDS, or head and neck cancers.Donna L. Weihofen, RD, MS (Verona, WI), is a nutritionist and the author of The Cancer Survival Cookbook (0-471-34668-3) and Magic Spices (Wiley: 0-471-34683-7).JoAnne Robbins, PhD (Madison, WI), is founder of the University of Wisconsin's clinical Swallowing Service.Paula A. Sullivan, MS, CCC-SLP (Madison, WI), is a speech pathologist who specializes in swallowing rehabilitation.

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