What snack would you eat right now?
My morning was spent toiling over a blender. Lest you pity me my arduous labors, it’s nothing. Really.
Cooking was abandoned long before Burt’s diagnosis. He had grown indifferent to what I served. I choose to blame a phase pre-LBD, but perhaps my skills had grown indifferent.
Since I stopped puttering in the kitchen, I have come to miss the action.
It’s a creative activity, preparing food. There’s the satisfaction of nurturing someone with your creation as well.
Pureeing is bringing me back to that type of enjoyment.
There are schools of puree thought that say “maintain the integrity of the ingredients. Meat separate from veg etc.”
I took my cue from Burt. He’s the customer. And, by the way, he led me into my favorite “dish” when he dipped his madelines. From that simple procedure, I designed my famous breakfast mush.
I had pureed meat, vegetables, and potatoes as individual servings in Burt’s meal. He was not thrilled with a spoonful of each. When I spooned the three together, he ate more heartily.
Nonetheless, I was still keeping the ingredients segregated until… I used too much sauce in the meat, so it needed thickening. Potatoes or vegetables could provide just the texture we would welcome.
Eventually, now some meats I prepare remain as stand-alones, but often pasta ends up laced with greens. Or all three food groups are one puree “stew.”
Puree requires some lubricant, and I pick either a broth, a V8 juice, cranberry sauce, or a fruit juice to soften the foods.
The fruit compotes themselves get pureed into little ersatz puddings, sometimes enhanced with a banana.
Each “sauce” offers a flavor palette of its own. It’s the chef’s choice!
this is our life 