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Review by Midwest Book Review for The I-Can’t-Chew Cookbook: Delicious Soft Diet Recipes for People with Chewing, Swallowing, and Dry Mouth Disorders
Rating:
I-Can’t-Chew Cookbook: Delicious Soft-Diet Recipes For People With Chewing, Swallowing And Dry-Mouth Disorder by J. Randy Wilson is a unique, one-of-a-kind cookbook that is an invaluable addition to the kitchen cookbook collection of any family chef who must prepare meals for anyone suffering from problems arising from a chewing disorder such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, stroke, ALS, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, lupus, recovering from head or neck surgery, or mouth/throat cancer surgery. Randy Wilson drew upon his love of cooking and his array of culinary skills when his wife was diagnosed with TMJ and needed surgery. Her doctor indicated that she would have to subsist on soft foods for six months. Randy took on the challenge of developing soft, nutritious, and appealing recipes for his wife and their family. The result is his I-Can’t-Chew Cookbook which is neither a liquid diet book nor a blender cookbook, but instead showcases 200 soft and tasty recipes for casseroles, soups, entrees, side dishes, beverages, and deserts. Of special interest are the opening chapters on nutrition and tips for getting the most out of meals, including enhancing the dining experience and adapting foods for a soft-food diet when dealing with problems of wallowing and/or chewing. Enhanced with an informative Foreword by oral surgeon Mark A. Piper, I-Can’t-Chew Cookbook should be considered as a “must” for anyone wanting nutritious, delicious, consumable dishes for the chewing and/or swallowing impaired.

Review by Elisabeth the Great for The I-Can’t-Chew Cookbook: Delicious Soft Diet Recipes for People with Chewing, Swallowing, and Dry Mouth Disorders
Rating:
….then this is the book for you. If not, you’ll be just as disappointed as I was. I really can’t imagine who the audience is for this book–perhaps people who normally don’t cook at all, have never owned a cookbook, and are averse to eating fresh, real, whole food.

The soup chapter has some good options but nothing that you wouldn’t find in any recent cookbook (acorn squash soup, leek and potato, curried pumpkin, etc.). And some of the desserts and beverages look passable (though if I wanted to make desserts with instant pudding mix, I wouldn’t need a cookbook to do it).

But really, those of us with TMJ or other jaw problems are probably mostly looking for entree ideas and here the book really is uninspired. Fully 23 of the entree recipes call for canned, condensed soup (usually the “cream of” variety–as in chicken, celery, mushroom, etc.) and then there are just some truly strange combinations. A “baked chicken salad” with a crumbled potato chip “crust” and topping? No thanks. Seafood casserole with canned (!) shrimp and salmon, 1 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise, topped with stuffing mix? Ugh. A casserole with cooked shrimp and cream of mushroom soup? Think I’ll pass.

[I forgot to mention that at least seven of the vegetable recipes also call for canned soup. Poor little vegetables!]

I appreciate what the author is trying to do here, and perhaps someone who finds himself suddenly needing to cook for an elderly relative used to eating 50s-style dinners heavy on the dairy (sour cream, cream cheese, and evaporated milk are favorites), canned, and frozen food would find this useful. But even if you like this style of cuisine, it’s easy enough to go to your trusty old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and look up the recipe for tuna noodle casserole.

I’m returning this one, along with the Weihofen “Easy to Swallow” book which was disappointing for similar reasons. Save your money and look through traditional cookbooks (or online) for soups, casseroles and other soft food recipes.

Review by Midwest Book Review for The I-Can’t-Chew Cookbook: Delicious Soft Diet Recipes for People with Chewing, Swallowing, and Dry Mouth Disorders
Rating:
I-Can’t-Chew Cookbook: Delicious Soft-Diet Recipes For People With Chewing, Swallowing And Dry-Mouth Disorder by J. Randy Wilson is a unique, one-of-a-kind cookbook that is an invaluable addition to the kitchen cookbook collection of any family chef who must prepare meals for anyone suffering from problems arising from a chewing disorder such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, stroke, ALS, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, lupus, recovering from head or neck surgery, or mouth/throat cancer surgery. Randy Wilson drew upon his love of cooking and his array of culinary skills when his wife was diagnosed with TMJ and needed surgery. Her doctor indicated that she would have to subsist on soft foods for six months. Randy took on the challenge of developing soft, nutritious, and appealing recipes for his wife and their family. The result is his I-Can’t-Chew Cookbook which is neither a liquid diet book nor a blender cookbook, but instead showcases 200 soft and tasty recipes for casseroles, soups, entrees, side dishes, beverages, and deserts. Of special interest are the opening chapters on nutrition and tips for getting the most out of meals, including enhancing the dining experience and adapting foods for a soft-food diet when dealing with problems of wallowing and/or chewing. Enhanced with an informative Foreword by oral surgeon Mark A. Piper, I-Can’t-Chew Cookbook should be considered as a “must” for anyone wanting nutritious, delicious, consumable dishes for the chewing and/or swallowing impaired.