Cooking with arthritis

[Melinda Winner]

http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60799-738-2


My latest book A complete Illustrated Guide to cooking with arthritis is now availbile on line through the publisher and will be in stores on September , 29 , 2009 . I have mixed emotions. I am so happy and at the same time thinking I could have done better. I keep looking through the book over and over again . Each time thinking I should have added this or that. Then my family and friends look at the same book and think it is perfect. Maybe I am just to close to my book . I am going to post a little and welcome anyones input.

Introduction

About one week after I started kindergarten, I quickly realized I was not like all the other children in the class. All of these children used their right hands to color; they could climb a rope in gym class and cut their own meat at lunch. On the playground children would tease me, calling out things like, “Look, she has a hook for an arm,” and, “Here comes the tree branch girl.” At first I didn’t understand why they were taunting me in such a cruel way. I remember feeling intimated by them. I would go into the girls’ restroom and cry. One day, while I was in the middle of a crying spell, I caught my reflection in the full-length mirror wearing a short-sleeve shirt; my right arm was deformed and four inches shorter than my left. Being born with a birth injury in the sixties meant there was nothing they could do to fix it. Don’t get me wrong—I knew my arm was deformed with very limited use, but I really did not consider myself physically challenged. At home I was just one of the kids, the baby of ten children. No one ever made a big deal about my arm. I just used other parts of my body to complete any task I attempted. Apparently it was a big deal to the rest of society.
The school district tried to send me to a school for mental retardation. My father abruptly put a halt to that. He said my arm was crippled, not my mind. I soon learned it was survival of the fittest, and I was determined to become the fittest. As young as five years old, I became a fighter, survivalist, inventor, problem solver, and a realist. Whatever was ask of me, I tried harder than anyone else to accomplish, and I succeeded. As the years passed, I became just one of the normal kids. People did not seem to pay much mind to my arm. I think it bothered me more than any of my friends. I guess I was about ten years old when I first decided cooking was my passion. I would make peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, cut the crusts off, and roll them to resemble a pinwheel. I never missed a day in the kitchen with my mother. She was one of the most wonderful cooks whom I had the privilege to enjoy the fruits of her labor. She was a Southern-born-and-raised girl that married my Northern father and set up housekeeping in the North. She was a woman who cooked Yankee cooking with lots of Southern charm; henceforth, my first cookbook, “Yankee Cooking with Southern Charm.”
I continued along the culinary path: attending college, working in restaurants and many other phases of food service. I was catering parties every weekend—some extravagant and others less extravagant. I was having the time of my life, married, and with three beautiful children. On top of the world, so I thought. There was a particular night that was like any other until two thirty a.m. I was awoken by a pain that was simply unbearable. As I rolled over in bed, or at least I thought I was rolling over, I soon realized I was not moving, just screaming out loud in horrendous pain. My legs would not move. They felt paralyzed; the pain was so bad, I could not stand to be touched. I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance only to find out they were also baffled. The hospital referred me to a rheumatologist, which later diagnosed me with rheumatoid arthritis. Looking back, I now understand that I had this disease for many years and did not know it. It took about six years to get to the point where a major flare-up occurred. I always thought of myself as a survivor, and my initial thought was, No big deal, I got this beat. I was so very wrong. Now twenty-three years later, I have a total of five forms of arthritis and a birth injury, rheumatoid being the worst. For those of you who do not know what RA is, it is an autoimmune system disease that destroys the joints and affects every major organ in the body. RA leads to deformity and disability.
I currently have active RA, osteoarthritis, RSDA, fibro and degenerative disk disease. I do have a lot on my plate. There is one thing for sure—I do not let it stop me or slow me down even a little. I strive even harder to accomplish my goals. Cooking is and always has been my passion. I cannot and will not let this illness or birth injury control my life. I will control my illness. My goal by writing this cookbook is not to help just one but the millions of arthritis suffers and physically challenged alike. Please use my courage to find yours, regain your independence, and take back your life. The techniques in this book have been a way of life for me for the past forty-seven years. I can only hope that the words that you have read will inspire you enough to fight the battle of your life to regain your independence.



Physically Challenged methods and photography as seen in A Complete Illustrated Guide to Cooking with Arthritis . The following is just a sneak peek, the book contains tons of savory and sweet recipes and so much more



Physically challenged method # 1:



Zesting citrus, coconut, or any food item requiring zesting or juicing :


Zesting is a method to remove the slightest bit of peel off of citrus. The peel or skin of citrus contains a great deal of natural oils, which carry bold flavor that will enhance any dish. Zesting can be a difficult task for people with arthritis and individuals who have limited use of their hands or arms. To zest fresh citrus, fresh coconuts, or any food item requiring zesting, use a long micro plane with a thick handle. A micro plane is a kitchen gadget used to remove just the very outer layer of skin from citrus. You can also use a cheese grater; be careful when zesting to only remove the colored skin from the citrus. You do not want to go into the white meat of the citrus—this will cause your dish to be bitter. Prop the elbow and forearm of the hand you are holding the plane in on a few thick books. If able, you can also hold the elbow tightly against your side. This will allow you more leverage. Place the bottom of the plane in a cereal bowl that is held in place by a rubber jar opener. Lightly begin to run the citrus in a downward motion. The weight of your hand holding the plane will automatically apply pressure, which in turn offers stability.

For those of you who cannot hold smaller objects in your hands, push a dinner fork into the citrus or cheese to use as a handle, and then begin to zest. For those of you that cannot hold a fork, cut the citrus into halves and zest one piece at a time after it has been juiced. Juicing and slicing in half before zesting allows you to put your fingers into the citrus, applying pressure by using the whole hand for stability. Be careful not to zest too deeply—you just want the outer skin, not the white meat. This will also help you to build strength in your fingers.

To juice, place the citrus on a flat, hard surface such as a cutting board, using your forearm to apply pressure to the citrus, and move your arm back and forth to get the juices flowing. You may also place the citrus in the microwave for ten seconds. To cut the citrus in half, first make a small slice in the citrus with a serrated knife. If you have weakness in your hands and have trouble applying pressure, hold the knife still in the starter slice. Using the other hand or forearm, move the citrus in a back and forth motion while using your body weight to apply pressure to the knife in the citrus. Your knife is not moving, just the citrus. To juice citrus fruit, use an electric juicer. Place each half one at a time on the juicer. Using the weight of your body, apply pressure. The juicer will do the rest.

To slice or wedge citrus, pierce the citrus with a fork to hold into place and use a serrated knife to slice. Another method is to use a mandoline to slice the citrus. When using a mandoline, be very careful. The blade is extremely sharp. The mandoline comes with a pronged disk to hold food into place. This is a very helpful item. Simply place the prong disk into the item you are slicing and apply pressure using your hand or forearm.





Chicken Ratatouille over Jasmine Rice


5 chicken legs and thighs still attached to each other

1 stick butter softened

½ recipe of Southern Chicken Rub (recipe to follow)

2 c. cooked jasmine rice

1 batch of ratatouille sauce (recipe to follow)





Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a large baking pan with parchment paper. Place washed chicken legs on baking sheet. Rub butter under the skin of chicken; then rub the Southern Rub under the skin of the chicken. Now rub the outside skin of chicken with butter and follow with the rub. Place legs in the oven uncovered for about 40 to 50 minutes. Times will vary due to the size of legs and different ovens. While chicken is cooking, make the ratatouille sauce and rice.

Southern chicken rub:





5 T. sweet and smoky paprika

¼ c. brown sugar

2 T. salt

1½ T. ground cumin

1 T. ground allspice

1 T. chipotle chili powder

2 tsp. black pepper

Just whisk together and store any extra it in an airtight container.





Ratatouille sauce:


3 T. olive oil

1 small red onion, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

1 stalk of celery, diced

1 small or ½ medium eggplant, peeled and diced

1 small yellow squash peeled, diced

1 small zucchini, diced

4 cloves of minced garlic or 2 T. minced jarred garlic

1 ½ tsp. kosher salt or to taste

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil flakes

1 tsp. Nakano rice vinegar





In a large, nonstick three-inch deep skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions, green pepper, and celery. Sauté until almost tender. Now add eggplant, squash, zucchini, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Mix well and lower heat to medium low; cover and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes—until vegetables are tender. Now add tomatoes, oregano, and basil. Stir well, turn heat back up to medium, cover, and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Lastly, stir in vinegar, cover with the lid, and remove from heat. Let stand while you plate the chicken and rice.



ENDORSMENTS FOR MY LATEST BOOK:

As a nurse, it is so inspiring to see someone like Melinda who does not let her disease define who she is or set limitations in her life. Melinda does not let pain stop her; it is merely a hurdle that she chooses to jump over. I once read that "the pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change and the realist adjusts his sails." Melinda is a realist. While being dealt more than her fair share of obstacles, she has adapted and persevered to fulfill her dreams.” Elizabeth Jenne, RN “

Melinda has created a unique recipe, physical therapy, and inspirational book. If you have arthritis and love to cook, you must have this book! Even if you don’t have arthritis, you will love the great mix of traditional and modern recipes.”
Gayle Long Ward, Cape Fear Garden Club, Wilmington, NC

Melinda Winner has rheumatoid arthritis. The thirty-five years that I have practiced rheumatology have seen incredible advances, but rheumatoid arthritis is still a terrible disease. The therapeutic goal has gone from delaying confinement to a wheelchair to achieving remission. Even when treatment is less than completely successful, the relentless progression toward deformity and debilitation can often be halted. However, these treatments come at a high cost, both financially and in terms of risk. Not everyone responds well. Damage already done cannot be reversed. Pain and fatigue still disrupt lives. Disability, starting with employment and then intruding into everyday activities, threatens the capacity of patients to care for their families and themselves. There are good days and bad days. Even on good days, courage is required to make plans, to take on responsibilities, to get involved, because on bad days it can be hard—really hard—to so much as get out of bed, much less to lead a normal life. Such has been the life of Melinda Winner. There are pills. There is counseling. Adaptations and attitude adjustments help some people cope. And then there are people like Melinda Winner who do not merely make peace with their adversities, but, by the example of their lives, extinguish our fears as well. The healthy and the ailing alike are made better by them. Anything really is possible. Thank you, Melinda. May all your recipes contain a little of the spice that sustains you and enriches the lives you touch!
John C. Huntwork, M.D.

















Photos by : Thomas Painter

[Rolemommy]

Just featured a link to your post and your book on our Fave Five on the home page! Enjoy.
http://www.rolemommy.com/blog/the-busy-moms-fave-five.php