Sugar Free Trials

Yesterday was my last day at the assisted living facility I've been working at, but not the end of cooking for seniors. I am keeping my job at the bakery instead, not only because I prefer it, but because it will better prepare me for a future as a pastry chef in a very upscale and snazzy old folks home. We specialize in gluten-free and vegan desserts, as well as the tasty originals, techniques I did not learn in culinary school, and things that will prove to be very valuable in my specialized industry.

But the biggest thing is sugar free baking, something I am just starting to explore, both in the bakery and at home.

Last night, after my last day, I started a new first. My first experimental recipe using xylitol instead of sugar. My boss, and bakery owner, is excited to also start experimenting with xylitol, and since I am the head (and only) baker, I get to do all the recipe development.

My first trial, using things I had on hand (since I didn't want to run out the the grocery store, again), ended up being a loaf of banana bread/cake. I adapted it from a recipe in the only known xylitol cookbook, Sweeten Your Life the Xylitol Way by Karen Edwards (available on amazon), for Banana Cake, baked it late last night, and tried the first slice this morning for breakfast. Not too bad for my first try! And it is definitely sweet.

I will share all my trial sugar free recipes, whether they use xylitol, stevia or no substitute. I doubt I will be experimenting with the harsher chemical sugar substitutes such as aspartame (Equal and NutraSweet), and try to stick with a natural approach.

Xylitol can be substituted for sugar, 1:1. It will not caramelize or feed yeast, but is otherwise a very useful and easy alternate. I have read that xylitol is very deadly to dogs, more so than chocolate, so be very careful to keep your stash and xylitol baked goods away from your K-9 pals!

Banana Loaf Cake
adapted from Sweeten Your Life the Xylitol Way by Karen Edwards

2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon butter, melted
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about one medium-large banana)
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, seperated
1/2 cup xylitol

1. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
2. In another bowl, mix together the melted butter, mashed banana, yogurt, vanilla and egg yolk.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg white with electric mixer until soft peaks form, then add the xylitol and beat until peaks are stiff but not dry.
4. Gradually fold dry ingredients into beaten egg whites alternately with banana mixture, and stir just until batter is smooth.
5. Pour into and spread evenly in a greased 8" x 4" loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. 
6. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Portion Size

The thing that shocked me the most when I first began working with the elderly was the portion size of their meals. Maybe it's because I belong to the super-size-me generation, that portion sizes really were that tiny 60 years ago, or maybe when you get old you just eat less. I suppose the baby boomers and the next aging generations will tell us more, but I suspect it is a combination.

 

The elderly folks (that I work with) don't do much, so their caloric needs are much less than that of an active adult. They get up, they shower, they use their walkers to shuffle to the dining room for breakfast, then to the TV room until lunch, then back to the TV until dinner, maybe a game of scrabble, then to bed. A day in the life of a senior at XYZ assisted living revolves around meal time.

Everything is smaller: appetites, plates, bowls, bagels

The entree plates we use at the old folk's home are not a common size. They are in between the sizes of a small hors d'ourve plate and the (present) standard dinner plate. Paper plate size. The perfect size to make a little portion still fill it up and look like an adequate meal, which it is.

Old people can be very particular. The current ones came from an age where food was not in abundance, where they ate everything on their plates, when they couldn't get any ingredient on the planet like we can today.  Many of them get very overwhelmed by the amount of food I sometimes load onto their plates, so overwhelmed that instead of working away it it and eating what they can, they don't touch it. So my ignorance to their preferred portion size results in their skipping of a meal. Respect their portion control. Use a small plate, give them one scrambled egg for breakfast, half a sandwich for lunch, I know it doesn't seem like much, but it's enough.

I've got a list of my "big eaters" and my "small eaters". The big eaters get a whole sandwich for dinner! The smaller or half-portion eaters get, well, a half sandwich. Even the so-called big or "good" eaters eat much less than your average American these days. It becomes very apparent when I feed the staff- their plates are often 1.5 to 2 times larger than the "good eaters." I'm not saying that all non-seniors eat too much, we are much more active in our youth and have higher metabolisms (especially in Boulder, Colorado), and require more calories.

Their little appetites are another reason seniors should be fed nutritious foods; they are only going to eat so much, so there is a much smaller opportunity for them to get all their required nutrients. It is recommended that seniors take a multivitamin, and most do, in addition to their other numerous pills and medications.
...but that's a topic for another day.

The one thing most of my seniors don't skimp on is dessert. I send out the daily menu and receive half orders for the entree, salad and soup, and double orders of dessert! But I like to believe it's because they love my baking.

Fig Cookies

When I went to my grandparent's house as a young kid, I remember them often having fig newtons and school boy cookies, and those became things I associated with my grandparents, and therefore, old people. So when I found figs this morning at work (in the dried fruit box, of course), I decided to attempt to make fig cookies, be they newtons or not

I used my nifty iPhone to google some recipes real quick, and settled on the third one that came up- a simple drop cookie, rather than the first two that looked more complicated and time consuming, though maybe more attractive and tastier (though I don't know how). I guess we'll find out next time.

The Fig Drop Cookies were extremely easy to make, and absolutely delicious! The figs fell apart during the short cooking time, and the seeds ended up dispersed throughout the cookie dough, so the amazingly soft finished product had a little fig crackle in every bite.

Fig Drop Cookies
(Original Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried figs, chopped into little pieces
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. In a small sauce pan, heat the water and figs to reconstitute and break down fruit. (Cool before adding to cookies.)
2. Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer's bowl with the paddle attachment. Blend in egg and vanilla.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture until incorporated.
4. Mix in figs.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a prepared cookie sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
6. Cool on wire racks, store in air-tight containers.

Makes about 30  1-1/2 inch cookies

Mashed Potatoes...and Gravy

In culinary school I learned the correct way to prepare pomme purée. Apparently it was such an important skill to master that they had us practice nearly every day, for weeks. It was a major component of our first exam. We had to cut the correct amount, in weight, of potatoes in even pieces, boil for the correct amount of time (in properly salted water), drain and dry before mashing. And we didn't mash them with a potato masher or stick them in a KitchenAid, we sent them through a food mill or tamis. They were smoother than baby food. Somewhere in there we'd mix them with (a measured amount of) hot cream and cold cubed butter, season and mix again, gently- so as not to form gluey potatoes, but enough so everything was evenly incorporated, and perfectly smooth, perfectly creamy, with the perfect balance of cream and butter, salt and white pepper.

I can appreciate this. It was our chef instructor's job to teach us to make everything perfect, everytime. But no one spends this much time on mashed potatoes- whatever you call them. I have worked in plenty of restaurants, and even the fancy ones rough chop their potatoes and boil the hell out of them, drain, stick in a huge electric mixing bowl, turn the motor on and add cream (usually straight from the carton) and butter.

I work with old people. They're no food critics- okay that's not entirely true. They have very strong opinions. And they will tell me exactly what they think. But they want good comfort food, like they used to make when they had kitchens, food their parents and grandparents used to make. They don't want pomme purée, perfectly creamy and seasoned. Many of them watch their sodium intake, some of them think pepper (be it white or black) is too spicy.

So I make it simpler for them. I am usually crunched for time, and I often make these on a weekly basis. I took some basic techniques and tips from the gureling weeks of preparing pomme purée in class, but I don't follow the teachings like the law. I peel and chop the potatoes up first thing, and as fast as I can, not worrying too much about their size. Put the cut potatoes into cold water right away so they don't oxidize and turn brown- this happens very quickly. Always start in cold water. I usually cut them straight into the pot I will be boiling them in, heavily salted, and leave it on the stove. I don't turn the heat on until about an hour before lunch service, that will give them a good 20-30 minutes to simmer away, and not have to be held hot too long. I put a pot of cream on the stove to heat up (it keeps the potatoes from cooling down), and wait. We have a KitchenAid at work, but it only has one speed: fast. I don't want hot potatoes all over the kitchen, so I use a good old fashioned hand masher (we don't have a food mill, potato ricer or tamis). I drain the soft potatoes in a colander, put them back in the empty, but still hot, pot they cooked in, and mash away. I add my butter, usually in cold cubes, then the hot cream, and some salt to taste. Occasionally I'll add roasted garlic, if I thought ahead of time and roasted some, or garlic powder- because it's easy and the old folk love it.

How ever I make it, I will get protests if it is not served accompanied with gravy. It doesn't matter what else goes on the plate- meatloaf, pan-seared chicken breasts, fish- they must have their gravy. This sometimes presents a problem. Gravy is a pan sauce made from the drippings of whatever animal you've cooked. I rarely have drippings to use. So I make the easiest cheater gravy ever. I would never admit this to my culinary classmates or instructors, but out in the field you have to find something that works. The residents love this "gravy," it's rich and thick and creamy. More of a béchemel sauce with chicken or beef flavor- actually that's exactly what it is.

I heat up some milk, usually a small pot full. I always have pre-made roux on hand (equal parts butter and flour, by weight, melted in a pot and cooked for a little bit, stirring constantly, until fragrant and nutty, and no longer tastes like raw starch). Once the milk is nice and hot, I add some roux and better than bouillon, to taste and whisk until thick and flavorful. Often I must readjust the amounts, more roux if it's not thick enough, more milk if it's too thick, more flavor, and I add crushed black pepper and freshly ground nutmeg, it give it a speckled from-scratch look.

When service comes, my residents are never disappointed by my mashed potatoes or gravy. I serve the mashers with a scoop (which I was told never to do in school, because it looks "so institutional") and press in a small ladle-full of gravy. It's the perfect amount for their small appetites, and it looks just right, considering where we are.

Chicken Lemon Rice Soup

My mother always made this when someone in our family was sick. When I first moved out, I didn't live too far away, so everytime I got sick, I'd just go stay with her and she'd make it for me. It wasn't until recently that my boyfriend and I moved halfway across the country, and when one of us got sick, and I finally asked for her recipe.

It's soup, not an exact recipe (more like guidelines). So you can add more of this and less of that if you want. And play with it. I use leftovers sometimes, when I have rice I need to use, or chicken carcasses, I'll make home made stock, which is so much richer, but when someone gets sick, and I don't have anything to use, I'll make it from scratch. It's become a favorite at home, as well as with the elderly (who are often sick). It's a feel-better soup.

Chicken Lemon Rice Soup

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes
vegetable oil or butter
1 small yellow onion, small diced
6 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup rice (uncooked)
1 medium carrot, shredded (or small diced)
salt and pepper
dried parsley

Season and cook chicken pieces until done, set aside.
Sweat the onions, until translucent, in a small amount of vegetable oil or butter and salt. (If dicing the carrot, add now).
Add stock and lemon juice and bring to a simmer.
Add rice, and simmer until rice is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Add shredded carrots, chicken and dried parsley.
Season to taste.

Starch

Starch: No meal is complete without it

I always thought my first job in assisted living was the best, revolutionary even. I had the idea that all facilities and homes served pre-made packaged and frozen foods. And most of them do. But Fairhaven Estates was different. They hired real cooks and made foods from scratch. Sure we had white cake mix that we'd use- adding cocoa powder or flavored extracts to change the flavor- frozen fish fillets, and a few other items, but almost everything was handmade. We peeled and diced and boiled the potatoes for mashed potatoes and potato salad, we scrubbed the skins for baked potatoes, we washed the little red guys for herb roasted red potatoes, we sliced them thin for scalloped, julienned for fries...  But all we had were potatoes. Everyday. We might have a great entree, fried chicken (with potatoes), baked ham (with potatoes), pot roast (with potatoes), but always (with potatoes). We had the occasional sweet potato fries, and even mashed sweet potatoes (along with mashed potatoes) for Thanksgiving feasts, but that's it. Potatoes.

I did ask my boss why once, he said most of the residents hated rice and spaghetti (they called any form of pasta spaghetti, regardless of shape). I took it as truth and forgot about it- quickly learning how to prepare potatoes every way, and just as quickly deciding I hated them.

I still believed it, up until my current job. I had almost forgotten about other starches, even ones I prepared at home but that didn't register in my brain for one reason or another. Then I encountered the "starch" box at work. My head chef keeps everything very organized; if you are looking for nuts in dry storage, check the nut box, flour- check the grain box. The potatoes (and sweet potatoes) are in a large box on the bottom shelf. But ah... the starch box. Polenta, long grain white rice, arborio rice, wild rice, brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, barley, millet, wheat berries... the list goes on. Next to the starch box, and closely related, we have the pasta box- filled to the brim with all shapes of noodles- spaghetti, lasagna, couscous, cavatappi, egg noodles, elbow macaroni, shells.... All avaliable to prepare and serve with the entree (or soup, or salad, or even dessert).

And the residents love it. They don't want potatoes all the time either! They are still human beings with the same (though slightly weaker) taste buds! Yes- potatoes can be yummy, and seniors do love them, but not everyday.

I totally understand the distaste for spaghetti (the actual spaghetti, angle hair, capellini, linguine and other long pastas)- the long awkward shapes, hard for trembling hands to swirl onto a fork, that slide too easily down your throat, before chewing, and can be hazardous. I myself have choked on spaghetti more times than I'd like to recall. But there are so many pasta shapes! I really like to use the short, flat, wide egg noodles- they have a unique flavor and are both easy to pick up and to eat- great for Stroganoff and casseroles, plus, I always use them when I make chicken noodle soup.

I think a lot of elderly residents dislike rice for the same reason, not that it's hard to swallow, but that it is harder to pick up with a fork. It also tends to get everywhere, so serving in a bowl might make clean-up easier. Risotto is an option too- it sticks together, making it much easier to pick up, and it's creamy and flavorful.

Of all the many grains, I have had the best luck with polenta. It's thick, creamy, and soft, and can be seasoned many ways. The residents love it; it sticks together, sticks to their utensils, stays on their plates (not the floor), is easy to chew (though not necessary) and easy to swallow, and just plain delicious. I usually stir in hot cream and Parmesan cheese at the end, or sauteed onions, mushrooms and thyme ( also one of my favorite risotto combinations). You can prepare it with water or a flavorful stock- just don't forget the salt!

Whatever starches you choose to accompany your meals,  be sure to use a variety. Be open to new breeds and try new recipes. And don't forget about the potato!

Lettuce Salads

Salads seem to be an uncommon part of the senior diet. Lettuce can be hard to chew and swallow, and it wasn't a common food back in the day when our current old folks were youngin's.(Click for Brief Salad History)

In previous homes I've worked in, dinner salads were unheard of, and the salad bar's lettuce and fresh vegetables would go unnoticed next to canned beets, jello and fruit cocktails.

One of my grandfather's chief complaints about senior food was lack of lettuce. He had quite the palate for an 80-sum year-old.  Other than enjoying a giant cookie and beer that my mother would sneak into his nursing facility, he loved a fresh crisp salad. And I know there are more seniors out there with taste buds like Papa Bob.

At my current place of work, we make entre salads at least once a week and small side salads almost daily, with few complaints.

Several of my residents are missing entire sets of teeth, which make chewing rather difficult. For these residents, and others with chewing and swallowing problems, I chop the lettuce or salad greens up very small. For seniors I chop it up small anyways, but for these special cases I mean really tiny. And then I chop up all the toppings just as little. Presentation is still important though, (you eat with your eyes before you eat with your mouth) so I arrange the confetti of toppings on in an attractive manner.

So don't let a few sour apples spoil salads for everyone.  I have one resident who won't eat lettuce, but she'll eat the rest of the salad, so I make her a special plate without it. If you're working in a community, I urge you to give it a try and see how it goes over. Get feedback. If you're cooking for less, say a parent, grandparent or personal client, ask them how they feel about salads- see what they like and don't like about them. We're here cater to their dietary desires, and it's easy to make a few adjustments.

A note about...
Onions: Lots of people in the general public do not like raw onions. The senior population is no different. Be wary.
Bell Peppers: I've heard complaints from several elderly residents that these wreak havoc on their digestive systems. Use sparingly.
The Foundation: There is so much more variety of amazing greens on which to build your salad than iceberg lettuce. Try spinach, mixed greens, romaine, bib lettuce, and others- they actually all have unique flavors and textures.

Why Seniors?

In a lot of ways, cooking for seniors is like cooking for children; many seniors have the diminished taste buds of already bland and old-fashioned palates.

But just because some old folks don’t like flavor (or texture, or spice) doesn’t mean none of them do. And these preparation factors should not (and can not) be compromised for these old farts- usually the ones that have something to say about it too- especially when cooking for many in a home or senior community.

That’s what I do- I am a cook at an assisted living facility. I am professionally trained in the culinary arts and I choose to use my education, experience and talent to cook for the elderly. Because they deserve it too.