A good meal makes living with ALS a little better
Preparation tips from YouTube and my husband have led me to tastier food
“I’ve learned a lot of stuff I wish I’d known 30 years ago,” my husband, Todd, said after eating a meal of baked fish that I’d first brined, per his suggestion.
Todd is paralyzed because of ALS, and he uses a noninvasive ventilator. His neck is too weak to enjoy going out in his accessible van, so he prefers to stay at home, where he spends much of his day on his computer. He has a few volunteer projects he works on every week, including updating our church’s website, editing the audio files for the weekly sermon podcast, and putting together audio clips for the pastors’ radio broadcast. He also helps me edit this column.
After all that, and all the time he needs for his personal care, he still has time to fill. He ends up watching a lot of YouTube videos. He follows politics both domestically and internationally. He watches videos of lawyers covering high-profile cases. He follows a Nebraska farmer and now knows much about corn combines.
He also watches videos that contain information that’s useful around the house.
Upgrades to chicken and fish
Last year, after our daughter commented on how much she likes the chicken from Applebee’s, Todd suggested that was probably because Applebee’s brines its chicken. He’d learned on YouTube that brining was a secret for good restaurant chicken. With that information, I started soaking my chicken breasts in a saltwater bath for 20 minutes before cooking them. The bath somehow changes the protein structure of the meat and significantly improves the taste. Since then, my grilled chicken has become a family favorite.
A few weeks ago, Todd watched another video of a chef brining fish. She was using a 4-quart brining bucket with straight sides, so he ordered one for me. I like it because the liquid doesn’t slosh around, and it fits so well in the refrigerator, dishwasher, and cabinet.
I hadn’t thought of brining fish because the meat is already so tender, but I gave it a try. For our last date night, I baked fresh Lake Superior trout that I’d purchased at our local fish market. I put 2 tablespoons of salt in 2 quarts of water, and I soaked the fish for 15 minutes. I then seasoned it with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, red onion, and fresh basil from my garden box. I baked the fish and served it with acorn squash, drizzled with olive oil and maple syrup, and a side of sautéed zucchini.
“I used to not understand when restaurants advertised ‘home cooking,’” Todd said at the conclusion of the meal. “I would think, ‘I don’t want home cooking. I want restaurant cooking.’ Now I get it. I would rather eat your home cooking than eat at any restaurant.”
I was glad he enjoyed the meal, especially now that he can’t go out to eat anymore. I enjoyed it too, and it was easy to prepare — a plus when I have so many other tasks to handle as Todd’s caregiver.
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