Stuffed Zucchini

Description:
For those days when your garden runneth over....

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini (6 to 7 inches each) - halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons olive oil or butter
2 jumbo garlic cloves - chopped fine, or grated teeny
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs or one slice whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram, tarragon, basil or thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 grated or sliced mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Scoop out the insides of the zucchini leaving a 3/8 inch thick shell. Steam the shells, cut side down, for about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the pulp.

Sauté onions and garlic in butter/olive oil until translucent to slightly browned. Add chopped zucchini pulp and sauté for another 5 minutes or so. Add bread crumbs, chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Scoop this mixture into the zucchini shells and place on a baking pan. Cover with shredded (or sliced) cheese and put under the broiler until the cheese is melted. (about 2 minutes)

Zucchini Cheddar Bread

Description:
I'm not a big fan of the usual, rather-too-sweet, form of zucchini bread. But I have too much zucchini lying around and decided to make some anyway (hoping that the friends we were meeting with today would eat most of it so I wouldn't have to).

So I pulled out the Joy of Cooking this morning only to find a lovely, savory recipe for zucchini bread. I didn't have any scallions so I used two enormous cloves of garlic (all mushed up) instead. It came out quite lovely.

Ingredients:
3 cups freshly ground whole grain flour (I used hard red wheat.)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-- -- -- -- --
1 cup coarsely shredded zucchini
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill, or, 2 teaspoon dried
-- -- -- -- --
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk (i used plain yogurt since i had no buttermilk in the house)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) warm melted butter

Directions:
Whisk the flour, bakking powder, salt and soda together. Add and toss to separate and coat with flour the zucchini, cheese, scallions, parsley and dill. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk and butter together in another bowl, then add to the flour mixture. Mix with a few light strokes just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix; the batter should not be smooth. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely ont he rack.

The Banana Lady: and other stories of curious behaviour and speech

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Health, Mind & Body
Author:	Andrew Kertesz

"To live with someone with FTD is a test of personal strength and character.... Spouses of FTD/Pick patients are often treated for clinical depression, and one I heard about committed suicide.”-- Andrew Kertesz

My dad has Picks disease. He was diagnosed about 7 years ago, but he’s had it for even longer. His personality started to slowly change. He would sing and dance at inappropriate times in inappropriate places. He would speak to people only in Ukrainian, even after they told him that they didn’t understand him. And it was difficult to have a conversation with him because he generally came back to one refrain (Ukraine) no matter what the actual topic of conversation was. And to top it all off, no one but my mom, my sister, and myself seemed to realize that anything was wrong. Everyone else apparently just assumed that he'd always had an eccentric personality.

Even after we'd finally gotten a diagnosis, people would still shrug their shoulders and say, "He looks fine to me," as if what they could see with their eyes was sufficient to deny what both an MRI and a doctor had confirmed. So when he would do something that was embarrassing (like insisting on greeting every Asian person with a Japanese greeting), or rude (like saying loudly that a woman nearby was fat) or unsettling (like looking through parking lots for coins--something many people took as an excuse to glance through cars looking for something to steal) we could explain that he had Pick’s disease, but because he didn’t look sick and because most people have no clue what Pick's disease is, they still got upset, uncomfortable, or called the police on him. Though my father didn’t mind--one of the symptoms of PIck’s disease is an apathetic response--it was withering to my mom, who day in and day out had to excuse his behavior and whisk him away home.

So it was utterly refreshing to read The Banana Lady: and other stories of curious behavior and speech, by Andrew Kertesz. Here was someone who deeply understood what we were going through. And he tells stories of many others who have stood in our place, who have walked the lonely and misunderstood path that we walk--who “get it.” It’s such a relief to know that you're not alone. And if The Banana Lady book were to accomplish nothing else, this would be enough, bringing some comfort to the caregivers who often suffer alone in silence and validating what we have been trying to explain to friends and family since the time the disease first started to take over.

But Kertesz goes beyond just the story telling. Along with giving depressing, scary, and sometimes even amusing portrayals of patients he has worked with, he also describes distinguishing features of the disease, variations of it (and how they’re related to each other), clinical features, and distinctives that help to distinguish Pick complex diagnoses from others such as bipolar disease, depression, Alzheimer's, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and several others with which Pick's could be confused. At times the descriptions and delineations become a bit clinical (They are obviously included in the book to help those in the medical profession better be able to recognize this disease.), but these sections are short and surrounded by stories and descriptions that are very accessible to the average reader.

Andrew Kertesz uses 19 case studies to describe the variations within a disease that he prefers to refer to as Pick Complex. (A list of the names attributed to various forms of this disease are given at the end of this review. One of the reasons that this disease is so little known, Kertesz suggests, is that rather than titling it with one umbrella term, doctors and researchers have given it many names to describe specific facets of the disease--often doing so without even realizing that one facet is related to another.) Though many of the symptoms described in the case studies overlap with those highlighted in other chapters, each chapter is intended to specifically highlight one characterization of the disease, how it might be manifested, and how it will differ from other diseases that have a few similar symptoms. Symptoms that are highlighted include: food fads (craving sweets and bananas, for example), gluttony (eating whatever is in front of them just because it’s there... even if it’s on a nearby stranger’s plate), compulsive behaviors, aphasia (loss of language), semantic memory loss (forgetting what a familiar word means), roaming and restlessness, having an “alien hand”, supranuclear palsy (motor difficulties), hypersexuality, senile squalor (failing to bathe, change clothes, wash dishes), social problems (like being in trouble with the law), inappropriate jocularity, punning and singing, constantly repeating words or phrases, stereotypic routines, inability to organize or finish tasks, lack of concern and insight, childishness, and change in personality.

This book also covers the history of the disease (first described in 1892 in a paper by Arnold Pick), its biology (Pick bodies, spongiform change in brain tissue, etc.), genetic counseling (Kertesz believes that "FTD/Pick's disease is more often dominantly inherited than AD [Alzheimer's Disease]."), and prevalence of the disease (which he believes is far higher than most estimates state). The author also addresses treatment options (There really isn't anything you can do but treat the symptoms.) and the directions that research is currently taking. And he gives 25 tips for caregivers to help them navigate the hellaciousness that Pick's will force upon them. (See the quote I included at the top if you have any doubt about the ridiculous amount of stress this disease can cause caregivers.)

If you have a friend or family member who has been diagnosed with Pick's disease (or any of the diseases listed at the bottom of this review), or if they have any of the symptoms listed above and you suspect Pick's, I highly recommend that you read this book. I also recommend this book to medical professionals, not just those who work in the field of geriatrics since Pick's disease can strike those in their 20's and 30's, but anyone who works with adults on a regular basis. Diagnosing the disease early may not make a difference to the patient (since there is no Aricept or similar drug that helps forestall the disease), but it can make all the difference in the world to the caregivers who can start to take financial and legal steps that will help them to prepare for what is to come.

You can find out more about this book on the publisher's website. It is also available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Booksamillion.com and other retailers.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Pick Complex
Though there is some argument over whether some of these diseases should be grouped with Picks, the author posits that "Pick complex" should cover them all (due to similarities in both symptoms and brain studies done upon autopsy).

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD)
Frontotemporal obar Degeneration (FTLD)
Pick's Disease (PiD)
Pick Complex (FTD/Pick)
Primary progressive aphasia (PPA)
Semantic dementia (SD)
Corticobasal Degeneration Syndrome (CBDS)
Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD)
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)
FTD with Motor Neuron Disease (FTD/MND)
FTD-Motor Neuron Disease Inclusion type (FTD-MND)
FTLD-U
FTDP-17
Dementia Lacking Distinctive Histology
Argyrophillic Grain Disease
ALS-Parkinsonism-Dementia complex
"Lytico-Bodig" of Guam
Mesial Temporal Sclerosis
Neuronal Intermediate Neurofilament Disease (NIFID)
Progressive Subcortical Gliosis
Tangle only Dementia

Green Bean and Radish Salad

Description:
A few weeks back we had some friends over and I served Vichyssoise, Wild Rice Salad with Dried Sour Cherries, Green Bean and Radish Salad, and an array of sausages (chicken and apple, Polish, spinach and feta, and Italian). For dessert we had biscuits with sweetened strawberries and cream.

The recipes for everything except the sausages and dessert were out of various Saveur magazines. The Green Bean and Radish Salad is from the May 2006 issue.

Ingredients:
salt
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. radishes, trimmed and quartered
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. honey, preferably chilli (chile) honey
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Blanch green beans until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain and quickly plunge green beans into a bowl of ice water, to cool them. Drain.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green beans, radishes, and garlic and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add honey, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until vegetables are just beginning to caramelize, about 2-3 minutes more. Transfer salad to a large bowl; set aside to let cool slightly.

3. Season salad with salt and pepper to taste and divide between 4 small plates. Serve at room temperature.

Meg's Final Thoughts

This was pretty yummy. I think next time I'll add about 3 times as much garlic, though. I've never seen a cooked radish salad before, making this a great unique salad to bring out to "surprise and amaze your guests!"

Wild Rice Salad with Dried Sour Cherries

Description:
A few weeks back we had some friends over and I served Vichyssoise, Wild Rice Salad with Dried Sour Cherries, Green Bean and Radish Salad, and an array of sausages (chicken and apple, Polish, spinach and feta, and Italian). For dessert we had biscuits with sweetened strawberries and cream.

The recipes for everything except the sausages and dessert were out of various Saveur magazines. The Wild Rice Salad with Dried Sour Cherries is from the June/July 2004 issue.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup wild rice
5 cups chicken stock
4 sliced bacon, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup dried sour cherries
1 rib celery, diced
1 scallion, trimmed and chopped
leaves from 5 sprigs parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Put rice into a medium pot, cover with water, and swish around with your hand. Drain; repeat process until water remains clear, 3-4 more times. Drain rice and return to pot. Add stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir rice once or twice and reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover pot and cook rice until grains are swollen and tender but not blossomed, 50-60 minutes. Drain rice in a colander and let rest, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. (Disturbed rice can become very... disturbing!) Transfer rice to a large bowl to let cool.

2. Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon and 2 tbsp. of the rendered bacon fat to bowl with rice. Add dried cherries, celery, scallions, parsley, and vinegar and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish salad with a sprig of parsley, if you like, and serve at room temperature.

Meg's Final Thoughts

This was pretty darn yummy. I used dried cherried that I'd gotten last summer in Traverse City, MI. I'm not even sure they were sour, exactly, but they worked just fine. The only thing that went wrong while making this recipe is that I tried using a rice cooker and put the lid all the way on. The rice boiled an hour longer than it should have (and "blossomed") and much of the liquid was still there. I had to pour it off. *shrug* It was a waste of broth, but I don't think the salad suffered. I'll definitely be making this again.

Vichyssoise

Description:
A few weeks back we had some friends over and I served Vichyssoise, Wild Rice Salad with Dried Sour Cherries, Green Bean and Radish Salad, and an array of sausages (chicken and apple, Polish, spinach and feta, and Italian). For dessert we had biscuits with sweetened strawberries and cream.

The recipes for everything except the sausages and dessert were out of various Saveur magazines. The Vichyssoise is from the June/July 2006 issue.

Ingredients:
4 tbsp. butter
4 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
5 medium white boiling potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced
salt
2 cups milk
2 cups light cream
1 cut heavy cream
2 tbsp. finely chopped chives

Directions:
1. Heat butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 20 minutes. Add potatoes, 4 cups water, and salt to taste and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft, 50-60 minutes.

2. Strain soup through a mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing and scraping the solids with a spoon. Clean pot and return soup to it. Whisk in milk and light cream, bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from heat and let cool. Strain soup through a fine-mesh sieve (finer than the first), pressing and scraping it into a bowl with the spoon, leaving behind a thick paste of solids. Discard solids. Stir heavy cream into soup, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled. Season soup with salt to taste.

3. Divide soup between 8 soup bowls and garnish with chives. Serve cold.

Meg's Final Thoughts

Although this soup sounds very fancy, I found it not nearly as satisfying as a basic bowl of potato/leek soup. I think the outrageous amounts of cream were supposed to make this uber yummy, but I found that the cream also seemed to drown out the flavor of the potatoes and leeks. I also only sieved it once and I decided afterwards that that was one time too many. Soup should have substance, even if it's been bisqued. At some point I'll have to try making a Megyssoise version - no sieving, less cream, more flavor.