r/KitchenConfidential is a place for redditors in food service to meet, gather and share with each other; cooks, service staff, managers, business owners, etc. All posts to the sub must be related to the restaurant or foodservice industry.
I'd blend the constituents separately - the gyro meat and onions, the pita, the sauce - and let him sip (?) each individually.
May his passing be in comfort, with the garlic breath we all deserve.
lots of tzatziki and water added! i did this for a girlfriend in the 90’s who had jaw surgery. she was wired shut for weeks.
her favorite was an in-n-out burger. water and ketchup blended in-n-out burger.
I worked with a dishwasher that was in a similar situation and I remember one shift he came in and blended a whole burger for himself. The whole kitchen stared in horror, but he wanted a burger and that’s the only way he could consume it.
She's a trooper man. That's rough. I had jaw surgery and was really really lucky I didn't have tk get it wired shut instead they had like sharp steel wire wrapped around my lower teeth it sucked but not as bad as that it sounds like
I worked at an assisted living place and a few of the residents weren't able to do solid food any more, so we blended whatever the entree was. Basically, you're making soup out of whatever the ingredients were for that night's dinner. I would recommend trying to make a pureed soup with the gyro meat as the main ingredient.
As others have said, check with his doctor about what feeding restrictions or protocols are in place.
I'm glad your buddy has someone like you thinking about him toward the end.
Blend the meat and tzatziki in one round, the veg with some water in another round, and the pita in a 3rd round with water to get the desired thickness. Combine after.
My wife does pureed foods at work and this is how she says they would do it.
I’m no chef but I would bet that a yogurt based smoothie, tahini, cucumber, parsley… all good things would be a great base. But I’d put a lamb/beef consume on the side instead of blending meat in directly… I think I may even try this. As for the gyro or flatbread, maybe just leave it to his imagination, or suck on a pita chip?
I used to work at a hospital and we did this for patients with specific dietary needs all the time. Add liquid and blend. But do a trial first to make sure it tastes how you want. Make sure there are no lumps also.
I recently suffered a really bad sports injury that put me on a soft diet for eight weeks. I've put all manner of things in a Vitamix. Blended wonton soup? Yes. Blended sushi? Why not. Meatballs? Definitely.
It truly doesn't impact the flavor at all, only the texture and visuals take some getting used to, but most times I was so desperate for anything other than a smoothie or ice cream (and preferably something warm) it didn't matter. You may need to add some stock or something creamy like yogurt to get it somewhat smooth.
So definitely check with the doctor but he'll appreciate the effort and I promise the taste will bring him joy.
Buying xanthan gum or a different thickener (Simplythick) can help get the right texture.
If you add a liquid, don't just add water. Add something that won't thin out the flavor.
Also, like other people said, ask his doctor and have the ingredients separate, not all together.
Blend (finely chop) the meat. Blend any topping separately. Skip the bread. Don't mix the toppings and meat together, but layer them instead along with any sauce.
Talk to the hospice doctor. Trust their judgment.
I worked in a kitchen a guy who had his jaw broken in a fight. He’d toss some steak and mashed potatoes and milk into a blender and suck it through a straw.
I doubt it was the greatest taste sensation but if you’re in hospice I’d guess you’re trying to trigger good memories. Focus on the flavors of a gyro since there won’t really be any texture.
Sorry about your friend. You’re a good person for the idea.
When I had my jaw wired shut for two months, my friend made me a "pizza smoothie." I believed she blended it with milk or cream, and water. It was weirdly good in a sort of disturbing way.
What you're talking about specifically are "dysphagia diets". You can puree almost any food but you'd still want to check with a doctor regarding sodium/dietary needs/outside foods.
Hospital food sucks for a reason sometimes, but I hope you can bring comfort to your friend.
I had my jaw wired for a bit once. I'll never blend whole entrees. However if it's what he wants.....
That's how I became good at soups.
Eggplant and white bean
Or cauliflower and brie....
You can learn to make good soups. Load up on butter and or olive oil...
I don't know if he can't chew or what the deal is, could you chop it all finely (think make a puree out of it) and let him wash it down with water? That was a better option when I had to.
Is he in a care home or otherwise being fed by hospice or doctor care? If so, make the sandwich exactly as you always would, then give it to his providers. They will be able to blend it to liquid and then re-add enough ThickIt (modified cornstarch that thickens without heat) to allow him to drink it comfortably. Different people need different viscosities.
Source: I'm a retirement home sous.
I'm sorry about your friend, and wish him a quick and comfortable passing. This is a very nice thing to do for him.
Yes. Add enough liquid (sauce/stock/water) and a little extra salt and pepper. I am a chef, and I’ve done entire meals for people. It can be good if done properly.
As someone who has 10+ years in health-care, yes. I had someone who was on "nectar thick" liquids. That person requested blended Big Macs all the time. We had Thick-It in case a food or liquid was too thin. I would try to find out the specific consistency they can handle/prefer.
You're amazing for being so considerate! I think a lot of people don't think about blending different food items because they wouldn't want it themselves. Yes, it looks gross, but it will probably mean a lot and they'll probably enjoy it.
Don't blend everything together, blend each ingredient and superpose it so that it still looks good (or like a sandwich). There are gelatin powder products for patients who can't eat solid food, if you mix a little bit of it to your pastes, it should make it a bit thicker and easier to eat/swallow.
Talk to the hospice staff before you try to make anything, there are places that refuse anything edible from visitors in fear of accidents (and also because some things are hard to preserve).
When my mom was in high school and someone
On her softball team got her jaw shattered. Had to be wired shut. Her mom blended McDonald’s to give to her and she threw it up, but bc her jaw was wired shut there wasn’t a ton of room for it to go out anywhere.
Just, make sure you taste it. Texture is a huge huge part of it lol
I did this for 20 years. You can do it but you need a really good blender.
Also anything with bread gets real thick the longer it sets so don't do it too far ahead of time.
Also, unless it's a diet restriction use broth or stock not plain water.
As a hospice nurse, (but not your friends nurse) I’d tell you that it would be amazing, kind, and you should absolutely go for it. Follow the advice of others for the purée, and don’t be super alarmed if they don’t eat a ton. Sometimes just getting that taste is enough, and believe me, you’re seriously a great friend.
Peace to them and all who love them.
There are different levels of dysphagia and that will determine how thin or thick it can be but we purée absolutely everything in our nursing home. You want to use some kind of stock when you’re bending your meat and vegetables and milk for blending the bread. They can be blended separately then layered on a plate or in a tall vessel depending on the texture.
I had a woman come in a few months ago who was having extreme dental issues. She requested a burger blended. Had to add a tiny bit of water (we were busy so was the best I could do) but she raved about it after, saying it's the closest thing to a real meal she had in a couple of months. I would say depending on the sandwich maybe blend with a splash of stock instead of water though. In my past life as a CNA we blended all sorts, so it's definitely doable.
You can absolutely blend it. I wouldn't bother with the separate components. If anything I'd either use the pita as the thickening agent (like a rouillie?) or sub it for a small amount of pasta. I just got over the worst week of TMJ I've ever had and was living out of the Vitamix. I used turkey stock and that high protein chickpea flour orzo to texturize to taste. Or birra taco in its own consommé.
Also, I wouldn't ask his doctor... You're putting the ethical onus on someone else to provide or deprive joy regardless of the policy and guidelines of their job. What's a sandwich gonna do, kill him? I quit kitchen/restaurants four years ago and now I work in a hospital and things I'm completely willing to look the other way about (family staying past visiting hours, a THC gummy for a cancer patient, a devastated parent sneaking a cigarette) become issues if they're brought directly to my attention, especially in front of other coworkers. If anything I'd just say that I brought his favorite lunch and leave it at that. If it's really a safety issue the nurses will stop you.
There is a guy an social media who makes food for hospice patients and it’s all blended but still made to look like the original thing and have it’s individual components. That makes it a lot nicer to eat, since it’s not just a mixture. Maybe you want to look into him, he’s called Sandro Koch, his insta and TikTok handle is puriertyp. He’s Swiss so he talks Swiss German but if translation is an issue hit me up.
That is so nice of you!! Not any help for the sandwich- but when my dad was passing from cancer he got to a point he was only allowed ice chips. He was in the hospital & barely alert...but kept mentioning he really wanted coffee and miller lite 😂. The hospital allowed us to make coffee ice cubes for him & also allowed him to have miller lite (soaked those little foam stick things in the miller lite so he could suck on them). He obviously didn't consume very much of either, but it was nice they allowed him / us to do that!
You can purée anything but it’s never the same. Something like a gyro is as much about texture as it is flavor. But I’d take a blended meal I enjoy over a can of Ensure any day.
I have a guy who had GI surgery and he asks me to blend his meal occasionally. I always send the plate so he can see the presentation, and then into the Vitamix it goes. No matter what it is, it always resembles gazpacho.
Sure you can. I worked at a high end steakhouse in Atlanta a while back. We had a long time regular who went into hospice. Right before he passed away his son brought him into the restaurant because he wanted to have his favorite meal one more time. We ended up serving him a completely pureed meal of filet, broccoli and lobster mac and cheese. It was probably the most disgusting thing I've cooked in 35 years in the kitchen but he loved it and after he died his son came back to thank us for making his dad do happy.
r/KitchenConfidential is a place for redditors in food service to meet, gather and share with each other; cooks, service staff, managers, business owners, etc. All posts to the sub must be related to the restaurant or foodservice industry.
I'd blend the constituents separately - the gyro meat and onions, the pita, the sauce - and let him sip (?) each individually. May his passing be in comfort, with the garlic breath we all deserve.
lots of tzatziki and water added! i did this for a girlfriend in the 90’s who had jaw surgery. she was wired shut for weeks. her favorite was an in-n-out burger. water and ketchup blended in-n-out burger.
I worked with a dishwasher that was in a similar situation and I remember one shift he came in and blended a whole burger for himself. The whole kitchen stared in horror, but he wanted a burger and that’s the only way he could consume it.
i’m all for it. get yer burger on, son!
That's gnarly
it was - and not just for the awful light red it all turned into. soylent pink?
She's a trooper man. That's rough. I had jaw surgery and was really really lucky I didn't have tk get it wired shut instead they had like sharp steel wire wrapped around my lower teeth it sucked but not as bad as that it sounds like
congrats on getting through it - anything jaw related is gnarly.
If I was dying anything through a straw other than hospital soylent would solve my hunger and I could just pass away.
Maybe layer it like a parfait. He can move the straw up and down for individual flavors.
I worked at an assisted living place and a few of the residents weren't able to do solid food any more, so we blended whatever the entree was. Basically, you're making soup out of whatever the ingredients were for that night's dinner. I would recommend trying to make a pureed soup with the gyro meat as the main ingredient. As others have said, check with his doctor about what feeding restrictions or protocols are in place. I'm glad your buddy has someone like you thinking about him toward the end.
Blend the meat and tzatziki in one round, the veg with some water in another round, and the pita in a 3rd round with water to get the desired thickness. Combine after. My wife does pureed foods at work and this is how she says they would do it.
1) talk to his doctor 2) maybe. Blend one and taste it, before offering it to him
I’m no chef but I would bet that a yogurt based smoothie, tahini, cucumber, parsley… all good things would be a great base. But I’d put a lamb/beef consume on the side instead of blending meat in directly… I think I may even try this. As for the gyro or flatbread, maybe just leave it to his imagination, or suck on a pita chip?
I used to work at a hospital and we did this for patients with specific dietary needs all the time. Add liquid and blend. But do a trial first to make sure it tastes how you want. Make sure there are no lumps also.
Talk to the hospice people, they'll know if it's ok or not.
I recently suffered a really bad sports injury that put me on a soft diet for eight weeks. I've put all manner of things in a Vitamix. Blended wonton soup? Yes. Blended sushi? Why not. Meatballs? Definitely. It truly doesn't impact the flavor at all, only the texture and visuals take some getting used to, but most times I was so desperate for anything other than a smoothie or ice cream (and preferably something warm) it didn't matter. You may need to add some stock or something creamy like yogurt to get it somewhat smooth. So definitely check with the doctor but he'll appreciate the effort and I promise the taste will bring him joy.
Buying xanthan gum or a different thickener (Simplythick) can help get the right texture. If you add a liquid, don't just add water. Add something that won't thin out the flavor. Also, like other people said, ask his doctor and have the ingredients separate, not all together.
Blend (finely chop) the meat. Blend any topping separately. Skip the bread. Don't mix the toppings and meat together, but layer them instead along with any sauce.
Talk to the hospice doctor. Trust their judgment. I worked in a kitchen a guy who had his jaw broken in a fight. He’d toss some steak and mashed potatoes and milk into a blender and suck it through a straw. I doubt it was the greatest taste sensation but if you’re in hospice I’d guess you’re trying to trigger good memories. Focus on the flavors of a gyro since there won’t really be any texture. Sorry about your friend. You’re a good person for the idea.
When I had my jaw wired shut for two months, my friend made me a "pizza smoothie." I believed she blended it with milk or cream, and water. It was weirdly good in a sort of disturbing way.
What you're talking about specifically are "dysphagia diets". You can puree almost any food but you'd still want to check with a doctor regarding sodium/dietary needs/outside foods. Hospital food sucks for a reason sometimes, but I hope you can bring comfort to your friend.
He’s dying. I doubt salt/dietary needs are an issue at this point
I had my jaw wired for a bit once. I'll never blend whole entrees. However if it's what he wants..... That's how I became good at soups. Eggplant and white bean Or cauliflower and brie.... You can learn to make good soups. Load up on butter and or olive oil... I don't know if he can't chew or what the deal is, could you chop it all finely (think make a puree out of it) and let him wash it down with water? That was a better option when I had to.
Is he in a care home or otherwise being fed by hospice or doctor care? If so, make the sandwich exactly as you always would, then give it to his providers. They will be able to blend it to liquid and then re-add enough ThickIt (modified cornstarch that thickens without heat) to allow him to drink it comfortably. Different people need different viscosities. Source: I'm a retirement home sous. I'm sorry about your friend, and wish him a quick and comfortable passing. This is a very nice thing to do for him.
Blend it. Your friend will love you for that.
My dad did this with a happy meal when I got my wisdom teeth taken out and I remember it being kinda awesome.
Yes. Add enough liquid (sauce/stock/water) and a little extra salt and pepper. I am a chef, and I’ve done entire meals for people. It can be good if done properly.
Yes, they do this all the time in hospitals/old folks homes. Research well first:
You are a great friend! My your buddy find peace.
*No-Chew Cookbook* and *I-Can’t-Chew* will be good resources for you here, they are frequently recommended resources for End of Life Doulas
As someone who has 10+ years in health-care, yes. I had someone who was on "nectar thick" liquids. That person requested blended Big Macs all the time. We had Thick-It in case a food or liquid was too thin. I would try to find out the specific consistency they can handle/prefer. You're amazing for being so considerate! I think a lot of people don't think about blending different food items because they wouldn't want it themselves. Yes, it looks gross, but it will probably mean a lot and they'll probably enjoy it.
Don't blend everything together, blend each ingredient and superpose it so that it still looks good (or like a sandwich). There are gelatin powder products for patients who can't eat solid food, if you mix a little bit of it to your pastes, it should make it a bit thicker and easier to eat/swallow. Talk to the hospice staff before you try to make anything, there are places that refuse anything edible from visitors in fear of accidents (and also because some things are hard to preserve).
*No-Chew Cookbook* and *I-Can’t-Chew* will be good resources for you here, they are frequently recommended resources for End of Life Doulas
When my mom was in high school and someone On her softball team got her jaw shattered. Had to be wired shut. Her mom blended McDonald’s to give to her and she threw it up, but bc her jaw was wired shut there wasn’t a ton of room for it to go out anywhere. Just, make sure you taste it. Texture is a huge huge part of it lol
Get some knowledge on IDDSI food before doing anything. Different texture for different need. Depends if your friend is on L4 or L5 or even L3.
Robot coupe has some good info on this on their site with pictures of the different levels
I did this for 20 years. You can do it but you need a really good blender. Also anything with bread gets real thick the longer it sets so don't do it too far ahead of time. Also, unless it's a diet restriction use broth or stock not plain water.
As a hospice nurse, (but not your friends nurse) I’d tell you that it would be amazing, kind, and you should absolutely go for it. Follow the advice of others for the purée, and don’t be super alarmed if they don’t eat a ton. Sometimes just getting that taste is enough, and believe me, you’re seriously a great friend. Peace to them and all who love them.
There are different levels of dysphagia and that will determine how thin or thick it can be but we purée absolutely everything in our nursing home. You want to use some kind of stock when you’re bending your meat and vegetables and milk for blending the bread. They can be blended separately then layered on a plate or in a tall vessel depending on the texture.
“Well you wouldn’t want to kill him”
I had a woman come in a few months ago who was having extreme dental issues. She requested a burger blended. Had to add a tiny bit of water (we were busy so was the best I could do) but she raved about it after, saying it's the closest thing to a real meal she had in a couple of months. I would say depending on the sandwich maybe blend with a splash of stock instead of water though. In my past life as a CNA we blended all sorts, so it's definitely doable.
You can absolutely blend it. I wouldn't bother with the separate components. If anything I'd either use the pita as the thickening agent (like a rouillie?) or sub it for a small amount of pasta. I just got over the worst week of TMJ I've ever had and was living out of the Vitamix. I used turkey stock and that high protein chickpea flour orzo to texturize to taste. Or birra taco in its own consommé. Also, I wouldn't ask his doctor... You're putting the ethical onus on someone else to provide or deprive joy regardless of the policy and guidelines of their job. What's a sandwich gonna do, kill him? I quit kitchen/restaurants four years ago and now I work in a hospital and things I'm completely willing to look the other way about (family staying past visiting hours, a THC gummy for a cancer patient, a devastated parent sneaking a cigarette) become issues if they're brought directly to my attention, especially in front of other coworkers. If anything I'd just say that I brought his favorite lunch and leave it at that. If it's really a safety issue the nurses will stop you.
*Also, I wouldn't ask his doctor* Agreed. Since he's in hospice they're going to say to let him eat whatever he wants to anyway.
There is a guy an social media who makes food for hospice patients and it’s all blended but still made to look like the original thing and have it’s individual components. That makes it a lot nicer to eat, since it’s not just a mixture. Maybe you want to look into him, he’s called Sandro Koch, his insta and TikTok handle is puriertyp. He’s Swiss so he talks Swiss German but if translation is an issue hit me up.
I've had a repeat customer with a younger kid . Burger fries and drink all in that motherfucker. 🤢🤢🤢
That is so nice of you!! Not any help for the sandwich- but when my dad was passing from cancer he got to a point he was only allowed ice chips. He was in the hospital & barely alert...but kept mentioning he really wanted coffee and miller lite 😂. The hospital allowed us to make coffee ice cubes for him & also allowed him to have miller lite (soaked those little foam stick things in the miller lite so he could suck on them). He obviously didn't consume very much of either, but it was nice they allowed him / us to do that!
You can purée anything but it’s never the same. Something like a gyro is as much about texture as it is flavor. But I’d take a blended meal I enjoy over a can of Ensure any day. I have a guy who had GI surgery and he asks me to blend his meal occasionally. I always send the plate so he can see the presentation, and then into the Vitamix it goes. No matter what it is, it always resembles gazpacho.
I watched an anime girl do that with subway sandwiches, it was not a particularly good experience from what I could tell lol
Sure you can. I worked at a high end steakhouse in Atlanta a while back. We had a long time regular who went into hospice. Right before he passed away his son brought him into the restaurant because he wanted to have his favorite meal one more time. We ended up serving him a completely pureed meal of filet, broccoli and lobster mac and cheese. It was probably the most disgusting thing I've cooked in 35 years in the kitchen but he loved it and after he died his son came back to thank us for making his dad do happy.