Last night, I took my taste buds out for a test ride. Chemotherapy affects the quick growing cells in the buds. At its worst, all I could tolerate was bland food. How bland? Applesauce burned. Pudding burned. Soy yogurt burned. My diet consisted of eggbeaters, Cream of Wheat, and Boost/Ensure. Since I finished my third and last intensive chemo cycle, I’ve gradually been branching out into pasta, salad (how I missed salads and balsamic vinaigrette), and sandwiches with a little bite. Last night, I challenged my taste buds without thinking about it.
Ann & I had dinner at El Basha (Middle Eastern food) with Jesse & Susan. We ordered a hummus and babaganoush appetizer which tasted just yummy. For my main course, I chose an El Salad with a side of meatless stuffed grape leaves. My taste buds rejoiced and the tart flavor of the grape leaves stayed with me until I fell asleep.
The El Salad is named for the famous El Morocco Restaurant that graced Worcester for ~five decades. It started in the basement of a three-decker where it had a Beat Generation feel. Jazz musicians would gather after gigs and jam into the wee hours while munching on Middle Eastern treats. Theater and major entertainment stars would drive to Worcester and the El from Boston for after performance dining (their photos covered the walls.) In the 1970’s (I think), the El moved into a glamorous new building across the street. It was set on a hilltop with a panoramic view of Worcester County. The New El had a lavish dining room and function rooms that often were used for jazz concerts. In the late 1990’s, this landmark restaurant closed leaving a hole still unfilled in the city, musically and gastronomically. El Basha has revived the revered El Morocco Salad (now if they could only get the recipe for the Mud Pie!)
After dinner, Jesse & Susan suggested we stop at The Bean Counter to pick up dessert. The Bean Counter is noted for its coffee and home made treats. They even do vegan! My big vice in life pre-cancer was coffee (Café Americano with an extra shot, cold soy, Splenda) but during chemo, coffee first tasted bland and then sour in a very bad way. Now, it is suggested that I avoid coffee and caffeine. But I loved walking into The Bean Counter and inhaling deep lung fills of coffee and espresso. I chose a couple of vegan cookies: chocolate chunk and oatmeal raisin. It’s been a long while since I’ve had a rich cookie!
We four came back to our home, sat around and talked. Talk led to a lot of laughter. I’ve known Jesse since childhood and Ann & I met Susan early in our marriage. Our kids grew up together and still make time to see one another. These life long friendships are special and priceless. It’s more than the history; the understanding exceeds mere words.
Today will be another cool day. Cousins Alan & Arlene are coming by to visit this afternoon. Then tonight, another life long friendship couple, Larry & Lora, are taking us to Bertucci’s in The Solomon Pond Mall where we will meet up with Cousin Betsy. I get to see the two women who are my rocks in the same day! They have guided me through cancer and treatment, sharing their experience fighting the disease. I don’t know where I would be without their counsel and wisdom.
Thanks everyone for your comfort and support. I’m beyond lucky to have friends and family like you.
Love…
Richard
Ah, so happy to hear about the feasting and, more importantly, the enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteSo, do you have weekends off from Little Big Bang? Do you visit her five days a week? I'll bet those techs are eagerly awaiting the next round of unfamiliar music.
Another feast tonight! Yes, have weekends and Memorial Day off from Little Bang. She needs a break, too!
ReplyDeleteEventually, I will bow to peer pressure and bring in Coltrane's "Ascension" (Edition II - prefer it to the first take which has wider distribution - as did Coltrane, only two takes) and I wonder what the techs will think. When my mentor (I was in 9th grade and he was a college student at Clark U) turned me on to "Ascension" (take 1, the only one available in 1967), I was a captive. Listened to the entire piece (over 40 minutes) twice a day for nearly two months. Mom took me to Radio Shack and let me pick out fancy headphones, so she wouldn't have to hear it. Listening to "Ascension" then was like galloping on a horse, bareback, in rain driving so hard that all I could see was wet blurs. Sometime during the second month, I got "Ascension" well enough to be able to feel it, understand its structure, and listen lockstep. On the first listen, it's a foreign world, one where pain and pleasure are not distinct.
Hope the radiation techs will let me back in! Or do I save it for treatment #36?