A lot to be thankful for...

Dear Foodies,

And I know who you are - you little devils - I have been meaning to write but wanted to fully capture how yummy and extraordinary the food you have been sending me every week has been and how it has given me so much strength - spiritually - to know how much you care - and physically that, even if "cancer doesn't have an ass, Amelia," I am kicking someone's you know what (poor Greg.) In fact, through your efforts I have a big fat organic Turkey in my outdoor fridge - whose skin has never even been subjected to plastic (carcinogen) - it came straight from the free range farm (was not pardoned by POTUS) and I have been draping it with wet cheesecloth for the past day or two waiting for it to be popped in my mom's oven tomorrow. It's quite a ritual. (And we'll probably die of salmonella.)

So here's how it goes for the rest of the week. The lovely Christine Merkle, a Cordon Bleu chef, who is busy UNlearning all of her old tricks, arrives every Monday and Thursday at 5 pm with a variety of dishes straight from her stove (no microwave :). I am usually waiting at the door. Our first encounter was comical because the way she used to cook was the way I used to eat. She would start by saying - and what about "un peu ganache." And I would say, "non, non, non...Comment dit-on '"glycemic index" en francais?" I jest only a bit. Soon we were scouring my new cookbooks: "The Cancer Fighting Kitchen" and "One Bite at a Time" by the same author and FOR chemo patients - foods that help stimulate one's tastebuds as the Chernobyl like effects of the chemotherapy robs all of your tastebuds. As I said to one friend, I might as well eat all this vegan stuff and the stuff that tastes like cardboard right now because frankly it tastes about the same as a Raspberry Tartufo so at least I am going to have a killer bod when this is all done! I know, first it was the wigs - everyone's a little secretly jealous, I've heard. And now the chef at your doorstep and killer abs and the time to do Pilates for the first time. Who said cancer isn't a spa-like experience and a way to become what I always secretly wanted: a lady who lunches?

But I digress...Christine is wonderful and fills each menu with such love and attention that I now am having to tell her to bend the rules a tad - how much bok choy and brussel sprouts can a girl eat? Remember, cancer hates cabbage (Ingrid knows this because I told her how I have been eating her garlicky cole slaw for breakfast)! And that is the chapter of one of these cookbooks: "Cancer hates Cabbage."

Here is a sample menu from Christine, and it always comes in the most lovely Parisian handwriting like any menu du jour:

Brochettes of Wild Alaskan Salmon marinated in Ginger, Soy Sauce, Lime and Lime zest. Toasted sesame seeds and cilantro garnish (eat your hearts out!)
Asparagus with soy and ginger
Farmer's Market Frittata, Leeks, red pepper, broccoli and mushrooms blended with eight organic eggs
Mediterranean Green Lentil Salad, cumin, lemon and fresh mint dressing

I could go on and on and I will in later notes but it is time to pick the girls up from school and I am starting to gnaw on my leaded pencil.