Why I made this
My name is Neil, and I am a Grade 10 student in Ontario, Canada — class of 2029.
There is a noticeable difference at a table when someone cannot eat the same food as everyone else. They might be given something soft or easy to swallow, finish their meal quickly, and then sit while everyone else continues eating. It is not that they are not hungry; they do not have many options for what they can safely eat, and often, the people around them are not sure what to offer.
My grandma would cook an amazing meal for everyone every time I visited; everyone ate well, had a great time, and complimented the dishes afterwards. Yet she was the one who sat down by herself with a simple meal every time after spending hours cooking for others. She was not able to enjoy the food she spent hours making just because of oral dysphagia.
I keep thinking about how strange that is. Eating is supposed to be one of the simple, enjoyable parts of the day, but for a lot of people, it can quietly become something they have to worry about instead.
That is why I built this. Every recipe includes the texture level it is suitable for, so you can know what works before you start cooking. But I also wanted the recipes to be more than just food that meets a requirement. They should be meals that someone would actually want to eat. Congee that still tastes like congee. A bisque that you would genuinely look forward to having.
If you are living with oral dysphagia, or you are cooking for someone who is, I hope you find something here that you actually enjoy making and eating.