Recipes to make during chemotherapy
What we've got cookin'.
First, sorry you're researching this book. It means you are dealing with cancer. As an individual, as a family, as a friend. And cancer is a wicked beast. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect enemy. That said, welcome. We’re about to become the best place on the internet to learn, share and experience how we’re using food to help swing the momentum back against cancer.
We’d like to introduce Chemo Kitchen.
Chemo because it’s a unique and harsh reality. Kitchen because it’s where we all gather as families and friends to give love and support for each other while enjoying one of our most primal and joyful events: Sharing terrific food. During chemotherapy, taste is rarely made a priority. As of today, we’re changing that.
Why Food?
We understand the critical importance of nutrition during chemotherapy. Chemo Kitchen isn’t intended to circumvent nutritional counseling. Our entire focus is on a taste victory. Everyone, both with cancer and those committed to help, are already dealing with a lot. There is so much out of our control during chemo—the treatments, the surgeries, the life changes, the zaps and pokes and prods—sometimes a little victory is all it takes to turn the tables.
Cancer always has the advantage of a sneak attack. It turns healthy people into patients. It often turns unsuspecting mothers and sons, friends and neighbors into untrained caregivers. While the flood of information and instruction can be overwhelming, we can simply turn to what we know for a win.
For most people going through chemotherapy, food tastes different than it did before. Why? Chemo kills fast-growing cells. This is good if you are fighting cancer tumors, and bad if you are a taste bud. It’s a little different for everyone, but the strongest taste characteristics when people go through chemo are often metallic, sour or bitter. On top of that, eating is challenged by chemo-induced nausea or indifference, traditionally leading to meals being more about nutrition and sustaining weight than enjoyment.
The food community is already full of passion. The desire to teach, help, mend and learn was immediately obvious when we tested the recipes from the Chemo Kitchen Cookbook during our very first test kitchen. Giving that community a home to share ideas is now our priority.
James Beard Award Winner, author, radio and podcast talk show host
Tom Douglas
James Beard Award Winner, StarChef Rising Star Chef Award
Brady Williams
Host of America’s longest-running cooking show, Ciao Italia, published over a dozen cookbooks
Mary Ann Esposito
Best New Chef All-Star by Food & Wine Magazine, Two time James Beard Award Winners
Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski
James Beard Award Finalist, StarChef Rising Star Restauranteur Award, Best New Chef All-Star, Food and Wine Magazine
Ethan Stowell
We're underway.
Chemo Kitchen was brought to life with generous donations of time from volunteers and professionals from all sorts of disciplines, and we're so thankful for the help. As with many organizations led by volunteers, it's taken longer than we've wanted for us to get going.
But we're going.
We now have new leadership, an experienced publisher, and bigger things in the works. As always, we're hoping to grow our community on the social platforms where people can share additional recipes and ideas. Join our movement below!
Our success on Kickstarter.
Our Kickstarter campaign was the most successful chemotherapy-related campaign on the history of the platform. We lost a lot of time with a failed production and then ran into pandemic delays. With that, still owe a handful of books to people who may have changed emails and we don't know where to find you. If you participated and still haven't gotten your book, send us an email here.
Books in Bulk.
Through the course of developing the cookbook, one of our most successful activations happened with people sponsored books to individual hospitals and treatment centers. Our goal is to get as many books in the hands of people who need them as fast as possible. If you represent a hospital or pharmaceutical provider or anyone who needs books in bulk, please click here to contact us and arrange a special shipment.