So, back to achalasia. It started with simple things. I would have problems eating a sandwich at night before bed. I would choke on hot dogs. Things weren't difficult to get down but they had a bad habit of coming back up again. It wasn't constant but it was getting worse. Saw the doctor and had my throat scoped. It came back clean and I was advised to see a speech therapist. In my head I knew that that wasn't where I needed to go, that we hadn't found the cause and I got stubborn which leads to stupid. I didn't go back to the doctor until my next yearly check up. The only smart thing that I did was to get fed up with losing weight and throwing up so that I put myself on a liquid/pureed food diet. This trip to the doctor got a new test, the barium swallow which showed the achalasia as if it was from a text book. Now I wait for the next step. I will need specialist and possible surgery but at least I know what I am in for and I am already eating better than I have in a long time. I still crave all the foods that I have been able to eat in the past but at least I can eat something. So next a recipe that I found that is quite tasty and can be done as an side dish for people who aren't on a specialized diet.  

Crab Fondue
 2 cups milk
 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 3/4 cups breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
 1 tablespoon minced onion
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 1/2 ounces canned or fresh crab meat
5 large eggs, separated
1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar or gruyere

Heat milk. Add the next eight ingredients after pureeing them together. Beat egg yolks and stir into the mixture. Stir and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until thickened. Add cheese and mix well. Beat egg whites until they stand in soft, stiff peaks and fold into the mixture. Turn into a 1 1/2 quart casserole, having only the bottom buttered. Place in a pan of hot water. Bake in a preheated slow oven (325 degrees F.) for 1 1/2 hours or until the center is firm. Serve with a tomato sauce.

 From The Spice Cookbook Avanelle Day and Lillie Stuckey, David White Company, NY, 1964.

So, it has been awhile since I last posted. That has to do with the fact that I mostly post my food adventures and food has been an issue for me for some time now. I finally have a diagnosis and it is not a good one for someone who loves food. I have achalasia. This is a condition where the muscles of the esophagus atrophy and the sphincter leading into the stomach doesn't open properly. Peristalsis is also not working in the esophagus so I have given up any dream of being an astronaut. I have moved to a liquid diet and am currently looking for food options that work for me in my condition. What this means is that I am now an achalasia food blogger. My diet at the moment is pretty simple- if it purees I eat it. I have oatmeal or cream of wheat for breakfast with my coffee. I add cream to everything that I can for the added fats and calories. Lunch is usually a fruit smoothie with whey protein and a one-a-day vitamin added for nutritional supplement. Dinner is currently either something based on mashed potatoes or gazpacho variations with nutritional yeast added as a supplement. I can eat very tiny grains so quinoa is also something that I have added to my diet. I will be looking for recipes that are good for my condition and I will be posting them. I will also be researching medieval recipes that work. I do have issues with potassium and so any advice about adding beans as a protein source, while welcome for the general audience, is not an option I can take except as a periodic option. The last thing I need is to crash my blood pressure while dealing with my current food issues. And yes, I have done it twice already while adjusting my diet- with bananas in the smoothies and with mixing hummus and guacamole. Delicious but way too much potassium for me. The biggest problem that I have has been eating out and the only advice I have at the moment is to not be afraid of asking for what you need. Indian restaurants are great because the sauces are good with rice alone and a mango lassi is a great drink. Fast food places are a problem as they usually have few options that aren't hand-held but smoothies are becoming more common on fast food menus and that is something. DO NOT ORDER THE SECOND CUP SMOOTHIES- yuck. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achalasia