We have been discussing how lucky we are that we have our own teeth. My dad had full dentures when he was my age and he loved grossing kids out by clacking his teeth out of his mouth. My mom had bridges.
Due to medications, my kane has been experiencing difficulty with his teeth and one by one, they are being relieved of duty. The prospect is a set of dentures. Implants are so expensive and the dental plan will only cover one (which is like $3000). In the mean time, what does one cook for a beloved toothless friend?
Things that come to mind: yogurt in many sassy flavors, soups which come in all kinds of varieties besides the classic cream of mushroom, chicken noodle, and beef vegetable. Then what? Smoothies can be a way to incorporate fruits and vegetables.
Traditional foods could be okai (rice porridge), soft tofu chigae (kim chee stew with tofu), chagai (rice porridge cooked in tea), jook (rice soup with a rich chicken or turkey stock), and some of the thick soup combinations like chowders, potato soup, cream soups of various sorts.
Gone are the days of gnawing on a steak bone. Gone are the days of chomping on beef jerky. Lucky that we had more days of mastification than our kupuna.
