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CANADIAN MOM OF DISABLED WOMAN
PENS ‘GOURMET PUREE’ COOKBOOK FOR
PEOPLE WITH SWALLOWING PROBLEMS
CONTACT DR. EMMA PIVATO
emmapivato2@gmail.com or 780-953-1945
EDMONTON – Dr. Emma Pivato has spent decades perfecting the art and science of meal preparation for those who can’t chew.
It’s been a pursuit of passion and necessity for Pivato, whose 48-year-old daughter, Alexis, was born profoundly disabled.
Now she has distilled all that effort and experimentation into a cookbook out this January:
Gourmet Puree - What to do if you can’t chew:
A cookbook /copebook for persons with chewing and swallowing
difficulties (Vanguard Press / Pegasus, 2026.)
A retired psychologist and academic, Pivato has been publishing on disability-related issues since her first book,
Different Hopes; Different Dreams came out in 1984. Her more recent work includes a memoir, …. And along came Alexis,
published in 2021 that offers up some interesting ideas and techniques that might improve the lives of people with severe
physical disabilities and ease the lives of their parents and/or care providers. Pivato’s 10- volume Claire mystery series was
published between 2013 and 2023 and features a cast of characters with various disabilities and/or character quirks.
In Gourmet Puree’s 192 pages, readers find working gourmet recipes—and ways to adapt them for people with chewing
and swallowing challenges ranging from mild to severe and caused by many different situations, e.g. dental problems, stroke,
cerebral palsy, esophageal cancer, or neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, ALS or others.
Puréeing food is not as simple as it sounds, she explains. Getting just the right texture to facilitate safe swallowing requires
special techniques and equipment that can vary in the preparation of different foods. One solution she suggests is the use of dried,
instant mashed potato flakes to thicken certain vegetables which have a high water content and become sloppy when puréed.
Pivato also discusses the use of jelled fruit juice to increase fluid intake. “To this day, Alexis eats 6 cups of jelled juice diluted
with 6 cups of water and jelled with 3 packages of Knox gelatin a day,” she says. She admits to using low-calorie juice with some
artificial sugar in it to prevent unnecessary weight gain (120 calories for the low-calorie version vs. 360 calories for the regular
version of cranberry juice.) “I know this is not the best,” she says, “but what we have found in our life with Alexis is that sometimes
we have to pick our battles and choose the path which we believe will be in her best interest in the long run.”
In Gourmet Puree, Pivato also talks about the wide variation in levels of swallow control and tongue mobility, and the functionality
of the gag and swallow reflexes —a range not covered by any one area of expertise. She urges consultation with speech and language
pathologists trained to know when food and liquid can, or cannot, be safely ingested orally. Occupational therapists also play an
important role as they are experts in postural and seating issues that can make a critical difference in the business of eating successfully
for people like Alexis.
"But not all people with swallowing difficulties can eat safely, no matter what texture of food is provided,” Pivato says. “If their tongue is
not capable of forming the food into a bolus and guiding it into the food trough at the base of the throat so it can safely enter the esophagus,
then they are probably going to remain healthier by ingesting food through a stomach tube.”
“If they do not have the tongue strength and mobility to control and direct the flow of water into the esophagus, rather than the bronchus,
i.e. they are coughing and choking frequently when eating or drinking, then it is time to seek out a specialist’s involvement.”
Later on in the book, Pivato gets personal, sharing secrets for creating a healthy and vibrant life for a family that includes someone with
disabilities. She describes, for example, how to best manage in restaurants - and she sums it all up by saying
“This is a how-to book about preparing tasty, appetizing and nutritious meals for people with serious chewing and swallowing difficulties.
But it is also a collection of hints and techniques for doing this quickly and easily without turning yourself into a martyr in the process.”
emmapivato2@gmail.com or 780-953-1945 For more information, visit emmapivato.ca.
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