A cookbook for accessible cooking

August 4, 2023 10:47 AM

Crip Up the Kitchen is a cookbook that makes home cooking more accessible and culturally relevant for cooks and would-be cooks with disabilities. The book organizes recipes by the level of effort required to make them and recommends tools that help prevent pain and reserve energy, using methods similar to Spoon Theory.

Author Jules Sherred, a photographer, writer, journalist, and outspoken advocate for disability and trans rights, told The Tyee that he was drawn to writing the book due to a general anger and frustration of able-bodied people pooh-poohing the tools that disabled people need to be able to feed themselves. He was also really fed up with the general idea that we're lazy if we use pre-chopped ingredients, buy minced garlic, or use frozen vegetables.

Similar recipes are found on his site Disabled Kitchen and Garden, which shares kitchen tips and tricks for people with disabilities.

posted by narcissus_and_ambrosia (18 comments total)

You have no idea how much I needed this information. Thank you so fucking much. <3
posted by pd0658a at 11:39 AM on August 4, 2023 [5 favorites]

A somewhat similar-looking book I just came across on social media: The Sad Bastard Cookbook: Food You Can Make So You Don't Die. Much more basic, it looks like. But it's free!
posted by valrus at 11:43 AM on August 4, 2023 [10 favorites]

FYI, every state has an assistive technology program (https://at3center.net/state-at-programs/) and most have a device lending library that could include items useful for cooking.

The state web sites vary greatly, but look for something like, "equipment loan." The website for Montana is pretty well laid out: https://montech.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/equipment-loans-reuse/

You can see the 10 pages of what kitchen aids Montana has to loan to Montana residents here: https://montech.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/mtdb/search_results.asp?q=&RecordsToDisplay=10&program=MATP&program_type=loan&images=yes&category=188&submit=Search

(I have never been able to make hyperlinks work on The Blue.)
posted by ITravelMontana at 12:17 PM on August 4, 2023 [6 favorites]

Thanks for reminding me to retrieve this from the bottom of my ebook library and actually read this.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 12:31 PM on August 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

Sorry, but there absolutely are able bodied people decrying the absolute laziness of people who use pre chopped vegetables, and laughing at whoever uses the electric carving knife, or whatever other implements give the impression of being for the unskilled or lazy cook. I'm really glad you haven't encountered these people, but they exist.
posted by quacks like a duck at 12:55 PM on August 4, 2023 [9 favorites]

I am gonna ignore the derail and just say thanks to the OP.

I have ADHD and sometimes run out of spoons to be able to decide what to cook, let alone have the executive function to do the steps to cook whatever it is.

Jack Monroe's "Good Food For Bad Days" contains plenty of tasty, nutritious, but low prep recipes.
posted by Faintdreams at 1:09 PM on August 4, 2023 [9 favorites]

I know where the judgy people are, I learned cooking from them. Many opinions about food that don't need repeating.

I've unlearned some things and plan on going through these links for more, great post!
posted by mersen at 1:33 PM on August 4, 2023 [3 favorites]

Mod note: Two comments deleted. Name calling and swearing at others are not okay here.
posted by loup (staff) at 1:45 PM on August 4, 2023 [5 favorites]

I use frozen veggies. I was gonna say that I don't have a disability but I do have ADHD, so, yeah. I can't buy fresh veggies in small enough amounts to make it worthwhile, and I hate throwing out food. I also don't really care what other people say. I've had people tell me that fresh veggies are better (et fuckin cetra) but when I asked if they intended to pay for my groceries, they never seemed interested. I cook as fresh as I can, and I generally have no complaints about my cooking. Eat healthy food if you can, don't get too upset if you can't, you're doing your best.
posted by evilDoug at 2:06 PM on August 4, 2023 [3 favorites]

As an older feller myself, and caretaker for my very slightly younger brother who is slowly dying from ALS...I have to use shortcuts, frozen vegetables , etc. if I want to get anything done...Thankfully he has the palate of a junior high school student...Bologna sandwiches, pizza, wings, beef on weck, etc. He has never eaten an egg in all his 74 years...
posted by Czjewel at 4:29 PM on August 4, 2023 [4 favorites]

I don't understand the frozen vegetables hate, I think there was a study in 2017 that found no difference in key vitamins etc between fresh and frozen, if there was a difference it actually was in the frozen's favour. Frozen veggies are good for you!
posted by freethefeet at 4:48 PM on August 4, 2023 [13 favorites]

Ruby Tandoh's latest book, Cook As You Are, also addresses the accessibility of cooking. The introduction to the book includes info on: working around allergies or intolerances; bottled, canned, and frozen food swaps; cooking with limited energy or mobility; cooking with sensory impairments or differences (including "I've tried to give you lots of different sensory cues rather than relying on just one sense" and noting that the ebook version is compatible with screen readers); scaling up or down; and how "eating isn't always easy, especially if you (or people around you) have a difficult relationship with your body." It's really gentle and thoughtful, and also delicious.
posted by librarina at 4:51 PM on August 4, 2023 [6 favorites]

It's funny how some vegetables taste better frozen (most)...but some I actually prefer canned. ..Green and yellow beans to me are better tasting than fresh or frozen...But stay away from canned asparagus...it tastes nothing at all like fresh... It's all personal taste anyway...And canned beets are the way to go for me...I eat them pickled and cold...the beets, not me.
posted by Czjewel at 5:29 PM on August 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

This is great, and it sounds like something everyone should read. Anybody playing purity games with "chop your own vegetables" or "don't use things out of a can" can get bent. Jacques Pepin uses prepared mayo and ketchup in plenty of his recipes.
posted by queensissy at 5:33 PM on August 4, 2023 [4 favorites]

I primarily talk about food on AskMe. I am a no recipes cook by trying stuff out and adjusting to what I have person and I know that can get annoying. I hope that when I ramble about food and cooking in answers there I don’t come across as poo-pooing shortcuts and assistive tools and just eating spoonfuls of peanut butter, etc, but I know sometimes because of the associations with the specific foods I mention that may be what the reader hears anyway. This cookbook looks outstanding for me to recommend to people who are looking to learn about techniques that help them use less energy cooking. I bet the recipes are also adaptable to other techniques and access needs too. Particularly I’m curious about the matzo balls because making my chicken soup for Passover is a three day affair and absolutely not adaptable to my inevitably disabled body in the future.

If anybody doubts that cooking culture is incredibly ableist, just think for two seconds about any kitchen tool that is advertised via infomercial or mlm scheme. They are almost all actually for disabled people and instead of being excited about more autonomy for everyone it’s jokes all the way down about actors spilling things and portraying confusion.
posted by Mizu at 6:30 PM on August 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

It’s been on my to-read list for ages, and thanks for the additional Ruby Tandoh recommendation librarina!
posted by ellieBOA at 7:58 PM on August 4, 2023

One of the things I love about the King Arthur Flour website is their articles on baking with disabilities.

Baking with brain fog
Baking with chronic fatigue
Baking with arthritis and other hand-related chronic pain
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:21 PM on August 4, 2023 [11 favorites]

I have never had good luck with pressure cookers of any kind, so the central tool in this book wouldn't work for me. I managed to literally warp the stainless steel lid to the last cooker I had, so I'm all done.

But I am thrilled that this book and similar works exist, and you bet your sweet potato that I just signed up to be notified of new posts to Sherred's blog.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 4:01 AM on August 5, 2023