Posted by Steven J Patrick at 5/31/08 10:04 a.m.

Having been in the hospital for a week+ stay a couple of times since moving to Seattle, I can say that this is really going to be a welcome change - if it works.

What a lot of hospital cooks never seem to get is that it's infinitely possible to introduce levels of flavor to foods by the use of herbs and spices that don't raise the sodium, fat, or cholesterol content of the dish one iota. Having been a chef for 30+ years, my long stay at Overlake, ten years ago, was a nightmare for their kitchen. I wouldn't eat anything and was too sedated to tell then why. I finally subsisted on ice cream until I could get coherent enough to tell then that their food was bland, underseasoned and tasteless. Even taking into account the rare food/drug interaction problems, there is a ton of flavor to be found in preparation and non-reactive spice and herbs without increasing fat or salt. It just takes a chef with the time, experience, and consideration to find them...and the corporate will to make it happen. I'm sure a LOT of Seattle's better chefs would jump at the chance to consult with local hospitals, probably for little or no fee involved? Worth looking into. If a patient's spirit is, as doctors always say, important to their recovery, a good meal accomplishes that faster than anything.

Posted by SeaDuck79 at 5/31/08 3:00 p.m.

Excellent post, Steven. As one who's had to be at several hospitals for meals in the past year, you can tell how bad it is when vending machine food is only compared on the basis of price, not quality or flavor.

I wish you well with this.

Posted by Tim Hall at 6/4/08 12:23 p.m.

Great post! I hate hospital food but have been partial to the jello. It's hard to mess that up. I hope it improves. A slow roast beef death is no way to go out.