Fried Zucchini

Have you ever cooked for someone who is taking chemo? Up until now, we were blessed. Ned ate anything and everything I put in front of him. In fact back during the summer while having both chemo and radiation, he gained some weight.

Since he started on a different round of chemicals it hasn't been as smooth. The first three weeks, he just wasn't eating as much as he usually did. The next three weeks he had some food preferences and potatoes were high on his list. Well here it is at the end of the treatment and there isn't much that tastes good. One night I made a lovely roasted pork tenderloin and some roasted vegetables, including roasted baby potatoes. He ate a bite or two of everything but not with any gusto.

You know what he will eat.....fried chicken (only legs and wings), mashed potatoes and cream gravy. Yesterday I asked him if any vegetable sounded good. He mentioned fried zucchini. Last night I made milanesa de pollo (it is fried) and fried zucchini. He ate that. Even went back for a small second helping. We seem to be on a fried diet.

The lady in the photograph has a chicken tienda in the back of the big mercado in the center of town. Her place is maybe four feet by 6 feet. In that space is a big refrigerator and a counter with several different containers of mole. She is always nicely dressed and smiling. It is interesting most of the places that sell only chicken are run by women while the places that sells meat and sausage are run by men.

I was surprised yesterday in the mercado. It wasn't a busy place at noon. Usually the aisles are full of women buying veggies and meat for their comida and the little counters that serve food are full as well. The economy here in San Miguel is really hurting. I hope that the snow birds and Canadians arrive soon.