Choereg (Armenian Holiday Bread) 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

It isn’t Christmas for us without this. We also have it at Easter. In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Choereg (Armenian Easter Bread–and definitely Christmas)

Ingredients

 1 cup whole milk

 1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup margarine (we would use butter)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
5 eggs
6 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 tablespoons ground mahleb
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, butter and margarine. Heat until butter and margarine are melted, but do not let it boil. Stir in 1 cup of sugar until dissolved, then set aside to cool to lukewarm.

See the rest of the directions at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/84405/choereg-armenian-easter-bread/

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Advertisement

Croquembouche 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

This is a fancy French dessert of Caramel-Glazed Cream Puffs, made into a tower.

Literally named “crunch in the mouth,” croquembouche is an edible monument of caramelized pastry. –Todd Coleman

Lydia made it for our family. Time consuming, so you may want to watch Martha Stewart or the link to the video after the recipe.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

For the Pâte à Choux

12 tbsp. unsalted butter

¹⁄₄ tsp. kosher salt

2 cups flour

9 eggs

To Assemble

Pastry Cream »

4 cups sugar

Instructions

For the pâte à choux: Heat oven to 425°. Bring butter, salt, and 1 ¹⁄₂ cups water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan over high heat. Remove pan from heat, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a thick dough and pulls away from sides of pan, about 2 minutes. Return pan to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until dough is lightly dried, about 2 minutes more. Transfer dough to a bowl, and let cool for 5 minutes; using a wooden spoon, beat in 8 eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next. Dough will come together and be thick, shiny, and smooth.

 

This is a very involved recipe. Watch the video and see the rest of the directions at https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Croquembouche#page-2

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

Barefoot Contessa’s Mushroom and Leek Bread Pudding is a combo of three things Lydia loves. She loved watching Ina Garten and has several of her cookbooks. Ina Garten suggests in the book that this would be great with turkey, so in honor of soon-to-be Thanksgiving, try this recipe.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Ingredients

• 6 cups (½-inch-diced) bread cubes from a rustic country loaf, crusts removed
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 ounces pancetta, small-diced
• 4 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts (4 leeks)
• 1½ pounds cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and ¼-inch-sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• 1/4 cup medium or dry sherry
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1½ cups grated Gruyère cheese (6 ounces), divided

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside.

See the rest of the directions at https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/mushroom-leek-bread-pudding

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Fazzoletti della Nonna 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

Fazzoletti della Nonna is a dish we first saw in the Marcella Hazan’s Italian Kitchen cookbook. It’s an involved dish, but worth it, as are most of Marcella Hazan’s recipes. They are Italian, and they know good food!  It’s like an Italian version of a quesadilla.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Crepes (fazzoletti)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
salt
2-3 tbls butter

In a 9″ non-stick pan, using a 1/3 cup measure, pour the batter into the pan on one side and twirl around and round until the bottom is covered. Let is cook for 1-2 minutes and flip.

See the rest of the directions at http://cookingwithdiabetes.blogspot.com/2010/10/grandmas-handkerchiefs-stuffed-with.html

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Salmon & Melting Cherry Tomatoes 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

Lydia liked salmon, which is good for your brain, but she still got frontotemporal degeneration anyway. She loved watching Ina Garten and has several of her cookbooks. This is from Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Foolproof.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

from the Calgary Herald

Ingredients

• Good olive oil
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
• 2 tsp (10 mL) minced garlic
• 2 cups (500 mL) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved through the stem
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp (22 mL) good balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp (22 mL) julienned fresh basil leaves
• 2 lb (1 kg) salmon fillet, cut crosswise into 4 pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).

Heat 3 tbsp (50 mL) of the olive oil in a medium (10-inch/25-cm) saute pan.

Add the onion and saute over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender but not browned. Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Stir in the tomatoes, 1 tsp (5 mL) salt and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the tomato sauce thickens slightly. Off the heat, stir in the vinegar and basil.

See the rest of the directions at http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Garten+book+renews+love+affair+with+Barefoot+Contessa/7512059/story.html

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Cranberry Bread 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

This is something we always had at Thanksgiving. Orange and cranberry have anti-cancer properties, too, and our mom is being treated for sarcoma again this year. Order some wine bottles from Grapes & Hops for your family to go with your meal. They have a great selection and if you tell them you are trying to support the Food For Thought event, 25% will be donated. A win-win.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Cranberry Bread

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

2 tablespoons shortening

1 egg, well beaten

1 1/2 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan.

See the rest of the directions from Ocean Spray at https://www.oceanspray.com/en/Recipes/By-Course/Breads-and-Muffins/Classic-Cranberry-Nut-Bread

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Viennese Iced Coffee 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

Barefoot Contessa’s Viennese Iced Coffee combines two things Lydia liked A LOT. Coffee and ice cream. Lydia traveled to Europe by herself in her 20s and really liked Vienna when she was there. She loved watching Ina Garten and has several of her cookbooks.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Ingredients

• 4 scoops vanilla or coffee ice cream
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Pernigotti
• 6 (1-ounce) shots of espresso, regular or decaf
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 2 cups ice
• Short straws, for serving

Directions

Combine the espresso, sugar, vanilla, and hot water in a blender and stir until the sugar dissolves. Put the ice in the blender and process on high until the mixture is almost completely smooth. Divide the mixture among 4 short glasses.

 

See the rest of the directions at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/viennese-iced-coffee-recipe-3381652

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Cheesecake 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

Lydia perfected making cheesecake by taking them to her co-workers at Redken Labs in the San Fernanado Valley after completing her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Cal State Northridge. Sourcream or some type of topping covers the cracking that sometimes happens as your perfect cheesecake cools, so you can be creative with your disguises.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

photo by Ashley Marie Aleshire

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 3 (8 ounce) packages PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions

Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl and sift in the baking powder. Add the salt and whisk together.

See the rest of the directions at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/236064/our-best-cheesecake/

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Creme Caramel 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

Mom used to make this dessert for dinner parties when we were growing up. I made a version of this with milk in my toaster oven in college and in graduate school with a graham cracker for a quick breakfast on the run. This creme caramel recipe is from Martha Stewart.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place eight 4-ounce ramekins in a large roasting pan. Add 4 tablespoons water to a small pot. Add 1 cup sugar and stir to dissolve. Cook over medium-high, swirling occasionally, until caramel begins to turn amber, 6 to 8 minutes. Working quickly, divide caramel between ramekins, swirling ramekins to coat bottoms evenly, set aside.

See the rest of the directions at https://www.marthastewart.com/971530/creme-caramel

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Rum Cake 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

This recipe is also from one of the last cookbooks I bought for Lydia: the Thomas Keller Bouchon Bakery  (related to Thomas Keller’s Bouchon near where she worked in Beverly Hills–now closed at that location). She had the larger Bundt pan, which is now at my house. As a teenager, she made the Bacardi Rum Cake with dad’s 151 Rum and pecans. It was delicious!

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

 

Ingredients

16.5 ounces (468 grams) Unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus additional for the pan
2 ¾ cups + 1 tablespoon (562 grams) Granulated sugar, plus additional for the pan
4 cups + 3 tablespoons (468 grams) Almond flour/meal
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150 grams) All-purpose flour
2 cups + 3 tablespoons (562 grams) Eggs
1/3 cup (75 grams) Myer’s dark rum
3 tablespoons (50 grams) Myer’s dark rum
3 tablespoons (50 grams) Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
Rum Icing (recipe follows)

Rum Icing:
Makes 2/3 cup (200 grams)
1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon (180 grams) Powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (15 grams) Myers’s dark rum
1 tablespoon (15 grams) Water

Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Stir in the rum and water until smooth. The icing should be used immediately.

Simple Syrup:
½ cup (100 grams) Granulated Sugar
½ cup (117 grams) Water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F (convection) or 350°F (standard). Brush the Bundt pan with butter. Refrigerate or freeze the pan to harden the butter (this will make it much easier to coat the pan with an even layer of sugar).

See the rest of the directions a https://www.cookthatbook.com/recipes/rum-cake/

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Madeleine Cakes 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

One of the last cookbooks I bought for Lydia was for the Thomas Keller Bouchon Bakery  related to Thomas Keller’s Bouchon near where she worked in Beverly Hills–it is now closed at that location. She had the traditional Madeleine pan like in the photo, plus a fancier one that looked more like a clam shell or scallop shell. These are cakelettes are like what the famous author Marcel Proust uses “to contrast involuntary memory with voluntary memory. The latter designates memories retrieved by ‘intelligence,’ that is, memories produced by putting conscious effort into remembering events, people, and places.” Lydia remembers things, but can’t communicate well because of the Primary Progressive Aphasia version of the FTD disease.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup plus 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 Cup plus 1 tablespoon eggs
• 1/4 Cup plus 1 1/4 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2.3 Ounces butter, plus more for the madeleine pan
• 2 Teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 Teaspoon clover honey
• 1 -2 drops lemon oil (optional)

Directions

Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl and sift in the baking powder. Add the salt and whisk together.

See the rest of the directions at https://www.thedailymeal.com/recipes/traditional-madeleines-recipe

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Spinach with Feta & Pine Nuts 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

This is like the stuffing our mom makes for the spinach version of the cheese borags. She loved watching Ina Garten and has several of her cookbooks. This is from Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Foolproof.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

courtesy of someone with the same kind of idea as Lydia: Kelli of can cook, will travel

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large lemon
• 1 pound fresh baby spinach
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup feta

Directions

Heat oil in 12″ pan. Meanwhile, zest lemon and set aside. Squeeze the lemon, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice to pan. Add spinach, tossing constantly with tongs until all leaves are wilted.

 

See the rest of the directions at https://cancookwilltravel.com/spinach-feta-pine-nuts/

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Syrian Muhammara Recipe 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

We had this with roasted chicken at a pot luck on Labor Day weekend a few weeks ago. It was a hit with everyone. We didn’t have fresh pomegranates to decorate the dish, so we used pine nuts. Mom uses crushed saltines to make this delicious dip. In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Ingredients

• 6 red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
2. Roast whole peppers on a large baking tray for 30 to 40 minutes.

See the rest of the directions at https://thishealthytable.com/blog/muhammara

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Thank You, Richard Vickers #endFTD

Richard has supported my Food For Thought event in 2015. It hits at a difficult time in his work schedule, so I appreciate it all the more. He has also had medical issues from which he has made a near total recovery. He is an inspiration!

Thank YOU, Richard!

 

 

Thank You, Hampo and Marie #endFTD

Marie’s knew my father’s family from years ago. We reconnected with Hampo and Marie last summer in person. I am so grateful for their support of this fundraiser and for spreading the word on their extensive mailing list and Facebook group.

Thank YOU, Hampo and Marie!

 

 

 

Armenian Shish Kebab 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

When our parents would make Shish Kebab, they often would use cherry tomatoes.They also used metal skewers, like the kind you can see in the photo.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless leg of lamb

¹⁄₂ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 large garlic, peeled and crushed

1 teaspoon dry white wine

1 small bay leaf

¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt

¹⁄₈ teaspoon dried oregano

¹⁄₈ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 large onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each

2 large green bell peppers, cut into 8 pieces each

12 medium mushrooms, stemmed and wiped clean

2 large tomatoes, stems removed & cut into 8 wedges

Directions

Place lamb in a large container with a cover.

In a medium bowl mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, wine, bay leaf, salt, pepper, oregano, and rosemary.

See the rest of the directions at https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/armenian-shish-kebab-20259  This goes well with https://lydiasftdhouse.com/2018/09/08/lahmacun-2018-aftd-food-for-thought-campaign-endftd/ and https://lydiasftdhouse.com/2018/09/03/cheese-borags-2018-aftd-food-for-thought-campaign-endftd/ and https://lydiasftdhouse.com/2018/09/10/rice-pilaf-2018-aftd-food-for-thought-campaign-endftd/

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Maamoul Cookies 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

Lydia would always listen to KCRW when she lived in the UCLA neighborhood and KCLU where she had gotten her MBA. This recipe is from a story on NPR, but mom makes this for us–it’s a very involved recipe and can be filled with nuts or dates. YUM! You should look at the links after the recipe. In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram fine semolina
• 300 grams butter, softened or ghee melted
•  1/2 cup vegetable oil
•  1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon mastic ground with 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mahlab
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup orange blossom water (can be replaced with water or milk)
• 1/2 cup of rosewater(can be replaced with water or milk)

Instructions

Making the crust

In a bowl place the semolina and add the butter/ghee and oil to it

Rub the butter and oil into the semolina until they are completely absorbed by it. The semolina will resemble wet sand.
See the rest of the directions at https://chefindisguise.com/2013/08/07/semolina-maamoul-stuffed-cookies-with-dates-and-nuts/

For more information about this, look at NPR https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/04/11/522771745/maamoul-an-ancient-cookie-that-ushers-in-easter-and-eid-in-the-middle-east

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Rice Pilaf 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

We eat a lot of this as a side dish in our family. This recipe is from “Mad Hungry” by Lucinda Scala Quinn. In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 cup dried vermicelli noodles, broken into roughly 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions

1. 1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter, and as soon as the butter melts, add the onion. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the noodles, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles are golden brown and the mixture gives off a nutty aroma, 5 to 8 minutes.

See the rest of the directions from Martha Stewart, another one of Lydia’s favorites from Martha Stewart’s site. This goes well with https://lydiasftdhouse.com/2018/09/03/cheese-borags-2018-aftd-food-for-thought-campaign-endftd/ and https://lydiasftdhouse.com/2018/09/12/armenian-shish-kebab-2018-aftd-food-for-thought-campaign-endftd/ and https://lydiasftdhouse.com/2018/09/08/lahmacun-2018-aftd-food-for-thought-campaign-endftd/

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Grilled Salmon 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

Salmon is good for the brain, but didn’t necessarily stop Lydia’s FTD. Get fresh caught fish, not farmed because you don’t want to know what is in farmed fish food. the  In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pound fillet salmon, skin on
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 bunch watercress, coarsely chopped
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Whisk together the mustards, honey, horseradish, mint and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl.

See the rest of the directions from Bobby Flay, another one of Lydia’s favorites on the Food Network at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/grilled-salmon-fillet-with-honey-mustard-sauce-recipe-1949854

 

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Lahmacun 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

This is an Armenian pizza with an Arabic name. No matter what, everyone who has eaten these “Armenian Pizzas” has thought they were delicious. In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Lahmacun

Ingredients

1 tsp. sugar

1 (¹⁄₄-oz.) package active dry yeast

2 cups flour, plus more

1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. Kosher salt, plus more

¹⁄₄ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. minced flat-leaf parsley

¹⁄₂ tsp. cayenne pepper

¹⁄₄ tsp. ground cumin

¹⁄₄ tsp. sweet paprika

¹⁄₈ tsp. ground cinnamon

3 oz. ground lamb

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 plum tomato, grated

1 small onion, grated

¹⁄₂ serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced

Instructions

Combine sugar, yeast, and ³⁄₄ cup water heated to 115˚ in a small bowl; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Combine flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture and stir to form a dough. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, about 6 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down dough, divide into 4 portions, and roll each portion into a ball. Transfer dough balls to a floured baking sheet. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rest for 45 minutes.

See the rest of the directions at https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Flat-Bread-with-Lamb-and-Tomatoes-lahmacun

This has gone well with https://lydiasftdhouse.com/2018/09/03/cheese-borags-2018-aftd-food-for-thought-campaign-endftd/ and https://lydiasftdhouse.com/2018/09/12/armenian-shish-kebab-2018-aftd-food-for-thought-campaign-endftd/ and https://lydiasftdhouse.com/2018/09/10/rice-pilaf-2018-aftd-food-for-thought-campaign-endftd/

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

 

Banana Bread 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

Lydia loves bananas, but due to the FTD, she has lost the ability to properly peel and eat a banana. We would have added walnuts to this, too.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 bananas, finely crushed (for serious and extreme moist and delicious, try 4 bananas)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Directions

1. Remove odd pots and pans from oven. (LOL! I posted this recipe because of this!)
2. Preheat oven to 350º / 180º.
3. Cream together butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs and crushed bananas.
5. Combine well.

We would have added walnuts to this, too. Lydia loves bananas, but due to the FTD, she has lost the ability to properly peel a banana. See the rest of the directions at https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/best-banana-bread-2886

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at

Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Tiramisu 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

Ok, who doesn’t like tiramisu? The first time I learned of this was from Marcella Hazan.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Tiramisu

Ingredients

• *6 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese
• 1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
• 2 teaspoons dark rum
• 24 packaged ladyfingers
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

Directions

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.

See the rest of the directions from Giada De Laurentiis, one of Lydia’s favorites on the Food Network at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/tiramisu-recipe-1913608

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Flourless Chocolate Cake 2018 AFTD Food For Thought Campaign #endFTD

OK, who doesn’t like chocolate? Lydia loves chocolate. We take her Ghirardelli brownies when we visit her at the nursing home, and you can tell she enjoys them.

In honor of this year’s AFTD Food For Thought campaign, I will be posting some of Lydia’s favorite recipes. She liked cooking, watching Anthony Bourdain, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, Gourmet Magazine, Saveur, Martha Stewart and many, many more. I have her cookbook collection at my house, plus there is a stash of hers at our parents’ house, too.

Ingredients

12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

6 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Confectioners’ sugar and/or cocoa powder, for dusting

Serving suggestion: Really Vanilly Whipped Cream, recipe follows, or ice cream

Really Vanilly Whipped cream:

1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy or whipping cream

2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste or extract

2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 2-inch spring form pan with nonstick spray.

Put the chocolate, butter, and salt in a large microwave safe bowl.

See the rest of the directions at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/flourless-chocolate-cake-recipe-2040492/

Join us for a gourmet food and wine event at
Grapes & Hops in Downtown Ventura at 454 E. Main Street, plus music by Kelly’s Lot and Friends

September 27, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Tickets are $50/person to have a gourmet food buffet and a glass of
white, red, or sparkling wine from the award-winning Grapes & Hops.

Acoustic music from Kelly’s Lot and Friends.
Kelly’s latest: ‘Rescue’ made it on the Roots Music Report Charts in 2018.
#1 Soul Blues Song, #2 Soul Blues Album, #7 California Album

Tickets available for purchase on https://lydiasftdhouse.com/events/
or on the right side bar of this site.

Thank you to our generous supporters for donating to AFTD.

Thank You, Elaine Rose #endFTD

Elaine Rose made a donation because her late husband from was taken by FTD “3 years ago. Together, we can create a future without this awful disease.”

Thank YOU, Elaine!

 

Signs of FTD

Here are some of the signs of FTD. These are from the behavioral variant of FTD. Although Lydia has the language variant, at times she did show some of these signs, but we didn’t know it as FTD yet, because she’d been misdiagnosed.

She did have some spending issues–I’m not sure if she was buying multiples because she was going to give gifts, or if she was confused about where she’d put things and bought duplicates to replace them or what.

We saw signs of apathy, which we thought was depression due to the loss of her job at Wells Fargo in their Beverly Hills Wealth Management office in the banking fiasco of 2008, and then when she got another bank job working in a trust department of a bank, that bank was swallowed up by a bigger shark…I mean bank. I thought there was something wrong with Lydia when it took her FOREVER to finish the book, The Help, after the Trust Department job was eliminated.

Lydia, a lifelong coffee drinker, could no longer do the steps she needed to make coffee. She knew what the parts were, but couldn’t pour the hot water into the filter holder to make a single cup because her executive function was being affected. In the time after she was finally diagnosed, Lydia would tie…and retie…and retie…and retie her walking shoes. She also would take a decorative potholder to her room and clean dishtowels…over and over and over again. We’d never seen anything like that, but these were compulsive behaviors and hoarding. After her longer stay at ULCA Medical Center, she would take place mats to her room…over and over and over again. We at least knew she had FTD at this point.

Lydia did have periods of agitation, which started after one of her medications was tapered off too quickly after her grand-mal type seizure.

Lydia did a lot of pacing from her long stay at UCLA Medical Center in 2014 until around March of 2018 when she started showing signs of Parkinsonism which made her lean forward while walking like she was Usain Bolt taking off from the starting block at the Olympics. One of the medications she was on was eliminated, she is on a decreased dose of one anti-seizure med and is on a newer one to help manage the symptoms.

These screenshots are taken from https://www.theaftd.org/what-is-ftd/ftd-disorders/behavioral-variant-ftd-bvftd/