I'm drooling over both menus. Are they concerned about saturated fats in their diet? The pork loin might be the better, leaner meat choice.

I wasn't thinking about the fat, I was thinking about chewing the sirloin. Some people get into their 70s and have issues with their teeth, so that would factor into it.

It all sounds good, though, what great menus.

Annie

OK both menus sound fab to me. My folks are old and my dad is the world's pickiest eaters. He cannot abide by anything green and onions. So he wouldn't touch the leek strudel (although my mom would love it) and the asparagus or zuchinni. I know some older people have trouble with onions and anything in the cruciferous veggie family (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and I think turnips?) and to that for my dad add green peppers and celery.

So what does uberpicky dad eat in the veggie dept.? He loves coleslaw. He'll eat a salad, but only a small one. He eats corn, peas and carrots and beets and squash. He'll eat something with a tomato sauce, although I know some people are sensitive to the acid in tomatoes. Doesn't seem to be as bad cooked. Dad will also eat cukes, and there are marinated cuke salads that are good. Be sure and remove all the seeds, and maybe buy the "burpless" kinds. I love those green peas in their shells, that might make a fun dish, seasoned with an herb butter.

Oh that reminds me, dad loves pot pies and pot roast. My arteries start clogging just thinking about the way he eats!

Thanks, both of you. I hadn't given fat or calories too much thought as I want this to be a nice meal for them and they are both thin, if that matters.
But the teeth thing is a big deal so perhaps I will do the pork loin. I have a lot of blueberries in the freezer from this summer I need to use too. (.99 a pint!)

Lpink, that is so true when I think of all the old people I know, although I don't consider 70 that old. It is hard finding things they will eat that I like to cook.

I will not bring coleslaw or peas. So there! I generally dislike both. Although I might add baby peas to a salad.
Dh hates cucumbers and will feel slighted if I make a cucumber dish- even thought this is not his event.
That's why I don't mind bringing more sides if I need to.

Good heavens people! I am in my 70's and so are most of my friends! I don't know anyone who has issues with chewing a good steak! And the picky people I know are those in their 20's.
Both menus sound great....but in the interest of transporting, I would think the pork roast would carry better...
Leek strudel? Leeks rolled up in puff pastry? Some cheese in it? Sounds wonderful....recipe please!
Linda C

I was working on my outrage, too, lindac! Da noive of some younguns!

I'm with you on the age bit, Linda C and sherrmann.

jude

Oh I don't know, I know a woman in her fifties, educated and fairly sharp, normal if you will, who had all her teeth pulled last month. Sad.

And my Dad who lives with us, is 74 w/original teeth, and eats whatever I set before him: steak, chicken, baguettes, etc. I do cut up his meat and if the bread is chewy, I toast it first. He says he's never had so many salads in his entire life! And would prefer we have a few less....

I'll post the leek strudel recipe later.

The menu's sound awesome and they're very lucky to have such wonderful food arrive on their doorstep. One thing to also consider is the Coumadin/VitK factor. If she's had a leg amputated due to vascular issues, she could be taking blood thinners to avoid clots. If so, she must watch her intake of dark leafy greens(so use more iceberg lettuce) and cabbage. It's only one meal, so I don't think anything will really hurt, but you're a great cousin to help out in this manner.

Thanks for the info on coumadin. I'll be careful.

Here's the leek strudel recipe. It reads complex but it's not hard to make.

Onion and Leek Strudel
Bon Appetit Oct. 1990

2 1/2 tablespoons dried currants or raisins
2 tab. dry Marsala
6 tab. butter
1 tab. vegetable oil
2 cups (about 2 medium) thinly sliced yellow onions- not sweet onions
2 cups (about 2) thinly sliced leeks - white and pale green parts
1 tab. brown sugar
1 tab. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tab. dried summer savory
1 tea. grated lemon peel
1/8 tea. salt
pepper

3 slices white bread
5 sheets phyllo pastry

Soak currants in Marsala for 2 hours or overnight

Melt 1 tab. butter and 1 tab. oil in heavy large pan over medium high heat.
Add onions and leeks.
Sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes.
Add brown sugar, lemon juice, savory and current mixture.
Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until onions are very tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir occasionally.

Remove from heat , add lemon peel, salt and pepper.
Cool completely, may be made one day ahead.
Bring to room temperature before continuing.

Toast bread until golden brown, cool, coarsely grind in food processor.

Melt remaining 5 tab. butter in heavy small saucepan.
Place large sheet of waxed paper on work surface.
Place 1 phyllo sheet atop waxed paper, (Cover remainder w/plastic wrap then damp towel to prevent drying out) brush phyllo with butter.

Top with second sheet phyllo, brush with butter.

Top with third sheet phyllo, brush with butter then sprinkle 3 tab. breadcrumbs over buttered phyllo.
Place fourth sheet atop breadcrumbs, brush with butter and sprinkle with 3 tab. breadcrumbs.

Top with fifth sheet, brush with butter and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs.

Spoon onion filling along one long side of pastry in 3" wide strip. beginning 1 1/2" from one long side and leaving 1" border on short sides.
Fold short sides in over filling. Brush folded borders with butter.
Starting at filled side, gentle roll pastry up jelly roll, forming strudel.

Brush tops, ends and sides with butter.
Transfer to buttered cookie sheet, seam side down.
use serrated knife to make diagonal slits in pastry 2" but do not cut through to filling.

Bake at 375 in center of oven until golden brown and crisp about 30 minutes.
Cool 30 minutes on rack before cutting and serving.

Notes:

I like golden raisins
Make adjustments for phyllo which these days frequently is sold cut in two.
Some dark green leek is fine.
Use fresh toasted bread crumbs- not canned, dried
I use salted butter
Bourbon or brandy is fine instead of Marsala

That sounds delicious, thank you!

I never said that everyone who gets old is picky or has food issues, and I am well aware that food sensitivities and pickiness hits people of all ages. I would have no problem with the menu, I was just offering some food for thought of possible issues. They may not apply at all, may be totally off base. I LOVE all foods and hope to be able to keep enjoying them well into my old age. But who knows what will happen. So far I've been lucky.
Bumblebeez I hope you realized that I thought the menu sounded wonderful and I did not mean to imply that the people wouldn't like it either. My comments were just based on what I have personally experienced some times trying to cook for other people and their taste, not mine.

I had cut that leek recipe out...and lost it...or maybe it's somewhere in all this pile of unorganized recipes.
I am very glad to have it in such a nice format to file on my computer!!
Linda C....the elder!! LOL!

Both menus sound fine, but the pork loin and that leek strudle make my mouth water. Yes, Linda C, I've copied and saved that leek recipe too. Bumblebeez, you are a top-notch chef! Tomatobob, a newbie in these woods, and fyi, just turned 70 last weekend

I didn't take your post the wrong way lpink. I understand what you were saying and I appreciate all discussion. What you said was interesting.

Linda, I scoured the web for that recipe ...and eventually typed it put. I'm glad it's officially on my computer now.

Thank you for such a nice compliment, Tomatobob.
I wish I were a good tomato grower though! I hate going outside from July to Sept. here and that's peak tomato time. Too hot and too many mosquitoes.

And, based on dh's input, I am going with menu #1 but making a 2 layer chocolate cake instead of blueberry pie. "Too much fruit" was the reason.

This recipe from allrecipes for the pork loin might be good, although I now have a hankering for a fresh ham if I can find one- studded with garlic and baked with thin layered apple slices over the top.

Here is a link that might be useful: pork roast

I also wanted to add that the leek strudel sounds soooo yummy! I really wish I was going to be at home for Thanksgiving so I could cook something like this for my mom. She loves onions. Ubperpicky dad won't even be in the same room as an onion, so my poor mom is onion-deprived. If I could figure a way to get it though the airport security I might try to bring it along on this trip! Oh well, I guess it will have to wait for Christmas! I keep forgetting to make her onions when I'm home visiting. She keeps sending me recipes for oniony things she thinks I might like. I actually am not an onion fan either, but I don't mind them in foods, and I like leek soups so that strudel sounds like a real winner!

I have made the strudel every year, usually several times between fall and Christmas, since the recipe was published. It's usually a big hit with guests. It reheats nicely too, for leftovers. I'm sure your mother would love it.

You could do the apple slices thing with a boneless pork loin...and we all know how good garlic is with a pork loin...