Celebrity chef creating food for cancer patients

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — For months, chef Michelle Bernstein culled her imagination for the right mix of ingredients and flavors, drew from the many culinary moments that define her career and tapped into personal experiences to create the gift of good food.

The star chef, restaurateur, television personality and author is partnering with the Memorial Cancer Institute — part of the Memorial Healthcare System in Broward County — to create a collection of healthy foods for oncology patients receiving chemotherapy treatments at its hospitals. To Bernstein, everything about the project felt right. She was born at Memorial Regional Hospital and her own mother is battling lung cancer.

“We are just trying to make the foods a little tastier, a little fresher, maybe throw in a little brightness. This is close to my heart because my mother is going through chemotherapy now. Through her, I have learned some of what she can and cannot eat, what affects her palate,’’ said Bernstein. “We are trying to give the patients a little gift, something that says we love you, we are here to take care of you.’’

As part of the one-year partnership, Bernstein is developing signature recipes — and adapting a few from her repertoire — including snacks, soups, sandwiches and salads to help cancer patients ease their way through treatment. Among the dishes: triple crumb berry muffin, raw chocolate cashew and almond energy bar, margherita quiche and cauliflower soup.

Last week, Bernstein and Memorial’s executive chef, Pierre Flerismond, spent a morning in the hospital kitchen perfecting a granola bar recipe, a popular menu item at her Crumb on Parchment Bakery Cafe in the Design District.

“This has oats, flax seed, pistachio, walnut, almonds, dried strawberries and blueberries. All kinds of good stuff, but I made it with a little less sugar,” Bernstein said, pointing to a large bowl overflowing with the mixture. “It’s all about options. Here during chemotherapy treatment, you might be able to get chicken broth. Now, you can also choose to have my carrot miso soup, which is also soft but filled with miso which is amazing for the body and it has a little more flavor.”

Much of what separates this food is that it is created with a cancer patient in mind. The dishes are more plant-based, some with less sugar and less acid and with more antioxidants. The recipes are designed to be gentle alternatives so patients are more likely to eat; nourishment is critical for tolerating the chemotherapy and healing. Before, patients were offered a box lunch which typically included a turkey, ham or tuna sandwich, a piece of fruit and chips or cookies.