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Mother publishes cookbook to help increase her daughter’s independence
July 9th, 2010
By Josh O’Leary, Iowa City Press
Determined to help her daughter enjoy a healthy lifestyle when she moved out on her own, Betsy Riesz spent years creating recipes for her, eventually compiling a cookbook for people with disabilities.
But when it was published earlier this year, there was an early critic: her daughter, Sarah.“She’s not particularly impressed by this cookbook,” Riesz said. “She likes her familiar recipes.”
Riesz, an Iowa City resident, and co-author Anne Kissack, who lives in Wisconsin, have released “Let’s Cook! Healthy Meals for Independent Living,” which was published by Minnesota-based Appletree Press in January.
The cookbook is filled with easy-to-create recipes geared toward those with developmental disabilities, as well as young adults getting acquainted with the kitchen for the first time and seniors looking for simple dishes.
Although 38-year-old Sarah Riesz might prefer the time-tested cooking notebooks her mother has filled for her over the years, the new cookbook features large print, colorful step-by-step instructions and 54 healthy recipes. Among the dishes are some of Sarah’s favorites: tator tot casserole, chili and a variety of salads.
Betsy Riesz began compiling the recipes when her daughter, who has Down syndrome, was a teenager, knowing one day she would be living on her own and would need to look out for her own health. When Sarah was a student at West High, Riesz worked with her special education teachers to come up with basic recipes that Sarah and her classmates could practice.
After graduating, Sarah continued to cook at home under the supervision of staff from Life Skills in Iowa City, and her mother’s collection of recipes continued to expand. Sarah moved into her own supported living home in 2003 at age 30, and now, with help from Reach for Your Potential workers, she cooks meals two to three times a week for her two roommates.
“I wouldn’t say she’s an enthusiastic cook in the kitchen, but she knows that’s part of living, that people take turns cooking,” said Riesz, who coordinated a mentoring program for women at the University of Iowa before retiring a few years ago.
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