As a trained professional chef with over 15 years of experience, I thought I knew food. But when I went through ten implants and fourteen crowns in Baia Mare, the hardest part wasn't the surgery, it was the food. Bland hospital purées, watery soups, and the feeling that eating had become a chore rather than a pleasure.

So I did what I know best: I cooked. I worked through every phase of my own recovery, from the first liquid-only days right through to a proper celebration meal, creating recipes that respect both the clinical constraints and the desire to eat something that tastes wonderful.

Every recipe here was cooked and eaten during my own recovery. Each one is labelled with the phase it suits, how long it takes, and what you need to know before you start. I hope it makes your recovery a little brighter.