HOMEMADE BABY’S FOOD

It’s wonderful the things we do for the people we love.

Prepare food, for example.

With Lulu, it started when she was still cozily nestled inside my belly. I remember thinking, every time I was putting food into my mouth, how much she would benefit from those foods. Comté, sole, rice pudding, carrots, zucchini, gratin, sweet potatoes, sweet and savory tarts, kale, peach, watermelon, apple, pear, blueberries, granola, veal, beef and milk — Oh the foods that I ate and enjoyed!

Vanilla-flavored Cortland apple sauce

Then when Lulu was born, I started to nurse her, and then, when she was interested and had teeth too — did I tell you she has 8? — came the time to prepare foods for her.

It was somewhat intimidating, at first, knowing what foods to prepare for my baby. Trying to guess what she would like. What she would dislike. How would I know that she would love peaches and doesn’t care too much for bananas? That she’d love sheep milk yogurt and turns her head away from a piece of tofu? It’s a process I’ve learned. A world that I continue to explore, every day. Something that keeps changing too, with her. A life that I truly enjoy.

Red kuri squash and fennel with chicken, cumin and sage

And somehow, along the way, I started to improvise fabulous food associations, combining vegetables with meats or fish, herbs and spices. Making the food nutritious and taste delicious. In fact, my rule is simple: if I like what I’ve prepared and want it for my lunch, then Lulu will have it! And hopefully she’ll enjoy it as much as I do.

Lulu is almost 10 months now — does time fly by for you too? She’s been eating many things. She lovesquinoa buttermilk pancakes and anything that tastes like sweet potato — especially the Japanese white ones — and winter and summer squashes, cauliflower, broccoli and fennel. Yesterday, for example, she atesole with Japanese white sweet potato, cauliflower and zucchini flavored with thyme and olive oil while dancing in her high chair to the tune of Charlie Winston playing in the background. And tonight, she had red quinoa to start, then winter squashsteamed with fennel, chicken, sage and cumin. Not a single spoonful was left on her plate.

That alone never fails to make me feel warm inside. Happy.

Japanese white sweet potato, zucchini, cauliflower and sole with thyme

Japanese squash and sole with zucchini, cauliflower and thyme

Makes 2 baby* servings (*she is almost 10 months)

• Japanese white sweet potato (3 oz; 90 g peeled and diced)
• 1.75 oz (50 g) cauliflower florets
• 1.75 oz (50 g) zucchini, diced
• 1.75 oz (50 g) sole fillet, diced
• 1 thyme twig
• Olive oil, to drizzle

Of course, it’s best to buy everything organic.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a steamer, combine the sweet potato, zucchini, cauliflower and sole. Add the thyme. Steam until the vegetables and fish are soft.
• Discard the thyme and puree the vegetables and fish with some of the water used to steam the vegetables (it contains many nutrients). When ready to serve the food to your baby, add a drizzle of olive oil.

Red kuri squash and chicken with fennel, cumin and sage

Makes 2 baby* servings (*she is almost 10 months)

• Red kuri squash (5 oz; 140 g peeled and diced)
• 1.75 oz (50 g) fennel
• 1.5 oz (40 g) chicken breast, diced
• Pinch of ground cumin
• 2 sage leaves
• Olive oil, to drizzle

Of course, it’s best to buy everything organic.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a steamer, combine the red kuri squash, fennel and chicken.. Add the cumin and sage leaves. Steam until the vegetables and chicken are soft.
• Puree the vegetables and chicken with some of the water used to steam the vegetables (it contains many nutrients). When ready to serve the food to your baby, add a drizzle of olive oil