Baby’s First Food

If you want to know the answer to the question: Are two kids more work than one? The answer is uh, yeah. Which is why I haven’t been posting as frequently the last several months. I can’t believe that our baby boy is almost seven months (or that our first baby is four years!). Something magical happened around the six month mark—he started sleeping until 6 am (which feels spa-like compared to his previous 5am wakeup calls), two little front teeth started to appear and best of all, I got to make baby’s first food.

I know, I know, this is just one more countertop device, but the Béaba Babycook makes it all so quick and easy. Just add water, put your veggies in a basket and it steams the appropriate length of time. I threw in a peeled new potato, a couple of green beans and a few cherry tomatoes and let it do its thing.

Then empty the basket into the bowl of the Babycook, flip the switch to blend and voila! This tomato-potato-green bean combo was surprisingly popular with my little guy, and best of all I know exactly what’s in there. Plus it makes me feel pretty on top of the world anytime somebody, no matter how tiny, likes my cooking.

Seared Scallops with Tarragon and Pea Purée

When I was pregnant, a coworker gave me a Beaba Babycook—a French baby food maker that steams and blends vegetables, and fetches a hefty $149. However, it’s probably the most useful baby gift we received and as a result, Tiny G eats fresh organic vegetables every day. A couple weeks ago, my sister wondered whether we might employ the Beaba Babycook to make a purée for one of our own dinners. So, while she steamed and puréed peas à la Tiny G…

…I seared scallops—just the freshest from Santa Monica Seafood—in a tablespoon of Irish butter….

Then I made a beurre blanc by deglazing the pan with a 1/4 cup each of of white wine and white wine vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice and added a minced shallot. When the juices had reduced, I cut the heat to low and whisked in some butter and fresh tarragon.

Place scallops on purée and spoon beurre blanc over top. The tarragon is wonderful at balancing the richness of the scallops and beurre blanc, and the peas add a fresh, sweet note.

Eat Your [Purple] Veggies!

On Sunday mornings we head to the Larchmont Farmers Market with Tiny G and pick up eggs and produce for the week. Some of the veggies I steam and purée in the Beaba Babycook for Tiny G. I like to add a little pinch of spice just to introduce him to new flavors, like ground coriander with yellow beets, or cinnamon with mangoes, or this week, ground cumin with purple cauliflower.

Interestingly, given Tiny G’s paternal Irish heritage, potatoes are the only food he outright rejects, which is bizarre, but I’m not complaining. Besides, I have to believe that brightly colored veggies are healthier than their albino counterparts, and I’ve read that purple cauliflower is particularly heart smart. Plus, it has to be the prettiest baby food ever! It reminds me of African violets.

Tiny G is a big fan, too. Now if only we could get him to eat with his mouth closed…

Organic Baby Food: Make Your Own

We received a Beaba Babycook a couple months ago, and we’re in love with how easy it is to make our own organic baby food for Tiny G. If you can get past the $150 price tag* (which fortunately we didn’t have to), this handsome little gadget from France is a must and takes up virtually no counter space. It steams and purees (and defrosts and reheats) with the mere flip of a switch. Which is a great timesaver for two working parents. You can store the food in ice cube trays in the freezer, although we got a set of BPA-free Bébé Cubes, individual 1-ounce cubes with attached lids. My friend Selena gave us Super Baby Food, a book with a ton of recipes and advice for making organic baby food. And then I took a class called First Foods for Optimal Growth at The Pump Station in Hollywood, which covers transitioning to solids and how to reduce risks of food allergies. Honestly, I feel really good about being able to give Tiny G the healthiest food available.

*Note: if you don’t have the stomach for shelling out for a Beaba (and believe me, I hear you), the same, healthy results can be achieved for less money and a little more time and effort with a steamer, blender and/or food mill.