-2-3 Cook For Me” is a parental food handbook for the first years of a baby and toddler's life, a compendium of recipes, food information, ideas for family meals, advice for starting healthy eating habits, and month-by-month food guides from 6 months to 24 months.
Knight and her friend, Jeannie Lumley, are authors of “The Baby Cookbook,” in print for more than 20 years. But when Knight went to update the book, she decided to start from scratch.
Overwhelmed by the project, she tossed her material into the closet and “went for many long walks in the Rattlesnake,” then tackled it again.
Today's families are more worldly, have more fresh foods at their fingertips, can readily find organics, and are more willing to experiment with international flavors than families of the past, she said.
They're also cash-strapped and time-pressed.
Knight said she hopes her book inspires and excites: She wants families to eat together to develop memories and shared daily experiences, and because well-planned, healthy home-cooked meals launch children on a lifetime of good eating habits.
“I've read that 50 percent of American children are obese,” she said. “It's so important to start them off right, to give them whole, healthy food as children” so they grow up eating a more balanced diet.
And children's food needn't be difficult, Knight says, backing up her philosophy with recipes in her book. Many recipes have just three and four ingredients, for quick and easy snacks and meals.
Some of Knight's combinations reflect the refining of American palates, and are meant to challenge traditional cooks to try new tastes without breaking the bank or exhausting the cook: Penne Pasta with Shrimp and Feta; Fig-Banana-Kiwi Shake; Corn Thins with Ricotta Cheese and Grated Carrots; Beat, Avocado and Pear Medley, for instance.
Babies don't need bland, argues Knight. Highly spiced foods aren't advised, but toddlerhood is a good time to expand the repertoire of tastes.
Among Knight's biggest nutritional concerns: extremist views on fats.
“A lot of parents, because of the problems we have with fat, will start to give children nonfat or low-fat milk too early,” she said. “Because babies don't eat very much, they need dense calories in their small portions, so they get enough nutrition” from the small amount they can eat.
Nursing takes care of the first calories and nutrients, but when babies move to regular foods, they'll need whole-fat dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, to pack those meals with high-density calories, she said.
At the other end of the spectrum is childhood obesity, and the need to begin developing the healthiest eating habits very, very early.
“The truth falls somewhere in between limiting fats too early” and not watching a toddler's diet carefully enough, she said.
Knight's and Lumley's earlier cookbook was inspired in part by Knight's experience with feeding her daughter, Mirabai, who is now an adult. Mirabai helped edit the book, and Knight's son helped with computer work - a family affair that makes the cookbook especially gratifying, she said.
Knight said she spent years researching material for the book, pulling from all of the latest information about nutrition. Her bibliography has nearly 70 citations.
What's emerged in the past 20 years is powerful nutritional trends and information - concern about the amount and type of fat consumed, obesity in children, mercury and metals levels in fish, an explosion of ethnic foods, millions of new prepackaged food products. Fresh fruits and vegetables are more plentiful and available year-round now; organics are mainstream.
The key: age-appropriateness of the size of pieces and the food itself.
Although the cookbook is written for babies and toddlers up to 2, it is useful beyond those years. The recipes are simple and many are sized for one helping, perfect for teens, grandparents and parents, too. They're easy to modify (replacing baby food applesauce with regular applesauce, for instance) for the older palate, but most use the same food and ingredients we all eat.
Even the servings listed on the recipes are transgenerational: After recipes, Knight includes both the baby or toddler servings and the adult servings. For instance, a recipe for Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apple “Makes 2 adult servings AND 1 toddler serving,” and her recipe for homemade fish sticks “Makes 1 toddler serving AND 2 adult servings.”
Easy-to-read icons show which recipes are appropriate for babies, toddlers or the whole family, and whether the microwave, stovetop or oven is used. The key is printed across the top of each page; no flipping back and forth to remember what the icons mean.
Short tips are scattered throughout the book, covering nutrition, reminders, suggestions, words of wisdom. Verses of familiar and lesser-known nursery rhymes are scattered throughout, inspiring the -2-3 Cook For Me” title.
“The whole cuisine of today - the way we throw things together - is easier, tastier,” she said. “We use more fresh foods, whole foods. We are so much more sophisticated in our tastes, and we have food from all over the world. Our food is even prettier, more colorful.
“We should enjoy food, and enjoy eating it together as a family,” she said.
Whole-Wheat Waffles (For the whole family.)
“For tasting toppings try Maple Cream (see recipe), strawberry sauce or any favorite topping,” says Knight. “For a treat add fresh berries or peach slices and top with a little whipped cream.
“Leftover waffles, once cooled, may be frozen. Place a sheet of waxed paper between each waffle, pop into a resealable plastic bag and freeze. Just pop a frozen waffle into the toaster for a fast breakfast.”
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs (or 2 eggs plus 2 egg whites)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted, or 1/2 cup olive oil
Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
In a large bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix with a whisk or a fork. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until blended; add the buttermilk and butter.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. If the mixture seems too thick (it should pour off a spoon, not plop), add a bit of water.
Lightly oil the waffle iron. Pour the batter into the waffle iron and bake according to the manufacturer's instructions until crisp and golden. Repeat to make 6 or 7 waffles.
Makes six or seven waffles.Maple Cream (For the whole family.)
“Use this in place of maple syrup,” says Knight. “Maple cream is a healthier sweet alternative. Refrigerate leftover Maple Cream.”
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup.
Whisk yogurt and maple syrup together until very smooth.
Makes 11 tablespoons, or 2/3 cup.Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Oregano (For the whole family.)
“I made this dish for my family most Sundays for many years. Served with basmati rice and roasted vegetables, it was always a hit,” says Knight.
“The vegetables can be roasted in the oven, in their own pan, with the chicken, after the chicken has been cooking for 45 minutes.
1/2 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled
4 small baby carrots
1 stalk celery, cut into thirds
salt
pepper
1 (3 to 4 pound) chicken (giblets removed), washed and dried inside and out and trimmed of excess fat
1 small bunch parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 cup nonfat chicken broth
juice of one lemon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the onion, garlic, carrots and celery in the bottom of a 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish. Rub salt and pepper over the chicken and sprinkle salt inside the cavity. Place the parsley in the cavity.
Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and sprinkle the oregano over the chicken.
Pour the broth and lemon juice into the bottom of the dish.
Roast on the center rack about 1 1/2 hours, basting every 20 minutes, adding more liquid to the pan if needed. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 170 to 180 degrees degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh.
n Serve toddlers 2 to 4 tablespoons of finely chopped chicken.
Variations: For Roasted Chicken in Tomato Sauce, omit the lemon and oregano and add 2 cups tomato sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Baste the chicken with the sauce one or twice.
For Roasted Chicken with Tarragon and Wine, substitute 1 cup dry white wine for the lemon juice and chopped fresh tarragon for the oregano.
n Makes one toddler and 3-5 adult servings.
Baby, that's good!
-2-3 Cook for Me,” by Karin Knight and Jeannie Lumley, is published by Fair Winds Press and is $19.95 in paperback, available at local bookstores.
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