New baby can't enjoy culinary delights, but Mom could use the
pampering
By J.M. Hirsch
Associated Press
Few things can make a man who loves to cook feel more utterly
useless than a newborn.
Admittedly, I’d gotten a bit ahead of myself by the time
my wife and I brought our son home from the hospital recently.
My head already was full of tastes and textures I wanted him
to experience as soon a possible.
Would he pucker at Parmesan dunked in balsamic? Would he savor
the crisp tartness of Cortland apples picked from the orchard
down the street? And what about tomatoes, lightly seasoned with
olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper?
More important, would my wife let me near the child once she
learned what I was thinking?
It probably is for the best that her more informed opinion that
solid foods should wait prevailed. Nonetheless, this leaves me
rooting about, searching for some way to feel useful and satisfy
his needs (beyond diaper drudgery).
When Parker cries for his 3 a.m. feeding, there is little I
can do to comfort him, a frustrating position for the house cook.
I admit, 36 hours of labor entitles my wife to her monopoly on
the joy of feeding our little bundle, but it still leaves me
feeling lame.
Truth is, I wasn’t sure I would even face this problem.
Plenty of people warned that once the little guy came along,
I’d be so tired and so overwhelmed I would lose all interest
in cooking.
Overwhelmed and tired? Certainly. But not at the expense of
my need to cook. Blame the nesting instinct, and a dad’s
desire to help his son along on his culinary explorations. Autumn’s
abundance of great food doesn’t hurt, either.
The obvious answer, of course, is cooking for his mom, who is
entitled to some pampering — and, after nearly a week of
hospital food, to something more than Jello.
Breakfast seemed the best bet for giving her a treat. Dinner
is predictable and too often interrupted by crying. Plus, a Sunday
morning spread seemed the perfect way to celebrate our little
one’s one-week anniversary at home.
For inspiration I turned to Mollie Katzen’s “Sunlight
Café” (Hyperion, $29.95), which is dedicated to all
things breakfast. Many of her recipes are simple and speedy — essential
ingredients for a peaceful breakfast with a baby in the background.
I decided to start off with a vanilla-pear smoothie that calls
for ripe pears, apple juice and yogurt.
To continue the seasonal fruit theme, I also opted for Katzen’s
caramelized fruit, a deliciously different take on fruit salad.
Any combination of fruit works, but I found fresh pineapple best.
If you use more delicate fruits such as apples, reduce the cooking
time, else you will end up with apple sauce.
Finally, a batch of pumpkin muffins warm from the oven. Not
only did I like the seasonal element of this item, I also figured
muffins are easy to eat with one hand, just in case Parker had
grown pouty by this point.
And maybe when my wife isn’t looking, I can sneak him just
a drop of smoothie on his tongue.
