Real Baby Food Tag
The Summer Recipe You Should Make ASAP
I admit that I am a fair weather Greenmarket shopper. Each year I sit out December-April, then head back in May for the promise of asparagus and, eventually strawberries. By summer I am a farmer's market fanatic. I love seeing how the market's offerings change week by week, with strawberries disappearing in late June (boo) about the same time peaches make their appearance (yay). Blueberries and zucchini arrive, then corn, and finally in August tomatoes and bell peppers. But for me peaches are queen. Ask me my favorite fruit, and I'll say a juicy, fragrant peach. The best peaches are only around for about six weeks, just a fraction of the year, so I buy many and eat them any which way I can. One of my favorite preparations is this gorgeous peach salsa. Fruit salsas are a staple at our house all year 'round. I love how they can add a punch of acid and sweet to a savory dish; I've found this sweet/savory combination especially appealing to kids. In fact, I included a recipe for Tropical Pork Tenderloin with a mango and red pepper salsa in Real Baby Food. But in the summer it's all about peaches. Last weekend I prepared this salsa at a book signing/demo at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket.
People Are Talking (About Real Baby Food)
Real Baby Food has been out for almost two months, and I'm happy that it has received a strong response. I believe so much in making cooking easy and accessible for parents, and it was my goal with Real Baby Food to show moms and dads that whether they're cooking for a 6 month-old or a 6 year-old, feeding and eating with kids can be fun, enjoyable, and delicious for everyone involved. I've been honored to have Real Baby Food featured on many of my favorite sites and thought I'd share the full list in case you missed any of these thoughtful posts.- Mama Glow called Real Baby Food a "Glow Worthy Book". (Mama Glow is one of my favorite new websites, by the way. It's so positive and, frankly, I feel calmer and happier just looking at it!)
My Top 5 Family Cookbooks
It's no secret that I am an avid declutterer. Rosa's everyday artwork is not long for this world, and if I feel so-so about a shirt it's quickly pitched into the donation pile. But cookbooks are another story. Gosh, I just love them. I could stand in the cookbook section of a bookstore for hours, just taking in the jacket art and flipping through the pages. My desk at Parents is lined with stacks of cookbooks, and I've piled about 20 into a makeshift standing desk. At home guests frequently comment on the fact that cookbooks almost completely dominate our bookshelves. I use cookbooks for reference, for inspiration, and of course for cooking. But there are a few that see the most action on a day-to-day basis. I thought I'd share my five favorite family cookbooks in the hopes that you'll find inspiration in one too. First, what is a family cookbook anyway? Here is my easy definition: it's a cookbook I use to cook for my family. Some are officially targeted towards families or kids; others aren't. None are for "kid food", though, a concept I'm wary of to begin with. Without further ado, my (current) five favorite family cookbooks:
Recipe: My Go-To Tomato Sauce
Real Baby Food is out this week (yay!), and one of my favorite recipes in it, one I make almost on a weekly basis is the Go-To Tomato Sauce in the Dinner chapter. Inspired by Marcella Hazan's classic version, this sauce is brilliant in its simplicity. Aside from one cut (slicing an onion in half) there is no chopping involved. Just simmer a can of crushed tomatoes with some aromatics for half an hour--and voila--you have a light, tangy, crowd-pleasing tomato sauce perfect for coating pasta, dipping polenta diamonds, baking eggs, topping pizza, or assembling these Saucy Meatball Sliders. I frequently make a double batch and freeze half to use down the road. After making it once you will too I bet. The recipe:- 1
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