Stephanie I. Cohen, a writer for the Christian Science Monitor whose culinary adventures never strayed far from pasta ("Drain. Add sauce."), was inspired to become "gourmet" by her 9-month-old daughter's hearty appreciation of her cooking.
Cohen was never moved to make her own babyfood when jarred purees were readily available, but barraged by media reports that cooking healthy, organic, tasty foods for children helps to "unfurl their taste buds" she took butternut squash to pan and made a "gor-may" puree with cinnamon and applesauce. And her baby gobbled it up.
As a parent I can say that nothing inspires my cooking more than having my kids exclaim, "Mamma, you're the bestest cook in the whole world!" and the same goes for Cohen. Gourmet means "a person who appreciates fine food," and at a robust 24 pounds, Cohen's babe "fits the definition." Says the newly culinary mama:
The results so far have been satisfying: my daughter jamming a heaping
spoon into her mouth, followed by fingers that do a little clean-up
work around her mouth, and a first-rate smile that says "thumbs up"
better than any restaurant critic. Next up: spinach corn casserole.
And that's what it's all about, innit?
