I desperately wanted to raise a foodie. At least one, if not two. This did not happen….until this past year.
I can’t really say she is not a picky eater however. She’ll try most everything and like some of it.
But once upon a time……she ate peas, only green peas, for a whole month. And she’s always liked fruit: see her in this pic slurping a mango pit. On the rare occasion that my family goes out to eat Indian food, she once, when she was two and a half, only touched a bowl of peas. Which of course, in the desperation that a new-mother-of-a-picky-eater, I specifically ordered from the waiter. Not embarassed, just hopeful that he would understand my plight: taking a picky toddler to a restaurant.
“Ummm, may I order a bowl of peas?”
“Peas?”
“Yeah….peas.”
“You mean Matar Paneer?”
“No. No paneer, no flavor, no spice, no nothing. Just peas…..please?”
Imagine a spread of curries in small stainless steel kadhais with baskets of blistering hot buttered naan stuffed with fruit. Wafer-thin papadums with an assortment of chutneys. Steamed basmati rice bathed in cooling raita. Kormas with fruity undertones and curries with fluffy paneer cheese (kids in India swoon over this!). Why weren’t these appealing to my toddlers? Who knows–I’ll leave that kind of pondering to the people that invented the field of analyzing the brains of children.
Meanwhile, I just kept on trying, persistently cooking a variety of foods, making sure they didn’t “touch” each other on the toddler plate, and watched much of it make the transition from plastic dish to hardwood floor.
Fast forward a few years.
Now the just turned 6 year old child formerly known as the wacky peas-lover and “everything that mom makes except quesadillas is gross” begs me to take her to Central Market on our evening walk to buy a bunch of radishes. She devises a vocal list of groceries to make radish compound butter, her new favorite spread (discovered by fellow Austin food blogger Laura).
- 2 bunches radishes
- “Really good” butter
- Grey salt
- Sliced WHITE bread, she emphasizes the white. Poor kid, never gets to eat white bread.
Kudos on your foodie kid! We’ve got an entire row of radishes right now. Hoping to make some of that pink compound butter before it’s too late. 🙂
[K]
Glad she’s finding time between cartwheels and fort building to help in the kitchen! Pink butter… so girly yet refined! 😉
Glad she’s finding time between cartwheels and fort building to help in the kitchen! Pink butter… so girly yet refined! 😉
I love how adventurous your kids are with food! You should be so proud!!!!
I love how adventurous your kids are with food! You should be so proud!!!!
Loved reading this post, your daughter sounds adorable and just perfectly six. 🙂 I should try this pink butter! I love radishes and salt!
Loved reading this post, your daughter sounds adorable and just perfectly six. 🙂 I should try this pink butter! I love radishes and salt!
Well written! Do you have a pick of the pink butter? And…i like the list of stuff she did before finishing the task! Funny.
Amee, I just added a pic of the pink butter. Check it out!
Well written! Do you have a pick of the pink butter? And…i like the list of stuff she did before finishing the task! Funny.
Amee, I just added a pic of the pink butter. Check it out!
great post shef, really smooth.
Thanks for reading! I’m getting hungry 🙂