Cooking for Baby: Wholesome, Homemade, Delicious Foods for 6 to 18 Months [Hardcover]

Lisa recipes by Barnes (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 3, 2009

Parents today know that one of the best ways to give a baby a great start in life is with wholesome, homemade foods.

While ready-made baby food is a convenience that any new parent can appreciate, feeding everyday fresh foods is the best way to teach a child healthy eating habits and an appreciation for good food from the cradle onward.

The 80 recipes in Cooking for Baby make preparing delicious meals for babies and toddlers a breeze, even for busy parents. The recipes are organized by age, showing how to introduce cereal grains and simple vegetable and fruit purees to your infant at 6 months, how to move on to chunkier foods by 8 or 9 months, and how to graduate to real meals for young toddlers of 12 to 18 months to enjoy along with the entire family. When you see how easy it is, with a few smart tips on preparation and storage, you'll never go back to the jars.

With Cooking for Baby, your youngster will enjoy a wide variety of fresh and interesting foods for a very happy and healthy beginning.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (February 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416599185
• ISBN-13: 978-1416599180
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (119 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Children's Health

More About the Author

While living in San Francisco, a city so rich in culinary culture, I wondered why so many children were eating strange colored, mass produced food from a jar. I thought it was a shame that a child's first bite would hardly resemble the real food their parents were enjoying. And that so many children are filling up on processed foods and ingesting harmful chemicals and pesticides. That's why I started Petit Appetit, a culinary service devoted to the palates and health of infants and children. I teach parents to provide fresh, healthy, organic foods to their children through private in-home cooking classes, mothers' groups cooking demonstrations, parent resource workshops and lectures throughout Northern California. I am proud to be the author of The Petit Appetit Cookbook and Petit Appetit Eat, Drink and Be Merry, as I am able to reach many parents beyond my classes and empower them to make and enjoy healthy meals with their families. I authored the recipes to Cooking for Baby by Williams-Sonoma, and also contribute writings, recipes and blogs to various online parenting websites (iVillage, Organic To Be, Chic Blvd) and regional mother's group newsletters. I am on the board of directors of Leah's Pantry, a nonprofit organization that provides interactive, activity-based nutrition workshops to families, kids, and seniors living in transitional housing shelters and affordable housing communities all over California.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

114 of 115 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars cooking for baby March 4, 2009

By jcs

Format:Hardcover

This book has great recipes, and it's well written. What I like the most about this book is that it starts simple with one-ingredient purees, and gradually introduces recipes that have more texture and use the same ingredients that the baby has already had. Before each section of the book (e.g., 6 months, 7-8 months, 9-11 months, etc), there is some good information about food choices, textures, quantities, and similar, that I found useful... I have read many baby food books, and I believe that this one is one of the better ones. Highly recommend it.

63 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Recipes November 11, 2009

By Gamer091

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book since I was planning to cook at home for my daughter and I needed some ideas. This book is excellent for the following reasons:

- Separates food introduction by ages:
6 months
7-8 months
9-11 months
12-18 months

- Recipes are simple to follow(believe me I am not an expert on cooking and I was able to make it) and above all they are healthy.

- Tips on food introduction, finger foods and alerts on possible food allergies.

The recipes are really yummy and I even tried some of the recipes myself.

68 of 71 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Destined to become a classic! July 29, 2009

By Kimberly C. Hopkins

Format:Hardcover

This book should be given to all new parents! Excellent organization according to baby age, easy-to-read format, beautiful photos. Includes great lists such as what foods are easiest for baby to digest, which foods might cause gas, and which foods are best introduced when baby is a bit older. Great tips on storing and freezing food. Love that each recipe has side notes about specific foods. This is the best common-sense, organic, healthy approach to feeding your child...don't hesitate to buy it!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book! January 8, 2010

By L. Leary

Format:Hardcover

I really like this book as it is the 2nd Baby food cookbook I have. This book gave me the confidence to move on and introduce some spice and unusual ingredients that I wouldn't think to serve to my baby. I made succotash and he LOVED it! (Just lima beans and corn - who knew?)

As a working mom, I'm amazed that I'm able to keep up with making his food - but this book helps with ideas for freezing, reheating and storing. I've been flash freezing extra portions in muffin liners and they work great!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes a great gift March 10, 2010

By J. Brock

Format:Paperback

I received this book as a gift, as well as 'Top 100 Baby Purees' by Annabel Karmel. If you are considering purchasing one of these two titles, I really like the 'Cooking for Baby' cookbook - visually, it's very appealing, and the recipes are simple - something I, as the mother of a 6-month-old, appreciate.

I prefer this title over the other I mentioned as these recipes stay away from adding butter and milk to baby's dishes, whereas 'Top 100' uses these additives.

Thus far, I've only made a couple of the vegetable purees (and really, it's not these early recipes that make the book as it's pretty basic, common sense stuff) but am looking forward to making some of the dishes in the 7-to-8-month and beyond sections.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoying this book... January 15, 2012

By Sherry Martin

Format:Hardcover

I really enjoy this book. I think the sections are well defined: 6 months, 7-8 mo, 9-11, 12-18; recipes start as single ingredient purees and progress to more complex combinations of flavors and textures. The recipes themselves are easy to follow. There are margin notes on most pages; the notes range from tips to nutrition benefits or suggestions for replacement ingredients.

There are some good photos but not all recipes are accompanied with photos. (I mention this because I'm a highly visual person and prefer cookbooks with photos of the recipes.)

I like the list of baby friendly herbs and spices. My daughter is a big fan of cinnamon.

I look forward to the toddler recipes- they definitely look yummy enough that I want to eat them myself- which I probably will.

There are quite a few items that I consider a bit more gourmet than what I'm used to working with like lamb and amaranth. I don't know where I'd even buy amaranth in my area. And I've never cooked with lamb. Some recipes appear to require a bit more effort (such as broiling or baking some items, as opposed to simply steaming and pureeing veggies). But for the most part I don't feel intimidated by the recipes in this book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Babyfood Bible September 12, 2009

By J. Wren

Format:Hardcover

This book is amazing! My daughter is 6 months old, so she just started eating solids, but all of the recipes I have used so far have been great! Very easy and more importantly, very healthy!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic purchase!!! November 6, 2009

By E. Avery

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was looking for a way to feed my son with allergies without feeding him the foods he was allergic to. I came across this book and not only are the pictures amazing but there are tips on why certain types of food are offered later and some earlier. I have yet to come across anything in this book that my son won't eat! The best part is now he feels like he's eating what mommy & daddy eat since I'm not just opening a jar to feed him from.