What I eat (as an almost 11-month-old baby)

I started writing this as a funny way of talking about how we feed Miro (it’s supposed to be like this Grub Street series). Getting sick meant that his diet wasn’t so typical — but on the other hand, getting sick is pretty typical. So here’s a typical week and the food it contains.

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Monday

Breakfast this morning was a bowl of toasted teff porridge, mixed with a little cream of wheat for a fluffier texture, sweetened with dates (removed before being served) and thinned slightly with milk. I thought it was delicious, totally unlike the porridge yesterday (inedible). I ate it all and then half a banana, because I can never say no to a banana. Around 11, I drank some milk and took a nice nap.

[Editor’s note: Teff is an East African grain — apparently the smallest whole grain in the world — that’s full of fiber and protein and tastes a little nutty. To prepare it, I toast it in a dry pan for a few minutes until it starts popping, then add a mix of water and milk, a couple spoonfuls of cream of wheat, a pinch of salt, and some dried fruit like dates or golden raisins. We all eat it together.]

For lunch I had some egg (scrambled — hardboiled is an affront to nature) and half an avocado. I also ate some grapefruit meat, removed from its membrane. Then my usual milk snack before mom’s work.

For dinner I had some of the dal kitchari and eggplant bharta that Sonali dropped off for me the other day. The kitchari is not bad — it’s just rice and dal cooked into almost a paste, with a few soft pieces of carrot. This eggplant though, is really outstanding. It’s a little smoky and has lots of flavor from the cumin and garlic. Babies: Have your person make this for you and let me know what you think.

[Editor’s note: Eggplant bharta is an Indian dish made of roasted eggplant that’s chopped up and mixed with an onion tomato masala. You can mash it up extra to make it an easy baby-eating consistency.]

Tuesday

I had a lot of Ronnybrook plain yogurt for breakfast and some spoonfuls of fresh peanut butter. (There’s a place near us that has a nut butter machine. Fascinating to watch.)

For lunch I had hummus and more eggplant. I also drank some warm pork and ginger broth. I don’t usually drink, so I poured some on my shirt.

[Editor’s note: Abraham’s makes a pretty good hummus that doesn’t have a lot of salt added.]

For dinner, I had more kitchari and the zucchini pie from the Greek stand at the farmer’s market. It’s so simple: shredded zucchini, feta and kasseri cheese, semolina flour and eggs. I tried cantelope for the first time for dessert. Have you tried it? Highly recommend. Note that if you put a piece as big as your mouth into your mouth, you’ll have to chew for a long time.

Wednesday

Rough night. I’m getting over a cold that messes up my sleep. I had to ask for milk like 3 or 4 times. So annoying.

[Editor’s note: This is annoying to everyone in the apartment.]

More of that teff porridge for breakfast, this time with golden raisins and almond butter. This stuff rules.

For lunch I tried a bit of the Persian lentil and rice leftovers, but mostly just ate eggplant.

Dinner was blanched broccoli (meh) and yogurt and blueberries. I like to eat half a blueberry at a time (I bite into it while my parents are holding it) and then delicately pick up the remaining halves from my high chair tray.

[Editor’s note: Giving him the blueberries this way feels oddly mechanical, like feeding a punch card into a machine.]

Thursday

Same porridge for breakfast, and some blueberries. A lot of milk throughout the night. I have a fever again.

For lunch I finished the exquisite eggplant and drank more pork and ginger broth. I had a little bit of broccoli pesto (gag) and these big sweet green grapes that I like a lot.

[Editor’s note: the pesto is made of blanched broccoli, toasted sunflower seeds, basil, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil. It’s actually pretty good.]

Dinner wasn’t much. Yogurt and blueberries and milk.

Friday

Milk. Grape-flavored Infant Tylenol (nice). More milk. My fever makes me not want to eat.

[Editor’s note: The doctor thinks it’s a new virus on top of the old one. How? I guess making eye contact with another baby is enough to make him sick.]

Saturday

I ate part of a banana in the morning. Otherwise just milk. Grape-flavored Infant Tylenol. A sip of strawberry Pedialyte.

[Editor’s note: I am as intimate with his sickness as a body can be to another, after hours lying on his bed with his hot head nestled between my thigh and belly, feeding him and then holding him while he looks at me saying soft whimpers, as the morning light begins to creep through the blinds until birds are chirping and people are talking and the afternoon light draws shadows across us and we find ourselves in the night once again.]

Sunday

My fever broke sometime during the night. I’m finally starting to feel better, if sorta wobbly. I had half a banana and a few bites of the mashed potatoes that Jenn brought me. There’s an avocado with my name on it that’s ripening on the kitchen counter. I think we’ll be ready for each other at the same time.

What I’m Cooking

Carrot cake cookies

These cookies are halfway between carrot cake and oatmeal raisin cookies. Soft and tender, full of carrots, oats, golden raisins, walnuts, dates & warming spices. Recipe in my Friday newsletter for paid subscribers:

Carrot cake cookies