The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook stands out among others because it manages to cover three very different, yet consecutive, stages of life in one beautiful, cohesive book. “You can find a lot of cookbooks that cover pregnancy, a lot of cookbooks that cover starter food, and then cookbooks for toddler meals,” Satler says. “But this cookbook has everything, which is so important for new moms, because you just don’t have time to catch up.” As a mom-of-two and proclaimed foodie, Aurora Satler really nailed what it means to cook for a growing family.
Satler is seasoned in the world of creating cookbooks, having served as the creative director for Many Kitchens for five years. During this time, Satler gave birth to her son, whom she toted around to various shoots and stylings (young foodie alert!). “Working in food media and constantly looking at images of food while also trying to give my son the best options with perfectly ripe organic foods, I found myself constantly starving,” Satler says. “So, I kind of just started talking to other moms and thinking: ‘It has to be easier. There has to be a different approach to this.’”
From there, Satler began her journey toward creating The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook. “I wrote the entire cookbook before I had approached anyone to publish it, because, ironically, I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to finish if someone accepted it,” Satler adds. “It’s funny, I finished this book in my third trimester with my daughter, and in writing and working on it, I lived through it twice with two different kids. It’s great because it’s a confirmation of how well the book works, because my kids could not have more different personalities and could not be more different eaters.”
While Satler’s little girl Lila is a bit young to fully articulate her faves from the book (although, from her eating habits, she definitely loves these recipes!), Satler’s son Jack (he’s 3) has a couple of recipes he’s passionate about. “My son absolutely loves my Banana Zucchini Bread and the Cloudy Day Meatballs, he loves just them,” Satler notes. “Also, anything I’m having, he’ll steal.” She adds, “The reason I made the Mommy and Me Green Smoothies is because he would always steal that cup, but now it’s funny, I’ll have one for him, one for me, and I’ll have one for the baby too.”
Engaging children in the cooking process—as Satler does on a daily basis—is important because it allows children to connect to the food they’re putting in their bodies rather than settling for whatever Mom decides on. Plus, it broadens their scope on the types of foods they will try. “One of the big things I do is have them go grocery shopping with me. It’s really wonderful because my son loves to hold things and to pick out his own produce. It’s a way of expanding his horizon too,” Satler says. Even when she is in the kitchen whipping up some magic, she ensures her children’s company. She notes, “When I’m cooking, my son plays in the kitchen with me, and my daughter has a jumper, so she’s contained and I know she’s safe.”
As for Satler, her personal fave—take notes, people!—is the fish tacos. “I think they’re really great and what I think is wonderful is the way that I do the beer batter on the fish, it makes the fish incredibly tender,” Satler says. She also wanted to have a little bit of fun in the pregnancy chapter by including delicious mocktails. “I love the mocktails I made. New York culture is so much about dining out. So, I included mocktails because I wanted people to have fun celebrating their pregnancy even if they’re feeling under the weather.”
Satler truly understands mothers’ (and all parents’) food struggles with children, and it’s ultimately her goal—amidst the chaos of parenthood—to make it simpler and delicious.
To learn more about Aurora Satler and The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook, head to aurorasatler.com!
