Parents should not shy away from serving up flavorful foods to their babies, according to the new cookbook from molecular biologist Kanchan Koya, PhD, “Spice Spice Baby: 100 Recipes with Healing Spices for Your Family Table” (Spice Spice Baby LLC).
“Yes, excess salt can wait until a baby’s kidneys mature, [at] the end of the first year,” writes Koya, a Brooklyn mother of two. “But spices and herbs have the power to wake up their palates, setting them on a course for a lifetime of adventurous, healthy eating.” Among Koya’s recipes for baby purees are pears with cardamom and acorn squash, chicken, and rice with ginger and nutmeg.
For older kids, back-to-school time often means it’s back to the doctor as students become infected with the virus du jour. What sets Koya’s cookbook apart from others are the many pages devoted to deeply exploring “healing spices” which Koya extols for their abilities to boost immunity, comfort a patient, or generally improve health — along with consultations with your pediatrician, of course. Koya’s cookbook is brimming with gorgeously photographed recipes for smoothies, lunchboxes, main dishes, desserts, spiced remedies, and more.
“Spice Spice Baby: 100 Recipes with Healing Spices for Your Family Table,” by Kanchan Koya, PhD, $35, amazo
