But I’ve got a good excuse: I’m testing recipes and finalizing the manuscript for my new book (Getting to Yum — out this fall!)!

Lately I’ve been experimenting with colours and spices. This cauliflower puree has some turmeric in it! Turmeric is an ingredient in curry, but isn’t spicy on its own. It has a mild, nutty taste which offsets the cauliflower really nicely (who would have thought!).

Before babies reach the age of about 18 months (later for some, earlier for others), they’ll try just about anything. ‘Open mouth, open mind!’ It’s the perfect time to introduce them to interesting colors and flavors. So that’s one good reason to try spices like turmeric now. In fact, Dr Jatinder Bhatia (a member of the nutrition committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics) actually recommends feeding mild curry to babies, to develop their palates.

Plus, there’s another reason (as Dr Bhatia points out): curry spice are packed full of vitamins and minerals! Some medical research also suggests that turmeric (an important part of traditional India Ayurvedic medicine) has numerous other health benefits.

So, what do you think? Would you feed a puree containing turmeric to your baby?

ps If you do–watch out–I’ve never seen anything stain like turmeric. I recommend having a ‘rainbow bib’ (for food that stains) for baby, for all foods that stain…this one included!

I’m so excited to be participating in the Living in Two Languages conference that will be held at the Lycée Français in New York on April 13th.

Linguists, food experts, educators, and chefs will be debating the French approach to food education, and asking what Americans might learn.

The event is sold out but you can watch a live streaming video on the conference website.

Monday 18th March
Salad: Organic beet salad with grated carrots
Main course: Veal with sauce diablotin and basmati rice
Dairy: Mimolette cheese or ‘vache qui rit’ (both soft, creamy cheeses that kids usually love)
Dessert: Fresh fruit cup

Tuesday 19th March
Salad: Grapefruit with sugar or grated celery with apples
Main course: Trussed veal with onions and gravy, served with a side of cauliflower and potatoes
Dairy: Organic vanilla yogurt
Dessert: Pineapple fruit cup

Wednesday 20th March
Salad:Boiled egg on a bed of green salad, with mayonnaise
Main course: Homemade lasagna
Dairy: ‘Fromage frais’ (sort of like cottage cheese, but creamier)
Dessert: Fresh fruit basket

Thursday 21st March
Salad: Endive salad with apple
Main course: Sauteed beef with pepper sauce and sauteed spring vegetables
Dairy: Gouda
Dessert: Chocolate eclair

Friday 22nd March
Salad: Creamed spinach
Main course: Fish filet with curry, served with green beans and parsley-topped potatoes
Dairy: Poitou or goat cheese (flavorful – yum!)
Dessert: Organic banana with chocolate sauce

Bon Appétit!! And thanks Carol!

Interesting: the Japanese, like the French, believe that diversity is a cornerstone of good eating habits. Food education is provided in schools, where children are told: try to eat 30 different foods every day (and 100 per week). (Reading this made me re-evaluate our daily menus!)

Now….how many different foods did your child eat today (or you, for that matter)!?

ps Thanks to Babette for sending me this link — I love it when readers do that!

So I’m delighted to be ‘back in the swing of things’ with this menu from the town of Lille. It’s the largest town in northern France, which has seen better days. Much like Chicago, deindustrialization hit Lille hard. However, it has such a beautiful heritage–including an incredibly charming city centre–that it is being rediscovered by younger French people. And Lille is only 1 hour (yes, one hour) away from the centre of London by high-speed train (the Eurostar line). I predict it’s going to be rediscovered…

So, what are French kids eating for school lunch this week in Lille?

As usual, the meals follow a four course structure: vegetable starter; main dish with vegetable side; cheese course; dessert. All meals are served with fresh baguette (eaten plain, usually one piece per child!) and water. No flavoured milk, juice, sports drinks, or pop. No fast food or junk food. Food for thought!

Monday, February 4th
Salad Greek ‘macedonian’ salad (typically a mix of cucumbers and other veggies) with tuna
Main Course ‘Gratin Savoyard’ (a yummy cheese & potato casserole)
Cheese/Dairy Combined with a yummy dessert today!
Dessert Vanilla cream

Tuesday, February 5th
Salad Lamb’s lettuce salad with mimolette cheese
Main Course Roast turkey with mustard, potatoes (seasoned with parsley), served with a side of spinach
Dessert Organic apple

Wednesday, February 6th
Salad Grated carrot salad with vinaigrette dressing
Main Course Roast fish with ‘sauce aurore’ (a creamy tomato sauce), organic rice, and broccoli
Cheese/Dairy combined with dessert
Dessert Fruit yogurt

Thursday, February 7th
Main Course Roast lamb à la provençale (baked with olives and herbes de provence), with organic couscous and ratatouille (a southern French stew with roasted tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini)
Cheese/Dairy Babybel cheese (mild, sort of like Gouda)
Dessert A clementine

Friday, February 8th
Salad Raw veggies
Main Course Braised beef, with carrots
Cheese/Dairy Gruyère cheese
Dessert Fresh fruit with ‘fromage blanc’ (a mild, creamy dairy product a lot like Greek yogurt)

Don’t these sound amazing? Why not try one of these dishes (or even an entire menu) with your family for dinner one evening this week?

This blog post is part of my French Kids School Lunch Project. Every week, I post the school lunch menus from a different village or town in France, where three-course, freshly-prepared hot lunches are provided to over 6 million children in the public school system every day. These meals cost, on average, $3 per child per day (and prices for low-income families are subsidised). My hope is that these menus (together with my other blog posts about the French approach to kid’s food) will spark a conversation about what children CAN eat, and how we can do better at educating them to eat well.