My review of Hungry Monkey

I thoroughly enjoyed Shauna James Ahren’s book, The Gluten Free Girl and the updates she gave on her blog as she progressed through her pregnancy and the birth of her baby. So when she recommended the new book, Hungry Monkey: A Food Loving Father’s Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater by Matthew Amster-Burton, I knew I had to read it.

It was worth waited almost two months for my local library to cough it up. I waited my turn, impatiently. Well, not so impatiently, I had a stack of books already checked out plus a handful of books on my shelf awaiting review. Still, I really wanted this book.

Is this book for you?
Shauna puts it well, “Do you have a child you’re trying to feed Thinking about having one? Love food? Or just want to laugh so hard that your belly hurts?” If any of the above apply, read this book! You don’t need to be a parent to get absorbed in the book, the life of the characters, or feel inspired to try some of the author’s recipes.

Page turner
I found Hungry Monkey utterly delightful and engaging from page one….and I don’t have children and don’t plan to have any. (The closest I will get to having kids in this life is my two lovely cats.) I found Matthew Amster-Burton's writing punchy, witty, utterly honest, and instructive (for eaters of all ages and those who share food with them!). I found myself rereading certain passages because I found them so smartly written. I secretly hoped I could absorb some of Amster-Burton’s wondrous way of writing about food and life!!

Photo credit right: Lara Ferroni >>>>

What’s it all about
So Hungry Monkey is about a Seattle food writer and former restaurant critic, Matthew Amster-Burton, and his attempts to raise an adventurous eater.

It focuses on his daughter’s development as an eater (and eventual helper in the kitchen), his life as a self-employed stay at home dad who does dinner, how to deal with the ever changing tastes of children, how to get dinner on the table even when you only have 30 minutes to cook, how to avoid making different meals for the grownups and kids, and how to have more fun shopping for food, cooking it, and eating more meals at home.

I don't believe in baby food
Amster-Burton had me smiling, laughing, and nodding as he challenged and debunked rules about what to feed children and when outlined in popular books. His first rule of baby food is that “there is no such thing as baby food,” a rule he shares with famous chef Jacques Pepin and his daughter Claudine.

Jacques Pepin says:
“Except for very spicy food, she was served exactly what we ate from the time she was an infant. When she didn’t like something, we barely acknowledged the fact. Conversely, when she ate spinach, broccoli, or chard, we  never congratulated her because we didn’t want her to feel that she had done something special.”

Like both of these authors, I don’t believe in baby food. Don’t get me wrong. I believe a baby’s first food and primary food should be breast milk and that nursing should continue as long as possible (1 to 3 years). However, once a baby expresses interest in what the rest of the family is eating, I think s/he should be given that! Not bland, bottled veggie and fruit purees followed by a steady stream of fabricated foods sold in separate sections and packages in supermarkets.

Photo credit right: Lara Ferroni

I think the whole notion of children needing and requiring separate foods from their parents is an artifact of our modern food processing and marketing industries! In traditional cultures around the world babies, toddlers, preteens, and teens don’t eat an different diet than their parents. Babies may need their food finely minced. Teens may need more fat, more calories, more food overall, but that can easily be accommodated by a diet of whole/real foods, the same things mom and dad eat.

That said, Amster-Burton isn't against all baby food. He admits to adding Gerbers' fruit purees to greek yogurt, something he himself still eats. (I'm not sure what's in a bottle of Gerbers but you can do the same thing with the fruit sauces from my latest book, The Ice Dream Cookbook. I've done it and it's really delicious.)

Break all the rules
Ambster-Burton questions, then breaks the rules found in the baby books in an honest and humorous way. You know, the rule that say, “Strong flavors scare babies.” Nonsense. His daughter Iris was into spicy food as a baby. She loved habanero chili con carne with beans, frozen Indian food, Ants on a Tree (that’s a Thai dish), and spicy chicken enchiladas.

On the topic of enchiladas, Amster-Burton questions the idea that “it is important to wait several days after the introduction of any new food in order to see if that new food will trigger an allergic reaction.” How realistic is this for a parent?

 “A four- to seven-day wait after every new food? For how long? This advice, repeated everywhere, makes me break out in hives. Iris’s first favorite food, chicken enchilads, contains about a dozen ingredients––some of which practically nobody is allergic to, like cilantro. (Okay, I know cilantro tastes like soap to some people, but that’s not an allergy, and those peole are missing out on some really good salsa.) I could have made the enchiladas with just tortillas the first week, then tortillas and chicken the following week, then tortillas and chicken and onions, and so on for twelve weeks. Sounds like an interesting performance art project, but not much like dinner.

Photo credit right: Lara Ferroni

“Laurie and I have no food allergies. If we did, I’m sure we would have been a lot more cautious. But this advice is so cautious, hardly anybody follows it.”

Then there’s the rule that you should “Never feed your baby nonorganic food. Super Baby Food, page 39: Only certified organic food should be used to make food for your precious baby.”

 “If you’re baby’s not particularly precious, you can just spike her bottle with Miracle-Gro.”

 “I’m being flip because I don’t have a good response to this. Like many people, sometimes I buy organic and sometimes I don’t. It depends on how much money I have in my pocket and how the produce looks. When I’m shopping at the supermarket, the organic produce is often inferior to the conventional––and I’m not talking about the kind of cosmetic blemishes that food writer’s like me tell you to overlook. (Nobody has to be told abou the virtues of ugly tomatoes anymore, right?) I compared the Italian parsley the other day and the organic wasn’t just twice the price–––it was jelly, which means old. Then again, maybe it got old because no one was buying it because it was twice the price, because of bad subsidies….My brain is tarting to hurt.”

I like it, I like it!
I like that first and foremost, Amster-Burton is a real person sharing real-world experiences that other parents can glean tips from. He doesn't talk down to the reader, doesn't tell you that you have to elaborately decorate your child's food to make him or her eat. Have you see the cookbooks that feature all the cookie cutter sandwiches and foods made to look like animals, toys, and other play things?

Cumin-Ginger Carrot Coins; Photo Chef Rachel

He's also practical. I admire his priorities, his passion for cooking and eating with his daughter (and wife), the time freedom his chosen career and lifestyle affords him, his sense of humor. I liked reading  about his enjoyment of fat – good fat – butter, pork fat, lard, olive oil, and coconut milk – the traditional stuff and how it makes food taste great. He says “Many of the world’s most delicious foods cannot be successfully made in a low fat fashion.” I agree!

At a time when so few people eat home cooked meals and fewer still know how to cook from scratch, I found reading about a father who was excited about sharing food with his baby refreshing. How many dads get the chance to introduce their children to new foods, teach them how to cook, and share convey-belt sushi? Or to be the only “snack dad” in preschool?

Here's how Amster-Burton puts it:
“In retrospect, I think I was gung-ho about sharing our food with Iris for the same reason people share food with each other everywhere: it’s fun. It was the first opportunity for Iris and me to share an experience and enjoy it for the same reasons…”

Photo credit right: Chef Rachel

Not just a good read
After the writing, the next best thing about Hungry Monkey is the recipes, which are written clear, concise, and enticing. I found so many I wanted to try that I stopped flagging them halfway through. Many of them are easy enough to make on weeknight, even if you only have 30 minutes (add more time for side dishes). While the recipes aren’t paleo, primal, or strictly whole foods, and many of them contain wheat or dairy, you and I can easily make substitutions if necessary.

Recipes I want to try
Browned & Braised Brussels Sprouts
Lemony Chard & Escarle
Beer Braised Shortribs with Wheat Berries (I will omit the wheat berries)
Broiled Teriyaki Mackerel (I love mackerel sushi)
Thai Shrimp Curry
Chicken Strips with Thai Dressing

Here's what I tried
Chicken Stew with Smoked Paprika and Cumin-Ginger Carrot Coins. Both were easy to assemble. The carrots cook all of 20 minutes to prep and cook. I've roasted carrots with ginger and love them and cumin's one of my favorite spices. I served it with Asian Mint-Flavored Pork Chops (from a magazine) and sauteed mustard greens with onions (from my Garden of Eating book).

Chicken Stew with Smoked Paprika......Photo credit: Chef Rachel

The chicken cooked while I did other things during the day. The wine and smoked paprika enhanced the tomato in the stew and the reduction of pan juices made up for the loss of flavor that many slow cooker recipes suffer from. These are just two of the user friendly recipes you will find in Hungry Monkey.

Chicken Stew with Smoked Paprika

Time: About 6 hours, mostly unattended (slow cooker recipe)        Serves: 4 to 8

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 rib celery, diced
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tablespoons smoked Spanish Paprika
3/4 cup red wine
salt and pepper (I used 3/4 teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper)

1. Place the onion, carrot, and celery in a slow cooker. Add the cihcken thighs, stacking them in two layers, bone side up. Add tomatoes, paprika, wine, and salt to taste. Cover and cook on low heat 5 hours or until the meat is very tender.
2. Remove chicken and most of the tomatoes to a platter. Strain liquid into a saucepan. Discard onion, carrot, and celery. Bring the liuqid to a boil and reduce to less than one cup. Add pepper to taste. Serve chicken with mashed potatoes and reduced braising liquid for drizzling.

Photo credit right: Chef Rachel

Note: I didn't drain the liquid from the canned tomato and it still came out great. I didn't serve the chicken with mashed potatoes. Instead, I served it today with a baked sweet potato with butter and a crisp green salad one day and will probably have it with blanched mixed vegetables tomorrow. The rest I'm freezing for future meals.

You can check out Matthew Amster-Burton’s blog" Roots & Grubs

I hope you read and enjoy this book! If you find a book you think I would like to read and review, drop me a note and let me know.

Comments

[CatatonicEyes]

New to your blog and looking forward to trying some of the fabulous looking recipes & ideas! Also added your book to my wish list which I hope to get by Christmas or before so I can use it for the Holiday baking! Have also seen variations for pizza crust made with cauliflower & egg with spices or cauliflower with soy cheese as spices! Holds up well and great for getting veggies in! Do you twitter?