The pregnancy, post-natal and children’s
cookbooks that she came across at
the time all had a pretty short shelf-life,
and Satler wanted to create something
much more versatile.
“The same batch of puree for a baby
can be used back into a full adult meal,”
she observed. Not only does this streamline
things for parents, but it “changes
the way we think about separating baby
food and adult food, because the end
goal is the same.” Parents want dinners
enjoyed by all and with minimal fuss, so
incorporating components of a child’s
18 JUNE 2 0 1 8
meal into the parents’ is a total win-win.
Enter “The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook,”
Satler’s guide to feeding a growing
family. Covering “pregnancy to finger
meals, breastfeeding foods, introducing
solids, complex combinations, finger
foods, family meals” and more, the stunning,
224-page edition packed with 80+
recipes is separated into seven chapters:
Pregnancy Foods, Getting Ready for
Baby, Breastfeeding Foods, First Foods
(4 to 6 months), Combination Foods (6
to 8 months), Expanding Tastes (8 to 10
months) and Family Meals (12 months
and up). These sections also feature expert
help advice from dietician Allison
Childress, who specializes in women’s
and children’s nutrition.
Making baby food isn’t as daunting as
it seems; “Babies eat so little when they
start, and a batch of puree goes really
far and lasts a long time after freezing
the components,” Satler said. In fact, the
whole process can be somewhat of a reawakening
for parents, as “it gets you excited
about food again.”
In the full-color book, you can expect
stir-fries and fish tacos, desserts and dips,
salads, salsas and plant-based burgers.
Every recipe is accompanied by a gorgeous
photo, shot by Satler herself. Also
pictured? Astoria moms and their kids,
posed around the neighborhood, with
smiles indicative of happy bellies.
Satler believes that this special community
of Queens-based parents all helped
her get her book into print. The “spirit
of Astoria moms is incredibly welcoming
and helpful” and has allowed her to
promote a nurturing, well-fed community,
Satler explained. “Every time we have a
friend over, there’s always food on the
table … as sharing food socially creates
better habits for children,” she said. When
Satler’s son “eats with friends instead of a
TV, it creates better table manners, and
might discourage pickiness, enticing him
to try new things.”
Cooking for kids is hard enough, but it
can be a joy with the proper resources.
“I don’t want it to feel like work,” Satler
said, as she’s hoping to “ease the transition
into parenthood.”
And for her, this book is all about paying
forward the help she’s been given:
“I’ve been given so many lifts up by
others,” Satler explained, and now she’s
looking to give everything that she can
back to those looking for well-versed
guidance.
Satler’s book is on sale June 19 and is
available for order on Amazon. She’ll be
promoting the book at Astoria Bookshop
on June 21.
FOOD + DRINK