Hungry Monkey

A Food-Loving Father's Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater

Matthew Amster-Burton

• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN:
  9780547336893
• eBook ISBN:
  9780547416571
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Culinary Arts

A dad's "charming, funny" memoir of trying to pass along his refined culinary tastes, with some kid-friendly recipes included (Neal Pollack).
Armed with the belief that kids don't need puree in a jar or special menus when eating out, restaurant critic and food writer Matthew Amster-Burton was determined to share his love of all things culinary with his daughter, Iris. From the high of rediscovering tastes through a child's unedited reaction to the low of realizing his precocious vegetable fiend was just going through a phase, Matthew discovered that raising an adventurous eater is about exposure, invention, and patience.
 
Sharing in Matthew's culinary capers is little Iris, a budding gourmand and a zippy critic herself—who makes huge sandwiches, gobbles up hot chilies, and even helps around the kitchen. This account, with dozens of delicious recipes and notes on which dishes can be prepared by "little fingers," reminds us: "Food is fun, and you get to enjoy it three times a day, plus snacks."
 
"A very timely and excellent book." —Anthony Bourdain
 
"A fast, funny memoir punctuated with sensible advice and recipes . . . Encourages adults to chill the heck out and have fun cooking with their kids." — Seattle Weekly
 
"An antidote to the ubiquitous advice that bland food is best for little ones." — Associated Press
 
"Full of great ideas for family meals. In a world of culinary pandering to kids . . . Amster-Burton gets the recipe right." —Neal Pollack, author of Alternadad
 
"Amster-Burton is equal parts Mario Batali, Ray Romano, Dr. Spock of toddler cuisine, and Mr. Spock of child logic." —Steven Shaw, author of Turning the Tables

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Where Do Monkeys Come From?
• Adventures in Breastfeeding
• Discovering the First Rule of Baby Food
• BABY CREAMED SPINACH
• BABY CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS
• You Fed Your Baby WHAT?
• PAD THAI SAUCE
• SIMPLE PAD THAI
• Stew You Can Chew
• BEER-BRAISED SHORT RIBS with WHEAT BERRIES
• DUCK RAGU
• CARNITAS
• MEXICAN ROASTED PEPPER STRIPS (Rajas)
• DUCK HASH
• Spice Girl
• LARB GAI (Thai Chicken Salad)
• Toasted Rice Powder
• STACKED GREEN CHILE ENCHILADAS
• Cowboy Beans
• Green Chile Sauce
• ANTS ON A TREE
• THAI CATFISH CAKES
• Part of This Complete Breakfast
• IRISH OATS with CANDIED BACON
• YEASTED WAFFLES
• Snacktime
• CORN PANCAKES with PUMPKIN BUTTER
• BANANA-NUTELLA PANINI
• FRICO (Crunchy Cheese Wafers)
• Vegging Out
• CORN with SCALLIONS, JALAPEÑO, and LIME
• BROWNED and BRAISED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
• PENNE with BRUSSELS SPROUTS and BACON
• ROASTED PARSNIPS
• CUMIN-GINGER CARROT COINS
• LEMONY CHARD and ESCAROLE
• MINI-FRITTATAS with MUSHROOMS
• Sugar Makes Parents Hyper
• GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES with LEMON GLAZE
• Lemon Glaze
• CHOCOLATE MALT
• SOUR CHERRY SHAKE
• Picky-Picky
• ROASTED TROUT with FENNEL, ONION, and CILANTRO
• Feeding the Carburetor
• STICKY RICE
• BIBIMBAP
• SHRIMP and GRITS
• GRIT CAKES
• BACON-JALAPEÑO PIZZA
• Cornmeal Pizza Dough
• MAC and BROC
• BAKED PASTA with CAULIFLOWER
• Welcome to The Jungle
• CHICKEN and SPINACH MEATBALLS
• SPAGHETTI with PORK MINI-MEATBALLS
• BURGERS
• Monkey Goes to Market
• BROILED TERIYAKI MACKEREL
• PRETZELS
• Can a Monkey Make Dinner?
• BLUEBERRY-BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES
• FARFALLE with TOMATO SAUCE and HAM
• Magic Cooking Robots
• STICKY CHINESE-STYLE SPARERIBS
• CHICKEN STEW with SMOKED PAPRIKA
• SHREDDED BEEF TACOS
• Fast but Not Furious
• CHICKEN STRIPS
• THAI SALAD DRESSING
• Tradition Without Turkey
• CORNISH PASTIES
• Life in the Sushi Belt
• HAM-and-EGG SUSHI ROLL
• The Lobster Chronicles
• LOBSTER ROLLS
• Monkey on Vacation
• THAI SHRIMP CURRY
• The Only Snack Dad in Preschool
• POTSTICKERS
• End of the Monkey Tale
• Recommended Reading
• Our Favorite Convenience Foods
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author