By Sarah Greer Osborne
As a child, Michael Kramer was a very picky eater. So when this well
known Houston chef became a dad himself, he went out of his way to make
sure his new baby developed a versatile and well balanced palette.
Kramer oversees the award winning kitchen
of Voice Restaurant, which opened at Hotel Icon in 2008. In addition
to the restaurant’s debut,
Kramer and his wife had a debut of their own last year—Evan Michael
Kramer. “Being a chef requires long hours and very little sleep,
so I was totally prepared for fatherhood,” jokes Kramer.
All kidding aside, Kramer loves the challenges
of being a new dad, especially when it comes to mealtime. “Evan has just started sitting
at the dinner table with us and it is so much fun,” admits Kramer. “We
feed him whatever we are eating, just in smaller portions. He ate his
first piece of Tilapia the other day and loved it.” One year old
Evan also loves avocado, whole grains and almost every fruit and
vegetable.
Kramer and his wife started Evan on jarred
baby food from the local supermarket, but soon the chef started developing
his own recipes including apple-celery root puree and vanilla-parsnip
puree. “As working
parents, it’s hard to always make baby food from scratch but we
try to do what we can and augment it with healthy items from the store,” says
Kramer.
Kramer stresses the importance of feeding
children nutritious and healthy foods as early as possible. He also
advises parents to try seasoning their baby’s food. “Don’t be afraid to use salt,” he
says. “It’s designed to bring out the flavor in food, not
make it salty. If my mother had seasoned my food more, I might have been
less of a picky eater…sorry mom.”
Kramer’s other advice for new parents? Take things one day at
a time and nap when the baby naps. “Every day before I go to work,
Evan and I take a mid morning nap,” says Kramer.” “They
always tell the new mom to sleep when the baby sleeps. Well I think
dads should be given the same opportunity!”
Here are some of Michael’s
recipes, tested and approved by his son Evan!
Apple-Celery Root Puree
Ingredients:
2 small celery root bulbs, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
2 granny smith apples, cored and cut into 1” pieces
4 cups apple juice
Method:
Place all ingredients in a small saucepot over medium heat and bring
to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook until all the apples and celery
root are tender. Remove from heat. Strain off liquid and set aside.
Next in a blender, add the apples and celery root. Start to puree and
add enough of liquid to make a smooth puree. When the puree is smooth,
strain through a mesh sleeve.
Vanilla-Parsnip Puree
Ingredients:
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
1 cup of water
¼ cup of heavy cream
Method:
Place all ingredients in a small saucepot over medium heat and bring
to a boil. Next turn down to a simmer and cook the parsnip until soft.
Remove from heat and place in a blender. Blend on medium speed for 3 minutes
until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
