what’s in the bottle?

Dear Amélie,

In daddy’s world there are many ingredients that cooks and chefs alike covet with outmost esteem.The woods of Alba come alive in the fall with foragers led by trained hogs to find these things called truffles. Knobs of dirt covered fungus, that unfortunately for their reputation are very expensive, yet a true wonder of the culinary world. Tiny purple flowers soak up the warm sun of the Mediterranean where they birth thin golden strands of a fragrant spice called saffron.

To me a new ingredient has come along that has replaced the importance and affection devoted to all these exotic items. Breast milk. The stuff that makes and keeps you happy. I know, it sounds totally weird but each sip of this stuff that you take in is a tiny little gift to me. With nervous hands I handle each bottle, attempting to avoid the heartbreak it would bring if something were to happen to it. But besides the obvious, what’s really in that bottle?

Your mother and I were very nervous of our first week home with you. In preparation we stocked each crevice of refrigeration with foods that would render a quick relief to our starved, sleep deprived minds. We batched out pots of soups and stews in chill bags, ready to be dropped in warm water for a no-brainer meal.  To our good fortune, you have thus far been a dream, and as a result I have done my best to make sure you get what you need to grow strong and healthy.

When you bring a newborn home for the first time you try to prepare for the worst. Your mind goes into survival and prevention mode, as if boarding up each window in preparation for a frightening hurricane. I could see making many exceptions and changes to our usual routine, but feeding you guys well I am not willing to compromise. One of the biggest things I was worried about was if there were any unknown allergies hiding in your fragile immune system.

I figured there was only one way to find out. In each meal I carefully and hopingly pushed you a bit further.

Nuts.

Gluten.

Dairy.

So far, so good.

You ate well. We all ate well. Which was quite the surprise compared to what we were ready to face.

Your very first “meal”, the one that was very important to all three of us, as the first meal we shared as a family was gumbo. Which made a very happy Cajun girl out of your mother.

We had crepes filled with apple, pecans and country ham. Dad’s pastrami on rye with spicy mustard and slaw. Roasted eggplant, and sweet peppers with corn chowchow. Chi teas with loads of cinnamon and spice. Charred salmon and quinoa tabouleh. Southern style pork chops with proper mash potatoes. Good cheese. And for the first time in 10 months your mother was finally able to enjoy some good charcuterie.

It must be incredibly frightening being an infant. No wonder that as we grow older our minds erase every memory of this first stage of life. Completely dependent on the people around you to survive, each time you wake is a new struggle to communicate to us your simple needs.

You’re at home here sweetheart. Home, to two very loving parents whom so far you know only as the splotches of color that constantly kiss your tiny nose. As you nap next to me I hope that you rest easy, knowing that you are very well taken care of.

Corn Chowchow

Chowchow is a relish used widely in southern cooking. Typically made from cabbage with chilies and other vegetables. The east coastal chowchow is sweeter than the stuff we use in the deep south.

Chowchow can be eaten by itself, or in most cases used in cooking to add flavor.

I made a batch of this a few weeks before Amélie was born and it has come to good use in stuffed peppers, sauces and as a condiment for home-made burgers and crispy hot dogs. Next time I make it, I plan to use it with some Indian or Korean style lamb ribs.

1 ½ pound fresh shucked corn

1 cup finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon kosher salt

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

1 tablespoon mustard seed

1 tablespoon pickling spice

½ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup seasoned rice vinegar

The hardest part about this recipe is shucking the corn. Peel the ears free from the husk. With a sharp knife, cut each ear of corn in half. Stand each half onto the cutting board and slice the kernels free as if you were trying to peel it.

If you are using pickling spice that is in whole spice form, give it a few zaps in the spice grinder. If you do not have a spice grinder, place the pickling spice in a small square of cheesecloth and tie it tightly with a string of kitchen twine.

Place the liquids in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a slight heat and dissolve the sugar and salt into the liquid. At this point, drop in pickling spice to infuse the liquid. If you are using the cheesecloth pouch, you will remove this when the chowchow has finished cooking. In the liquid add the corn, onion and the mustard seed. Bring to a simmer, turn to medium low heat and stir occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated.