JESS GIBSON, BROOKLYN, NY
When my son was six weeks old, I misjudged his feeding times and found myself on a street corner in Brooklyn, trailing seven absurdly long feet of baby-wearing wrap while clutching an inconsolable, naked, sweating infant and looking for somewhere to sit and nurse. A complete stranger named Anne gathered me up and insisted that I come into her house where I sat for half an hour with a pitcher of water and a plate of sliced peaches, breastfeeding my son. She and her husband were obviously preparing for a dinner party, but there I stayed on their very clean upholstered sofa until my son was ready to continue our journey. The advice here could be: “prepare for a growth spurt around six weeks and be ready for increased nursing,” but it’s perhaps more to keep your eyes open for the kindnesses of strangers.
Jess’ Recipe for Banana Pancakes
I started making these for my son when he began soft, solid food. The banana caramelizes in the butter a bit, and they’re a good source of protein and potassium for both babies and adults. Plus, they only take about 5 minutes to make.
INGREDIENTS:
2 ripe bananas
1 egg
1 teaspoon or so of cinnamon
Butter
A pinch of salt (if you like)
DIRECTIONS:
Beat the egg in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. In a separate bowl, add the bananas and as much or as little cinnamon as you like. Add only half of the egg to the bananas and smash with a fork or potato masher until the bananas are in small chunks and the egg is thoroughly mixed in. Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat until it's bubbling and cook the banana egg batter, swirling the pan a bit, until you see the bottom edges begin to brown. Flip the pancake carefully (it won't be a perfect circle) and cook the other side for a few additional minutes.
JESS’ COCONUT LENTILS
I first made these lentils for my son when he started eating chunky purees. They’re good over rice or thinned out as a soup, and they freeze well. If I’m making them for adults, I add more spice. For babies, I omit the salt. The proportions are approximate - adjust according to your taste.
INGREDIENTS:
Coconut or olive oil for frying
½ yellow onion, chopped
Spice: I use a bit of mild South Indian curry. A teaspoon each of ginger, turmeric, cumin and/or paprika are also nice.
1 to 2 cups of dried red or black lentils (less if you’d like it soupy, more if you prefer a thicker puree)
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 + cup of water
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a small pot, heat about a tablespoon of oil until hot and and add the chopped onions. Sauté the onions on low to medium heat for at least five minutes until they're soft and translucent. Add the spices you’re using and continue to sauté for another few minutes, adding more oil if necessary. Add the lentils and stir for a minute or so, and then add the full can of coconut milk and the water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the lentils are slightly broken down, adding more water if necessary. Add salt and any additional spices to taste.
Jess Gibson received her PhD from Yale University with a dissertation on Postwar West German Art. She has taught art history at colleges and universities in New York City, and workshops in the Arctic. Her writing has been recently published in the Dublin Review and in Katarina Burin: Contribution and Collaboration: The Work of Petra Andrejova-Molnár and Her Contemporaries (Koenig Books, 2016). Her son was born in 2016.