Before Parker was gnawing on pork chops, slurping down slices of prosciutto and sipping a nice nebbiolo at dinner time (kidding, kidding…about the wine), we fed her baby food. Somewhere between 9 and 12 months, we gave her solid foods and the little gourmand never looked back.

I recall feeding one jar of store-bought baby food to the little bruiser. (Don’t hold that jar against me–we were down South on a business trip and the hotel room didn’t have a kitchenette.)

At home, why would we buy the bottled stuff? As cooks, we always have nutritious, yummy food on hand. So the “adult menu” became the “kiddie menu” in the blink of an eye, with a few concessions made for sodium, spices, nuts and a few other “no-no’s.” The baby broadened her palate and we saved a ton of dough by not buying ready-made baby food. Everyone was blissfully happy.

Okay, fine, there are a few cracks in my story. I was happy with Parker’s meals but not with the process or the clean-up. Hauling out the Cuisinart and the blender every day made for long nights and much frustration. I pouted my way to bed.

Leave it to OXO, the kitchen and home-ware powerhouse known for its fun and functional designs, to create a fool-proof line of do-it-yourself baby food tools. If anybody can make something cute and current, it’s OXO.

Following the concept of Universal Design, “a philosophy of making products that are easy to use for the widest possible spectrum of users,” OXO Tot streamlines the baby food-making process so it’s just about as easy as opening a jar.

Today, Jamie and I are presenting the line at a lovely, hands-on media lunch. The menu, you ask? It’s just as yummy and accessible to the writers and media mommies as it is to their kids. Everything that they have for lunch they could share with their tots–with the help of OXO, of course.

OXO Hands-On Lunch and Demo with Chef James Briscione and Brooke Parkhurst

Hors d’oeuvres

Roasted Cauliflower with Fried Olives and Harissa Dip
Fried Potato Croquettes
Sweet Pea Bruscetta with Ricotta and Carmelized Onions

Lunch

Coriander Carrots and Poached Shrimp Salad with Lime Dressing
Organic Chicken Breast with Roasted Garlic, Brown Butter and Balsamic Vinaigrette, Roasted Autumn Vegetables and Arugula
Spiced Pear and Apple Gratin with Pecan Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream

Photo by Colleen Duffley