The Ingredients Of A Great Idea

Foodie Patootie was cooked up as a way for parents and kids to come together in the name of food, family, and fun. Our mission is to promote nutrition, education, culinary appreciation, and adventurous eating.

A letter from Foodie Patootie founder, Corene Caley:

I married a fantastic guy 10 years ago. Our courtship and first years of marital bliss were all about dining out. Bartenders knew our favorite cocktails. Seattle is such a great restaurant town, offering so many culinary excursions and discoveries.

The first really yummy meal I ever cooked for my guy was a stuffed pork chop. It must have been good because we were engaged by the end of the night.

Learning through cookbooks and much experimentation, I’ve become an enthusiastic home cook. I discovered the joy of entertaining – planning a menu, selecting the wines, staggering the courses. I’m an unabashed lover of Food Network, Anthony Bourdain (I do realize he would totally mock something called ‘Foodie Patootie’ and I don’t care!) and Top Chef. We even planted a small but productive organic vegetable garden in our side yard.

This delicious life was all well and good, and while my pregnancy in 2004 didn’t stop the gourmand train from rolling (except for the minor aversion to chicken) I did worry about the future. I knew there would be menus with crayons or that turn into masks. Or chain restaurants focused on so-called ‘kid-friendly’ items like heavily-processed chicken nuggets and other nutritional nightmares. And I wondered if I’d wind up as a short-order cook to satisfy the pickiest little palate.

But I quickly realized it didn’t have to be that way. I didn’t go in with a plan – I just decided to have our kid eat what we ate. It sometimes took 10 tries to get her to appreciate something, but that patience has had great reward.

I made a lot of my own baby food but it wasn’t with some fancy gadget devised for that sole purpose. I cooked squash, put it in the blender and whirled it. Perhaps a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg or sea salt. It was so satisfying to see that sweet baby face eat something I cooked for her, with lots of love and simple recipes.

Food has taken on a great significance at our house. It’s fun. It’s tasty. It’s educational. Seeing our daughter slurp an oyster or pop a bite of gorgeous pâté into her mouth are some of the greatest joys of my life. Trying my best to raise a bold eater is an ongoing adventure. But it’s not just about getting her to eat her veggies or drink milk.

I’m proud of the connection our family is building with food, and I know there are a lot more folks out there doing the same. This is a community for food lovers, food growers, restaurant diners with kids in their lives… and a whole lot more, I’m sure. Let’s build it together!  What’s for dinner?  What’s the craziest thing your child has eaten (and liked!)?  Is exploring the local cuisine a must when you travel?  Come on along and join the conversation - let’s share our tips and secrets and learn together.     

Events and fun stuff to come… Chomp!

Corene Caley

And for the record, I really do love the menus that turn into masks at Ivar’s Salmon House in Seattle. There’s something to be said about tradition and actual good offerings on a kids menu.