February 3rd, 2012 
Interested in fresh baby food, made from local organic ingredients, and learning how to make your own? Whether you’d like to purchase locally made baby food or tackle making your own baby food for the first time, Little City Kitchen, Co. (LCKC) has you covered. Owner Jill Epner, left the world of sales and marketing for her love of cooking, and after having so many relative’s babies enjoy her purée goodies, she decided to hone her skills for baby food. Jill created recipes with flavor for a group of baby taste testers to approve, and quickly discovered which ones worked and didn’t. Since Jill isn’t a nutritionist or doctor, so she’s gotten help from people who are, like Getzwell Pediatrics M.D., Julia Getzelmen. She focuses on flavor and cooking, and the experts advise and inform her on what’s safe for your little ones. Jill also has experts, like Getzelmen, available on her LCKC blog to answer questions from parents about food and nutrition. She creates a new flavor every week, and currently has over 30 different iron-rich fresh-frozen flavors of baby food for customers to choose from.
During our class, we sampled some of LCKC's best selling purées; sweet potato and coconut brown rice, and the surprisingly delicious swiss chard and kale with caramelized onions. Photo by Shari Stamps
I first tried a sample of LCKC’s baby purées at the SF Birth & Baby Fair when I was pregnant, and loved the flavors of the samples. I was surprised that the food tasted good, and not just like some mush that we call food and feed our babies. I tried to attend the cooking demonstration that Jill was holding at the event, but I missed it every time I went to the fair. By the time my daughter was almost six months I finally reached out to Jill to ask if she was holding any future demonstrations or classes for making your own baby food that I could attend. I found out that aside from teaching new moms how to make baby food at fairs, LCKC also offers both an intro (Apples to Beets) and intermediate (Lentils to Meats for Nine Plus Months) baby food making class in their Emeryville kitchen, so I tried out LCKC’s Lentils to Meats class to see what making my own baby food might be like. I was excited to find that parking is free outside LCKC’s commercial kitchen, and giddy when I discovered that Coco Delicemakes their fine chocolates in the same kitchen (so the kitchen smells like chocolate and we got to try a few samples). As everyone arrived, we were asked to wash our hands and offered a beverage, which made me feel comfortable and also glad to see first-hand that LCKC is extremely sanitary.
Jill checks on the roasts we prepared in class. Photo by Shari Stamps
The first portion of our cooking class consisted of discussing our fears and concerns, then some information about serving solids to our young ones. Jill told us that she doesn’t add sugar to her recipes, or more fruit than necessary to add the right amount of sweet. “There’s enough sweet fruit available in the baby food market, I focus on the things that are harder to get kids to eat like kale,” she told us. We all enjoyed the conversation so much that we went a little over our time before we needed to start creating our baby food, but Jill didn’t rush us.
After discussion, we looked over our recipes and began to divide tasks within our groups. Since Jill did all the grueling prep work for us, we were able to focus on becoming comfortable with the idea of using a new and different fresh ingredients to create baby purées and other meals. By the end of the 3.5 hour class I left with a ground pork dinner, and seven 4 oz. containers of puréed goodness in two flavors. Considering that Jill sells six 4 oz. cubes for $22 (packs of three are $10 each and last four months in the freezer), and I got seven purées at this size plus a large meat portion and a three hour class with discussion time, hands on learning and Q&A for $75 this class was a steal. I am really glad that I had a chance to take this class so that the idea of introducing a variety of foods to my daughter was a little less intimidating. Creating my own alternatives to packaged baby food is doable now that I know how to make my own baby food, and how to add flavors that are healthy, fresh and delicious.
I recommend trying a cooking class for yourself, or stopping by to taste LCKC’s top selling flavors like swiss chard and kale with caramelized onions and sweet potato and coconut brown rice (yum). Other purées favorites from LCKC fans include Cuban black beans with roasted plantain, mango & coconut and apples & white sweet potato following. Jill can sometimes be found at the Burlingame Farmer’s Market with LCKC purées, so that’s another great way to learn more about these flavors and creating your own at classes, or simply visit LCKC online and call.
WHERE:
Little City Kitchen, Co.
1555 Park Ave. Suite A
Emeryville, CA 94608
Ph. 415-794-7267
Email: jill@littlecitykitchenco.com
