Omakase

As those of you with adventuresome palates and a love of sushi know, omakase is when you give a chef the freedom to prepare for you whatever inspires her that particular evening. You are entrusting the chef to tantalize and challenge you with unique and thoughtful food that you might not ordinarily experience. Owen, in a sense, orders the omakase for every meal. He never knows what he is going to dine on at any particular meal (though he does recognize the sound of the cheerio bag being opened.) And yet, he is so trusting of us that he opens his mouth up every single time. He just knows that what we are putting in his mouth is good for him in every sense of the word. This is one of those small things that I feel so honored to experience as a parent.

Yes, I know, he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth, but you get what I am getting at, right? When was the last time you allowed someone to put something in your mouth without know what it was, what it tasted like, if it was fresh, if it was edible? It is a pretty intimate experience and Owen allows us to do that several times a day. He does have an adventuresome palate - chickpeas with raab and ricotta, curried lentils, minestrone, egg custards, he eats it all.



Yesterday, a beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest, Owen and I packed a picnic lunch and took a nice, long stroll to a new park. There was something about putting tiny cubes of banana and avocado and cheese into little cups that made me realize that Owen isn't an infant anymore. Sure, he is a baby, but his world is broadening into childhood now.

This was only Owen's second cheese tasting and, even if we don't know who he resembles physically, we now know that his palate is that of a Pyle. Usually with finger foods, Owen pinches one piece with his left hand fingers, transfers it to his right hand, brings it to his mouth, and puts it on his tongue. Not with the cheese. I opened the container, set it down by him, and in a flash, he grabbed a fistful and shoved it in his mouth. I quickly moved it out of his sight (not having object permanence yet is such a blessing) and dug a few pieces out of his mouth so he could chew. He must have caught a glimpse of the golden cubes, though, because he threw himself on his tummy and clawed his way over for more. It was the furthest distance I have seen him cover.

So, Pyle Family, Owen is now ready to travel as long as he can visit the cheese club at the airport.

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