Iron Chef Cat Cora, 40, her partner Jennifer, 36, and their sons Zoran, 4, and Caje, 8 months, are featured in this month's Parents, discussing how they cook for their boys. Says Cat,
I want dining at home to be simple and relaxed. I feed the baby jarred organic food -- Caje loves sweet potato -- and make one meal for the rest of the family. Zoran likes lamb, fish, beans and veggies, and I attribute his good eating habits, at least in part, to the fact that I hardly ever make a special meal for him.
I avert tantrums by getting Zoran involved, like snapping the ends off green beans. He's proud of what he helped make, so he'll eat it. Once a week, I let him choose the main course. One night recently, he requested pancakes, so we made our usual buttermilk pancake batter and threw in chicken pieces and grated veggies for more protein and vitamins. He loved them.
When Zoran doesn't want to eat something green, I tell him that it's one of Shrek's favorites. It works like a charm!
Cat's next Iron Chef challenge airs February 10th. Her new book, Cooking From the Hip ($20), is out now.
Source: Parents, February issue, p. 156-163.
Click below for another photo of Caje.
Your Comments
I love Cat Cora! Does anyone know if her boys are adopted or did either mother carry one/both of the pregnancies? Either way, they have lovely boys.
Oh, my - they are such a lovely family, and Cat is so down-to-earth! Adorable.
What a beautiful family!
I love the "It's Shrek's favorite" line...I will have to try it on my 4 year old when he does not want to eat his peas or green beans.
Caje is such a little ham...I just want to kiss those chubby cheeks!
I received this magazine yesterday, and I have to say I was bothered that NOTHING was mentioned about Cat's partner. Even the picture showing her in the background had no details. I wonder if the magazine didn't want to publicize that this was a lesbian relationship? It just struck a nerve with me... maybe I read too much into it...
Sarah's note: I know, it annoyed me too.
Could someone post contact information on here with the editor of Parents' magazine's email address? I'm sure more than one of us would be willing to write a quick e-mail expressing how disappointed we are at how they didn't mention Cat's partner.
Sarah's note: They ask that letters to the editor be sent to mailbag@parentsmag.com, and to please include your daytime phone #, city and state.
Shame on Parents. I just sent them my email. When I read the article the other day, I was appalled that they went so far as to even put a picture of her fuzzy in the background but to not even recognize her as their mother along with Cat.
Cat was in another article in People a few weeks back. I believe that it said that her partner carried both children. I could be totally wrong there but that's what popped in my head when I read the above post. Sorry if I am wrong.
I don't see what is bothersome about Jennifer not being mentioned in an article about Cat. When I saw the photo, I assumed the woman was Cat's partner, and that was that. Would people be annoyed if it were Cat's husband in the photo with no extra information? It seems like they want to live their lives and be treated like everyone else instead of singling themselves out as lesbians, and I completely respect them for that.
Anyway, it's great that Cat is getting Zoran on such a varied appetite so early, and Cat and Jennifer look so much alike! Cute family.
Lauren,
I have a subscription and read the entire article. My issue with it is that how it's written in the magazine makes Cat sound like a single mom. Most times, it will say, 'her sons, with husband/partner blah blah,' but here, Jennifer was never even mentioned in passing. Maybe they like it that way (but I don't know if that's true, because they were both involved in that People article that was posted here a few months ago...), but it also left a bad taste in my mouth, because in the article it seems like Jennifer doesn't exist.
Anyhow, I agree, beautiful boys and a nice family.
Thanks, Pam. I wasn't sure if what was posted here was the entire article. If the article was much more in-depth and made Cat sound like the was the only one raising Zoran and Caje, that's different than if it was only what was posted here.
Sarah's note: No, I just posted the kid-related parts and added the bit about Jennifer myself. There's lots of recipes in the article too. But like Pam said, it makes Cat sound like a single mom and that's why it bothered me. They didn't even caption Jennifer in the pic she is in. Just rubbed me the wrong way.
As a lesbian myself, I am quite annoyed with the fact the partner isn't mentioned because not everyone will make that assumption. There are so few out lesbians in the maintstream media, and even less that are mothers that its great to see them in a magazine. To me, its frustrating though to see Jennifer not mentioned as if shes not important or a part of her childrens' life. If there were a plethora of lesbian parents in the media like there are straight parents, this one instance would not be a big deal. Needless to say I'll be writing to Parenting Magazine.
If Jennifer was "airbrushed" out because the magazine feels lesbianism is still a relatively taboo subject, then that's just plain silly. Their Editor-in-Chief should recognise that nowadays, parents come in all forms and we should be celebrating, rather than shielding, this diversity.
Word of warning though - I see plenty of interviews and photos of Mums with their babies where Dad has been left out too and there hasn't been as much as a raised eyebrow, let alone this kind of outcry! I mean look at the entries today on CBB! Cindy Crawford with her children and shock, horror, NO Rande Gerber.......
^Pam, I so agreed with your first statement, but you lost me in the second paragraph.
"Word of warning though - I see plenty of interviews and photos of Mums with their babies where Dad has been left out too and there hasn't been as much as a raised eyebrow, let alone this kind of outcry! I mean look at the entries today on CBB! Cindy Crawford with her children and shock, horror, NO Rande Gerber......."
Uh, what? Rande didn't appear to be out and about with Cindy and their kids, how was he left out? He was clearly mentioned as being the kids' dad in the post (as he always is on CBB, even when he isn't physically with his family). When he is out with Cindy and the kids, he is pictured with them and ALWAYS acknowledged on CBB.
To me, this is completely different with what Parents magazine did with Cat and Jennifer. Jennifer was obviously there during the shoot, and the fact that the magazine chose not to acknowledge her as Cat's partner and the boys' other parent is appalling to me. Families these days come in all shapes and sizes, all colors and genders. Those two boys are lucky to have two caring parents who love them more than anything, PERIOD. Nothing else should matter, IMO.
I strongly disagree with you connecting CBB and Parents magazine in any way shape or form. I will ALWAYS support CBB because they have always acknowledged families as a whole - there has never been any bias based on gender, race or creed. I absolutely love them for that and that's why I continue to visit this site. As for Parents magazine, I agree with Tara, Colleen and Kelly, and while I very rarely care enough to do so, I will be writing a letter to the editor.
I'm surprised she doesn't make Caje's baby food.
Jennifer Solano is her partner's name I think.