I appreciate this is a recurring theme on my blog, but that’s because there’s a good deal of ineffable stupidity in the world. I can be dumb on occasion, but jeepers so many people can show me how to do dumb properly. Look at Goop if you doubt me.
How does this recipe grab you? Lamb and lentil stew? Sounds OK to me, though I rarely eat meat, but not a bad combo, I’d think. Turkey and quinoa meatballs? I’m deeply suspicious of anything involving quinoa, but I guess you could substitute bulgur wheat* and it might work. Chicken with fennel? I dislike fennel, and it’s a bit poncey sounding, but different strokes for different folks, eh? Beef hash with cabbage and potatoes? That’s a bit more workmanlike, but why the hell you need a recipe to make a beef hash is beyond me, though I suppose there are people who are so badly culinarily challenged they need their hands holding in the kitchen.
So far, so good. Except these recipes aren’t for you, they’re for your dog. Pet recipe books are on-trend right now. They’re really on point.
WTF? Dogs do not have very sophisticated tastes. They eat their own vomit. They eat fox shit. Susan’s dog Moses, aka Lurcherboy, famously once ate a decomposing koi carp he found in an alley. It made him ill, but he ate it. No posing with fennel for him.
There are cat cookbooks too. Sardine omelette anybody? Sounds bloody awful to me, and pointless. Cats want to eat what you’re eating, but aside from that they’re not really adventurous. Get yourself down the butcher’s shop and grab some offal, your cat is going to be OK with that. FFS they eat the heads of mice, as you’ll know if you’ve ever inadvertently trodden on the headless corpse of a small rodent while walking around barefoot in a dark kitchen.
Apparently, one Henrietta Morrison is to blame, and given the insufferable tweeness of her name, I’m not surprised. She kicked things off in 2012 with her book Dinner for Dogs. This tapped into a deep vein of gullibility among people with too much money and bugger all sense. She claimed it’s entirely natural to want to spoil their pets. Pets are ‘an integral part of the family,’ hence serving them home cooked meals is part of the nurturing process.
Gimme a break. Let them eat fox shit. It’s what they like.
By the way, I’d lay odds that the people who buy pet cookbooks are the very people who hire dogwalkers. If you can’t find the time or can’t be arsed to walk your dog properly, don’t buy a dog. They’re not fashion accessories.
Half the world is starving right now, and you’re pratting about with a canine birthday cake with liver, carrots, blueberries and peanut butter. Which the dog will barf up and enjoy all over again.
*I like this stuff. It’s like rice with attitude.
Melanie B Cee said:
It is amazing — the imbalance in sensibility in today’s world. My dogs? Eat kibble and table scraps, occasionally I’ll catch the younger one eating poo…he’s not picky about the poo. They’ve both attempted to eat their own puke, and they sniff things that make me gag. So why all the fuss about (your word) poncy recipes designed for their ‘tender’ palates? I have a suspicion that it’s because ‘we’ (the dog people of the world) are gratifying ourselves and playing pretend ‘mommy’ or ‘daddy’ with our pets. The other mystifying trend with regard to pets (cats included) is dressing them up. I have to wonder if the people doing that miss the days when they dressed up their dollies. My dogs? Would shred any garment I tried to put on them, IF I could accomplish that at all. I think that’s daft.
nobodysreadingme said:
Dressing animals up is wrong, full stop. A thick coat for a small dog in the winter, fine. Tutus no
franhunne4u said:
I own a cookbook for cats. My cousin gave it to me. I haven’t used it, if that is of any comfort to you, and I would never have bought it … it was one of those surprise gifts you smile and say “thank you” while everybody in the room sees you think WTF.
nobodysreadingme said:
We’ve all had those presents…
Notes To Ponder said:
Last year Americans spent $72 billion (yes billion, – more than the combined GDP of the world’s 39 poorest countries) on their pets. China at $2.6 billion has some catching up to do, even if the figure is a 50% increase from the year before. WTF?
I want to scream! They’re dogs, not children, dolls or fashion accessories! Wake up you fools – take your dog for a walk, don’t force it into a stroller or backpack! Don’t cover paws with leather shoes, paint their nails or put bows on their head. Geez!
nobodysreadingme said:
All of the above
nobodysreadingme said:
Reblogged this on nobodysreadingme and commented:
Do have a nice day. It’s snowing here in Cambridge