Saturday, March 26, 2011

Doggie gastronomes

Well, I'm not too sure about the gastronome part, but I have sure known some canines with strange culinary tastes.

A couple of times last week I heard strange noises coming from the living room and went in to find Jack happily munching on the filched remains of jalopeños I had chopped for cooking. I've never had a dog do that, and he was clearing enjoying the heck out of them.

This morning I found some peppers in the fridge that were getting a little long in the tooth so I chopped them up for a breakfast omelet and Jack came running in to watch, drooling all over the floor. Over the years I have learned how to cut peppers to get just the right amount of heat while maximizing the flavor. Most of the really hot stuff I leave on the hull and that's apparently what Jack wanted so badly. Weird!

My last Rottie was crazy for onions and I had a Basset once who loved the cobs from corn-on-the-cob. An earlier Rottie liked to pick ripe blueberries straight from the bush. All of the dogs have enjoyed snow peas right off the vine. But this is the first dog I have had who craved hot peppers!

That omelet: Slice some peppers and let them "shrivel" for a day or two in a bowl. Cut the peppers into fine chunks and do the same with some water chestnuts. Mix the two and drizzle some soy sauce over them, along with a dash or two of ancho powder. Slightly warm the mix in the microwave. When the omelet has mostly solidified on top, spoon the mixture onto it and spread it around. Well worth the trouble.

7 comments:

Carol said...

I once saw a dog in California who ate all the avocados that fell off the tree in his yard. He and Jack could make guacamole. Peppers - truly weird.

Rio Arriba said...

Avocados? That's definitely a new one.

People tend to forget that dogs are really omnivores, just like us. Berries and fruits, grains, grasses— all grist for their tummies. All of my dogs have always liked the tender shoots of certain grasses. Emma self-medicates on them and they seem to settle her stomach when she's feeling a bit queazy. I figure dogs are about as individual in their tastes as we are. (But no raisins, chocolate, etc.!)

BobG said...

My parents had a rat terrier/chihuahua mix once that loved cabbage more than anything.
By the way, onions and other allims are not good for dogs, if they eat to many it can cause hemolytic anemia.

BobG said...

Whoops, that should be "alliums", not allims.

Rio Arriba said...

I learned that later, Bob. Fortunately I never let him have as many of them as he seemed to want. Half a ring or so was my limit.

Anonymous said...

Hot peppers?! Oh my goodness! What strange tastes Jack has. :)

I once had a Heeler mix that would pick tomatoes right off the vine when they were at perfect ripeness. I lost count how many times I inspected my plants the night before, determined that "tomorrow morning" they'd be ready for picking, and then forgetting to go out and get them before I let the dogs out to do their business in the morning. The dog knew she wasn't supposed to take the tomatoes, so she'd take her loot and hide behind the rosemary bush in the herb patch to leisurely eat her prize. Caging the plants did not deter her. :)

My Chow mix would steal bananas off the kitchen counter and eat them, peel and all.

Both of these dogs also loved raw asparagus...

Rio Arriba said...

My Rotties like asparagus. Never heard of bananas. And tomatoes? That is truly strange. But I think the tastes of dogs vary about as much as ours do. Plus, I wonder if what WE eat has an effect on what they want to try. Jack has certainly seen me slice and eat many a pepper. Never interested Emma or Mags, though.