Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Braised Red Cabbage--But Really, a Pug

This post was originally going to be about a braised red cabbage dish that I managed to massacre at every step, but I feel like I gave you all enough insight into my cooking foibles yesterday, so I will just go through the highlights of this culinary venture.

And absent any redeeming quality about this dish because of my tumbles and fumbles while making it, the highlights would be the pugs. No, not braised pugs (tho that has been suggested MANY A TIME by certain  someone in our household, I won't say who, but he's my husband), but rather the pugs' enjoyment of red cabbage.

The pugs are my ad hoc compost pile.  They love little scraps and bits that fall from my cutting board. Carrot peels, tomato chunks, butternut squash seeds, kale (though they just gnaw on it before spitting it out)...walking with them through the farmers' market has ceased to be an idyllic weekend morning experience because one day, after perhaps a year of going to the farmers' market (shows you how dumb they are), they discovered that there are fallen food particles to be scavenged from the ground. 

Since then, it has been a nightmare going to the market with them, because their stubby little snouts are plastered to the ground the entire time.  And then there was that one time when someone gently pointed out to me that Rikki was starting to root around in a box of cherry tomatoes that was under one of the tables.

But oh, the holy grail for these dogs is red cabbage.  How did they discover they like red cabbage? Why my parents, of course.  Because my parents are under the odd but fervent impression that they must, and I mean MUST, give the pugs a bite of every single thing that the humans eat.  And I guess at one point that included red cabbage. The pugs go bonkers for this stuff.

So here I am, chopping up the cabbage for the dish.


And I feel something at my feet.  I look down.


Um, excuse me little girl.

Are you enjoying yourself, you little thief?

Not one to be a cruel mommy, I saved a few choice bits for the pugs, thinking that I'd take a really cute picture for this blog over which people could coo, ooh and aah. 

This was the result.

There was some cabbage in my hand, I swear, but she pretty much swallowed it by the time I could point the camera at her. 

Her ferocity is quite evident. 

9 comments:

  1. LOL. I often find buddy's face CRAMMED into the space between the cabinet and the floor. Stupid dog. It's just dust and usually my hair. Your puggies are funnies. At least it's healthy veg!

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  2. I can almost hear the snorting going on in that 1st pic -- she's (is that bunni?) like, mama, is there more cabbage??!

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  3. LOL, I love the pug posts. Our dogs are scavengers too. I cannot believe the things they will eat. Asparagus, broccoli (stems, leafs, crowns), pumpkin, banana, occasionally spinach - they will eat pretty much anything out of fear the other one will get it and they won't. I rarely have to throw fruit/veggie bits away. However, it has created a problem in that they now stand directly behind me when I'm at the counter/stove cooking. I can't tell you how many times I've almost been knocked over, often with giant knife, or our dinner in hand.

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  4. Hilarious! Mine won't touch vegetables (much like me, HA!)

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  5. lol, love the pug beneath your feet pictures! and what an odd thing to love, red cabbage..

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  6. She looks so guilty in the second picture. Give her some more. She's too cute to deny. ;)

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  7. I just finished feeding Molly and Belle some asparagus, but they've never tried red cabbage. Maybe I need to try that...

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  8. One of my dogs stands under me the entire time I'm cooking and I football punt her no less than 8 times every night. You'd think she'd learn but it seems the crumbs are worth the pain.

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  9. lobster, maylove, rabitstew: our little foragers, don't they know they'll get an accidental kick in the head?

    sashacleo, penga, runnerslife: it was too cute. i'm just glad she stood still long enough for a pic.

    jessica: i know, totally caught in the act. and i did succumb, believe you me.

    mintedlife: ooh asparagus! i can just imagine them gobbling that up.

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