Dog V. Machine

Which would you rather be screened by a dog or a machine? So asks Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who points out that canines are cheaper, less invasive and do not require maintenance or software upgrades. Not to mention they are superior at sniffing out explosives.

Aside from those with allergies, we think dogs make a pretty good alternative to electronic machines and might just make going through the process a little easier. Except of course, if they drool. . .

A Look Inside Atelier Crenn

Dominique Crenn is one of the most "famous" chefs in the book. You might recognize her from the Top Chef Masters series or her Iron Chef appearances. In any event, her new restaurant, Atelier Crenn, is a masterpiece in San Francisco and a testament to her culinary and artistic skills.

Take a tour here and see why it was named one of the top food spots in the country!!

Talk to These Animals!

These gargoyles are from Millan House a two building co-op in Manhattan on East 68 and 69th streets. We are pretty sure none of our chefs can afford to live at this tony address, but its free to check out the facade that would make Dr. Dolittle proud.

Cook Food, Not Your Dog

A serious subject that deserves your attention.

C'mon, Throw it Already!

Don't just sit there, throw it!

Philly's One Great Idea

We agree. Is your city dog-friendly?

PACT for Animals

Our Philly launch party on October 20 at Square 1652 Restaurant is for the benefit of PACT for Animals. Now you know why Sabina and I are both on the board!

Cooking with Ginger

Why didn't we sign this chef up for the book??

Happy birthday Petfinder!

What a great idea!!!In honor of Pet Finder's 15th birthday , they are trying to get 15,000 pets adopted this weekend.

Can you help?

More info here.

PDF in the House!

Photos taken with my i-phone so excuse quality but the PDF arrived and I had to share it.

The cover you have seen:


But here is the back of the book:



And you'll just have to trust me on the fact that it is exceptionally cool to see your name on the spine of a book!!

Yup. We're getting close.

So You Want to Be a Star?

The deadline for casting calls for the next season of It's Me or the Dog is July 15th. So if you are in the NYC area and have a dog who won't eat (or eats too much) or any other behavioral issue that needs the attention of Victoria Stilwell, click on this link and get all the details!

Dogs Allowed!

Cocoa Beach Florida is the first city to give permission for dogs to dine in restaurants! Read all about it here and get us that chef for Book II!

Circle of Animals Exhbiti

If you are in the vicinity of Central Park in New York City, you might want to stop by and see the wonderful outdoor exhibit of bronze animal heads by Chinese artist, Al Weiwei. Each animal represents a year of the zodiac and the one above is, you guessed it, for the Year of the Dog.

The exhibit runs until July 15 and this photo is courtesy of the Martha Stewart blog. As she would say, it is a good thing.

Sally's Birthday Cake Recipe

Do you know Stephen Huneck's work? The image above is one of his charming prints. Although Huneck unfortunately took his life about a year ago, his wife continues to sell his work at their wonderful Dog Mountain studio in Vermont, also home of Dog Chapel, a place Huneck built for all dog lovers to remember and celebrate their four legged friends.

This birthday cake recipe is direct from Dog Mountain for Sally, one of Huneck's beloved labs. We think it is worth creating even if it is your or your dog's unbirthday!

Sally's Birthday Cake recipe


Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 9” x 5” loaf pan, or a single 8”-9” round cake pan

Ingredients:

1½ cup Flour

1½ teaspoons Baking soda (as in Arm & Hammer)

½ -1 cup Smooth peanut butter

½ cup Vegetable oil

1½ -2 cups Carrots grated (food processor recommended)

2 teaspoons Vanilla

½ cup Honey

2 Eggs

Directions:

Mix Flour & Baking soda

Measure: Oil, add, and then measure Peanut Butter (it will slide right out of the oily measuring cup)

Add All the rest of the ingredients. Mix – it will be fairly thick – if you want to add some ½ & ½ or water, go ahead. Use your hands to knead everything fairly evenly, and then get it into the cake pan.

Spread the thick mixture into the greased baking pan and pat the batter down fairly evenly.

Put into 350 degree preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until it smells done.

Cool & then turn upside down onto plate – you are now ready to ice & decorate it.

Icing:

Ingredients:

2 packages of 12 oz Cream cheese

Some Sugar (or honey)

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

Add all ingredients together into a microwave-safe mixing bowl – if you wish to add a little ½ & ½ (or water) go ahead. Microwave everything for 1 minute, and then stir until smooth.

Smooth this icing onto your inverted cake, decorate and refrigerate overnight. Serve to both dogs and people.

Happy Birthday!

Dr. Weil's Advice for Healthy Canines

Even Dr. Andrew Weil, guru of all things healthy, is getting into the act with a list of healthy eats for dogs:

1. Lean meats. Thoroughly cooked meats with visible fat trimmed off and all bones removed are acceptable for dogs.
2. Vegetables. Many dogs enjoy carrot sticks, green beans and cucumber slices - all are low-calorie treats that are healthier than many store-bought dog snacks. However some veggies should be avoided - see tomorrow's tip for more information.
3. Fresh fruit. Sliced apples, bananas, oranges and watermelon can be a safe and tasty treat, but be sure to remove all seeds, stems and leaves first. Some fruits should be avoided – again, see tomorrow's tip for more information.
4. Cooked rice. Cooked white rice can offer relief from stomach upset in some dogs.


To the category of relief from stomach upset, don't forget canned pumpkin. Works wonders!

Hot Dog!

What's on your grill for the 4th and what are you sharing with your culinary canine?

Culinary Canine in the Making

This is Leo, a 13 week Bernese Mountain dog we met in the park. He may not be a Culinary Canine--yet--but he is most definitely a cute canine!

Send us some of yours!!