Have a feline friend or canine companion you love to pamper?
Well, today is National Cook For Your Pet Day! We touched based with out author Brandon Schultz who has a few cookbooks for pet lovers. He filled us in on how he got involved with writing about cooking for his furry friends and why you should start heating up the frying pan with Fido in mind.
How did you get involved with writing cook books for pet lovers?
I have a dog who loves to eat and a cat who loves to cook, so I've been cooking with (and for) animals for a while. But the real inspiration for this came from a former assistant who jokingly said that cat people were crazy enough to buy a cookbook for their cats. And he was right.
What are the names of your pets? Tell us a little bit about them.
Chase, who co-authored the most recent book, is a 15-year-old Pomeranian/sheltie mix who found me in Italy 12 years ago. Since emigrating, he's had careers in senior health care and book publishing, and is happy to have finally written a book of his own. Lucy is a six year old tabby cat who co-wrote my last book and is in charge of our household. Completely. She has strong opinions and is very vocal with them. Leo is a one year old longhair Chihuahua who just joined us this summer and may be a bit of a sociopath. We're not completely sure yet. He has no plans to write a book, but he wouldn't mind being idolized -- from a distance.
Give us three reasons why Pride readers should start cooking for their pet.
1. Dogs don't judge.
If you're a new chef, you'll get constant validation from your dog, who's likely to eat anything. Then again, if your dog snubs your dish, you may be scarred for life.
2. You save on Tupperware.
If you never seem to finish that last little bit of your meal and you're tired of using so many little Tupperware containers, you can give it to your pets if you prepared it properly from the start. (Fewer dishes - woohoo!)
3. Your pet stays healthy.
Many of your leftovers can be dangerous for your pets and you may not even realize it. If you tend to give you pets your scraps, you're likely hurting them. If you cook with them in mind, you're in the clear!
What is one of your favorite recipes for a dog owner?
Peanut butter popcorn balls. Admittedly, it's the messiest, but that's why it's the most fun. It's a mess to make, it's a mess for the dog to eat, but it's a surefire hit and it's hilarious to watch.
What is one of your favorite recipes for a cat owner?
Thanksgiving Dinner. There's a pet-friendly version in each book, and it's just a riot to serve little miniature Thanksgiving plates prepared for them. Thanksgiving is one of those situations where you want to feed your pet the table scraps, but so many of them can pose serious threats to your animals because of the onion and garlic content (even the onion powder and garlic salt in stuffing, meat rubs, gravies, etc. are problematic). Making a separate preparation for them is the only safe way to go, and cutting it all up and serving it tiny is cute.
How can people buy your books?
Barnes & Noble carries them in a couple hundred locations, but any one of them can get it for you. They're in plenty of gift shops and independent bookstores, too, and IndieBound can help you locate them. Amazon, of course, has everything: Cooking for Two: Your Cat & You and Cooking for Two: Your Dog & You.
You do have to be a little crazy to cook meals for your pet but hey, there's a holiday for it now, so go for it!
