One of the benefits of both being a chef AND working at Nino’s is having the opportunity to talk about food and recipes with our customers. So many of our customers really enjoy cooking! Many bring their  cookbooks or recipes right into the store with them so they can find everything they’ll need to make their dishes. Occasionally, I even find myself caught up in the excitement of discovery and I’ve gotten some great ideas for dishes and some great tips on how some of our more unusual ingredients are used in recipes I would otherwise have imagined.

Just recently, I had one of those moments although, as it turned out the recipe wasn’t your “typical” dinner fare.

The recipe was on a small piece of typing paper, no title, just ingredients with some hand written notes, a piece of aged scotch tape at the top and WAY too many folds.

The first question was “Where are your Sardines? Which didn’t surprise me since at Nino’s, our Sardines are usually in the Seafood Departments. But my culinary curiosity really was peaked when the second recipe ingredient she was looking for was rolled oats. Hmmm? Sardines and Rolled Oats?? Is she breading Sardines in Rolled Oats?

OK, now I had to ask?? Just what ARE you making??

Kitty Treats she said!!

Ok, I have to admit, this was a first for me, but later, I started to wonder? If pet owners shop at Nino’s for ALL their family’s meals then Pet’s Must Love Nino’s TOO!!

Later that day I went on line and did a little research and found 2 recipes that you (and your pet) might enjoy. One from an organization I belong to; TICA (The International Cat Association). Follow the link below to, Savory Homemade Natural Treats, which has 3 delicious recipes. One, oddly enough has Rolled Oats!! (Cat’s must love rolled oats?)

http://tica.org/public/newsletter/volumes/12/volume12.php

And, so as not to leave Nino’s Canine friends out, below is, what looks like a couple of terrific recipes for dog treats, (although you’ll forgive me if I can’t speak of their taste through first hand experience.)

Bowser Biscuits

1 pkg. dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

2 cups flour

2 cups warm chicken or beef broth

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup powdered milk

1 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup margarine or butter

2 cups cracked wheat

1/4 cup honey

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 Egg; Beaten

In small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In large bowl combine broth, powdered milk, margarine, honey, egg. Add yeast/water and mix well. Stir in flour, cornmeal, wheat germ and cracked wheat. Mix well. Add whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Knead in the final amounts of flour by hand and continue kneading for 4-5 minutes until dough is not sticky. Pat or roll dough to 1/2″ thickness and cut into bone shapes. Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover lightly and let set for 20

Meat Flavored Dog Biscuits

(Recipe By: Robert Morse)

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

2 c. beef or chicken broth

2 tsp. salt

1 T. yeast (1 envelope)

3-1/2 c. all purpose flour

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. rye flour

2 c. cracked wheat

1 T. Gravy Master

Mix all dry ingredients together. Stir in broth, Gravy Master, milk, and eggs. Knead mixture until dough forms, then roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 1/2 inch squares. Place pieces on a cookie sheet and bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Turn oven off and leave biscuits in oven for 8 hours. Remove from oven and cool well before storing them.

A final word to all you Pet Chef’s….

This information was obtained through my pet treat research and it bares heading.

Making pet treats at home can be fun for you and your children.  Because each pet may have special needs make sure to review each recipe to insure it is appropriate for your pet.  Remember these are treat recipes not “pet food” per se; therefore, they should not be used in excess.

Shapes & Cutters

Cookie cutters are available in countless shapes, sizes and themes.  Make treats that are suitable for the size of your pooch.  If you prefer to not buy cookie cutters you can use the open end of a juice can, a small glass or or a biscuit cutter if you have one.

Ingredients

One of the benefits of making your own treats is that you can control the quality of what goes in the treats.  We suggest using the same quality products as you would if you were making food for yourself.  For example use natural peanut butter rather than products with a lot of added sugar.  Use organic flours and meals if they are available to you.

Controversial Ingredients

There are some ingredients in large amounts that can be deadly to your pet.  Sometimes those ingredients may be called for in very small “flavoring” quantities.  If you see any of these ingredients in a recipe you’d like to use then you should consult with your veterinarian to see if the recipe is appropriate for your pet otherwise leave the ingredient out or select another recipe.  Here are some potentially harmful ingredients:

•Garlic

•Onions

•Raisins