Thursday, January 15, 2009

political biscotti and the latest on buttons

Political Biscotti from "The Urban Vegan" 250 Street-Smart, Animal-Free Recipes"

When it comes to carob and chocolate, people tend to be very “either/or.” People tend to always consider these ingredients separately, as two distinctive flavors that were never meant to come together – sort of like Palestine and Israel. But the fact is that the sweet bitterness of dark chocolate and the earthy mustiness of carob are inherently complementary, as evidenced by these perfectly balanced biscotti. The dates act as a sort of sticky-sweet peacemaker, a culinary UN if you will.


Here they are, shaped into "logs" after the first round of baking...


Here, they're sliced into biscotti before second round of baking. Incidentally, I resisted buying silpat mats for ages, but now I can't live without them. Not only do they prevent cookies from sticking; these superior non-stick surfaces are perfect for rolling out dough and making pasta. Cleanup? Just a quick rinse.

And now for our regularly scheduled episode of
"As the Fur Turns"


Buttons is adjusting, slowly but surely. Last week, I decided to stop handling her so much. It was the right choice; she's less nervous and no longer buries her head in the cushion when I pet her. Now, she visibly enjoys all the head scratching and even "instructs" me as to where I should massage. As you can see, she and Pablo have become fast friends. Perhaps they recognize each other from the gutter?


Today is the first day I felt comfortable enough to open the cage door and see if Buttons wants to venture out for a bit. Pablo immediately jumped right into the crate and started to groom her, as if to say "Clean yourself up, girl, and let's play, already!" So far, she hasn't budged.


Poor Bossa Nova is not so smitten. In fact, she's a bit in denial, as you can see here. She still hisses at Buttons, but then again, she hisses at everyone, so I'm not terribly alarmed. On the whole, she's been oddly level about Buttons. I'm giving her extra love – and extra treats whenever she goes near Buttons.



With snow in the forecast tonight and the wind chill dipping to -4 degrees Fahrenheit in Philadelphia, both Buttons and I can rest a little easier. She's beginning to realize that loft life is not too shabby. I still plan on finding her a good permanent home once she adapts and sheds some of her shyness (still a few months away). Interested? Put your dibs in now!

25 comments:

Tanya Kristine said...

Maybe Pablo is interested in the adoption?

Lovlie said...

I actually have never made biscotti and have found it on a few blogs now. I think it's about time I made some!

Anonymous said...

Awww- how cute is Buttons? ...er, cute as a Buttons? :)

MeloMeals said...

aaahhh.. it looks like Pablo is really helping Buttons! Good boy her sure is..

The chocolate/carbo combo is sure delicious. I grew up on carob, so I really like it. Mixed with chocolate it is a great thing! I still have never made a traditional biscotti (only raw)..

buffalodick said...

Boss cats never "buy in".. I had to teach the rest of my family our cat loves attention, scraches, itches and even petting- but does not like being picked up! Most people love animals, but don't think what the animal may like!

DJ said...

So sweet the way pablo's looking after buttons! I love a bit of carob, but I would have never thought of pairing it with chocolate, stupidly enough!

n/a said...

Pablo and Pepper must be distant cousins, though Pepper (my friendly, grooming, and snuggly yet energetic black & white cat) is from Indiana!

:)

I'm sorry I haven't tested much lately; I know the deadline is coming up!

tavolini said...

girl, that's awesome!! So glad to see Pablo and Buttons canoodling ;) I hope they remember each other!

Biscotti looks fantastic, and I am a fan of both carob and chocolate. My issue with carob is it burning when I use it in cookies--I assume you melted it for the biscotti?

Eating Consciously said...

Glad everything is slowly, but surely, working out with buttons! I might try that biscotti tomorrow!

Amy said...

Oooh, I've never thought to put chocolate and carob together! The biscotti look incredible.

And I love the updates on the kitties! I'm glad Buttons seems to be settling in better and it's so cute that Pablo is looking after her!

I hope Bossa Nova comes around soon, she looks so adorable curled up like that!

Zucchini Breath said...

I don't know the ages, but looking at these photos, I might guess the two cats were litter mates...

I can't wait to read the next update!!!

dee said...

You are doing a great job allowing Buttons to adjust according to her own time and temperament. After all, her first encounter with humans was. for her, to be eviscerated and to have her ear chopped off! Interestingly, Pablo is an alpha cat bonding with and helping Buttons acclimate to lux loft living.

River (Wing-It Vegan) said...

Buttons looks like she's way more comfortable than she used to be at first. I'm sure Pablo had a lot to with that, he's such a good kitty!

Biscotti = Heaven!

Anonymous said...

The biscotti look lovely -- but I am allergic to chocolate. (love the carob, though) I can eat white chocolate, is that an acceptable sub. in this recipe?

Glad to see that Buttons is adjusting -- it's a long, long, process.

Jackie said...

Poor old Bossa Nova she really doesn't seem to happy. Buttons is such a pretty cat so I am sure you will find a kind new owner for her if she doesn't get under your skin and you keep her LOL.

Wish I could have seen the concert yesterday but we will have full coverage of the inauguration tomorrow. Our poor reporter giving a report from Washington at the moment on our news looks absolutely frozen.

Carrie™ said...

Bossa Nova reminds me of my friend Michelle's cat - Thumbs. Thumbs is about 10 years old and was the only (spoiled) cat in the house for a long time. Then Michelle rescued a kitten. Thumbs was NOT impressed. The hissing, hiding and all that. Then she rescued another cat. Not as bad as the first episode, but still not welcoming the new additions with open arms. Thumbs is such a diva princess.
Good luck with finding Buttons a nice home. Simon thinks that cats are to be eaten, so this home wouldn't be a good choice.
The biscotti on the other hand would have a wonderful home here.

dee said...

Another brief comment on Buttons. She is a sweet cat; shy, not aggressive and is bonding with Pablo. Reminds me of a feral I brought in who was adopted by my alpha cat and slept embraced in his arms. Bossa Nova's feelings are hurt that he is no longer the center of Pablo's attention. Sibling rivalry.

J.G. said...

Such good news about Buttons! Purring can't be far behind. She may never enjoy being picked up (I had one like that, who was nevertheless very affectionate, on her own terms). But she can still learn to enjoy being a loft cat!

Love the combo biscotti! What a great idea.

Anonymous said...

I would never think to combine chocolate and carob but you make an excellent point! I love when kitties groom each other. Again - it's super cool that you've taken her in!

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, that picture of Pablo grooming Buttons is precious. I hope Bossa Nova comes around too!

buffalodick said...

Clear out the blogs you don't use...I just spent more time than it's worth trying to say "Hi!"

Virginie said...

I agree carob and chocolate should be considerated are two different ingredients rather than one instead of the other, which lets think one isn't good whatever our side. Nice biscotti by the way.
I'm glad Buttons feels more and more confortable days after days.

Anonymous said...

I wish I could adopt that adorable cat!
I'm sorry, I totally missed your move to the new site. What a shame, I nearly missed the most amazing food.

icancarryallthebagsandthebabiestoo said...

Biscotti is intimidating to me.

I really love how this blog two stories going on that I follow. Like, what should I make for dinner... oh, and how are Buttons and Pablo doing?

Anonymous said...

"A culinary UN if you will"

Your blog always makes me smile!! Thanks for spicing up the life of a college vegan doomed to the dining hall for the next few months...