Fang and the Cat Whisperer

Fang the Calico Kitty

Warning:  this is a post for cat people.  Don’t bother reading further if you aren’t feline oriented.  It will just frustrate you and cause you to stop reading my posts.

There was a farmer had a cat

And Fango was her name-o

F-A-N-G-O

F-A-N-G-O

F-A-N-G-O

And Fango was her name-o.

Actually, her name is Fang.    No “o”.

Fang came to us as a feral kitten.  She had a sister, Bobiya, a manx who looked like a killer whale.  They were born in the barn of our neighbor.

“Do not handle them unless you are wearing leather gloves,” warned our neighbor. 

“Ha!  I scoff at danger.  I am the cat whisperer! “ I thought as I politely declined  his advice. 

That evening, I went to make friends with my new kitties in the laundry room.  Frankly, all the family members heard on the other side of the door was ,”holy shit, owwww!”  This is somewhat like the scene in Young Frankenstein when the young doctor goes in to make friends with the Monster.  He tells his assistants that no matter what they hear, they are not to open the door.

What happened to me was reminiscent of the Young Frankenstein movie. This little calico kitty did not want my attention. Instead, she bit me through my thumbnail completely.  No kidding!  She pierced my thumbnail (and construction workers say they have it tough!).  Then, she hissed at me and made a Tasmanian Devil dance all over my knee cap.  Her claws went through my jeans as quickly as her fangs went through my thumbnail.  I suppose I could have added some decorative hardware to the thumb piercing, but that’s just not my style, baby.  All healed in a couple months to allow me to comport my way in polite society without any notice. 

More on Fang later.

Just thought you’d like to meet her.

Tuscan Cabbage

Forget steaming up your kitchen with a boiled cabbage side dish or slogging through wilty, bland coleslaw. This is so easy, you'll be wondering why you never made it before.   This has now become my favorite way to serve cabbage.  Usually, I use Napa or Savoy cabbage, but I used Early Flat Dutch cabbage (like the regular ones  in the grocery store) from our garden in the picture (below)  for this post.

Serves 4

Butter a 1-2 quart baking dish.  (Don't worry if the mixture is mounded up really high--it will cook down.)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

• ½ head of cabbage  chopped into long julienne pieces (don’t mince it up, you want long shreds) (about 3-4 C)
• ¼ C blue cheese salad dressing, the chunkier the better
• ¼ C grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ C shredded Italian cheese (asiago, romano, even provolone)
• ¼  C half & half
• red pepper flakes (to taste)
• salt (Don’t oversalt.  The cheeses and pancetta are already quite salty.)
• 4 slices of pancetta



All ready for the oven!  For a picture of the finished dish, see the post on Fresh and Simple Cod and Tomato.



Mix cabbage, cheeses, and half & half in a large mixing bowl.  Season with red pepper flakes and salt to taste.  Pour into buttered dish and top with pancetta rounds.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and cooked down.

Great with Fresh and Simple Cod and Tomato, sausages, creamy tomato soup, or pork chops.

Fresh and Simple Cod and Tomato



Yummy. Served here with Tuscan cabbage.



Get good fish, the fresher the better. I like cod, but any firm fish would do (Chilean sea bass, tuna, halibut,  or large salmon).  Think chunks. 

(serves 4)

• 1 ½ lbs fresh cod
• Extra virgin olive oil (you’ll about ¼ C)
• ½ jalapeno seeded and minced fine
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1  C cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

• 1 T fresh basil, chiffonaded (sliced thin)
• 3-4 green onions rough chopped







Fresh cod ready for the oven.



Preheat oven to 425 F.

Pour a coating of olive oil (a couple tablespoons) in a medium baking pan large enough to take the cod without overlapping.  Sprinkle with jalapenos, garlic and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper.  Drizzle with remaining olive oil.

Bake 15 minutes or until done to your specifications.  I like it no more than 15 minutes.  If your filets were especially thick, then you might need more time.

Remove from oven.  Sprinkle with basil and green onions.  Drizzle the drippings over and serve.

Great with bruscetta (or simple riced potatoes) and Tuscan cabbage.