Head of Bigazzi Soup -- Copyright by Sharon McEachern
The Italian chef with a fondness for feline flesh, 'Beppe' Bigazzi is losing some fans. After appearing on Italy's public TV network almost every day for a decade, he was suspended last week for extolling the delights of stewed cat, as related in an Ethic Soup post two days ago.
A CHEF'S ARROGANCE
Bigazzi's arrogance and refusal to apologize to the Italian viewing public, prompted us to do some follow-ups. After one blogger suggested a recipe for cooking Bigazzi himself, garnished with celery and tartar sauce, we decided that graphic follow-ups could be visually suggestive of an experience which a great many cat-lovers would like to give 'Beppe.' That's pronounced BEP-pay.
Some of the headlines for this story around the world included:
"Cat Stew: are You Fur Real?" The Sun (UK)
"Fur Flies Over Chef's Cat Recipe" The Calgary Herald (Canada)
"Chef's Cat 'Joke' in Paw Taste" The Sun (UK)
However, the most informative article was "Cat, dormouse and other Italian recipes," by John Hooper in The Guardian (UK). In it Hooper describes how "horse, larks and even maggots can feature on menus in Italy."
HORSE MEAT FOR BABY FOOD First, there is horse meat -- widely consumed in Italy, a favorite being pezzetti di cavallo al sugo, or horse meat chunks in tomato sauce. Apparently horse meat is frequently recommended to young mothers and their infants. Baby food, picture right, shows picture of horse on package.
ROASTED SONG BIRDS
And then there are the song birds found on Italian menus, where they are eaten just as they are in France, Spain, Malta and Cyprus, says Hooper. We're talking larks, pictured left, and thrushes, which are eaten whole and roasted. Some two dozen song birds are required to make the dish polenta e osei, popular in Milan.
DORMOUSE DELICACY
Although the edible dormouse used
to be a delicacy at banquets in ancient Rome, it is now a protected species. Yet, Hooper says that several years ago animal rights protectors estimated some 20,000 dormice were consumed each year merely in the area round Catanzaro, Italy. Sounds like they like the taste of these little guys.
MAGGOTS IN CHEESE, YUM
This next one is going to get to you -- casu marzu. Oh, it's just cheese made of unpasteurized sheep's milk. It is "encouraged" to become infested with maggots, says Hooper.
"Connoisseurs disdain to remove the wriggly, milky white larvae, though eating them can bring on nausea, vomiting and diarrhea," writes Hooper in The Guardian. "One solution is to put the cheese in an airtight bag, causing the dying, oxygen-starved maggots to leap out. I mean, for pity's sake, does no one care about their suffering?"
MORE TOMATO SAUCE, PLEASE
You can douse, or de-louse, a lot of stuff with gobs of tomato sauce to make it slide down your throat. But even the Italians' favorite fruit (yes, tomatoes are fruit) wouldn't help me eat a pet kitty cat.
And if someone like Bigazzi tried to kill and eat any one of my four cats, well, I can't in good conscience tell you what I'd really do to him. It would not be pretty. Oh, okay, maybe stuff all of his orifices with live maggots -- before boiling him alive. And then I would brag about it on live public television. Please, don't tell the Dalai Lama. Him I like.
CLICK AND READ "Chef Ethics: Julia roberts gains weight filming 'Eat, Pray, Love' in Italy"
TO READ "HISSSSS" --ITALIANS OUTRAGED, TV NETWORK FIRES CHEF 'BEPPE' BIGAZZI OVER CAT MEAT STEW" CLICK HERE.
TO READ "WE NEED TO REGISTER ANIMAL ABUSERS" CLICK HERE.
by Sharon McEachern
Comments