I got no writing done, which is not ideal, but the dog went over to his friends’ house with the Butcher yesterday and, after a couple of hours, demanded to come home, where he just lounged around the house with me. So, that’s nice. I did accidentally throw a cat at him, which was not good, and he barked at the cat, very close to the cat and made his “I could bite you, you know!” faces at her, but he didn’t bite her (of course) and I think the cats are figuring out that he’s just kind of a lug, but harmless.
Oh, yes, here’s how you accidentally throw a cat at a dog. You’re in the kitchen, cutting up meat for your maiden attempt at paprikash, when the cat you thought was safely outside (for this very reason) comes out of nowhere, from some direction behind you, and lands square on the big chunk of as-of-yet not cut up meat. You will, just be instinct, holler, “What the fuck?!” grab the cat, and toss her away from the meat. But, of course, even though this happens in a split second, the dog has decided that, at his new house, it must be customary for everyone to get as close to the meat as possible, so here he comes. And there will be a kind of cat-dog mid-kitchen collision that ends up in barking and hurt feelings.
But, America, I have to still eat that meat! I feel fairly certain that I got all the cat cooties off it, but I’m glad I’m not serving it to guests.
The recipe I found for paprikash is basically an onion, two red peppers, a shit ton of meat, some garlic, and liquid that is beef stock, tomato paste, caraway seeds (I think, some kind of seeds) and all the paprika I had in the house. I added some Worcestershire sauce just because the smell kind of seemed like it needed it. And then the Butcher is going to put the liquid on the meat and veggies and stick it in the oven in a covered casserole dish all afternoon.
I’m already convinced that the next time I make it, I’m not going to want two red peppers, but I’m also already convinced–without yet tasting it–that I will make it again, just because it smells so fantastic.
I’m sure the cat hair and toxoplasmosis will only add to it.
Tiny Cat Pants 
Real Hungarians don’t use Worcestershire sauce. Sometimes they throw a little bit of veal liver in, though.
I thought NM was going to say that Real Hungarians have cats stomp on their meat for extra flavor. Wishful thinking….
And just so no-one will ever want to eat at my house-I have pulled cracker dough from a cat’s mouth, reflattened it, and then baked it. Though even my vet gave me the side-eye when I mentioned that pyrex baking dishes make good short sided potties for kittens. I mean, they’re glass and easily cleaned and sterilized for kitchen use once the kittens get bigger. Makes sense to me.
I admit, it does gross me out, but I can’t quite decide why. I mean, like you said, it is pretty easily cleaned and sterilized–unlike, say, hands.
NM, I figured no Hungarian would use Worcestershire sauce, but I figured that was a lesser sin than the recipe that called for ketchup.
Well, see, ketchup is basically tomatoes and vinegar, and Hungarians use both of those in stews and goulashes. I mean, if I were trying to prepare a “Real Hungarian” dish where I was making sure that my paprika came from Hungary and the cut of meat was just what Hungarians use, and all that, I wouldn’t use it. But if I was fixing “my beef paprikash” that’s not a strain to cook and is a good dinner after work, I might use ketchup if the recipe called for it and I didn’t have any tomatoes around. Whereas Worc. sauce is fermented fish and some other stuff, and Hungarians don’t put old moldy anchovies in their food very often.
rheather, Real Hungarians have sheep stomp on the meat. Nobody thinks that tiny cat feet can tread firmly enough.
Not even with the stabby action of tiny cat claws?
Oh, no! Are you prepared for hilarity? The Worcestershire sauce the Butcher picked up from god knows where is, according to the label, vinegar, sugar, caramel coloring, and “flavoring.” I don’t think fish have been any closer to my Worcestershire sauce than they are to traditional paprikash.
Unless “flavoring” is supposed to cover “fermented fish parts?”
I guess it means “something we put in to taste like anchovies.” Because Worc. sauce is supposed to have them.
My mom put ketchup in every recipe that called for tomatoes. I kid you not. Goulash, paprikash, stroganoff, curry.
As an act of rebellion I refuse to put ketchup in anything.
Although I regret to point out that by having the cat on the meat you can say you put “catsup” in it. As in “oh, crap, the cat’s up on the meat.”