Creepy Cuisine: Cat Soup

¿Sopa de gato? The first time I heard someone reference the dish, I was incredulous, so I repeated it. ¿Sopa de gato?

Image Source: http://imgfave.com/view/1115755

I thought about it for a moment. Cat soup? Cat soup?! Maybe they meant some hipster thing where someone actually was marketing soup for cats. It had to be! The alternative was horrifying.

¿Sopa de gato?

Not sure whether it’d be worse if it turned into some sort of racist rant or a sick joke about cruelty to animals, the images it conjured were truly horrific.

But it turns out that sopa de gato (literally cat soup) is neither soup nor made of kittens. Legend has it that the dish was born out of blockades created while the city of Cádiz was besieged by marauding pirates. In my mind, I summarized that the pirates created the cat soup, because it was a lot to take in while in a state of culinary shock...

(Obviously, I thought to myself, these must have been male pirates, because female pirates would've understood the true value of a cat--beyond the witchy one--and never make soup out of them! And speaking of female pirates, if I do NaNoWrimo this year, I may be adding to my steampunkish tale and the time-travelling descendants of Granuaile. Just for fun, check out more about female pirates here http://www.wonderslist.com/10-notorious-female-pirates-in-history/)

Cádiz is a port city in the south of Spain, a small peninsula surrounded by water, and as pirates attacked the town in the 16^th century its residents were left with limited resources to feed themselves. You can make cat's soup as comfort food now, but then it was peasant food borne of necessity.

image source: http://cadenaser.com/ser/2014/02/19/gastro/1392817387_534321.html

Sopa de Gato (Cat Soup)

(original recipe source: https://andalusiancountrykitchen.com/2014/05/21/cats-soup-sopa-de-gato/)

Ingredients

3-5 cloves of garlic (or more to taste)

extra virgin olive oil for sautéing

1/2 loaf day old bread, sliced thinly

sea salt

water (about 5 tablespoons or more for a soggier version)

finely chopped parsley

Method

In an oven-friendly saucepan or casserole, fry the slices of bread in olive oil until golden on both sides. In a separate pan, gently fry the garlic in more olive oil until pale gold, adding a little salt and water (or stock) after a minute or two to prevent the garlic from burning. (Some recipes call for the garlic to boil in the liquid.)

Pour the garlic mixture into the pan with the bread and place in a hot oven. Bake until the bread is golden. (I suggest baking at about 400-degrees for 5-8 minutes, or run under the broiler for 3-5 minutes.) 

Serve sprinkled with the parsley.

Andalusian Country Kitchen suggests enriching the dish by adding beaten eggs and sheep’s cheese stirred into the mixture before letting it bubble over in the oven.

Image source: http://www.asopaipas.com/2010/11/sopas-de-gato.html

Essentially we are talking about bread slices, moistened by stock and seasoned by sautéed garlic—meant to fool the stomach into believing it had a full meal. But you need not stick to the original, meager recipe; you may add herbs and spices, and adorn the dish with shredded cheese or root vegetables, sprinkle with bacon bits or shredded carnitas. Be daring!

Image Source: http://ecijagastronomica.blogspot.com/2013/06/sopa-de-gato_17.html

Why sopa de gato? Maybe they were trying to psyche out the pirates with the name (more horrifying than cannibals?). Maybe it was a misheard phrase and someone butchered sopa de ajo (garlic soup). I don’t really know. But admit it, that is one creepy dish to add to your Halloween menu!

Homemade Pizza Dough for Electric Grill

We have a George Foreman grill with removable plates. I generally use the grill for steaks and chicken breasts. I also use it as a Panini press. We've also grilled mahi mahi, tuna and salmon steaks as well as shrimp…

The grill comes with plates for omelets, muffins, waffles, and a "baking" one. We have made waffles and muffins. The baking plate, I remember reading in the product’s literature, is perfect for making cookies. I laughed when I read that. I put the plates away and figured I’d test it out someday.

Wish I'd had one of these when I went away to college!
Get your own at Amazon.

I was curious about it but there appear to be limited recipes out there for the baking plates.

Of course, I understand. Who wants to bake with an electric grill? But as we live without air conditioner, the thought of being able to quick bake dishes in less than 20 minutes, without heating up the entire kitchen, sounds like a dream!

I haven’t made cookies but I did make Buffalo chicken wings. That was a fun and unexpected treat in mid-July.

What got my curiosity going was pizza. I was watching some cooking show somewhere and they mentioned grilled pizza. So I started looking into it. It took three tests, but we have found a great recipe for the dough that is simple and sturdy enough.

The first test was for the dough alone and its durability. Mom and I discussed it and tweaked over a cup of coffee. Then we did dress rehearsal (two more tests with sauce and toppings).

The sauce, in the two occasions we snacked on pizza this summer, was leftovers from chicken Parmigiana. Both times, I used precooked sausage (two links, thinly sliced), and shredded mozzarella (I did the shredding because there’s no point in paying more for something I can do in less than three minutes).

Before I start preheating the grill (high), I cut out a piece of parchment paper and score the dimensions of the lower plate. While I knead the dough inside the bowl, I use the parchment to make sure I roll out or expand the dough to fit perfectly on the bottom plate.

I use a few tablespoons of sauce; it depends on how thick it is, and spread it on the dough, leaving about ¼” border. Then I top it with about a cup of Mozzarella and the sausage.

By the time I’ve assembled it, the grill is properly heated. I use the parchment paper to transport the tiny pizza – which is square, so technically a Sicilian – and place it in the plate, close the grill, and leave it for approximately 15 minutes (also on high). Then I use the parchment paper to transport to a serving plate and cut it into two servings.

I should use less cheese, because there has been a little spillage and minor cleanup; but the dough itself holds up nicely and can be folded like a proper pizza slice. I suppose it is closer to a thinner, crispier focaccia.

Our plan is to try other varieties of pizza. 

For those interested in homemade pizza, here's a good read from Serious Eats.