2:47 pm February 17, 2010, by John Kessler
This story gives new meaning to “Tabby Treat.”
The Times of London is reporting on its Web site, Times Online, that a well-known television food personality in Italy has been indefinitely suspended from his job for recommending a recipe for cat casserole, which he claimed to be a specialty of his home region in Tuscany.
Beppe Bigazzi, the 77-year-old TV personality, says cat meat is better than pigeon (who knew?) but must first be soaked for three days in spring water.
Bigazzi explains how to prepare Puss ‘n Beets below:
Bigazzi has since recanted, claiming it was all a joke.
(Readers coming from the Food and More home page can see the video after the click through.)
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36 comments Add your comment
Goober
February 17th, 2010
3:57 pm
I really like cats – I just can’t eat a whole one by myself.
Did he call it a “catserrole”? Did he mix “catsup” into it before baking?
Garry Owen
February 17th, 2010
4:16 pm
He should spend the rest of his days cleaning litter boxes!
KeepItReal
February 17th, 2010
4:19 pm
So eating a cat is wrong, but eating a chicken or cow is okay? what’s the difference. People eat pork from a pig and some people have pigs as pets. What’s the big deal? Seriously.
Cookie
February 17th, 2010
4:26 pm
Keep… yes people do have pigs as pets but they are more known for their nutritional value than pet value. Cats and dogs are known only as pets. And should stay that way.
John Kessler
February 17th, 2010
4:34 pm
I can’t imagine eating the meat of a fellow meat eater.
jamaal
February 17th, 2010
4:38 pm
gives new meaning to “eating someone’s Pu55y”
Woof woof
February 17th, 2010
4:38 pm
[insert eating pu**y joke here]
Petie The Crab
February 17th, 2010
4:41 pm
Hi John-John, for the 3 day spring water marinate,do you recommend using the same Kroger spring water that you use for your coffee?
DW
February 17th, 2010
4:43 pm
@WOOF WOOF.. Jamaal beat you by 5 seconds!
Uncle Tom
February 17th, 2010
4:49 pm
Its probably best not to use felines that are in the prime of their lives. But then, you don’t want to be cruel and use kittens either. So, the best way is to go for the midrange, street variety. The only downside however, is that you probably won’t have any idea what they have consumed since being on the streets… But that’s okay, because you’re not stewing their bellies anyway, just the meat. “Love me tender.”
You ain't frum round here R ye?
February 17th, 2010
4:52 pm
a 77 year old senile Chef. Probably eats green persimmons, yellow root and sometimes cat food too.
Bob
February 17th, 2010
4:57 pm
The idiots are the people who actually are offended at this. Give me a break.
frank
February 17th, 2010
5:09 pm
if you eat alot of cheap chinese food, id be willing to bet youve had cat fried rice befoer.
Saul Good
February 17th, 2010
5:37 pm
Anyone offended by someone cooking or eating cats is hypocritical… because a “cat” is a “pet” and many other animals are only to be used as “food”…right? If you can eat a hamburger, chicken, or bacon…then there is simply NO reason why you can’t eat a cat or a dog. There is ZERO difference.
Colman
February 17th, 2010
5:50 pm
i bet a cat isn’t bad…? never had one though. people need to lighten up. *cough* peta *cough*
Morris
February 17th, 2010
5:53 pm
I am way too finicky to eat cat. But, possum’s pretty good!
Mr Tibbs
February 17th, 2010
6:02 pm
Hey Cookie, Spend some time in Africa and Asia. Caution! Don’t take your pets.
karen
February 17th, 2010
6:06 pm
I love cats – they taste just like chicken.
Thommy
February 17th, 2010
6:31 pm
Tabby and Pekingese cats are gourmet. You can get a cat roast on sale this week at A&P!
Peggy Williamson
February 17th, 2010
6:32 pm
What kind of wine do you serve with this?
pusakal
February 17th, 2010
7:03 pm
Hey cookie, u have 2 EXPLORE!!!. You seem to be stuck in your on litter world, come’on. Chill out.
uberVU - social comments
February 17th, 2010
7:37 pm
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by terrihd: Yikes! RT @TheKlutzyCook Italian TV chef suspended for cat casserole recipe http://bit.ly/cJ01cd…
Bren
February 17th, 2010
8:34 pm
your P**** joke is just down right Bon Qui Qui wrong! Lmao!!!
Atlanta Bill
February 17th, 2010
9:40 pm
Sounds like Chef Beppe has been reading Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson. The novel is a wildly funny satire with a cult following. The recipe for Alien Pie calls for one kg of smoked cat, off the bone, one baby hawksbill turtle and a single drop of household paraffin (kerosene). Read the book. It’s a hoot.
Tears for Beers
February 18th, 2010
8:35 am
I always thought it was the chicken that tastes like cat!
Reds
February 18th, 2010
9:19 am
Whether or not he meant it as a joke…. it happens. Just because it offends peoples delicate sensabilities doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. I have 3 cats, and wouldn’t touch it, but I have no problem eating almost any other meat (I did say almost…. dogs are also an exception). Different culture, different food. You people must not ever watch the Travel channel…. Andrew Zimmern? Guinea pig anyone? :-p
Sit N Spin
February 18th, 2010
1:19 pm
One of my favorites is a grilled manatee sandwich.
Wat?
February 18th, 2010
1:56 pm
I don’t know. I have this thing about not eating fellow meat-eaters. And as long as it’s not an endangered or threatened species, I don’t mind, much. There just happens to be a whole lot of cows, chickens, turkeys, and other such creatures that are not endangered and not as bonded with humans like cats or dogs. Though I do not agree with many of the methods that most livestock are kept (whatever happened to good animal husbandry?) they have been raised universally by societies around the world for the past several thousand years specifically for food and clothing purposes. I can see eating dogs or cats if there isn’t enough food to go around, and if there’s a high population of stray cats and dogs wandering aimlessly in feral groups. I am not, however, one for supporting the breeding that goes on for many Asian markets that demand dog and cat meat. That’s just idiotic and irresponsible.
Saul Good
February 18th, 2010
5:40 pm
Wat?…. so you have a “problem” with other cultures that raise dogs and cats in cages for human consumption but not other animals? That is faulty logic at best. There are millions upon millions of dogs and cats murdered in our nations shelters every year… would it not be better to consume them instead of tossing them in a lifeless pile? There really is no difference between a dog, a cat, or a chicken or a pig raised in cages, pens, and on factory farms…they ALL feel the same pain and have the same wants and needs…. it’s ironic and sad that “humans” can’t see that….
Foodgeek
February 18th, 2010
6:18 pm
Yes, lots of dogs and cats are not only euthanized in shelters every day, but they are also killed by cars, or they accidentally eat poison out of someone’s dumpster or driveway, or they get bitten by rabid rodents or squirrels and die that way. . . All because we don’t spay and neuter like Bob Barker told us to.
Unfortunately, I don’t think cats and dogs taste all that good. They seem like they’d be tough and sinewy, and they’d require braising at least, and in the end it might still be not very good. I’d try it to find out, but field dressing a stray cat is a good bit of work, and then you have to skin it and everything. Heck, if I figure my time is only worth about $15/hour, it’s still cheaper to just buy steaks at the grocery store.
Saul Good
February 18th, 2010
11:02 pm
Well that can easily be solved by raising dogs and cats on the same type of factory farms and having them processed in the same manner….then you can simply go to your local Kroger and buy dead dog and cat parts in the meat section…there really is no difference…it all depends upon how you look at it. Dogs and cats deserve no more rights compared to any other living thing that we “raise” as food. There are many multi millionaire factory farm owners who do WAY more worse torture to animals in one day compared to what Vick did in his whole life time….yet society has not condemned them and put them on trail…
Beppe Bigazzi Cooks Cat Casserole?
February 19th, 2010
9:23 am
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Beppe Bigazzi Cooks Cat Casserole
February 19th, 2010
12:12 pm
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Fred
February 19th, 2010
7:18 pm
I’d rather eat a 3 day old, road-killed opossum than a fresh skint cat. I HATE cats, they are a nasty species.
loco.crazy
February 25th, 2010
12:07 am
cat is delicious but u have to now how to cook it
escort outcall
August 31st, 2010
7:46 pm
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Julia Kuree