The Best Things

People often ask me, "Clementine, what is the best meal you've ever eaten?" When most ask me this, they are looking for a cut and dry answer. A steak bone served to me on my birthday. A stack of pitzels I stole off a table. An aged piece of cheddar that fell on my bed. But a good meal is about so much more than taste. It is about the experience, the company and the lessons learned.


At my last trip to West Bangor, I enjoyed a meal of simple kibble outside in the grass. There was no vegetable tian, no caviar, no salmon and no frills. My dining companions were the wind and the morning dew, the butterflies and the distant quarry. And I have never felt more full or satisfied.

Life is not about how many treats you earn, how many toys you stockpile or how many piles of filth you roll in. It's about taking in nature; her gentle breezes and fierce storms, her lady bugs and lions.

This is why I am a holistic foodie. I am a glutton for life, not a glutton for beef or sugar. American Eskimos have lust for life running through their veins. I simply will not tolerate anything but the best experience I can have. Hounds (other dogs too, but mostly hounds) are about just that: hounding. Begging, whining, gobbling. I have witnessed first hand what happens when you go through life just obsessing over the next treat. You end up on your belly, paws to nose and hiding behind someone's sneakers.

Don't let this happen to you.

Return to House on Daly

Against my will, I returned to House on Daly today for an afternoon to evening stay. The day was relaxing enough and I enjoyed carrots and kibble for my dinner (although the carrots were cold and the diagonally cut "carrot chips" and not the baby carrot variety I prefer). The stay was pleasant except for the one usual drawback taking up room on the furniture.




Two snorts of the snoot to House on Daly for this repeat stay.

The Little Things: Poetry

As you no doubt can tell from my musings, I enjoy the finer things in life. A vine ripened tomato, the smell of simmering black bean soup, the sound of the dog walker running from your home after taking a look at your bared fangs. Not many know, however, that I also enjoy the ancient art of poetry. I have been wary of sharing my work on my blog after witnessing the commercial, sophomoric work of some of my contemporaries. But I believe that now is my time to showcase the art I have been creating in private.


a dash 'round the table
by clementine dellacava-curcio

a dash 'round the table is a
curious thing on a weekday afternoon
sun filtering through the kitchen window
spilling on the tile illuminating the crumbs of
some forgotten meal
a crust of bread, slice of
day old carrot
i sit by the window
swallowing the sun and breeze while
a brindle load stumbles through the door
past the sunlight, past the
fragrant freshly washed bed where i watch
straight to the kitchen where he
inhales the bread, the carrot, the dust, the decay while
i turn my head to the window
breathing in the fresh air of the day and
eating my fill

(c) 2009 Clementine Dellacava-Curcio

Soft Banana Strips

This looks like a wonderful treat. I have been subtly suggesting my personal chefs to make this recipe but they have yet to pick up on my cues. A shame, really.

Soft Banana Strips

1 egg
1c fast-cook oats
1/2 banana
1/3c milk
1/2c all-purpose flour
1/8c rice

Squash bananas, and beat the egg. Then spread evenly on a plate.
Next, heat in microwave for 3 and 1/2 minutes. When done, let them cool.
Then cut and serve.


It's from (ugh, it pains me to say it) ThePoop.com. I know many of you find The Poop simple, unsophisticated and played out (to say nothing of its awful name) and I agree. But I give credit where credit is due. If you replace the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and heat the mixture over the stove instead of the microwave, it sounds quite delicious.