The Dog Ate It: Cooking for Yourself and Your Four-Legged Friends [Paperback]

Linda West Eckhardt (Author), Barbara Bradley (Author), Judy Kern (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 2006

Just as humans need to eat the right balance of protein, vegetables, and whole grains, so do dogs. But where do we find the time to cook special meals just for our pets when many of us struggle to feed ourselves healthfully? With The Dog Ate It, there’s no need to prepare separate meals. Developed by an award-winning cookbook writer and a rancher, The Dog Ate It is the first cookbook with recipes designed for dogs and their owners to savor together, such as:
* Chow Bella Burger Bites, Beef Teriyappi, Sausage Cheese Grits, Growly Good Granola, Beggar’s Purses, Cheddar Chomps, Sushi Hand Rolls, Dog-Friendly Salads, Chicken Soup, Adobo Chicken, Good Gravy, Turkey Meatballs, Lamb Shish Kebabs, Canine Kasha, North Carolina Pork Sandwiches, Roasted Pork Chops, Pekingese Duck, Mom’s Macaroni and Cheese, and more!
* Treats and Desserts from the Barkery include: Pumpkin Craisin Muffins, Tarte Tatin, Bowser’s Brownies, Carob Ganache, Coco Loco Bites, Counter Surfer’s Cookies, Banana Mutt Bread, Barking Biscotti, and Peanut Butter Buddy Bones

With good nutrition guidelines for dogs of all sizes, a list of Doggie Diet Dos and Don’ts, and what foods to have on hand so you can invent your own Fido-friendly recipes, The Dog Ate It is perfect for an occasional treat or for every night. You’ll learn which commercial dog foods are healthy substitutes for home-cooked grub, and even how to throw the perfect pooch party for Howl-a-Ween, Canine Christmas (Fleas Navidad), or Bowser’s birthday.

Few pet parents can resist sneaking table scraps to their pups. The Dog Ate It takes this principle to a marvelous new, guilt-free level, with recipes that please the palates of every member of your household. BACKCOVER: “When I realized that THE DOG ATE IT was about meals for bipeds and quadrupeds to share, I feared the worst, namely, that dogs were running the culinary show and that I would be expected not only to cook and eat homework, but to prepare and consume such canine favorites as desiccated pigs’ ears and rawhide chew strips, not to mention rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and other delicacies so fresh that they were still alive. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded. The recipes in this delectably eccentric cookbook are designed to delight dog lovers as well as the objects of their affection. Highly recommended!”
—Susan Conant, author of GAITS OF HEAVEN and other novels in the Holly Winter series of dog lover’s mysteries

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

There are people who bake birthday cakes for their dogs; there are also people who don't stop at the cake, but throw birthday parties for their dogs, complete with hats, gifts, favors and multiple canine celebrants. This cookbook is for them, offering not only Bowser's Birthday Pawty Cake but Party Pup Cakes with Apple and Cheddar, Profiteroles sprinkled with powdered sugar, and an authentically caramelized Tarte Tatin. Simple Sushi Hand Rolls stuffed with ham or crabmeat are another elaborate way to feed a pet, as are Spaghetti Squares with Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato; Italian Tuna Roll; and Sausage Cheese Grits. These recipes, along with most of the others in this book, are entirely human-friendly, but some of them, like Gizzard Stew Made with Love are strictly for the dogs. And no matter how longingly he's staring at the brownies on the counter, the authors make clear that chocolate is an absolute no-no for dogs (as are coffee, avocado, macadamia nuts and onions). So instead, prepare Rover a nice serving of delicious Barking Biscotti and don't be afraid to snag a few for yourself.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Back Cover

"When I realized that THE DOG ATE IT was about meals for bipeds and quadrupeds to share, I feared the worst, namely, that dogs were running the culinary show and that I would be expected not only to cook and eat homework, but to prepare and consume such canine favorites as desiccated pigs’ ears and rawhide chew strips, not to mention rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and other delicacies so fresh that they were still alive. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded. The recipes in this delectably eccentric cookbook are designed to delight dog lovers as well as the objects of their affection. Highly recommended!"
—Susan Conant, author of GAITS OF HEAVEN and other novels in the Holly Winter series of dog lover’s mysteries

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Gotham (October 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592402291
• ISBN-13: 978-1592402298
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,468,204 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So Far So Good, September 27, 2007

By 

Sarah Marie (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dog Ate It: Cooking for Yourself and Your Four-Legged Friends (Paperback)

I recently purchased this book and just tried a few recipes from it. My 7-month old Wheaten Terrier puppy loves the biscotti and the cheesy-garlic biscuits. He will try the mac & cheese and the spaghetti tonight and I certainly think it smells great. I did not use the cayenne pepper, since I did not have it on-hand. As for the review below, the back of the book lists foods not to feed your dog in which grapes and raisins are listed, so perhaps the reviewer did not see this or did not see the for "humans only" which occurs throughout the book. I certainly don't think that you should choose just one cook book for your dog, instead read from each school of thought and remember you know your dog, so in the end you can provide the best nutrition for your pet.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mea Culpa says author, July 28, 2008

By 

Linda W. Eckhardt "Linda Eckhardt" (Maplewood, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dog Ate It: Cooking for Yourself and Your Four-Legged Friends (Paperback)

One copyeditor's mistake in turning craisins into raisins does not a bad book make. Please know that we understand dried cranberries are healthy - actually a part of several highly rated dry dog foods, and raisins are bad for dogs. But we hope you won't let this one mistake stop you from buying this book which Barbara Bradley and I wrote. My dogs are healthier than ever, and Barb's added three more pups to her cloud of white puff ball Bichons. We apologize for the mistake.

Linda Eckhardt
co-author, The Dog Ate It

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the more nutritionally sound sources and fun to boot, May 19, 2009

By 

Chicago Book Addict (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Dog Ate It: Cooking for Yourself and Your Four-Legged Friends (Paperback)

I love to cook and I love my dog so it was only a matter of time before I became interested in cooking for my dog. I've since picked up almost 10 different cookbooks to find those that work best for my lifestyle and that seem nutritionally sound. Having reviewed these cookbooks, this is one of the more nutritionally based books I have found and has creative interesting recipes on top of it. While I would still only cook from this cookbook with more science-based books like Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats to help me tailor my dog's diet, this book is much better than others that seemed more geared toward treats and special occasion meals.

The book includes an introduction on what dogs need to be healthy as well as recipes for breakfasts, hors d'oeuvres, salad, main courses, raw and offal dinners, desserts, and treats. Even cuter, chapter nine gives suggestions on 'dog parties' including menus. Some owners will find this over the top, but I found it adorable and endearing. Lastly, you get information on what you should NEVER feed your dog, what to look for when buying commerical dog food, and other resources to consult (Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats is among these).

Overall the recipes are very approachable and straightforward. They do take a little time to prepare, but many could easily be made ahead and frozen or supplemented with high quality kibble.

The bottom line is that this is a pretty solid cookbook for dogs. I would still recommend consulting something like Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, particularly if your dog has special health concerns that are causing you to serve homemade food in the first place. However, as far as dog cookbooks go this one definitely has more nutritional advice than most and a good mix of recipes. I know I am particularly excited about making the Pumpkin Craisin Muffins, Canine Kasha, and Mom's Macaroni & Cheese.