Truffled Hummus

Massimo Update:

Today has been a rough day at our place. It started last night since the cats all fasted so that Massimo could go under anesthesia today. Nicco (Binky) wanted no part of fasting with his brother and made sure that I knew he was starving. He run up and down the bed all night meowing. When that didn’t get me out of bed he decided to burrow until the blankets and nibble me. As you have probably guessed by now I didn’t get much rest last night.

Masi was at the doctor a little before 9 and was the first procedure on the schedule. Since he isn’t the most cooperative little guy at the vet I offered to get him out of the cage and put him into the anesthesia chamber so that he didn’t hurt anyone at the hospital. Word of advice on this, don’t try it. Masi kept trying to cling to me and wrap himself around my neck. I felt so incredibly guilty prying him off of me and placing him in the chamber.

Doc called around 10:45 to tell me that Masi was doing fine and was already waking up. The only problem is that the x-rays showed that one of his kidneys doesn’t look right. He also told me that he has seen this before and that sometimes it is nothing and other times it is a problem. We will know more after the blood work comes back tomorrow. I need to talk to Doc and Dan but I think I am going to suggest that we go ahead and have an ultrasound on Masi so that we know more about what we are dealing with. If cats can do fine with one kidney (like people) I am leaning toward saying remove the problem kidneyI don’t want to miss an opportunity we may have to stop this before it spreads. I will know more tomorrow and when I do I will let you know.

Truffled Hummus:

Needless to say my day has not been good. Between being sleep deprived and then worrying about Masi this is a day I could have done without.

While I waited for Masi to recover completely from surgery (so he could safely come home) I made some truffled hummus today. I took hot freshly cooked chickpeas into the food processor and added some of the cooking liquid a ladle at a time until the mixture was creamy. Then I added a little truffle oil, less than a tablespoon and continued processing. I also added a little truffle salt, a clove of garlic and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. When I compared this to what I bought I could immediately tell the difference but in a good way. The hummus I bought had much more fat, and included tahini which I think detracted from the truffle taste. I was glad I still had some that I bought to compare.

I got started writing this post later because the fur children have been out of sort today hissing and swatting since Masi came home. I will get the eggplant soup posted tomorrow when I have more time.

On-line Book Club:

I have mentioned an on-line book club on the blog before and the idea also seems to be taking off on the Facebook page. I set up a quick survey to gather ideas from all of you regarding the book club. Please take a minute and answer the questions, there are only 7, if you are intrigued by the idea. You answers are anonymous. Thanks!

Happy Thoughts:

Since it has been another rough day around here finding things to be grateful for may not be easy but let’s see how it goes.

• I am enjoying the new hummus flavors and being back in the kitchen. I had lost my desire to cook for a while so it is nice to have it back.

• Things are going well in Grenada which is very good. I only wish I could be a little happier about it. I would much rather have a healthy little fuzz ball.

• Our friend Walid is on his way to Egypt now to bring his mom back here for Ramadan. Even with all the chaos here the last few days I managed to get in touch with him to tell him to have a safe trip. I am looking forward to seeing his mom (Nadia) because she is so sweet and caring. Exactly the sort of lady that anyone would like to spend time with. I suppose that is why Walid is also a great person; he obviously takes after his mom.

• Masi seems to be doing well at the moment and I am trying to be thankful for that. He is the sweetest little guy and we have been very lucky to have him in our lives for 10 years. If I have anything to say about it Masi will be a part of this family for another 10 years.

• Last night I took some pictures downtown at the harbor. Here are a few of them to give you another glimpse into Baltimore life.

• I am looking forward to the jazz concert on Friday. That will be a nice distraction from my week.

Signing Out:

I am dragging this evening because I got very little sleep last night. I need to turn in soon because I am exhausted. Talk with you again soon.