That New Kitty Smell

July 7, 2024

“For love there is also a season; its seeds must be resown. But a family cat is not replaceable like a worn out coat or a set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated.”
~Irving Townsend

 

 

Meet Damiaono Francesco De Roma! His first name is pronounced “Dah-meow-no” but I’ve been calling him “Dami” for short.

He’s adorable, soft, smart and super affectionate. He currently expresses himself with tiny squeaks instead of meows and lots and lots of loud purring.

I am in love.

I adopted him a couple of weeks ago, about eight months after I had lost my dear Sofia, who was 21 years and 7 months when she left earthly life. A few days ago I snapped the photo above, almost the exact pose that I had captured Sofia in and included in a blog post from August 2023, written during one of Sofia’s last health challenges. If you scroll down a bit you will find the post and see the similarity. This new photo represents the heartwarming and healing that new life and new love can bring. Adopting Dami and welcoming a new kitty into this home again has healed my heart and filled it with so much love it almost hurts (but in a good way).

It’s been over 21 years since I had a kitten, Sofia and her brothers being the last time I mothered baby cats. I’d forgotten the 24/7 energy, enthusiasm and attention that babies require. It took me a couple of weeks to adjust from elderly cat mode to kitten mode, but I have now, once again, become comfortable with looking at the world through the eyes of one for whom it is all new and adventurous.

Welcome the new little man in my life!

 

“There is no remedy for love but to love more.”
~Henry David Thoreau

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Let Avocado Parmesan Polenta become a new summer comfort food favorite!

Avocado Parmesan Polenta
Polenta’s creamy, savory and slightly sweet taste of corn combines with a creamy avocado Parmesan sauce to provide and ecstatic experience of both taste and texture. The addition of crunchy pumpkin seeds or pistachios and/or crisp bacon crumbles (vegetarians can omit the bacon) add even more crunch and flavor. You’ll want a very ripe, creamy-style avocado, such as Haas, for this recipe. The Avocado Parmesan sauce also makes a tasty dressing for cole slaw.

 

Avocado Parmesan Sauce

2 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 large, ripe, creamy-style avocados (such as Haas)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
(plus a bit more to serve)
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more to top)
Approximately 1 cup warm, lightly salted water

 

For Polenta:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 (18oz) package organic pre-cooked polenta

 

Optional toppings:
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled, crispy-cooked bacon
1/4 to 1/2 cup roasted, salted, shelled pumpkin seeds
Or
1/4 to 1/2 cup roasted, salted, shelled pistachios

 

Cut garlic cloves in half and rub cut ends all around the bottom of a large serving bowl to flavor. You can also lightly smash the cloves with a fork and swirl them around to flavor that way. Discard used garlic cloves.

Halve the avocados, discard pits and scoop pulp into bowl. Discard peels. Add the lemon juice and zest, black pepper and oregano. Smash avocado with a fork or a potato masher until smooth, with no chunks remaining (alternatively, you can puree the avocado in a food processor before adding to the bowl, but I like to have less stuff to wash, so I just mash in the serving bowl). Stir in 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and mash mixture some more until fully mixed.

Slowly stir in about 1 cup warm, lightly salted water into the avocado mixture and combine to create a creamy sauce. Taste and add salt, if needed (remember that the toppings will add additional saltiness). Set aside.

 

To prepare polenta:

Remove plastic wrapping from tube of polenta. Slice polenta into 1/2-inch thick slices. Drain a bit on paper towels to remove excess moisture and reduce splattering.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, non-stick skillet. When oil is hot, carefully add polenta slices, a few at a time, in a single layer (watch out for splatters). Season with a bit of salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, then turn with a spatula, season, and cook 2 to 3 minutes on the other side.

Drain briefly on paper towels to remove excess oil and serve slices topped with the Avocado Parmesan sauce.

Top with additional Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper, plus pumpkin seeds or pistachios and/or bacon crumbles, if desired.

Serve warm.

Serves 2 to 4

 

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