Cats are not Pedantic

"Cats are not pedantic," or so Trygg said to me the other morning. This is what happened.

I am planning to make sausage with biscuits and gravy. Trygg has seen me do this before. He asks me why I use skim milk instead of whole milk for the béchamel. Apparently he was watching Tyler Florence and Mr. Florence used whole milk.

I go to the kitchen and there on the counter is a pint of whole milk.

"I just thought you should try it with whole milk," Trygg said. "It's only a pint."

"It would have been cheaper to buy it by the quart."

"And have you give me that martyred look?"

"All right," I said, "I'll make one batch with skimmed milk and you can make the other batch with whole milk."

"Slim, I'm a cat. I can't cook."

"No problem," I say, keeping the conversation light. "I'll make two batches and you can tell me which one you prefer."

Trygg gives me that "bewildered cat" look. "I'm a cat. I don't eat biscuits and gravy. I only eat the sausage."

"And I accused you of being pedantic."

The nice thing about cats is that they don't believe in protracted conversation. I make the sausage with biscuits and gravy using the skimmed milk for the béchamel. I use cream for the biscuits because I saw the recipe for it in Relish magazine.

We eat breakfast.

This isn't the first time Trygg has done this. I've tried mentioning it, but Trygg gets defensive at times. I point this out to him.

"When?" he asks.

"The other day. When you were pacing the floor and biting your nails."

"I don't bite my nails."

"The other day you were."

"Because you were driving me crazy."

"How?"

"You made pulled pork sandwiches for dinner...in a slow cooker!"

"That was the recipe. Besides, I made pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw because you like pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw and you'd been dropping hints for two weeks."

"Thank you. Still, did you have to use one of those Sandra Lee 49¢ dinner recipes?"

"I am trying to keep within a budget here; and besides, this wasn't from one of her cheap dinner shows, it was from her semi-homemade show."

"I'm sorry. I know, you try to make interesting meals, and keep within a budget. I just thought it wouldn't hurt to dialogue about it."

Trygg is contrite. He offers to help with the dishes. Not thinking, I agree. He hops up onto the counter next to the sink and begins licking the plates clean. I thank him but tell him I'd rather he do something else. Like make his bed. He agrees. I wash the dishes.

Even the cat winks. =^.~=

Regards,

Slim


Copyright (c) 2011 Slim Fairview