4Cats

The above video is one of many from the 4Cats, a Lebanese pop group. But that is not what I am writing about today. I am writing about a different species - the somerville kitchen 4Cats.

Lucy Pushkin, Scrunchy, Olly & Jolly - so look forward to their stories in 2016. 

Happy New Year.

somerville kitchen's 2015 Favourites

Favourite Cooking Book

Favourite Food Place

Favourite Meal Out

Favourite Shop Discovery

Favourite Product Discovery

Favourite White & Creamy

Holiday Feasting Pakistani Style

The last evening of feasting, at least for a while, was Pakistani style.

The meal was picked up in a box from Al-Watan, my favourite little restaurant on Fraser street.

The box made it not only efficient to carry the dinner, but provided priceless entertainment for both the cats and the guests.

A very pleasant, entertaining and decadent evening that started with wine and dahl...

... and ended up with cigarettes and dessert.

Feasting Like Kings

Mouloukhia (Read more HERE) is a festive meal, a meal for the kings. And after all this North American ethnic feasting, it was time for something more traditional.

I have to admit, it was my best Mouloukhia production so far.

One more feasting to go and then it's officially Merry Christmas

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Spoiled Christmas Kitties

As I am catching up on my blog, I have missed giving my readers a proper introduction to the 4cats. This will come soon, but in the interim, and given the Christmas spirit, here's how spoiled these 4 cats were this Christmas.

A lovely cat bed that is designed with 100% cats in mind that all 4 fight over, but the one that controls it is Scrunchy. And you don't want to get on the bad side of Scrunchy.

The ball ring is also another gift that was designed with cats in mind. Lucy Pushkin, as the oldest and wisest, tested it and thought this is for kids. 

The kids, on the other hand, cannot stop playing with it.

Oh yes, I didn't introduce the youngest of the kids - Olly & Jolly. Here's a rare moment when they stop running around the house keeping all other cats and humans alert and awake.

Boxing Day Italian Style

My dear lovely neighbour gathered her closest, and her beautiful Silver, to a lovely Italian style boxing day dinner.

Among laughter, wine, cats and food, the intimate group enjoyed a delicious freshly baked home made meat lasagna.

This was served with salad and garlic bread.

And as if this was not enough, a rack of ribs came out of the oven with Italian style smashed potatoes and my favourite Brussel sprouts.

As per the previous two nights of festivities, the evening wrapped up with yet another Sweet e's delicacy - silky flourless chocolate cake.

Amazing Christmas Dinner

A festive low key Christmas dinner, the way I like it.

The dinner itself was a traditional turkey dinner, but everything tasted amazing, reflecting the long day of cooking that generated this feast.

In addition to turkey and stuffing, the spread of vegetables would have been a vegetarian's Christmas dinner dream come true.

Carrots, broccoli, baked parsnips with cilantro, baked new potatoes with onions, mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes.

And then there was the cranberry sauce. I never really gotten into this cranberry sauce business, but this one was not only home-made but cooked with leftover sangria. Glad to have come home with a jar of this.

And of course Sweet e's desserts are everywhere. A creative version of a traditional Bouche Noel - vanilla cake with cream cheese and orange filling, finished in vanilla butter cream. Yes, it tastes as decadent as it sounds, if not more.

A very merry evening and surprise pack of leftovers to go!

Thank you Alice!  Thank you Sweet e's!

Simple Christmas Eve

Somerville Kitchen was active visiting neighbours and neighbours visiting the kitchen tonight. The fare was simple. A stop at Choices Market made a beautiful spread.

The highlights were these goat cheese balls stored in olive oil - just as old Lebanese ladies used to make them. Served with salmon and home made scrumpets. 

And let us not forget Sweet e's Black Forest Torte. Amazing creation from the Sweet e's ladies.

Everyone who dropped by had a taster, or two....

Merry Christmas!

4Cats - Lucy Pushkin

Lucy Pushkin (a.k.a. VOKRA's Smokey) is a gorgeous Russian princess who spent over 15 minutes banging on the cage she was in waiting to get to her foster and screaming at me until I broke down and brought her home.

And I am glad I did. She is an adorable kitten who is now 10 months old. 

Her size, emotions and pensive eyes make one think of her as an older cat. But she is really a kitten that just wants to be loved, played with and talked to.

As the oldest of the 4Cats, she expects to get all the attention. If she does not, she may pout a day or two, but she is so sweet natured that she forgives and forgets very quickly.

She loves playing with her toys and I am now starting to train her to be my assistant at work; and she is a fast learner.

Despite her good nature and sensitivity, I am sure she will be the princess of the house and the rest of the cats. And I think she is starting to fall in love with one of the boys.

Enjoy a photo gallery tour of Lucy Pushkin.

In Memory of Catsess

In memory of four years since the arrival (and now loss) of Catsess and her brothers (Read One Year Later), a tribute to a favourite cat and my favourite memories of her 3.5 years in this world. 

Catsess only ate wet food from plates; she would eat her treats and dry food off this ledge, even if it means waiting for hours until being served

A queen of paws - stretchy paws, weird placement paws and loved having both her front and back paws played with.

She loved having me around and was always at my side; going to extremes not to let me leave on a trip.

I called her my office assistant and till her last days, she was always with me as I worked. 

As soon as I walk out of the shower, she will come down from wherever she was in the house to have her time with me on the bed.

Born a feral, she never got into sitting on laps or cuddling. But dare I lay on a sofa without her stretching herself on my legs within 2 seconds.

She loved her supervised jardin visits. Like a human baby, all I had to do is shout 'home' and she runs inside.

She sure was a princess and knew how to pose as one.

A wonderful sweet cat till the last hour, when she used all her powers to jump on the sofa, cuddle and purr for a bit, then go to her hiding place where she passed away naturally and as comfortably as it can be in her own home.

I miss you so much catsess; even four running around kittens are not able to get me to forget you. Rest in peace.