Teresa - thanks for posting this link. I'm taking a class called "Cuisines of the World" this semester. However, we're not just studying other countries, we're also focusing on several regional cuisines within America. I shared the link with a couple of my chef instructors too.

I used Iams for over 17 years - then the dogs didn't seem to do so well on it any more. So 1.5 years ago I switched to Nutro dry kibble. In the month or so before the wet food recall, I noticed my dog's coats weren't as nice, they vomited on/off yellow frothy stuff, and they avoided eating it until the last moment before we went to bed. Sometimes I had to encourage them with people food on it. These are dogs that are 12, have always willingly ate dry kibble, live indoors with us, and never over eat. The vet and I attributed it to hunting dogs doing what they like to do on our long daily walks (we live in the middle of nowhere, where there are many tasty temptations on the trails). Then around the first part of March, one of mine had violent seizures for the first time in her life at age 12. There is a family history; her brother has mild seizures 2-3 times year. so mild we don't medicate for them; and I know they can spring up at any age, so truly that is the most likely answer. However, that day I stopped feeding the Nutro, and began home cooking cold turkey. That strange vomiting with both dogs ended that day (despite the fact I thought switching to such a rich home cooked diet would cause some upset). Coats sleeked back up in short order. Please knock on wood for us, but no seizures yet (I still am reluctant to connect that to the food, because of the dog family history, but need to put it out there because I do think there is something less than fatal in this food that was at the least causing the vomiting/tummy upsets. My girl had a cluster of 6 in less than 24 hours, and it took days before she was "normal", ie pacing for hours, some vision issues, couldn't sleep, wobbly legs, etc.) It was a nightmare. Then I heard about the wet food recall. I thought I was a food snob. I did ask questions, but 1) how can I know if I am not told truthful answers re QC and ingredient issues, and 2) frankly, accidents like a bad batch of X can happen - to both pet and human grade food. I don't know what to think now, except that if commercial wet food has issues with rat poison, plastics poison, god-knows-what-else is still in it that is causing problems less than death in it, too much Vitamin D (the Royal Canin lawsuit, which btw, I had tried the cat food years ago and it was simply awesome at the time, but still, they screwed up)... well, I can guarantee that as a home cooker, I can be more careful than that. I am just lucky that I can make the time to home cook - what a burden that would be in other circumstances for a lot of people. The cat would be harder to do a good home job with; so I am trying Felidae dry kibble. P.S. The store and Nutro were very stand up about taking our returned sacks of dry kibble for full credit.

I just posted this in one of the other treads This is a recipe for a meatloaf for dogs. They also have a vegetarian version on the site Mable's Meat Loaf - meat eater's version (makes two large loaves - 24 slices) 1 1/2 pounds Ground Beef , Venison, Chicken or Turkey 2 cups cooked & pureed Beans and/or Lentils- I use Pinto Beans 2 cups Corn Masa Harina Flour (corn flour)- Masa Harina is a fortified, fine ground corn flour that has been partially precooked in lime water (which makes it easier to digest). It is usually used for making tortillas and tamales and can be found in the ethnic (Mexican) section of most grocery stores. If you cannot find it, you can substitute regular corn meal. 1 cups Rolled Oats (I buy in bulk) 4 cups cooked rice (I buy in bulk) 1 cup wheat germ (I buy in bulk) 1 - 2 cups liquid (water, milk, whey, stock, etc) - This amount will vary depending on the moisture content of your other ingredients. 2 eggs 2 cups (1 lb.) vegetables, pureed - You can use any vegetable. It's good to vary ingredients because variety in diet contributes to good health. I usually use frozen mixed vegetables, peas or broccoli. I buy them is a really big bags (it's cheaper that way) , thaw, puree in my food processor, divide into 2 Cup portions and refreeze for future use. 3 tsp. garlic (granulated) 3 tsp. Calcium Citrate -OR- 6 tsp. egg shell powder - a source of necessary calcium 1/2 tsp. salt substitute (potassium chloride) - a source of necessary potassium - you can find this in any grocery store where they sell salt. 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 1/4 cup ketchup (optional- not for use with diabetics) 6 tsp. Herbal Nutritional Supplement (optional, but highly recommended) other optional supplements if necessary such as Arthritis & Joint Support mix, Glucosamine, MSM, Kelp, etc. (Mable got 1 1/2 tsp. of Glucosamine & 1 1/2 tsp. of MSM - Note: reports now suggest not giving glucosamine to diabetics) It is important that your dog should also receive a good dog multi-vitamin each day (a vitamin formulated specifically for dogs, not humans), either as a powder mixed into this loaf, or a tablet given as a treat. In a very large bowl. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together very well. (Since ground meats differ in consistency, you may need to add more liquid). Put into two large loaf pans and spread out evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool and store in the refrigerator. Makes 12 slices per loaf. To serve, slice and cut into bite sized chunks. You can also slice off servings, put in ziplock bags and freeze them for later use. Measurement of the loaf pans I use: measurement taken from bottom of pan: 8 1/4" X 4 1/4" measurement taken from top of pan: 9 1/4" X 5 1/4" height: 2 3/4" I bought my pans at Wal-Mart. Serving amount: You will have to adjust to fit the caloric needs of your own dog. See the Daily Caloric Requirements for Adult Dogs chart. Mable, who was a 60 pound Basset Hound got two slices, twice a day (a breakfast and a dinner for a total of four slices per day). She also received other nutritionally adjusted home made foods (such as Mable's Peanut Butter Bones) throughout the day which contribute to her proper daily caloric intake. Nutritional Breakdown for four slices (one sixth of total recipe) (made with ground beef) (this recipe makes two large loaves total and I divide it into 24 slices) Calories in four slices: 837 (one slice would have 210) 20% from Protein 33% from Fat 48% from Carb Vit C 7 mg Phos 659 mg Calcium 1849 mg Iron 10 mg Protein 41 g Sodium 534 mg Potassium 1350 mg Tot Fat 31 g Magnesium 179 mg Sat Fat 11 g Zinc 9 mg Mono Fat 12 g Copper 1 mg Poly Fat 4 g Manganese 4 mg Carb 100 g Selenium 64 ug Fiber 15 g Vit A 2739 IU Ash 5 g Vit E 1 mg ATE Cholesterol 167 mg Thiamin 1 mg Vit B6 1 mg Riboflavin 1 mg Folate 268 ug Niacin 13 mg Vit B12 3 ug Pantothenic Acid 2 mg Here is a link that might be useful: Molly's Herbals

I love a challenge...... You have probably already discovered this, but in the late 1800's and very early 1900's some sites have noted that NYC's Waldorf Astoria Hotel was known for it's wonderfully prepared Wild Canvasback duck. It appears that apricot was used in the recipes, along with cognac or brandy. I'd be inclined to contact the food doyen Martha Stewart through her Sirius radio program or perhaps on her website to see if her minions can come with anything for you.