For the Dogs

During the last two weeks, I was house sitting and dog sitting for little white Bichon by the name of Rusty (whose cute face is at left). He belongs to my cousins, and they asked us to take care of him while they were on vacation. I’m a dog lover, so I agreed.

What I forgot, since it has been a long time since I have actually owned a dog, is how each one is different. There are certain aspects of their personalities that are funny, charming and unusual. For example, Rusty thinks I’m a sucker, so he decides to hide under my cousin’s bed in the hopes that he’ll get a treat. When I don’t respond, he finds me and looks at me as if to say, “What gives?” That, and he loved stealing clothes from my suitcase and taking them into my cousin’s room. Oh, and a tissue that I blew my nose in as well.

One thing is for sure: Dogs aren’t called man’s best friend for no reason. They are the ones who make us laugh and smile, and sometimes shake our heads in confusion. They’re there to comfort us when we cry. And they are the ones who hold a special place in our hearts, even as the years go by and they leave us.

Ari didn’t have dogs when he was growing up, but I sure did. When I was born, I had a protector by the name of Spirit. He was a mutt born on Halloween, and was six years old when I came into the world. He kept track of me like I was one of his puppies, and made sure to stand guard at my crib.

My sister had a protector, too – Spirit’s sister, Gobbie, or Goblin. They were mischievous and fun, and we were one of them. They enjoyed us and took care of us in their own special canine way for as long as they could. Goblin died when I was three, but Spirit lasted a long time, and died six years later. He was my first best friend – gentle, sweet and incredibly patient when I was putting different hats on him for fun.

I loved having dogs growing up. They had free spirits filled with complexity. They’re soulful, playful and sometimes rambunctious. Even Radar, my sister’s dog who came after Gobbie, had her own thing going on – right down to eating my chemistry homework in 10^th grade. But all they really want to do is be there for you. That, and in Radar’s case, eat anything that came in her general direction.

It even shows in years later, as my mother cares for the dog that I picked out, Lucy. This German Shepherd is a very funny dog indeed, whether she’s following mom like a shadow, running around after a ball (or a squirrel, if she can find one) or sticking her cold wet nose right where that tiny little bit of skin is showing between your shirt and your jeans so she can be pet. At one point, dad found her waiting for mom in a pile of clothes in the closet. Unusual beasts, indeed.

But the truth is that, no matter how much they get on our nerves or drive us crazy with their antics, a cute dog is a pretty hard thing to get over. One day on my walk, I was coming back to my car past the Belmont Shore dog beach, and then I saw it: A dog whose face was identical to my Spirit’s face. This dog happened to be a puppy, and was ready to give its owners a lifetime of fun and joy. It was a young couple, and I wondered if they would eventually have children who would enjoy having a dog, running around the backyard and the dog covering that child’s face with kisses.

Either way, when we came back to Long Beach from our little adventure with Rusty, I kept looking down towards the doorway to our bedroom. I could almost see him there, looking at me funny, waiting to run down the hall with me and pose himself conveniently next to the garage door, waiting for a treat. Or running around like a puppy waiting to go on his walk. For a dog who loved stealing my clothing, it turns out that he warmed my heart.

So, in honor of Rusty the clothes-stealer, I have a recipe. If there was one thing that Rusty really enjoyed, it was the smell of chopped garlic. When I was mincing it, it seemed to be Rusty’s cue to come visit me in the kitchen. I made this dish when I was house sitting, and it was too good not to share. This is a very basic recipe, and it’s good for when you’re starting out making curries. Serve with brown rice.

TOFU COCONUT CURRY

1 block extra-firm tofu

¼ cup hoisin sauce

8 shiitake mushrooms

3 small heads bok choy

2-3 large carrots

4 green onions

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 cans light coconut milk

2-3 tablespoons curry powder

Other curry spices (see QUICK TIP 2)

Drain the tofu and chop into cubes (see QUICK TIP 1). Marinate in hoisin sauce. Meanwhile, slice the shiitake mushrooms and chop the bok choy (discarding roots and ends) and carrots. Slice the green onions and mince the garlic.

In a soup pan, heat the oil and add the shiitakes and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic. Saute for three to four minutes, then add the tofu. Cook for another two minutes, constantly turning the pan.

Add the bok choy and green onions. Add the coconut milk, curry powder and other spices. Allow to simmer until the coconut milk begins to reduce and the mixture begins to thicken. Serve hot over rice.

QUICK TIP 1: Tofu, if not drained properly, will fall apart during cooking. If your tofu is packed in water, remove it from the package and wrap it in paper towels. Put it on a plate and place another one on top with a heavy object to weigh it down. You may have to replace the paper towels several times. However, if you can find your tofu vacuum-sealed instead of packed in water, it will take you a lot less time to drain it.

QUICK TIP 2: I personally like my curry powder and coconut milk for the mixture because it doesn’t overpower the subtle sweetness of the mixture. However, there are certain components of the curry powder spice mix you like best – like ginger, tumeric, coriander and cumin, or even cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and mustard powder – that you may want to accentuate. If so, feel free to add them to your curry.