To Serve Cat

Hat Tip goes to the radio station I was listening to this morning which talked about this story.  Sadly, I was scanning through the stations, so I have no idea which one it was.

Italy's state-owned television broadcaster has dropped a popular chef for sharing a recipe with viewers to cook cat.

Beppe Bigazzi told CNN that while he would miss collaborating with the RAI-Uno TV network, he would not apologize for his comments because they reflected historical facts, not just his opinion.

He blamed the furor on animal rights activists saying "It's their problem, not mine!"

During a live broadcast February 10, the grandfatherly Italian cooking expert noted that in decades past, Italians in the region of Tuscany did eat cat meat.

Bigazzi, 77, told viewers there was a saying for this time of year that "if you don't have meat, kill the cat."

The popular TV chef then went on to describe how you can tenderize the meat by letting it soak for three days in running spring water.

As Chef Beppe continued, his co-host of 'La Prova del Cuco,' Elisa Isoardi looked aghast.

The young hostess declared "My Othello in a stew? No!" Othello is the name of her pet cat. But Beppe wasn't finished.

He told viewers he had dined on cat many times and that the meat tasted better than chicken or rabbit.

I'm very well aware that some cultures it's perfectly normal for people to use dogs and cats as a meat source.  However, I wonder if this is the first mentioning of it involving a Western European nation and classically-trained chef from the region.