Pandora's Box

I just discovered these amazingly tasty pastries at the food court across the street from my work. They are not too sweet (I hate sickly sweet pastries). In fact, they're a little on the salty side. But they've got a mildly sweet custard and blueberries on top. This morning, I picked up two on my way home from work: one for C and one for me. C and I sat down on the couch at home to enjoy the said treats. First of all, the dogs - C-dog and her cousin Max (who is staying with us while MC is out of town) - came running over to see if we'd share with them. This is not surprising. As soon as they see any item heading towards our mouths, they think it must be something super delicious. But then who else was allured by the smell of the pastries? Ebi! My cat!

Now just jumping into a lap isn't alarming in and of itself. Ebi is very affectionate. He frequently rubs all over us as if he hasn't seen us in weeks. But what was alarming was the face he made as he stretched his neck as close as it would take him to the previously mentioned baked good. And what was even more shocking was that when C broke off a small piece of the pastry - Ebi ate it!

I should explain: Like most cats, Ebi only eats meat. He used to eat McDonald's french fries (as was mentioned in a prior blog), but I discovered why - they are flavored with beef. So, you can imagine my worry when he went for the pastry. Fortunately, C alleviated my concern to some degree.

C: They didn't make this pastry with beef flavoring. They just used lard.

ME: Damn! No wonder it tasted so good.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to bring myself to buy another one of the pastries now knowing that they are made with lard. And even more unfortunate is the fact that I'd devoured my pastry long before Ebi exposed the horrid truth behind the scrumptuous nature of this treat.