Author Deborah Davis and her dog, Bella, who graces the cover of “The Art of Canine Cuisine.” (Deborah Davis/Submitted)
By Jessica Koslow, Playa Vista Contributor
Lady Gaga loves the book, and so do Jennifer Aniston and Chris Pine. Author Deborah Davis’ three rescue dogs, Bellissima (Bella), Bootsie and Daisy, really love the book. “The Art of Canine Cuisine” is a vet-approved cookbook for foodies and their furry friends. It is 100-plus pages of recipes, food and dog photography, stories of rescued dogs, and histories of dog breeds. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from sales are donated to dog rescue and support charities.
Davis dedicated the book to her dad, a world traveler with a passion for food and dogs. An early retiree in his 30s, her father led the family on global adventures across Europe and South America, where Davis was exposed to different cultures and their creative meals. Her entire family loved to cook, and during her formative years Davis grew to love and learn about cooking by watching them.
When Davis settled in the United States to launch her career in the entertainment industry — she now lives in Santa Monica — she began to foster dogs. Davis can count at least 20 rescue dogs for whom she has found homes, including her own home.
One day, Davis’ friend, who was writing a children’s book with a dog as the main character, asked her to prepare a dog-friendly dish that she could post on her website to promote her book. Davis whipped up Bellissima’s pollo risotto, which received an outpouring of interest.
An idea was born: Davis decided to create a cookbook starring rescue dogs and include recipes from the country of origin of each breed. She would also include the personal stories of the rescues that she featured as well as the history of that breed.
For instance, Jake the Pug is featured in the Chinese food section, and her own Bootsie is paired with the Mexican food section. Of course, Bella, her 11-year-old Maltese Chihuahua, graces the cover.
The cookbook features vet-approved dishes for furry friends and their parents. (Ace Fillmore/Submitted)
Bootsie belonged to Davis’ dad, and when he died on Father’s Day 2019, she inherited an 18-pound Chihuahua, nicknamed Piglet.
After a change in diet and increase in exercise, the 13-year-old now weighs a more reasonable 6 1/2 pounds. Davis’ son found her third dog, Daisy, a Terrier Chihuahua mix, in a box, crying in the beating sun, and brought her home.
“The Art of Canine Cuisine” features six dogs from six different countries of origin. Nyssa, who is pictured in the foreword, belongs to Davis’ veterinarian. Now a thriving canine, she was found tied to a schoolyard fence with a broken leg, fractured tail and failing liver. Lisa Newell of Malibu Coast Animal Hospital, who Davis affectionately referred to as a “vet to the stars,” contributed the foreword.
As a film producer by trade, Davis approached the making of the book in the same way she would a movie. She wrote the recipes during the COVID-19 pandemic with Bella by her side as the official taste tester, giving her a bark of approval. Once the pandemic was over, she hired her movie crew to shoot the images.
“My passion is for dogs,” Davis said. “With Bella, I had health problems, and she was there by my side. She was my medicine.
“They feel you. It’s almost like they are part of you. They sense everything about you, if I’m nervous, sad, or happy. They are souls that are so pure. Some of these rescues were treated very badly, and they still can love people, which is amazing. Not everyone can do that; get over emotional stress and abuse and come out the other end still loving and learning to trust again.”
“The Art of Canine Cuisine”
139 pages
$95
artofcaninecuisine.com
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