The Art Of Canine Cuisine: The Ultimate Book For Foodies With Dogs

Our adorable, beloved pets aren’t just our ‘best friends,’ but are also a part of our families. It’s safe to say that while sharing meals with loved ones is one of the best ways to bond, most people are not trying to eat the same food as their pets. That said, what if you could share the joy of breaking break with your dog, while actually enjoying the same healthy, high-quality, thoughtfully-curated cuisine?

When long time movie producer, Deborah Davis was approached by her friend and children’s book author to create a dog-friendly recipe for the main character (a dog), little did she know it would be the start of a new venture — bridging the gap between the cuisine both foodies and their dogs eat.

“I didn’t want to do a simple cookie recipe so I came up with my first gourmet dog dish called ‘Bellissima’s Chicken Risotto’ — it was very well received,” recalls Davis, who’s passion for both cooking and traveling led her to a fascination with food and cooking that came at a very young age.

“Being a movie producer, I thought, ‘why not expand the idea of dogs and recipes from around the world and couple this with my love of visual arts, photography, and dog rescue,’ ” explains Davis, who lived much of her life in foreign countries being exposed to many different cuisines and cultures.

“The book idea was born shortly after COVID hit and movie production was shut down. I had plenty of time on my hands to research and develop the book concept with vet approval along the way.”

With decades of experience in moviemaking, Davis set on the endeavor of creating The Art of Canine Cuisine , just as she would a movie.

“I put together the team of designers, photographers, and hired the phenomenal cookbook editor who worked for Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey, to name a few. The goal was to create a one-of-a-kind art, photography, and cookbook to use in the kitchen but also have the quality to be displayed in any home or hotel lobby in the same manner as classic hard cover fine art books.”

The Art of Canine Cuisine is a full-color gourmet cookbook for both humans and their furry friends featuring visually appealing one-of-a-kind, vet approved recipes spanning six international cuisines. With just a few spice and seasoning tweaks, each recipe can be shared with their human “parents.”

From endearing rescue stories of dogs whose breed represents it’s country of origin and history within each cuisine section, to original painted portraits of canine guides, its a one-of-kind book that doubles as a beautiful coffee table book/ work of art.

During the three years of creating the book, and after interviews with interested publishers and the brief engagement of a well-known agent, Davis decided to create her own publishing company, Emerald Star Books.

“My purpose after exposure to art and business of publishing, was to break away from the limiting and ordinary judgment of big publishing company editors, not to mention the loss of control,” she recalls. “I was committed not to be confined to the concept of typical dog recipes or cookbooks — just how indie movies are made.”

The Art of Canine Cuisine’s First Edition is currently featured in the special collections of upscale properties and shops that include The Beverly Hills Hotel, the Auberge du Soleil Hotel Group, Society Hounds upscale pet boutique in Beverly Hills, Barkingham luxury dog hotel in Palm Desert, California, and in its first European venture, the yacht and vineyard tours and events arranged by Contessa Consulting, Italy (Gourmet Tourism).

“I had an Italian themed Hollywood party in honor of the star, of The Art of Canine Cuisine, Bellissima, to celebrate the up-and-coming release of my book,” she recalls. “I hired a chef from Italy to make pizzas for the human guests in my custom-designed stone pizza oven. I also made dog hors d'oeuvres and cookies from my book for our guests to take home.”

“Before desserts were served, several human guests thought that the cookies were on their menu and ate them, overlooking the very large ‘dogs only’ sign. The dog parents loved the cookies even without the sugar and spices normally in human cookies.”

Davis says that this happens quite frequently, and in fact, during the photography for the book, she and the entire crew ate all the food provided for the dogs with “the addition of a few spices added here and there.”

“All my recipes came from the dishes I always made for friends and family with new adjustments and inventions to allow humans and dogs to eat the same food,” Davis explains.

Davis is currently focused on the launch of her newest menu made in collaboration with Chef Diego Sobrino of Bishop's Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her menu, which takes inspiration from her book (which is also available for purchase at the Two Dogs Cafe & Boutique), is offered for in-room dining menu.

“Growing up on a farm, I have always been surrounded by animals and had multiple dogs throughout my life,” says Chef Diego Sobrino, originally from Mexico, who’s favorite recipe from The Art of Canine Cuisine is Carne Asada.

“Animals have always been an integral part of my life. The dogs and cats on property become a part of the family and it’s incredibly rewarding for me to see them interact with the hotel guests. Moreover, Catering to an international clientele is particularly exciting to me because it brings diverse cultures and perspectives to the property.”

We chatted with author Deborah Davis on her creative process and overall journey in creating this special book. Here’s what she had to say.

Talk about the creative process of writing this book? Where did the recipes come from? How did you choose which dogs to feature?

The recipes are my own gathered from my long experience as a home cook and adapted to the concept of sharing human food with my dogs with only a slight difference in seasoning with vet approval. The dogs featured in the book were chosen to match the selected six international cuisines based on the history and origin of the most prominent breeds associated with the selected cuisines. Each breed and its relationship to its related international cuisine is explained through art quality photography and the history of each dog’s origin.

What resident chefs of which hotels have you been working with? How has the experience of working with chefs to create both dog and owner friendly dishes been?

The first edition of the book was featured at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, among art and photography books featuring Hollywood legends and famous artists. I wanted to offer dog friendly cuisine to match the quality of the human food demanded by the hotel’s famous and international flair.

I also started selling the book to pet boutiques, hotels, restaurants, bookstores and high-end specialty shops and venues. In my latest venture I am working directly with hotel owners, managers, and chefs as a consultant to advise on dog friendly and vet approved menus for their restaurants, cafes, and in-room dining to create great food and travel experiences for owners and their dogs.

A great example, combining the popularity of my book and my culinary advisory services for people and their dogs is my work with the Auberge group of hotels, particularly Bishop’s Lodge in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In our first European venture, the dog friendly yacht and vineyard tours and events arranged by Contessa Consulting, Italy (Gourmet Tourism) feature my book and its recipes as part of its touring and dining events.

Talk about the upcoming customized canine menus for regular and pop-up events at the Auberge hotel group — particularly at the Santa Fe property?

I have been having a blast going to rescue events and helping support dog rescue organizations through my charitable fund, Scarlett’s Hope, while working with different chefs and creating new dog friendly menus and recipes originating from the book. A copy of my original menu for the Bishop’s Lodge can be found in my Instagram account. A portion of my earnings from the book and dog cuisine services, are donated to Scarlett’s Hope for contribution to a wide variety of dog support charities.

By Chelsea Davis, Contributor