Frank Picchione

Grilled Garlic Bread with Roasted Peppers & Basil

Dudley happily stayed with my mother in Wilton while I was on vacation in Capri and Taormina. Being a city dog, the opportunity to run in the grass is a welcome treat. When I returned he helped me plant this basil for her, which she used to top her perfectly grilled garlic bread with roasted red peppers.

Vegan Dog Treats

I just found these happy vegan dog treats for Dudley. He loves them, and they are super low in calories. I think a homemade batch of these may be my next kitchen project.

Dudley

Dudley looked so handsome after his spring haircut I shot a couple portraits that show off his stately beard.

Piglet & Pup

This is the cutest, happiest, luckiest piglet in the world and the friend who helped safe him.

Dudley on the Run!

It was 54 degrees today, so Dudley and I decided to break the law by playing fetch off leash in Carl Schurz Park.

Dr. Frank - The Bush Doctor

Cam, Chris and I met Dr. Frank earlier this month on our way from Lake Manyara in Tanzania back to the Kilimanjaro Airport. Oddly, my traveling companions had run out of their malaria meds and had to get their hands on more pills before moving on to Zanzibar. Dr. Frank's facility was cheerful and busy, with many people waiting to be seen. The three of us were struck by how genuinely happy and warm this man was. He knew we were rushing to catch our flights and helped us out immediately. Then he took a moment to step outside and say hello to a scraggly dog I was feeding a piece of cake to. As we drove off we talked about how fulfilled he must feel every day, living in that beautiful country and making a difference in so many lives.

Katherine Heigl Hates Balls

Katherine's 'I Hate Balls' campaign aims to reduce the number of pets killed in shelters by promoting spaying and neutering. Click here to learn more about this important cause.

Several years ago Katherine and her mother Nancy founded the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation. Chief among the organizations many endeavors has been the diligent fight to change policies, bring awareness and stop the unnecessary euthanization of healthy adoptable animals in the city and county of Los Angeles.

In her blog she questions whether society as a whole is also culpable to some degree for abandoned, forgotten and abused animals - not just the abusers, the reckless or the thoughtless - as millions of healthy adoptable companion pets are killed every year in shelters due to overcrowding.

Cornmeal & Olive Oil Cake with Rosemary Poached Pears

Over the weekend I made my favorite cornmeal and olive oil cake for my mother's birthday dinner. It is a dense, moist cake with notes of honey and lemon. In the summer I serve it with poached peaches, but this time I topped the cake with slices bosc pears I had poached in a honey-lemon syrup infused with fresh rosemary sprigs.

Remembering Harry

Today, January 5th, 2012, is the sad day we lost Dudley's cousin Harry. Harry was a sweet dog with a gentle soul and a soft coat. I felt calm when I rested my hand on his smooth head. I will always remember that feeling.

Harry was just a few months older than Dudley. We took these photos seven years ago, when I'd had Dudley for only a week, and I brought him out to Connecticut to meet the family. I remember it like yesterday because Olivia was pretending to have pierced ears and we all went along with it.

Whiskers

Dudley really is a fun dog to photograph because he'll sit perfectly still while tilting his head inquisitively from side to side as I ask him one silly question after another with each click of the camera.