Ah, Monday!

From Fox News:

British man reportedly arrested for 'frying hamster'

Police and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) were investigating Monday after law enforcement officers found the creature lying dead in a frying pan in the man's kitchen, in the city of York. 

They made the grim discovery after the unnamed 20 year old was detained for being drunk and disorderly -- and officers inspected his student apartment. The man was arrested on suspicion of a further offense of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, The York Press reported.

While I'm unequivocally against cooking live animals, except for lobsters and progressives, who, let's face it, don't count, inquiring minds wonder about the recipe...I wasn't able to find said recipe specifically for fried hamster, but I did find this one — strangely enough, on a UK food site — for fried guinea pigs, which always struck me as great big hamsters:

Fried Guinea Pig (Ayacucho-style)

CUY CHAQTADO

1 guinea pig, de-haired, gutted, and cleaned

1/2 c. flour

1/4 - 1/2 t. ground cumin

salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 c. oil

Pat dry the skin of the guinea pig and rub in the cumin, salt, and pepper. Preheat oil. Dust the carcass with the flour and place it on its back in the oil, turning to cook both sides.

Alternately, the guinea pig can be cut and fried in quarters.

Serve with boiled potato or boiled manioc root, and a salad of cut tomatoes and slivered onions bathed in lime juice and a bit of salt. Have cold beer on hand.

Me, I'd be going with wine, especially since the site notes that in Peru duplications of the Last Supper clearly show guinea pig as the main course. I might go with Seleccion Especial red from Peru's oldest vineyard, keeping with this whole South American theme.

Anyway, how does "hamster" come off as protected, and "guinea pig" comes off as dinner? I mean, let's say you're in the mood for guinea pig and, OMG!, none are available and the pet stores are closed. Isn't hamster a reasonable alternative? I mean, you'd have to cut the seasoning in half and all...

I'm sorry...it is Monday. I'm going to take the screen out of my office window, fill up the tank of my air rifle and go stalk the elusive dead tree trunk...maybe I'll get lucky and nail a capybara.

(Image courtesy DeviantArt)