Mock kitten recipe offends MU staff

Thursday, December 9, 2010

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A mock recipe calling for boneless kitten meat that landed in a University of Missouri internal newsletter has riled some on campus.

“Kung Pao Kitten” was one of two featured “Recipes of the Month” in the December issue of Staff Spotlight, a staff newsletter within MU School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery. The newsletter was sent to about 90 employees.

The recipe is similar to kung pao chicken but instead calls for kitten halves to be chunked and marinated in white wine, soy sauce and oil and combined with water chestnuts and peanuts. There’s a disclaimer under the recipe that reads: “The tastes and opinions within the Staff Spotlight do not necessarily represent those of all contributors. No animals were hurt in the making of this Spotlight.”

School spokesman Rich Gleba said it was not supposed to be taken seriously.

Staff members apparently weren’t amused. An anonymous complaint sent to a Columbia newspaper along with a copy of the newsletter said employees found the recipe “extremely offensive, discriminatory, tasteless and not something that should have been distributed in a professional environment.”

David Kubiak, a care coordinator within the surgery department, submitted the recipe, according to the newsletter. Kubiak referred questions to Gleba.

A formal statement from the department said the “material is inappropriate and insensitive, and the staff member responsible for sending it apologized minutes after it was distributed.”

Gleba would not say whether any disciplinary actions were taken against Kubiak or employees who printed the newsletter. Kubiak is still employed by the university.

Roger Worthington, assistant deputy chancellor and chief diversity officer, learned of the incident from a Columbia Tribune reporter. With thousands of employees on campus and within the health system, it’s not surprising to have “somebody who may not be as culturally sophisticated as we would like,” he said.

These issues provide opportunities for quick lessons about cultural sensitivity, Worthington said.

In general, he said the School of Medicine has been a leader in diversity efforts over the past several years, including forming a task force to promote diversity.

The feline recipe has administrators rethinking how the monthly Staff Spotlight is put together.

Right now, an employee collects recipes and other information, such as birthdays and fitness tips, from staff members and distributes it in newsletter form without administrative oversight. In the future, Gleba said, administrators will review that content first.

More like this story

herewego 2 years, 5 months ago

What a bunch of i_dits, and at a taxpayer funded school too. I want my tax money back if this is all they can do! should fire the lot of em and replace them with someone that has some sense about who they work for.

misshoneybee 2 years, 5 months ago

I agree with you, herewego. If these ding-a-lings work in the university system, then they work for the state. Any other state agency would likely have given them the axe. And these are supposed to be well-read, educated people. Just 'cause someone's got a degree, don't necessarily make them smart. Put some pink slips in some hands and move forward.

nunyabidness 2 years, 5 months ago

That, herewego, or people could stop making a federal case out of every little thing they don't care for. This was meant to be a joke. Don't think it's funny? Roll your eyes and get on with your life.

Every time something like this comes up I think of that old country song:

"But I'm for love. And I'm for happiness. And I'm for...if you don't like it can't you just let it pa-ss?"

Sounds like good advice to me.

3blindmice 2 years, 5 months ago

pff. everybody knows you don't marinate kittens in white wine sauce

Moblogger 2 years, 5 months ago

Just go to Google and type in Kung Pao Kitty :)

nunyabidness 2 years, 5 months ago

Yeah and if your aunt was a man she'd be your uncle. It doesn't say that chickadee. Seems like you're just trying to pick a fight.

asb 2 years, 5 months ago

Religeous tool of carbon energy waco, livefree. Environmental non-whaco - most of PETA, WWF, Greenpeace and anyone who thinks our culture has long passed the need to torture animals for food, anyone who can clearly see man-made global warming and doesn't listen to or schill for the carbon energy industry, and anyone who can worship the Earth and all of creation along with some version of God . . . not livefree.

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