Jamaican Pumpkin Soup

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to reader Erika Sparkle for this one:

A man got a job as a security guard at a large restaurant. There had
been a lot of thefts by the staff, and so every evening when the staff
were leaving, it was his job to check their bags and pockets to make
sure that nothing was being stolen. Things were going along very well
the first day on the job until a woman carrying several plates of
pasta covered in aluminium foil went to leave. Aha, he thought, that
woman thinks she can cover up what she is stealing with that foil. So
he removed it only to find leftover pasta. Still he felt that the
lady was acting strangely, so he questioned her about the food.

"I can't bear to see all that left over food go to waste so every
night I go through the leftovers and wrap some up to give to the
needy." The guard let her pass, but decided to keep a close eye on
her.

The next night it was the same, and the night after that. Week after
week it went on. The same woman would carry plates of left over food
passed the guard. The guard would always check and find nothing but
food. Then one night, about a year later, the guard reported for work
only to find a message had been left for him telling him to report to
the supervisor. He walked into the supervisor's office and before he
could say a word, the boss said, "You're fired!"

"Fired?" he asked in total surprise. "Why? What did I do?"

"It was your job to make sure that no one stole anything from this
restaurant and you have failed. So, you're fired."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean failed? Nobody ever stole anything
from this place while I was on guard!"

"Oh, really," the boss answered. "Then how do you account for the
fact that there are 105 plates missing?"

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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The West Indian squash known as "calabaza" is easy to find here in
southern Florida, but I realize it isn't as widely available elsewhere.
You can substitute any winter squash such as Hubbard or butternut
squash in this recipe with excellent results.

Jamaican Pumpkin Soup

4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
2 medium onions, chopped
5 cups (1.25 L) chicken stock
2 lbs (900 g) West Indian calabaza, peeled, seeded, and diced
A grating of fresh nutmeg
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk

Heat the butter in a large pot over moderate heat and saute the onion
until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock,
calabaza, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the squash is very soft,
about 45 minutes. Press the soup through a fine sieve or puree in
batches in an electric blender or food processor. Stir in the cream
and bring to a simmer before serving. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Tue Apr 12 05:53:06 2005