Carpaccio

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Rosemary Zwick of Cape Town, South Africa for this musical
food funny:

DOUGH - The stuff that buys me beer.
RAY - The guy that sells me beer.
ME - The guy who drinks the beer
FAR - The distance to my beer.
SO - I think I'll have a beer.
LA - La la la la la la beer.
TEA - No thanks, I'm drinking beer.

That will bring us back to...

(Looks into an empty glass) DOH!

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Man, do I like beef. I really like beef, and I'm not alone. Americans
eat more beef than any other meat, and as beef exports grow from
year to year, American beef is being enjoyed by more people
around the world than ever before. I haven't bothered with a side
dish or dessert this week because I wanted an all-beef menu, so here
is the lineup:

Monday's Starter
Carpaccio

Tuesday's Soup or Salad
Basic Beef Stock

Wednesday's Entree
Asian-Style Short Ribs

Thursday's Entree
Daube de Boeuf

Friday's Dessert
Stir-Fried Orange Beef

Sometime back in the '80s someone started calling any thinly-sliced
raw meat "carpaccio" and we wound up with a whole bunch of tuna, duck,
and salmon "carpaccios" on the menus of restaurants whose only goal is
to follow every passing food fad. This matter got so out of hand that
restaurants began specifying "beef carpaccio" to distinguish it from
its inappropriate namesakes. (For the record, "beef carpaccio" is
redundant because carpaccio is, by definition, thinly sliced raw
beef.) Named for the Italian Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio
because he used a palate of reds and whites, this dish is a genuine
Italian classic - if you make it with beef.

Carpaccio

1/2 lb (225 g) beef fillet (filet mignon), in 1 piece
Extra-virgin olive oil to taste
Salt and freshly grated pepper to taste
3 Tbs (45 ml) capers, drained (optional)
3 Tbs (45 ml) finely chopped onion or scallion (optional)
Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)
Lemon wedged for garnish

Wrap the beef tightly in plastic wrap and place in the freezer until
very firm and almost frozen, about 1 hour. Slice as thinly as
possible with a very sharp knife. The slices should be almost
transparent, so flatten them by pounding them gently if you aren't
able to slice them thinly enough. Arrange the slices on serving
plates and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Season with salt and
pepper and add capers, chopped onion, or Parmesan curls if desired.
Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Mon Apr 25 08:39:40 2005