Argentinean Beef Stew

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Carl Wallander for sharing this modern myth with us:

Scientists at NASA built a gun specifically to launch standard 4 pound
dead chickens at the windshields of airliners, military jets and the
space shuttle, all traveling at maximum velocity. The idea is to
simulate the frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to
test the strength of the windshields.

British engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the
windshields of their new high speed trains. Arrangements were made,
and a gun was sent to the British engineers.

When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken
hurled out of the barrel, crashed into the shatterproof shield,
smashed it to smithereens, blasted through the control console,
snapped the engineer's back-rest in two, and embedded itself in the
back wall of the cabin like an arrow shot from a bow.

The horrified Brits sent NASA a video of the disastrous results of the
experiment, along with the design specifications of the windshield and
begged the US scientists for suggestions.

NASA responded with a one-line memo - "Defrost the chicken!"

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Below is a good example of the recipes from the family vault that are
contained in Archive #1. My family discovered this dish when we lived
in Uruguay in the mid-'60s, and it has been one of our "special
occasion" meals for over 40 years. Here is the recipe as it
originally appeared in the ezine on October 29, 1998:

You can basically use your favorite recipe for beef stew, with the
addition of the peaches and corn on the cob, and served in the pumpkin
shell as described below. Whatever you do, don't omit the peaches.
They make this dish unique and add a wonderful dimension of sweetness.

Argentinean Beef Stew (Carbonada)

3 Tbs (45 ml) butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 lb (700 g) tender beef, cut in cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 white potatoes, peeled and diced
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups beef broth, consomme, or red wine
8 peach halves (fresh or canned)
4 ears of corn on the cob, cut into 1 in (2 cm) pieces
1 6-8 lb (3-4 kg) pumpkin, top removed and seeds and
membranes removed

Heat the butter in a large, heavy pot over moderate heat. Add the
garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes, until tender but now browned.
Add the tomatoes, pepper, beef, salt and pepper and let cook for 15
minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and sweet potatoes
and broth or wine. Stir and lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes,
stirring occasionally and adding more liquid if necessary. Add the
peach halves and the corn and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, butter the rim of the pumpkin and salt and pepper the
inside liberally. Place in a large oven proof serving dish and bake
in a 350F (180C) oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the flesh is tender
but still firm and still offers resistance to a fork. Do not allow
the pumpkin to become too soft or it will collapse. Fill the pumpkin
with the stew and serve immediately, including some of the cooked
pumpkin with each portion. Hint: I recommend you bake and serve the
pumpkin in the same dish to avoid breaking the pumpkin by handling it,
and in a dish large enough to hold the stew in case the pumpkin
bursts. Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Thu Feb 3 06:14:12 2005