Malaga-Style Swiss Chard

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to George in Poughkeepsie for passing this one along:

A man is walking his dog and passes a little restaurant. The
cooking smells are so tempting, he decides he would like to stop
for lunch, but the sign says no animals are permitted. After a couple
of moment's thought, he decided to brazen it out: he puts on a pair
of sunglasses, walks into the restaurant, with his dog on a leash
and asks to be seated. The waiter says, "I am sorry sir, but we
do not permit animals in the restaurant."

The man says, "But I'm blind, and this is my seeing-eye dog."

The waiter responds skeptically, "Your seeing eye dog? Sir, that
dog is a Chihuahua."

The man responds, "A Chihuahua? They gave me a Chihuahua?"

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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The Spanish term "a la Malaguena" (with a tilde over the "n") usually
indicates that the dish is made with the sweet raisins of the
muscatel grapes that the region is known for. You can seek these
out in gourmet shops if you're a stickler for authenticity, but regular
raisins will do fine.

Malaga-Style Swiss Chard (Acelgas a la Malaguena)

3 Tbs (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 lbs (900-1350 g) Swiss chard or spinach, thick stems
removed, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) raisins
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) toasted pine nuts (pignoli)
The juice of 1 lemon

Heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat and saute the garlic
for about 1 minute. Add the Swiss chard and saute until wilted, 2
to 3 minutes. Add the raisins, salt, and pepper and cook covered
until the chard is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve garnished with
toasted pine nuts and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Wed Feb 1 04:48:05 2006