Indian Curried Carrots &
Eastern European Mushrooms in Sour Cream

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a good one from Rosemary Zwick of Cape Town, South Africa:

A boy is about to go on his first date, and is nervous about what to
talk about. He asks his father for advice. The father replies, "Son,
there are three subjects that always work. These are food, family, and
philosophy."

The boy picks up his date and they go to a soda fountain. Ice cream
sodas in front of them, they stare at each other for a long time, as the
boy's nervousness builds. He remembers his father's advice, and chooses
the first topic.

He asks the girl, "Do you like potato pancakes?"

She says, "No." And the silence returns.

After a few more uncomfortable minutes, the boy thinks of his father's
suggestion and turns to the second item on the list.

He asks, "Do you have a brother?"

Again, the girl says, "No." And there is silence once again.

The boy then plays his last card. He thinks of his father's advice and
asks the girl, "If you had a brother, do you think he would he like
potato pancakes?"

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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Although this dish hails from India, you'll find that it goes well
with any type of food. Don't be intimidated by the amount of garlic
in this recipe - it mellows and adds an exotic touch to the dish.

Indian Curried Carrots

1-1 1/2 lbs (450-675 g) carrots, thinly sliced
12-16 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
2 Tbs (30 ml) ghee or butter
1 Tbs (15 ml) garam masala or curry powder, or to taste
Salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil over high
heat. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the carrots are
tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking
until all the water has evaporated and the carrots are glazed.
Serves 4 to 6.

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Mushrooms are extremely popular throughout Eastern Europe
where gathering them in the woods borders on a national fixation
in some places. Any store-bought mushrooms or combination of
mushrooms will do fine if you're not in the habit of hunting your
own. This recipe makes an excellent side dish on its own, but
consider also using it as a sauce for boiled noodles or rice.

Eastern European Mushrooms in Sour Cream

4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 lb (450 g) mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbs (15 ml) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream
1 Tbs (15 ml) lemon juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh dill

Heat the butter in a skillet over moderate heat and saute the onion
until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt,
and pepper and saute until the mushrooms have given up most of their
liquid, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add
the sour cream and lemon juice and simmer - do not boil - for 5 minutes.
Stir in the dill and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Wed Apr 11 08:36:54 2007