Tuna Noodle Casserole & Authentic Texas Chili

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a classic food funny from "Hufferslam":

A newly married man watched as his wife prepared their first dinner ham
since marriage, and she cut off one inch of ham from each end of the
rectangular piece.

"Why do you cut that off? It looks good to me!"

"Love, my mother did that since she was a little girl, and her hams were
always moist and tender!"

The subject was forgotten in the love of most newlyweds. Months later,
at Mother-in-Law's house for some family meal, he noticed her doing the
same, and asked why.

"Son, I learned to do that when I was a girl from my mother, and she
always had juicy and tender hams, and so have I." He dropped it for the
moment, but later in the day they visited Grandma in the nursing home.

"Grandma? Why did you cut the end pieces off your ham? Was that to keep
it moist and tender?"

"Silly boy," she said in her heavily accented English, "that's how big my pot was!"

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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Here is a classic American dish that usually calls for a can or two of
the dreaded canned condensed you-know-what, but this recipe uses a
béchamel sauce instead. I'm sure that you'll agree that the added effort
is well worthwhile in terms of flavor and nutrition.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

For the topping:
2 cups (500 ml) bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups (375 ml, 3 sticks) melted butter
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbs (30 ml) finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the filling:
2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil or butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper (capsicum), cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 green bell pepper (capsicum), cored, seeded, and finely chopped
12 oz (335 g) sliced mushrooms
1 lb (450 g) wide egg noodles
3 6-oz (170 g) white tuna (preferably packed in oil), drained

For the sauce:
3 Tbs (45 ml) butter
3 Tbs (45 ml) all-purpose flour
4 cups (1 L) milk
1/2 tsp (2 ml) celery seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Combine the ingredients for the topping in a bowl, stir to combine, and set aside.

To make the filling, heat the oil in a large skillet over moderate heat
and saute the onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms until tender but not
browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Cook the noodles in
boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain, and add to the vegetable
mixture along with the drained tuna. Set aside.

To make the sauce, heat the butter in a pot over moderate heat and stir
in the flour. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add the milk,
celery seeds, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne and bring to a boil,
stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes,
stirring frequently. Add the sauce to the filling mixture and stir to
combine thoroughly.

Pour the filling into a greased 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) and sprinkle with
the topping. Bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven until the top is
golden brown and the center is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Serves 6 to 8.

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In Texas, where chili purists abound, adding tomatoes or beans, or using
ground beef, are all things that only a greenhorn would do to a good
"bowl o' red." This version is much closer to the way chili might have
been served to the cowhands from the chuck wagon.

Authentic Texas Chili

2 oz (55 g) dried whole chiles such as pasilla, guajillo, or New Mexico chiles
2 tsp (10 ml) cumin seed, toasted in a dry skillet and ground
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) lard or vegetable oil
2 lbs (900 g) beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes
1 onion, finely chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups (500 ml) beef stock
2 cups (500 ml) water
2 Tbs (30 ml) masa harina*
1 Tbs (15 ml) brown sugar
1 Tbs (15 ml) white vinegar
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

* Available in the flour section of most supermarkets and Hispanic grocery stores

Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over moderate heat just until they
change color and become fragrant. Place in a bowl, cover with hot water,
and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the chiles and remove the stems and
seeds. Place in an electric blender with the cumin, salt, and pepper and
puree to make a thick paste, adding a little of the soaking liquid or
water if necessary. Set the chile paste aside.

Heat the lard in a large pot over high heat and brown the beef in
batches, transferring it to a plate as it is done. When all the beef has
been browned, reduce the heat and saute the onion and garlic to the same
pot until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved beef, beef
stock, water, masa harina, and the reserved chili paste, stirring to
combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and
simmer uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the brown
sugar and vinegar. At this point there should be about 2 cups of liquid.
Let the chili stand for at least 30 minutes, during which time the meat
will absorb about half of the remaining liquid. The sauce should be
thick and barely fluid, and it may be adjusted with a little more masa
harina if it is too thin, and with a little water or beef stock if you
think it is too thick. Adjust the seasoning with cumin, salt, pepper,
brown sugar, or vinegar as needed. Reheat before serving, topped with a
dollop of sour cream if desired.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Thu Jul 26 12:58:43 2007