土豆燒熟了，再加牛肉

        你還記得初中課文裏的毛主席詩詞《念奴嬌·鳥兒問答》，有一句“還有吃的，土豆燒熟了，再加牛肉。” 當時怎麽也想像不出，這東西有什麽好吃的。如果說“還有吃的，紅燒肉一盤“，那還會覺得共產主義真不錯。當時心裏疑疑惑惑，權且當作它是個好吃的東西吧。
        直到後來嫁給了一個3/4 的德國人，才明白土豆加牛肉是個什麽東西。它是一道匈牙利菜， Goulash，在德國它又叫Gulasch, Rindergulasch or Gulaschsuppe 。忙讓我不太正宗的德國丈夫燒來讓我嚐嚐共產主義。味道還不錯。如果當時毛主席真的嚐過，他老人家不見得會如此鄙視它，”不須放屁“。他老人家從未說過如此鄙俗的話。我把Goulash摘錄在此，一是想給他正個名，二是讓大夥實現一下共產主義。

注：請在資本主義寒冷的冬天享受這道菜，否則。。。

Gulasch
serves 7-8

800 g beef, in small cubes
2 onions, in small dice
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
100 g tomato paste
2 litres of hot beef stock
4 bellpeppers (2 red and 2 yellow)
1 kg potatoes, finely diced
paprika
chipotle chili
dried herbs - oregano, thyme, sage, basil
salt
cayenne pepper
cooking oil

Heat up a little bit of oil in a very big pot. Fry the onion and garlic gently. Add the beef, a little at a time, and let it brown. Add the stock - and this should be warm, so it doesn't cool everything down. Add the tomato paste, the peppers and the potatoes, and any spices you want to use.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for at least an hour, and then let it stand and rest for another hour. (Or two, or three - this will just improve the flavor. Indeed, leave it over night if you can!) Heat up right before serving, and serve with aïoli and a good garlic bread.　　　　

Recipe Two:

• 2 pounds beef stew meat (such as chuck), trimmed and cubed
  2 teaspoons caraway seeds
  1 1/2 tablespoons sweet or hot paprika (or a mixture of the two), preferably Hungarian (see Ingredient Note)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Place beef in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Crush caraway seeds with the bottom of a saucepan. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the beef with the spice mixture and toss to coat well. Top with onion and bell pepper.

2. Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer. Pour over the beef and vegetables. Place bay leaves on top. Cover and cook until

the beef is very tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours on high or 7 to 7 1/2 hours on low.

3. Discard the bay leaves; skim or blot any visible fat from the surface of the stew. Add the cornstarch mixture to the stew and cook on high, stirring 2 or 3 times, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Ingredient Note: Paprika specifically labeled as "Hungarian" is worth seeking out for this dish because it delivers a fuller, richer flavor than regular or Spanish paprika. Find it at specialty-foods store or online at HungarianDeli.com and penzeys.com.