Damsel > wrote:

> Very odd. Must be something with my ISP.

I'd say this is extremely far-fetched. You can easily check this by
just trying it with another newsreader (or even the same one), with no
filtering enabled.

ObFood: Zuppa alla Valdostana, a "hearty dish that is halfway between a
soup and a casserole", from _The Food of North Italy_ by Luigi
Veronelli. "Don't make it with canned broth - it just won't have the
same flavour". BTW, I'm sure that "rock salt" called for in the recipe
is a mistranslation and coarse (kosher) salt is called for. In any
case, I don't think the type of salt matters very much in the recipe.

Victor

Zuppa alla Valdostana

3 lb (1 1/2 kg) beef shoulder
8 cups (2 litres) cold water
1 medium carrot, roughly cubed
1 medium onion, unpeeled and cut into 8 equal pieces
1 small leek, cut in half
1 rib celery, leaf and stems cut in half
4 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon rock salt
1/2 head of Savoy cabbage, about 1 2/3 lb (800 g)
2 tablespoons butter
1 lb (500 g) packet thinly sliced black bread
3 cups (375 g) thinly sliced Fontina Valdostana cheese
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place beef in a large saucepan with the cold water, adding more water if
necessary so that beef is just covered. Place over high heat and bring
to a boil, carefully skimming foam. Add carrot onion, leek, celery,
black peppercorns, and rock salt, return to the boil, then reduce heat
and simmer for 2 hours, skimming foam occasionally. If necessary, add a
cup or so of boiling water during this time so that meat is just covered
with liquid.

Remove from heat and skim fat from surface. Remove meat from cooking
liquid and reserve for another use. Strain broth and reserve
vegetables. Set broth aside and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4).

Break the head of cabbage down to its leaves. Bring a large saucepan of
water to a boil and add the reserved vegetables. Add the cabbage leaves
and boil until _al dente_. Remove cabbage, drain and cut into thin
strips. Arrange on a large clean dishtowel to dry. Strain cooking
liquid, discard vegetables and reserve cooking liquid for another use.

Generously butter a 13-cup (3 1/4 litre) capacity, deep casserole dish.
Arrange one-third of the bread slices on the bottom, cover with
one-third of the sliced cabbage, and then one-third of the cheese.
Repeat layers ending with a layer of cheese. Pour in 2 1/2 cups (625
ml) of the warm broth and sprinkle the top with cinnamon.

Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top and firm. Remove
from the oven and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.