I can picture it now… with my left eye…

Belgian Carbonade Flamande – Beef and Beer Stew

A rich Flemish beef stew slow-cooked with onions, dark beer, and mustard — sweet, savory, and traditionally served with fries or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

* 800g beef chuck, cubed
* 3 onions, sliced
* 2 tbsp Dijon or whole grain mustard
* 500ml dark Belgian beer (e.g. dubbel or brown ale)
* 2 slices bread (for thickening)
* 2 tbsp butter
* Thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper

Instructions:

1. Brown beef in butter and set aside.
2. Sauté onions until caramelized. Return beef, add herbs and beer.
3. Spread mustard on bread slices, place on top.
4. Cover and simmer 2–3 hours until beef is tender. Stir in soaked bread as it dissolves into sauce.
5. Serve with fries or mashed potatoes.

Belgian Tip:
For authenticity, use Pain d'épices (spiced bread) instead of plain bread.

Went berry picking but everything reminds you of her

Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, has an unusual and often misunderstood rule: dying there is strongly discouraged due to extreme permafrost conditions.

The town lies in the Arctic Circle, where the ground remains permanently frozen (permafrost), making traditional burial unsafe.

When bodies are buried in such frozen conditions, decomposition slows drastically or even halts entirely.

In fact, during a flu epidemic in 1918, bodies were buried in Longyearbyen's cemetery, and decades later, scientists found that the virus strains remained preserved in those corpses—raising public health concerns.

Because of this, Longyearbyen officially stopped allowing burials in 1950.

If someone is terminally ill or close to death, they are typically flown to mainland Norway to pass away. The town does not have the infrastructure to handle death in the usual way, and cremation or mainland burial is required instead.

Peruvian Sudado de Pescado – Steamed Fish in Spicy Tomato Broth

A classic coastal Peruvian dish, Sudado de Pescado is a steamed fish stew made with tomatoes, chilies, and lime — light, aromatic, and full of citrusy depth.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

* 4 white fish fillets (sea bass, snapper, or hake)
* 2 tomatoes, sliced
* 1 red onion, sliced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1–2 aji amarillo or red chili peppers, sliced
* ½ cup fish stock or water
* Juice of 1 lime
* Fresh cilantro, salt, pepper
* 2 tbsp oil

Instructions:

1. In a deep skillet, heat oil and sauté onion, garlic, and chilies until soft.
2. Add tomatoes, cook briefly, then add fish fillets.
3. Pour in stock, season, cover, and steam 8–10 minutes until fish is tender.
4. Finish with lime juice and cilantro. Serve with white rice or boiled cassava.

Peruvian Tip:
Let the stew rest for 5 minutes after cooking to allow the flavors to meld.