Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff has been a popular dish in America for more than sixty years. Its name is attributed to nineteenth century Russian diplomat, Count Paul Stroganoff, though most believe its origin was a century earlier. There is even some evidence that it may have had its beginnings in Hungary. The dish first appeared in two American cookbooks in 1939, but these recipes used sweet, not sour, cream. The 1943 edition of the Joy of Cooking has a recipe with the correct ingredients, sour cream, beef, onions, and mushrooms.

I’ve had a lot of Beef Stroganoff in my life. Growing up in a large family on one income, we didn’t eat much beef, but mom cooked Stroganoff occasionally. For many years, in college and after, I cooked it with inexpensive cuts like round steak, which usually made it pretty tough. My former mother-in-law, Nancy Stinson, used to cook it for us with filet mignon, which required a quick sauté to maintain tenderness.

Until recently, I hadn’t cook Beef Stroganoff for many years, and I’ve discovered a recipe of the Food Channel’s Tyler Florence that I like very much. It’s pretty traditional, except that instead of quick sautéing a tender cut, pieces of chuck are browned, flamed with cognac then simmered with onions for a couple of hours, partially covered, in a beef broth that has been heated with thyme, carrots, and a bayleaf. The result is very tender beef that is combined with sautéed mushrooms, sour cream, Dijon mustard, and parsley, then served over wide noodles. Outstanding!

Here's a link to the full recipe:

http://tinyurl.com/29q94m

Healthy Hot Dogs?

Everyone who knows me well is aware that I love hot dogs. I’ll take all different kinds, from the so-called gourmet dogs to those big boys that they sell at 7-11. Hot dog eating doesn’t come without guilt, however, as most franks are laced with bad stuff like nitrates and filler. So I was intrigued when I tried a sample at Trader Joe’s of their Uncured Beef Hot Dogs, which according to the package are nitrate free, with no fillers, gluten, msg, antibiotics or hormones. Not only that, but my sample tasted great!

They’re not cheap, four bucks for a package of eight, but I brought one home and tried them today. The best way to cook hot dogs is to grill them, but I chose to steam mine. I like having two dogs because I can dress them up differently. On one I put Dijon mustard, red onion, sliced dill pickle, and halved cherry tomatoes. I also added a few Tai chilies I keep just for this purpose. On the other I put some grainy mustard, onion, and sweet pickle relish. Both were marvelous, and the flavor of the dogs stood up to all my additions. They went great with one of my favorite chips, Kettle Chips Yogurt and Green Onion.

Guilt free hot dogs? Well, it ain't health food, but it's a step in the right direction.