Comfort Food = Diner Fare

So as the iguanas go into a stupor and fall out of the trees due to the 40 degrees and below temperatures in Miami, I started thinking of winter “comfort” foods. You know, those dishes that make you feel safe, warm and so unstressed that it also puts you into that iguana stupor mentioned above! Having grown up in New England, most of my comfort foods are from the menus of diners. Those wonderful creamy, heavy and filling dishes from the plethora of stainless steel facade diners in southern Connecticut.  I remember sitting in long Naugahyde-covered booths and gray formica tables covered with paper placemats printed with Connecticut maps. There were mini juke boxes where you could for a quarter, listen to Michael Jackson’s sweet falsetto voice singing “Got to Be There” or “Rockin Robin” and simultaneously nosh on gravy-full tender pot roast with a ton of creamy mashed potatoes or the best grilled-to-order hamburger with the works and fries.  Then came time to pick dessert from glass display cases (some even rotated!) or from the many covered pie stands with giant portions of bakery bliss. These cake and pies  were usually topped with at least 3 inches of frosting and/or a mountain of whipped cream.  Heaven, I’m in heaven!!  Eating at diners certainly opened up my palate to different ethnic cuisines including Greek, Italian, Russian, Hungarian, Slovak, Irish and even Soul Food. One of my most favorite dishes was the Beef Stroganoff.  This entrée consisted of beef strips cooked in a sour cream sauce with onions and mushrooms and then served over hot buttered egg noodles or rice. Even the name “Straw-go-noff” still brings to mind a huge castle in Russia with Czars sitting at a lavish table feasting on this delicious recipe.
The origin of Beef Stroganoff has many legends. Many cuisine historians insist the dish by this specific name, was the creation of chef Charles Briere who worked for the Russian diplomat Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov, a member of one of Russia's grandest noble families. Chef Briere, while working for the Stroganov family in St. Petersburg, decided to submit his Beef Stroganoff recipe to L 'Art Culinaire competition in 1891, and won first prize award. This original recipe had beef, mushrooms and sour cream much like our present version. Legend has it that Beef Stroganoff was invented by the chef as a special dish to accommodate Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov’s misfortunate of having lost all his teeth!  Beef Stroganoff did not appear in English cookbooks until the early 1930’s and it was not until the late 1940s & 1950s that it became a popular American dinner party entrée. This was probably due to the fact that it was an elegant dish that could be prepared easily and in large quantities fairly inexpensively. Recipes varied from classic cuisine to “quickie” versions using hamburger meat and canned mushroom soups. The “red” Stroganoff seems to be an American version from the 1960s where tomatoes soup, paste or ketchup was added to the sauce tinting it pink. 
Beef Stroganoff is a classic Russian dish that has proved its delicious worth over centuries. Serve it with a nice Merlot or an American Cabernet Sauvignon wine. In today’s world where everyone is so fixated on caloric and fat content, eating a serving of Beef Stroganoff now and then is not a bad thing. Moderation is the key along with a healthy lifestyle so that once in awhile you can splurge. Remember that home cooking is healthier than eating fast or processed foods since you are in control of the ingredients and their preparation. You only live once, so enjoy one of life's pleasures such as Beef Stroganoff and К хорошей пище и хорошим временам! (Russian for “To good food and good times!”) Following is my kick butt recipe for Beef Stroganoff:


Beef Stroganoff with Parsley Buttered Noodles

By Maria A Rodriguez
 

1 – 2 lbs stew beef chunks, cubed round steak or beef tenderloin tips, cut into bite size pieces

1 c good red wine (merlot, cab, rioja…etc)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp fresh black pepper

1 ½ tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 – 3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced rings

1 c fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 can (14oz) reduced sodium beef broth, reserve 
½ cup for noodles

½ envelope of onion soup dry mix

1 can (10.75 ozs) cream of mushroom soup

1 can (15oz)  sweet green peas, drained and rinsed

½ cup sour cream

4 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature

16 oz package of wide egg noodles

Reserved beef broth

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 tbsp parsley flakes

Place meat in a shallow pan (i.e. pie pan) and pour the wine over it.  Let marinate for at least 2 hours, turning meat occasionally to insure all sides marinate. Drain meat and then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder or use 3 tsps of Adobo seasoning.  Place flour in a small sieve and shake gently back and forth over the meat, dusting it evenly.

In a large and deep skillet (reserve lid for use later) over medium heat, heat butter and olive oil until melted and foamy.  Place prepared meat in skillet and quickly brown pieces until almost no pink is evident. Remove the meat from the pan and place on a plate.  Add the garlic, onion and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté until onion is limp and tender.  Place meat back into skillet with the sautéed vegetables.  Add the mushroom soup and stir. Mix onion soup mix with beef broth and then add to skillet mixture.  Stir until well blended and cook covered over low heat for approximately 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  During last 5-7 minutes of cooking, add sour cream, cream cheese and peas.  Gently stir and finish cooking.

In a large pot, mix 3.5 quarts of fresh cold water, beef broth, salt and oil.  Over high heat, bring to a roaring boil.  Add egg noodles and cook for approximately 11 minutes or until tender.  Drain and place back in pot.  Add butter and parsley and gently toss until noodles are well covered.  

To serve, place a serving of noodles on a pre-heated dinner plate and spoon the desired amount of Beef Stroganoff over them.  
Yield:  8 generous servings.