You Make It How?!?

A friend forwarded this article from a small town Louisiana newspaper. It brought back all kinds of memories of personal essays and "Happenings" type of columns I remember reading at my grandmother's house. Do you know the kind? The so-and-so had a baby and received visits from this person and that person. Or the "first grade class took a field trip to the museum and learned all about birds" type of reporting. Kind of charming, really.

The author of this column details her sister-in-law's surgery (tumor the size of a fist) and the author's own unfortunate accident that resulted in a black eye and dislocated shoulder. She says that once the drugs wore off enough all she wanted to cook was this classic comfort food: Beef Stroganoff.

Now kudos to her for even cooking after such a bad accident. But as a Beef Stroganoff connoiseur (it was my birthday meal of choice all the way from elementary school to college), I have to say I think she does it wrong!

Here's her recipe:

3 Tbsp. cooking oil (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 lb. tenderized round steak, cut into bite size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
8 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1-2 cups water
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Sprinkle of dry basil (optional)
1/2pint sour cream
Cooked noodles

Brown steak in hot oil; add onions and mushrooms and continue to cook until they are tender. Add remaining ingredients except sour cream. Simmer approximately 1 hour or until meat is tender. Turn heat down and gradually blend in sour cream so it does not curdle; continue to cook until heated through. Serve over cooked noodles.

I make mine with Cream of Mushroom soup, not tomato sauce. What camp are you in? Tomatoes? Cream?