A Hearty Wintertime Favorite
It’s early March. In many parts of the country, that means there are starting to be hints that spring is in the air. Here, in the mountains? Not so much. We’ve been watching it snow all morning. We have about 10″ of new snow in the yard. It’s beautiful, to say the least. But it’s definitely not spring. Regardless of what the calendar says, it is still very much winter here.
We eat differently in the winter than we do, say, in the summer. Hearty, stick-to-your-ribs food, served with robust red wine, somehow seems appropriate when the temperatures are low and the snow accumulation is knee-deep. This winter, beef stroganoff has become one my go-to dishes when friends are in town. It’s super easy to make but it’s one of those dishes that tastes and presents like you went to a whole lot of trouble.
This is one of my favorites. Which is a remarkable statement for me, given that I don’t like mushrooms. I can’t think of many situations where I’d actually eat a mushroom, except in this dish. I’m not sure where my aversion to them started. Maybe because they are also known as toadstools. Okay, not very appetizing. Or because they are fungus. Okay, absolutely not appetizing. All I can think is that they grew everywhere where I grew up (Seattle) and I’d walk through the grass kicking them with my little saddle shoes. I just never looked down and thought, “Gee, I’d love to eat one of those.” Until now. This recipe has converted me. At least to the point where I’ll eat a mushroom if it comes to the party with top sirloin, beef broth, butter and onions as its date.
