When people gather to toast my health and roast my character at my eightieth birthday gala, they'll say many kind things about me.
They'll joke that my years of tertiary study were well spent in my eventual career mowing lawns as a turf farmer.
They'll laugh at the unfortunate haircut that I sported in Japan after something was lost in the translation at the hairdresser.
They may even remember fondly that I was an alright cook at one point. But, they will not make mention of my illustrious sporting career. Simply, because I am not much of a sportswoman. If I were, perhaps this blog would be a Cooker and a Catch. But it's not, OK? Stop throwing things!
When Mum and Dad vacated our childhood home a few years ago, they returned the trophies that I amassed during my adolescent sporting endeavours. Among the highlights was a lovely silver number that declares me a valued team player of the Under 13 Bulimba Women's Hockey team (1991). Others declare me The Best of the Rest and one even Runner Up of The Best of the Rest! This pretty much sums up my sporting ventures - I showed up; mostly because Mum diligently drove me to and from training and the big game.
Nevertheless, our achievements - sporting and otherwise - were always celebrated. If we scored the winning goal (in my case unlikely) or if we did well on an exam (more my style), Mum would cook a celebratory dinner and we got to choose the menu. My brothers' sporting prowess* and my science nerdom, ensured that Mum was often cooking something special. Nine times out of ten it was this - her speciality - beef stroganoff. A meal that's become the dinner that celebrates homecomings, announcements and lots and lots of birthdays.
*no Ant, that is not an accidental slip of the apostrophe, I'm counting you!
beef stroganoff - like my mum makes
Mum and Dad did not write this recipe - it originated in the Australian Women's Weekly Best Ever Recipes cook book, but over the years this recipe has become such a part of the Cootes psyche that the AWW Test Kitchen call Mausie and JC for pointers. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
700 gms beef steak (rump/fillet)
125 gms butter
olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
500 gms button mushrooms, sliced
180mls cup water
2 beef stock cubes
2 tbs tomato paste
300ml tub of sour cream
1 teaspoon cornflour
salt and pepper to taste
Mausie's method:
Thinly slice the steak. (JC always pops the steak in the freezer for a few minutes before he cuts it - it makes it easier to slice finely.)
Heat half the butter and a splash of olive oil in a large fry pan. Add a quarter of the sliced steak and brown quickly. Remove the steak, put aside and repeat with the remaining meat. Dad is always fastidious about not making the batches too big - the difference between good and awesome is making sure that you don't stew the steak.
Add the remaining butter to the pan and sauté until translucent. Add the mushrooms until the mushrooms are cooked and have released their liquid. Return the meat to the pan, with the tomato paste, stock cubes and water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.
Combine sour cream and cornflour in a bowl. Gradually add to the pan, stirring until the mixture boils and thickens. Simmer for a further five minutes.
Serve with pasta.
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Beef Stroganoff be served at my eightieth birthday party. I only hope my teeth go the distance, so I'm not surreptitiously sucking bits of steak. Forty-seven years is a lot of (as yet) unwritten material, I wonder what other bits of hilarity my roasters will bring up. I plan on being a very eccentric old lady so I don't think they'll be fishing for laughs.
Speaking of fishing, I hope this sporting victory gets a mention.
Les Glover Memorial 2011
what will they laugh about at your eightieth birthday?
want to come to mine? (wear your best teeth!)
Housewife in Heels says
Sounds like your 80th will be a hoot! Love a good beef stroganoff 🙂
cookerandalooker says
You should come Housewife In Heels - we can toast outliving the spite on GOMI!
Yvette @ Little Bento Blog says
way too many scandalous stories at my 80th birthday!! hehe It was hard enough listening to my dad's story about me growing up at my wedding.. only time will tell what they will say about me at my 80th!! Though I do have some great 'In my day' stories for my grandchildren 😛
#teamIBOT was here 🙂
cookerandalooker says
My Dad's twenty first speech was a cracker, Yvette - only outdone by his wedding speech!
Anne @ Domesblissity says
That's the way I make mine too Amanda. Our celebratory dinner was always roast pork. (Can you see a theme here? You asked what our last meal would be on FB and I said crackling of some sort. Get some pork on your fork is my family motto! LOL) Love the fishing trophy. I'd be lucky to make it to 80 let alone 50 at the rate I'm going! LOL
xx
cookerandalooker says
I am noticing a porcine-theme Anne!
aparentinglife says
Yum! Perfect timing as well since I am yet to find my dinner inspiration for tonight. Or at least I was till I read this. Thanks for sharing
Zanni Arnot says
What a lovely post! I hadn't thought to think about my 80th yet...still concerned about my 30th which is around the corner. Love beef stroganoff. Such feel good food. Zanni@Heart Mama x
iSophie says
I love beef strog, but most of the family doesn't. 🙁 So I just dont bother making it.
You can fish too? A cooker, looker and fisher!
coloursofsunset says
our celebration dinner here is usually lasagna, but that stroganoff looks great! I've no idea what they'll laugh about at my 80th birthday, I'm just hoping I'm there!
Annaleis from Teapots and Tractors says
I have lots of those trohies too. After lots of moving and a few getting broken I ended up taking all the little engraved bits off the trophies and put them in a keepsake box. I mean who wants to know I was a good team player 10 times over for T-Ball!
SarahMac says
Woot your party sounds like a hoot! I too enjoy a good beef strog. I'd be only too happy to attend and will ensure I take all me pills so I don't nod off in the corner.
cookerandalooker says
We'll all be kipping in the corner Sarah. Don't be afraid to share the love/pharmaceuticals!
EssentiallyJess says
At my 80th? They will laugh at how I would trip over nothing, and walk into walls. In general my ridiculous clumsiness.
And who knows what they will serve. We've never had a special dinner
cookerandalooker says
Will there be a broken toe count Jess?
Ann says
I accept your invitation and am already planning my best floral nana outfit!! That strog looks delish!!
cookerandalooker says
Be careful not to upstage the birthday girl Ann! 🙂
Robyn (@slightly_deep) says
I would love to start a nice little tradition like this! Sounds great! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
cookerandalooker says
It's a fun little tradition Robyn. I wonder what my girls will eventually decide on!
Rita Azar says
i've been looking for a good recipe of beef stroganoff. This one look delicious.
cookerandalooker says
It's hard to beat Rita!
Jay says
Thankyou for sharing this recipe 🙂 I remember this recipe well and use to cook it all the time... then having moved etc I misplaced my book...so it was a delight to find it again, thankyou 🙂
Amanda, Cooker and a Looker says
Hooray for finding an old favorite Jay. It's a goodie, isn't it?