Monday, October 6, 2008

Whats For Dinner?"

Here at Matilija House, the old dude (that's me) is making his popular beef stew. This recipe kinda evolved from my starving student days, when money was more myth than reality, so one learned how to stretch a food dollar.
It all began on a cold rainy day in Boulder, Colorado. If memory serves it was late in the month, on a Tuesday evening. I couldn't afford to go out with the guys for beer and pizza, but I was hungry, so like a flash of lightning the idea struck me, why not make beef stew, how hard could it be?? I hit the market and I got some beef, some carrots, some celery and some potatoes. (I even got change from the $5.oo bill I paid with. I guess I should tell ya this all happened way back in Oct, 1955.)
I wasn't totally sure, but I opted to brown the beef in a big iron 5qt pot, then I added all the other stuff, --yes I chopped it up first, added water and let it simmer. Lets just say this first attempt was nothing to write home about, and even now it embarrasses me to talk about it. Bad as my first attempt was, it made me all the more determined to get it right-----and so after getting over my first blah attempt, I snuck a few glances at beef stew recipes when I came across them---learned tomatoes are your friend, salt, pepper, learned how to brown my meat dredged in flour-----anyway today----my beef stew is pretty damn good---hell maybe even capable of winning a ribbon at a county fair. but (sigh) its still not as good as Mom made.

5 comments:

  1. And your whole recipe is ?
    Come on Gary, share with the blogosphere.

    Bear((( )))

    ReplyDelete
  2. My husband says that his shipmates used to say,"This isn't like Mom's cooking." and Ron would say, "It sure isn't -- that's why I love the Navy!"

    ReplyDelete
  3. When do we get to sample this beef stew. You have been holding out on us. I thought Tish was the only one that could cook.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'll have to do a post concerning the first chicken I ever fried, but it would get too many blase' and bland comments like this one. BUT!! None of us cook like our moms did and that is due to the fact that all that bacon grease gave such a homey, wonderful taste and aroma. ANYTHING tastes better in bacon grease.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Try macaroni & cheese mixed with tuna and corn....mmmm...mmmm...mmmm good! I call it 'Stoner Delight' or aka 'The White Trash Special'.

    Good with a glass of milk and buttered bread (un toasted)

    ReplyDelete

Speak up, don't be a nebish---your opinions do count.