Old Family Recipes Bring Passed Loved Ones Alive At The Holiday Table

Following one of Mom's recipes is like surfing; only the feel of your feet gets you to shore. Mom was a great surfer, - in the kitchen. And me? Last night I dog paddled as Dad stood over me at the stove reading the list of ingredients that I dutifully added to the pot. He came to the spices. "Marjoram, thyme, salt, pepper."

"How much?" I asked. Dad looked confused. "Oh, yeah," I shrugged, "it's one of Mom's recipes. There are no proportions," I told him. So I guessed that a 1/2 teaspoon of both thyme and marjoram would be about right for the 3 lbs of meat I was cooking. "Whoa!" I said after getting a strong whiff of my brew. "The kids aren't going to like this," I thought. I should probably have used 1/4 teaspoon. Who knew? Mom hadn't even specified the amount or type of meat to use. My instructions read, "Add meat to pot."

So why was I making this mystery dinner? My dad and brother had arrived from out of town to join the kids and me for Christmas. So this week I've been making our family's favorite recipes that Mom used to make. Last night was "Chicken Yum-Yum", tonight it's "Beef Bourguignon". Where Mom got either recipe, I've no clue. But these meals are like souvenirs. They bring back memories of years passed that in retrospect now feel safe, secure, warm, and happy, - just the kinds of feelings we all coax alive at the holidays. As our family enjoyed Mom's cooking, - a la me, - it was easy to imagine her spirit smiling as our little family carried on.

Read on and I'll give you my mom's recipe for beef bourguignon; it was a favorite dinner she cooked especially for company. It tastes wonderful, looks elegant, and can be made ahead of time. I even make it in the crock pot. But you probably have your own family-favorite recipes. So perhaps it's best if you dig out one of those. It's in sharing traditional holiday meals that we revive our cherished times and weave our generations together. In years to come, perhaps my own children will make beef bourguignon in memory of me, that is of course unless I added too much marjoram and thyme to the pot.

So here's Mom's beef bourguignon recipe. I tried to give some of the proportions, but believe me, they're all relative. Increase or decrease as suits your taste. Prep the dinner the night before, then cook it in the crock pot or oven the next day, and you'll have a wonderful meal waiting for you when you return home.

Beef Bourguignon

• 5 medium onions, thinly sliced
• bacon grease (I used about a Tablespoon)
• meat (I used a 3 lb boneless chuck roast, or maybe it was a sirloin roast because it wasn't fatty. If you buy a roast that does have a layer of fat over it, trim off the fat or else the beef bourguignon will be greasy.) Cube the meat into bite-sized pieces.
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 can of beef consomme
• 2 soup cans full of hearty red burgundy wine - Gallo's hearty red burgundy works great!
• 1 lb fresh or canned mushrooms (I recommend fresh)

Saute the onions in the bacon grease until they're somewhat brown, but not crisp. Set aside in a bowl. Add the meat to the pot.

Saute the meat, add more bacon grease if necessary until the meat is brown on all sides. Drain off any excess grease.

Grate the carrot into the pot over the meat. Sprinkle the 2 Tablespoons of flour on the meat and mix it in. Add a pinch of marjoram, thyme, salt, pepper, and a small bay leaf. Toss and cook flour. Add onions back in.

Add 1 can of beef consomme soup and 2 soup cans of red burgundy wine. Liquid should just come up to the top of the meat. The meat should not swim in it.

***DON'T let the mixture boil - only barely bubble now and then.*** Cook for 3 - 3 1/2 hours covered on the stove-top, or for about 8 hours on low in a crock pot. If you have to add more liquid, add in same consomme to wine proportions.

Add 1 lb of sliced mushrooms. Cook for another 1/2 hour.

If you make this ahead of time, refrigerate it and then re-heat it being sure it doesn't boil. (I don't know what happens if you let it boil, but I'm sure it's just awful!)

The adults all enjoyed my version of this beef bourguignon I served over white rice. Turns out I hadn't added too much thyme and marjoram. The kids ate some of it, but as befits their age they relished the white fluffy rolls cased in butter far more.

Comments

[oil paintings]

Interesting writing! Are there any predictions that you maybe willing to divulge in order to illustrate your second section a bit more? cheers

[my country]

good

[Childrens Beds]

This seems like a great idea! I will try this out!
Thanks for these blogs, i have so many new ideas from you!!
:) :) :)

[Day Spa Melbourne]

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