Meatball Stroganoff

In my childhood years, nothing excited my taste buds more than having the privilege of getting to eat at other friends' houses. Extended playdates that included dinner were a gateway into a much bigger culinary world than I was familiar with. After all, most of our home meals were bowls of rice, seasoned meat, and homegrown vegetables. Being able to eat something beyond what was normal for me opened up my perspective about food. 

In hindsight, I don't recall any of my friends' parents being extraordinary cooks. However, something new like the goulash they made was heavenly. Traditional Asian meals typically do not include cream, butter, or cheese the trifecta foundation of American comfort food. Mac and cheese (regardless of how fluorescent orange it was) out of a blue box seemed so upper-class and gourmet to me back then. Casseroles made with cream of mushroom soup also tasted delicious and middle-class, as if our food choices determined our socio-economic class. Growing up Asian-American 40 years ago was all about acclimating and embracing whatever was considered American. In my teenage years, my mom would purchase the cream of mushroom soup I requested so I could make creamy mushroom hamburger pasta from the recipe printed on the backside label of the can of condensed soup. To me, this gelatinous soup was a magical ingredient that made everything taste good, rich, and creamy. 

Fast forward to my early years of being mid-twenty and married. When expanding my cooking repertoire I started to ditch those creamed soup recipes for more sophisticated versions. What I've learned over the years is how certain foods have strong nostalgic memories associated with them. For me, I used to proudly serve my siblings creamy mushroom hamburger pasta sauce over egg noodles using canned soup. I loved that recipe but as I got older I outgrew the distinct flavor profile of the soup. Instead, I developed a greater appreciation for similar types of recipes but mostly made from scratch. 

Today, I have a recipe for Meatball Stroganoff using a homemade sauce I love and using store-bought meatballs as a time saver. The touch of dry sherry and fresh thyme enhance the mushroom and sour-cream based sauce, which makes this dish a great weeknight dinner. Every time I make this dish I think back to my youth thankful for those food experiences with my friends and their families. Those dinners ended up going a long way to help me be the best home cook I can be today. Enjoy!