I called up my Mom and asked for my Grandmother's Chop Suey recipe. Interesting enough, I could not stand this dish when I was little - honestly because I had no idea what it is. The recipe is relatively simple:
Ingredients:
2 onions
1 bunch celery
3-4 lbs of veal and pork
1 container fresh mushrooms
bean sprouts (optional)
The recipe - copied from my grandma's verbal instruction (hey she is 98 - she doesn't need recipes) is as follows:
Chop two onions
Chop celery
Add the above to a pot, just cover with water (not a whole pot of water) and bring to a boil. Simmer until celery is soft.
Brown meat in pan. When meat is brown add to the above pot with veggies and continue simmering till soft (maybe 2 hours). If using fresh mushrooms, boil first for about 10 minutes and add to the mixture near the end. If using canned mushrooms add the can to the pot. Add bean sprouts at the end if desired. Add 1/2 bottle of soy sauce (more/less)to taste.
Serve with rice if you like.
Enjoying Narmada's Reserve Cabernet Franc on the patio overlooking the vineyards |
When looking through our wine for the right one to go with veal and pork I decided upon an unlikely subject: A 2011 Cabarnet Franc from Narmada Winery in Virgina. Now, for those of you who aren't from the VA area, they do Cab Francs quite well - in fact I would recommend them over other regions. They have a slightly mellow flavor that gives the ooomph of a red without the big body flavor. Since most reds in VA are quite young, they too aren't quite as bold.
At any rate, we were not disappointed. Narmada is a newer winery, owned by Pandit and Sudha Patil, who are retired Federal employees. It is situated on a beautiful piece of land in the foothills of the Shenandoah valley. We happened upon it driving home from a late season camping trip in November. It was warm enough to be on their patio and enjoy some of their wine, as well as the fresh apples we had bought at a road-side stand nearby.
Wine, sunshine and autumn - who could ask for more? |
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