Our next stop on our trip around the world is Russia. Among the countries that Russia shares its border with are Norway, Finland, and Poland (the country my great-grandparents immigrated from!) Russia is 17,075,400 km². Now that’s big! Famous Russians include Anna Pavlova, a ballet dancer, and Peter the Great, a czar. 
Enough with the facts! We’re interested in the FOOD. Since peasants comprised of a large part of Russia’s population at one time, traditional Russian food is often simple, hearty dishes made up of fish, game, mushrooms, and grains. Although many Russian dishes are simple, I decided to make Beef Stroganoff, a more “upscale” dish. While nobody knows exactly when or where it was first made, it is believed to have originated from 19th century Russia.
Today, Beef Stroganoff is popular all over the world. Despite that, I never tried this dish before… but now that I have I LOVE it. Not only does it taste amazing, but it is definitely an elegant and impressive looking dish!
Just be forewarned. This recipe contains potatoes,
which you will need to cut into very small pieces. 
And then boil in crisco.
Definitely not healthy! But THIS IS AN AWESOME DISH.
Beef Stroganoff
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons flour
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 cup beef broth
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1½ pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 3” x 1” x 1/8” slices
- ½ pound mushrooms
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Crisco, for frying
- 4 Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8” matchsticks
- Sour cream, for garnishing
Preparation:
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and dry mustard, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil; cook until thick, about 2 minutes. Stir in sour cream, remove from heat, and set aside
Heat the remaining butter in a 12” skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high, add meat and mushrooms, and cook until the meat is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add reserved sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
Pour oil to a depth of 1½” in a 4 quart saucepan, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 365˚F. Working in batches, fry potatoes until golden and crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels; season to taste with salt while still warm.
Spoon stroganoff onto a serving platter, and cover with a mound of jumbled straw potatoes..
The Chemistry of Cooking 