Our Halloween dinner will be even more authentic with some food of Transylvania, home of Dracula. We love all the Halloween movies that appear on TV this time of year– the old black and white monster mash flicks especially. In designing a menu for the Cookery this week I started researching the Food of Romania, where Transylvania is located. Eastern European food is comfort food at it best. Must be attributed to their harsh winters. Some good stick-to-the-ribs cooking for our own winter in the making.

“Goulash” is not the most attractive menu item to try and sell a class. It brings back nasty memories of grade school lunches and the old recipe of hamburger and onions browned and a can of tomato soup and canned mixed vegetables added before mixing in cooked elbow macaroni….yuck! I can smell it yet…..This is more the traditional dish which is more like a stew of chicken paprikas. Onions and tomatoes are still in the mix, simmered with a little white wine and stock and finally finished with some sour cream. Hungarian paprika is a must, and gives that distinctive flavor. I’ve paired this up with home made egg noodles. Much like making pasta, but using milk to give it a slightly softer texture and ease in rolling. Somehow the name “noodles” give me a nostalgic feeling, and thus we are hand rolling and cutting. It could certainly be done with a pasta machine, or some good dried organic noodles will stand in just fine.

Kids….love making noodles. There’s the getting their fingers all gooey and doughy while mixing up the dough and then the creative part begins. They can cut them with tiny cutters, or silly shapes…or just let them cut randomly with a table knife. How can they resist eating something they have made?

GHOULISH CHICKEN GOULASH

Serves 4
Prep time: 45 minutes

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (to keep the vampires at bay)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
1 medium tomato, diced
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup sour cream.

Dredge 1 pound chicken pieces with seasoned flour. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Add 1 medium diced onion and 2 cloves minced garlic to the pan. Sauté until softened and starting to brown. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook until browned. Add 1/4 cup white wine and deglaze the pan (scraping up the browned bits on the bottom) cooking until the wine has disappeared. Add 1 diced tomato, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is tender. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup sour cream. Serve with noodles.

Serves 4

HOME MADE EGG NOODLES

Serves 4
Prep time: 30-40 minutes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk, or more as needed

1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces

Mix 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons milk together in a bowl. You may need more milk, depending on your flour. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 15-20 minutes. Divide dough in half and roll out as thin as possible. Roll up and cut into strips as wide as you like. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the noodles and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and toss with 1/4 cup butter.

Serves 4