Hearty meals for Winter. Let's start with Hungarian Goulasch.

There is nothing better than warm, nostalgic memories to help one decide what to prepare for dinner or a family get together.

All it takes is something to stimulate one's senses..... a special aroma, the sight of a sought after ingredient, an advert to conjure up a memory....... a photograph of a memorable vacation...... a snippet of music to awaken a distant memory.... and so on......

Whatever it is, special memories make special meals!

Any good meal starts with great, fresh ingredients. Here I have fresh parsley and chives from my garden.

 Just for a moment, let me take you for a trip down my memory lane.... These are the memories that triggered my desire for this comforting Hungarian Goulasch. Firstly, a visit to Austria as a schoolgirl left me with warm, comforting memories of  flavourful stews served in cosy restaurants and welcoming cafe's.
I also fell in love with apple strudel, goulasch soup, Wiener schnitzel and real hot chocolate served at ski resorts.....

Secondly, as a young student I worked at an Austrian Tavern , Groot Constantia Tavern on the Groot Constantia Estate in Constantia until my accident in 1984.
Here, the chef used to prepare the most delightful Goulasch served with homemade spätzle....... I have only happy memories of carefree days enjoying the freedom of being young and able bodied........

And  so, whenever I decide to prepare Hungarian Goulasch, my taste buds and my mind takes me for a vivid trip down this wonderful memory lane of life, loving life, travel, learning to live on a tight budget,being a student and generally growing up.

The ingredients for this memorable meal are actually quite simple.

 Looking at the traditional Goulas(c) h or Gulyas De Boeuf a' la Hongroise recipe..... "a way of stewing beef spiced with Paprika or Hungarian red pepper"......  I have added a few
of my personal favourite ingredients, such as garlic, green peppers, mushrooms and fresh herbs.

Be patient, as it will take time for a good Goulasch to cook to perfection.

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Best served with sour cream or Bulgarian yoghurt topped with freshly chopped chives or parsley.

Serve on a bed of cooked pasta or homemade spätzle.

Top with sour cream or Yoghurt and herbs. Bon appetit! 

Herewith the ingredients required to prepare a traditional Goulasch with a Heidi twist!

Saute 2 large onions in olive oil. I also added two diced green peppers and a generous teaspoonful of chopped garlic.
Add 1.5 Kg of lean beef, cut into cubes to the pot. 
Season with salt, pepper and 60 ml of paprika and a sprinkle of cumin to the mixture.
Brown the meat then cover with beef stock, a glass of red wine ( optional) and one can of tomato puree. Simmer until the meat is soft and tender. At least 2.5 hours.
After 1.5 hours  add 4 freshly quartered tomatoes and 4 diced potatoes.Cook until tender.
At this point one can  thicken the sauce with some flour.
Just before serving, it is optional to add one punnet of sliced white or brown mushrooms for an earthy touch....although this is not traditional!
Serve on boiled potatoes, pasta or homemade spätzle with sour cream or bulgarian yoghurt and freshly chopped chives or parsley.
Bon appetit and enjoy with a glass of Red wine from Groot Constantia. www.grootconstantia.co.za

And so to end this trip down memory lane and to pique my taste buds for another trip to Europe, let me share some more of my favourite images from last year's trip to Paris, Lods and Lausanne with you.

Just to set the Continental scene..... a classical  pavement  Cafe in Paris provided immediate shelter for us during a summer rain shower . 

Only in Europe.... bright, neat window boxes ....  add a welcome splash of colour to city dwellings in Paris.

When dining at a traditional French Wine shop or Trouquets, one was allowed to order food with liquid refreshment. Initially, Cafe's could only serve coffee or wine! Meals served in the Wine Shops were excellent as they were simple and honest. This is where the likes of  Boiled beef or Beef  Bourguignon would be prepared the traditional way.

And so we move to the country for a historical trip to view rustic architecture through the ages. The Musee des Maisons shows all the facets of rural Comte architecture with 30 rebuilt houses. All reconstructed using bygone techniques and materials. All the furniture, kitchen equipment and gadgets give one a feeling of Comte countryside living.

Back into the herb garden in the country ...... a herb garden to dream of......... with the blue garden shed! Also part of the open air museum in Nancray showing traditional kitchen gardens and orchards.

And finally we look at the architecture in a suburb outside of  Lausanne, Switzerland.  Now this is a lot closer to where one would expect a Hungarian Goulasch to be served!

Until next time....stay warm and cosy in the kitchen!