Goulash for a Birthday
Menu Beef Goulash II with Sauerkraut Polenta Green Salad Brussels Sprouts Strawberry Shortcake It was a Monday in late June, on what would have been Week 24 of my Slovenian cooking project. For the second time in three months, we were in Florida, staying at the home of my husband's father and stepmother. But this was a bittersweet time, because our unplanned trip had been triggered by the death of my husband's mother. My father-in-law's birthday had been the previous day. There hadn't been a celebration. But today, my husband and I wanted to do something to observe his special day. We offered to make a belated birthday dinner. "I could make a Slovenian dinner," I said hesitantly. But I wasn't sure how my offer would be received. My father-in-law is a fine cook who didn't start to slow down until he passed eighty. During our spring visit, he had shared his special recipe for kreplach, a traditional Jewish dumpling with a strong resem...