Column from June 25, 2009

Sharing great recipes

I was talking with (Othello) city administrator Ehman Sheldon the other day and he was telling me about a recipe he has that is a favorite of his. I said he should submit it for my Table Scraps column.

He said he didn’t know he could do that.

Several times, I have put a little note at the bottom of this column inviting folks to send me their recipes and to include a little story. It would be a fun way for folks to share a little bit about their families and friends.

Recipes can be emailed to labordi at hotmail dot com. Please put "recipe" in the subject line.

I really enjoy hearing about family histories. My grandmother was a wonderful cook. She was born in Hungary and emigrated to the U.S. through Ellis Island in the early 1900s.

She had such delicious recipes, but none were written down. I would spend time with her as she explained how to make some of my favorites.

Some of the dishes didn’t require a recipe, but others she kept in her own memory and could tell me exactly how much of each ingredient to add.

I was only able to get a few of my grandmother’s recipes and I cherish them.

Many Hungarian recipes use sour cream as a base and paprika as a main seasoning. One of my very favorites is chicken paprikas and I’ll share it with you.

Chicken paprikas

2 chopped onions

3 tablespoons shortening

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

4 to 5 pounds chicken parts

1 cup water

½ pint sour cream

1 tablespoon paprika

Brown onions in shortening; add salt, pepper and chicken. Add water, cover and simmer slowly until tender. Add sour cream and paprika.

Serve over hot buttered noodles.