I've been trying to come up with some different dinner ideas and one of the things I decided to look for a recipe for is Beef Stroganoff. I do have a recipe for it that I make in the Crock Pot but that's made with leftover roast. I wanted to make a true version of it.

My husband called me a little while ago and asked if his friend Benny could come over for dinner (more about Benny in a minute). I said of course and then he said Benny had a special request. You guessed it, he asked for Beef Stroganoff! He said he's been craving it for a while. So I'm off after work to get the ingredients.

A little about Benny. Benny is a big, loveable guy, a biker/electrician like my husband. Benny's had it rough the last couple of years. About two and a half years ago his wife of 20 yrs tells him that she is gay and has been having an affair with another woman. They decide to continue living together but leading their own lives. Benny finds a nice woman and is happy for a while.

Two years ago he was in a serious motorcycle accident. He was riding, with his girlfriend on the back, out here on Long Island. They were on the Southern State Parkway which is a very curvy road. They were in the left lane and came around a curve to a pick up truck only doing 35 mpg in the left lane. Benny did an emergency swerve maneuver which probably saved their lives but his left knee clipped the truck and they went down. (a biker term for a crash) Their helmets protected their heads but Benny had a lot of broken bones and road rash. He spent more than a year in hospitals and rehab centers and will never be right again.

To make matters worse, his girlfriend sued him for millions of dollars. All she had was a broken leg and some facial lacerations. Luckily, the driver of the pick up truck admitted that he was going way too slow and most of the fault was assigned to him.

Poor Benny had to retire as an electrician on a disability, he will never walk right again. (his injuries were compounded by his size) Then his girlfriend broke up with him. So now he lives alone in a "union sponsored" apartment with only his russian home health aide for company. My husband goes to see him as much as he can and takes him out to eat and such.

So you can see that I can't deny Benny his craving.