Three Beautiful Things 12-15-2022: Teeth Cleaned, Cooking Beef Stroganoff, The Making of *Tootsie*

1. After quick trip to Pinehurst Elementary to deliver some medicine to Debbie that I picked up for her at Yoke's, I arrived at the dentist's office and gave my plaque buildup and dental health over to the expert care of Kathy M. A few years ago -- and I'd had a similar arrangement in Eugene -- Kathy and I agreed that it would be smart for me to come in for cleanings every four months rather than every six months. Even though my dental hygiene habits are sound, I need more frequent cleanings and by following this plan, the cleanings have been easier for Kathy and more effective for me. 

I have old crowns, though, that need to be replaced. I've known this was coming for at least a couple of years and so I'll schedule that work to be done in 2023.

2. I've had a hankering lately for beef stroganoff. The other day, I made sure to pick up some sour cream at  Yoke's. Today, I thawed a package of ground beef, setting the stage to cook up a batch of stroganoff. 

Pardon my interruption, but in a perfect world, I would have used a better grade of beef. Debbie and I both, however, enjoy ground beef and since I had it on hand, I used it. Next time I make stroganoff, though, I'll buy sirloin or tenderloin and we'll have a slightly upgraded meal.

Okay. I got started by frying the ground beef seasoned with salt and pepper in about three tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once it was browned, I removed it from the Dutch oven and let it rest in a bowl. Next, I chopped up some red onion and cooked it for five minutes or so in the ground beef and butter fat and removed the onion and scooped it into the bowl of ground beef. 

I put more butter in the Dutch oven, let it melt, and then sautéed sliced and chopped mushrooms for about five minutes or so, seasoning the mushrooms with nutmeg and tarragon. 

I also started boiling a batch of rigatoni. 

When the mushrooms were cooked, I added a cup of sour cream to the mushrooms and blended them. I then added the ground beef and chopped onions to the mushrooms and sour cream and stirred it up. I thought it was a little thick and I added about a half a cup of pasta water and I thought some Worcestershire sauce would add depth to the stroganoff and so added about four shakes. 

That's it. I drained the pasta and Debbie and I enjoyed the stroganoff sauce on top of the rigatoni.

3. I watched more Criterion Channel supplementary material focused on Tootsie this evening. I learned a lot listening to Sydney Pollack about the multiple directorial challenges making Tootsie confronted him with, not the least of which was dealing daily with Dustin Hoffman. As an actor, Hoffman is highly analytical, full of insights about how he thinks things should be done, and he's consistently contentious -- but, ultimately cooperative. I enjoyed watching footage filmed live of Pollack and Hoffman ironing out disagreements, each intelligently explaining why he thought certain scenes should be played certain ways. It was fun to witness all of the analysis, ideas, and convictions Hoffman and Pollack had to work out and knowing what all this discussion resulted in when the final cut of the movie was completed.