In early December of 1977, food editor Laurin Stamm began a weekly recipe column titled “From the Kitchen of The Cypress House.” The column ran continuously through November of 2000, featuring one or two recipes each week, and totaling more than 1,150 recipes over the 23 years.

Checkout, a current weekly column that features various food stories, events and recipes, looks back at some of the most popular recipes from The Kitchen of the Cypress House, and perhaps a newly discovered one every now and then.

From The Kitchen of The Cypress House, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 1978:

What’s in the larder determines what’s for supper in the kitchen of The Cypress House. Monday night it was several pounds of cubed sirloin tip roast (the week’s special) left over from making Chandler Chili and a box of fresh mushrooms that never got made into cream of mushroom soup. Combine that with a spare carton of sour cream and the burgundy left over from making Sangria, and you come up with Stroganoff.

We have several recipes for the beef main-dish favorite — Dr. Emmett Neill’s and Betty Bullard’s. But while I was searching for a cranberry salad recipe of old, I ran across the recipe that said “Muriel’s Stroganoff.” I am assuming the “Muriel” is Muriel Rogers,’ but the recipe was totally unfamiliar. That’s a challenge, naturally, to try it. We did and it’s delicious. I thought you might like to try it also.

Muriel’s Beef Stroganoff

2 to 3 pounds beef, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 stick butter or oleo

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms

1 can creamy chicken mushroom soup (or cream of chicken soup)

1/2 soup can of water

1 cup red wine

1/2 teaspoon red pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon onion salt

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup sour cream

 In a heavy pot or a Dutch oven, brown beef cubes quickly in butter. Remove from the pot and salt and pepper to taste.

Add flour to butter in pot (add more butter if necessary) and make a roux. Then sauté mushrooms slightly in the brown roux. Add wine slowly, stirring constantly. Add the rest of the ingredients except sour cream. Stir well. Cover and let simmer 20 to 30 minutes.

Adjust the seasonings, add the sour cream and continue to cook until mixture is hot. Serve over boiled noodles.

P.S. Muriel: Do you remember this? Might do for your next Washington dinner party.