Beef Stroganoff are considered the traditional side dish for beef Stroganoff in Russia. The version given in the 1938 "Larousse Gastronomique" includes beef "strips", and onions, with either mustard or tomato paste optional. After the fall of Tsarist Russia, the recipe was popularly served in the hotels and restaurants of China before the start of World War II. Russian and Chinese immigrants, as well as US servicemen stationed in pre-Communist China, brought several variants of the dish to the United States, which may account for its popularity during the 1950s. It came to Hong Kong in the late fifties, with Russian restaurants
Harissa (dish) on since ancient times. Stories differ as to the origins of the dish. According to Armenian lore, the patron saint of Armenia, Gregory the Illuminator, was offering a meal of love and charity to the poor. There weren't enough sheep to feed the crowds so wheat was added to the cooking pots. They noticed that the wheat was sticking to the bottom of the cauldrons. Saint Gregory advised, ""Harekh!" Stir it!" Thus, the name of the dish, "harissa", came from the saint's own words. "Harissa" has been offered as a charity meal ever since. The dish is traditionally served on