Monica Easterling paused to think about what Bessie Franer would’ve thought of Bessie’s Noodles.

“I can just see her smiling ... and ... I don’t know, it’s emotional for me,” says Easterling. “She’d be happy to see how well we’re doing with it, and for me to even think to go this far with it, I think.”

Bessie was Easterling’s great-grandmother. She passed away more than a quarter-century ago, but long before had passed on to Easterling how to make an egg noodle that is now rapidly becoming a food sensation in the region.

Bessie’s Noodles are homemade al dente noodles, available in select groceries and online, fully cooked and frozen and on the menu at many regional festivals. Bessie’s Noodles, teamed with beef or chicken and a side of mashed potatoes, if you choose, will be part of the fare at the Miamisburg Spring Fling this weekend.

“I never thought this chicken and noodles would ever go this far,” says Easterling, 38, of Miamisburg. “It was just a hobby that we did, something that we did for the family. It kind of fell in our lap, a little pot of gold.”

At the heart of the story of Bessie’s Noodles, beyond growth and marketing and logistics, is family.

“She had 13 children, and that was a lot of mouths to feed. I remember her saying, ‘Noodles will fill you up, and you can make a lot at once and serve a lot of people,’ and she said that’s why she made them so often,” Easterling explains.

Easterling and husband Matt estimate they cracked 9,000 eggs last year to help satisfy festival-goers, Web surfers and niche retailers.

What’s the secret? It’s just flour, water, eggs and “foo-foo dust,” as Monica calls the secret seasoning that makes Bessie’s irresistible for many. Their sons — Josh, 12, and Peyton, 7 — along with Audrey, Monica’s half-sister, and Todd, a grade-school buddy of Matt’s, have all become part of Bessie’s production family.

Bessie’s German Beef Stroganoff

INGREDIENTS:

1 pkg. Bessie’s Al Dente Noodles

1 lb. sirloin steak, thinly sliced

4 Tbsp. flour

5 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 dash salt

1 dash pepper

2 cloves garlic

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 medium onion, diced

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

1 Tbsp beef base

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup cognac (or red wine)

Chopped parsley (garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine 1 tablespoon flour and the salt. Dredge the meat in the flour mixture. Heat a large skillet, and then add 2 tablespoons butter. When melted, add the sirloin strips and brown quickly on all sides. Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion is barely tender.

2. Remove the meat and mushrooms from the skillet. Add the cognac to skillet and let reduce by half. Add 3 tablespoons butter to the pan drippings. Stir in the tomato paste and Dijon mustard, then cook for another 1-2 minutes.

3. Slowly pour in the beef broth and beef base. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Return the meat and mushrooms to the skillet and simmer until meat is heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Cook Bessie’s Al Dente Noodles according to the instructions or open container, fill halfway with water and cook in microwave for 5 minutes, then drain. Whisk in the sour cream and serve over hot Bessie’s Al Dente Egg Noodles. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Source: www.bessiesnoodles.com