When we experienced blizzard warnings earlier this week I
thought it sounded like beef stew weather.

I browned 2 lb. of beef in a little olive oil and added it
to 2 cups beef broth and a generous cup or two of red wine
in a heavy kettle. Next I browned a large chopped onion
(maybe 1 1/2 cups) and about half of a bunch of chopped
celery and a couple of cloves of minced garlic. That was
added to the kettle with the drained contents of a can of
chopped tomatoes and five large carrots, chopped. I added
salt, fresh ground black pepper, a bay leaf, and various
pinches of thyme, marjoram and basil.

After a few hours of simmering it tasted good but needed
something. I added a few more herbs, tasted, than added a
glug (maybe 1 or 2 Tbsp) of balsamic vinegar. Wow, what a
difference that made. It perked up the flavor tremendously
while not adding any particular flavor if its own.

I served it with home made corn muffins and it must have
been good because my husband had two servings and our son
who was staying overnight had three. It was even better at
lunch the next day.

gloria p

Puester > wrote:

> After a few hours of simmering it tasted good but needed
> something. I added a few more herbs, tasted, than added a
> glug (maybe 1 or 2 Tbsp) of balsamic vinegar. Wow, what a
> difference that made. It perked up the flavor tremendously
> while not adding any particular flavor if its own.

I use reduced balsamic vinegar as the special ingredient in a lot of
beef dishes, especially pot roast and stews. Add during the last
hour

-sw

"Puester" wrote:
>
> When we experienced blizzard warnings earlier this week I thought it
> sounded like beef stew weather.
>
> I browned 2 lb. of beef in a little olive oil and added it to 2 cups beef
> broth and a generous cup or two of red wine in a heavy kettle. Next I
> browned a large chopped onion (maybe 1 1/2 cups) and about half of a bunch
> of chopped celery and a couple of cloves of minced garlic. That was added
> to the kettle with the drained contents of a can of chopped tomatoes and
> five large carrots, chopped. I added salt, fresh ground black pepper, a
> bay leaf, and various pinches of thyme, marjoram and basil.
>
> After a few hours of simmering it tasted good but needed something. I
> added a few more herbs, tasted, than added a glug (maybe 1 or 2 Tbsp) of
> balsamic vinegar. Wow, what a difference that made. It perked up the
> flavor tremendously while not adding any particular flavor if its own.
>
> I served it with home made corn muffins and it must have been good because
> my husband had two servings and our son who was staying overnight had
> three. It was even better at lunch the next day.
>
>
Browned some seasoned beef...
Got a couple cans ale, and tomato paste:
http://i41.tinypic.com/244ppj4.jpg

Can't have beef stew without veggies:
http://i41.tinypic.com/15g6x4w.jpg

Six hours later:
http://i39.tinypic.com/dlky1i.jpg

Oh yeah:
http://i40.tinypic.com/fk2wza.jpg

brooklyn1 > wrote:

> Browned some seasoned beef...
> Got a couple cans ale, and tomato paste:
> http://i41.tinypic.com/244ppj4.jpg
>
> Can't have beef stew without veggies:
> http://i41.tinypic.com/15g6x4w.jpg
>
> Six hours later:
> http://i39.tinypic.com/dlky1i.jpg
>
> Oh yeah:
> http://i40.tinypic.com/fk2wza.jpg


Oh. My. God.

Talk about a bowl of overcooked slop, that shit looks like hell.

No doubt about it. You certainly put the GORE in gore-may, Sheldon.

-sw

On Mar 28, 2:31*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> brooklyn1 > wrote:
> > Browned some seasoned beef...
> > Got a couple cans ale, and tomato paste:
> >http://i41.tinypic.com/244ppj4.jpg
>
> > Can't have beef stew without veggies:
> >http://i41.tinypic.com/15g6x4w.jpg
>
> > Six hours later:
> >http://i39.tinypic.com/dlky1i.jpg
>
> > Oh yeah:
> >http://i40.tinypic.com/fk2wza.jpg
>
> Oh. * My. * God. *
>
> Talk about a bowl of overcooked slop, that shit looks like hell.
>
> No doubt about it. *You certainly put the GORE in gore-may, Sheldon.
>
> -sw

I dunno...I thought it looked tasty except for the HUGE onions!! But
then I'm poor so most times just about anything looks good.

"Chemo the Clown" > wrote in message
...
On Mar 28, 2:31 pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> brooklyn1 > wrote:
> > Browned some seasoned beef...
> > Got a couple cans ale, and tomato paste:
> >http://i41.tinypic.com/244ppj4.jpg
>
> > Can't have beef stew without veggies:
> >http://i41.tinypic.com/15g6x4w.jpg
>
> > Six hours later:
> >http://i39.tinypic.com/dlky1i.jpg
>
> > Oh yeah:
> >http://i40.tinypic.com/fk2wza.jpg
>
> Oh. My. God.
>
> Talk about a bowl of overcooked slop, that shit looks like hell.
>
> No doubt about it. You certainly put the GORE in gore-may, Sheldon.
>
> -sw

I dunno...I thought it looked tasty except for the HUGE onions!! But
then I'm poor so most times just about anything looks good.

I like onions in stew to look like onions... were I more energetc today I
would have made a trip into town for boiling onions. The sqwartz dwarf is
not familiar with good homemade stew with big chunks of quality meat and
veggies, he's used to Dinty Moore from a can, where it's like 90% thick
gloppy salty gravy colored with caramelized sugar and just a few itty bitty
bits of gristley commercial grade mystery meat and teeny bits of slimey
veggies that were snatched up just ten minutes aways from the compost
heap... the friggin' can cost more than the contents.

My stew turned out very tasty indeed. The two cans of ale is a major flavor
booster, I don't like to cook beef with wine... beef cooked with wine is a
sissy's dish, real men kuchen beef mitten beer, Ach! And even folks who are
poor can afford to make a big potful that'll feed eight hungry adults
well.... and in case a helicopter landed with more guests I coulda easily
stretched that stew a good 50% with a pound of those wide curly egg noodles,
buttered. So for like $1 each I can feed a dozen hungry adults. That's a
28 ounce bowl, I'm too stuffed to eat another thing until tomorrow. I don't
even know if I'm gonna have room for my Crystal Palace... alright, let's not
over milk that titty! LOL

On Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:54:55 -0700 (PDT), Chemo the Clown
> wrote:

>On Mar 28, 2:31*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
>> brooklyn1 > wrote:
>> > Browned some seasoned beef...
>> > Got a couple cans ale, and tomato paste:
>> >http://i41.tinypic.com/244ppj4.jpg
>>
>> > Can't have beef stew without veggies:
>> >http://i41.tinypic.com/15g6x4w.jpg
>>
>> > Six hours later:
>> >http://i39.tinypic.com/dlky1i.jpg
>>
>> > Oh yeah:
>> >http://i40.tinypic.com/fk2wza.jpg
>>
>> Oh. * My. * God. *
>>
>> Talk about a bowl of overcooked slop, that shit looks like hell.
>>
>> No doubt about it. *You certainly put the GORE in gore-may, Sheldon.
>>
>> -sw
>
>I dunno...I thought it looked tasty except for the HUGE onions!! But
>then I'm poor so most times just about anything looks good.

I thought it looked good too. You'd have to cut the potatoes too, but
so what? It can be done with your fork.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

brooklyn1 > wrote:

> The sqwartz dwarf is
> not familiar with good homemade stew with big chunks of quality meat and
> veggies,

http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg

I win.

-sw

Sqwertz wrote:

> http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg
>
> I win.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but not in my book. You-know-who's looks
better to me, partly because it's thicker and darker, and partly because
it doesn't use those little icky baby carrots.

Serene

--
42 Magazine, celebrating life with meaning. Inaugural issue March '09!
http://42magazine.com

"But here's a handy hint: if your fabulous theory for ending war and
all other human conflict will not survive an online argument with
humourless feminists who are not afraid to throw rape around as an
example, your theory needs work." -- Aqua, alt.polyamory

Serene Vannoy > wrote:

>Can't believe I'm saying this, but not in my book. You-know-who's looks
>better to me, partly because it's thicker and darker, and partly because
>it doesn't use those little icky baby carrots.

Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.

Steve

Steve Pope wrote:
> Serene Vannoy > wrote:
>
>> Can't believe I'm saying this, but not in my book. You-know-who's looks
>> better to me, partly because it's thicker and darker, and partly because
>> it doesn't use those little icky baby carrots.
>
> Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.

Oh, aren't they like little watery sticks? I can't believe people like
them, and I'm a HUGE fan of carrots.

Serene

--
42 Magazine, celebrating life with meaning. Inaugural issue March '09!
http://42magazine.com

"But here's a handy hint: if your fabulous theory for ending war and
all other human conflict will not survive an online argument with
humourless feminists who are not afraid to throw rape around as an
example, your theory needs work." -- Aqua, alt.polyamory

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg

It's interesting to me that from the start of the thread on, nobody
thickens the broth in the stew which is what I grew up with, still do
and won't stop doing. I guess I make cream of stew. FWIW, all the
pictures are great.

leo

Leonard Blaisdell > wrote:

> In article >,
> Sqwertz > wrote:
>
>> http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg
>
> It's interesting to me that from the start of the thread on, nobody
> thickens the broth in the stew which is what I grew up with, still do
> and won't stop doing. I guess I make cream of stew. FWIW, all the
> pictures are great.

I thicken it when it's cooked down some more. I make a gravy out of
it. I can't stand watery stew. My bowl will be 30-40% gravy
(unlike Sheldon - who apparently doesn't use any. He probably
throws the best part away).

-sw

Steve Pope > wrote:

> Serene Vannoy > wrote:
>
>>Can't believe I'm saying this, but not in my book. You-know-who's looks
>>better to me, partly because it's thicker and darker, and partly because
>>it doesn't use those little icky baby carrots.
>
> Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.

Nothing icky about them. They're just big carrots, whittled down
into smaller ones. Especially after they cook, they're exactly the
same.

As for his being darker and thicker, clearly that is not evident by
the pictures. He didn't even put any sauce in his finshed dish
anyway.

Note that my stew wasn't finished cooking yet.

-sw

On Mar 28, 6:39*pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
> Serene Vannoy > wrote:
>
> >Can't believe I'm saying this, but not in my book. You-know-who's looks
> >better to me, partly because it's thicker and darker, and partly because
> >it doesn't use those little icky baby carrots.

You can't believe you're admitting that "You-know-who's looks
better to [you] partly because it's thicker and darker"??? Is it
longer and harder too?
>
> Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.

They're just little shapes cut out of full sized carrots. Silly and
wasteful, but not icky.
>
> Steve

--Bryan

Sqwertz wrote:
> Steve Pope > wrote:
>
>> Serene Vannoy > wrote:
>>
>>> Can't believe I'm saying this, but not in my book. You-know-who's looks
>>> better to me, partly because it's thicker and darker, and partly because
>>> it doesn't use those little icky baby carrots.
>> Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.
>
> Nothing icky about them.

Surely that's a subjective measure. They're certainly icky to me.

> They're just big carrots, whittled down
> into smaller ones.

And the center of a carrot is the mildest (read: least flavorful) part,
in my opinion.

> Especially after they cook, they're exactly the
> same.

Not to me, not at all. No "carroty" taste.

Serene
--
42 Magazine, celebrating life with meaning. Inaugural issue March '09!
http://42magazine.com

"But here's a handy hint: if your fabulous theory for ending war and
all other human conflict will not survive an online argument with
humourless feminists who are not afraid to throw rape around as an
example, your theory needs work." -- Aqua, alt.polyamory

brooklyn1 wrote:
> Browned some seasoned beef...
> Got a couple cans ale, and tomato paste:
> http://i41.tinypic.com/244ppj4.jpg
>
> Can't have beef stew without veggies:
> http://i41.tinypic.com/15g6x4w.jpg
>
> Six hours later:
> http://i39.tinypic.com/dlky1i.jpg
>
> Oh yeah:
> http://i40.tinypic.com/fk2wza.jpg


What can I say, except what time is dinner! :-P


Becca

Leonard Blaisdell wrote:
> In article >,
> Sqwertz > wrote:
>
>
>> http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg
>>
>
> It's interesting to me that from the start of the thread on, nobody
> thickens the broth in the stew which is what I grew up with, still do
> and won't stop doing. I guess I make cream of stew. FWIW, all the
> pictures are great.
>
> leo


When I make stew, I dredge the meat in flour before I brown it. This
makes the stew nice and thick. How do you thicken yours?


Becca

On Sat 28 Mar 2009 04:09:00p, sf told us...

> On Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:54:55 -0700 (PDT), Chemo the Clown
> > wrote:
>
>>On Mar 28, 2:31*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
>>> brooklyn1 > wrote:
>>> > Browned some seasoned beef...
>>> > Got a couple cans ale, and tomato paste:
>>> > http://i41.tinypic.com/244ppj4.jpg
>>>
>>> > Can't have beef stew without veggies:
>>> > http://i41.tinypic.com/15g6x4w.jpg
>>>
>>> > Six hours later: http://i39.tinypic.com/dlky1i.jpg
>>>
>>> > Oh yeah:
>>> >http://i40.tinypic.com/fk2wza.jpg
>>>
>>> Oh. * My. * God. *
>>>
>>> Talk about a bowl of overcooked slop, that shit looks like hell.
>>>
>>> No doubt about it. *You certainly put the GORE in gore-may, Sheldon.
>>>
>>> -sw
>>
>>I dunno...I thought it looked tasty except for the HUGE onions!! But
>>then I'm poor so most times just about anything looks good.
>
> I thought it looked good too. You'd have to cut the potatoes too, but
> so what? It can be done with your fork.

I also thought it looked good, and I prefer having larger size pieces of
vegetables in a stew, otherwise (to me) it's "soup" not stew. I use larger
"boiler" onions in stew that are probably about the same size that Sheldon
used.

My only other comment, but not a criticism, is that I prefer stew made with
a brown base, not tomato, although I sometimes put small diced tomatoes in
it that have been well-drained.

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.

On Sat 28 Mar 2009 04:36:51p, Serene Vannoy told us...

> Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg
>>
>> I win.
>
> Can't believe I'm saying this, but not in my book. You-know-who's looks
> better to me, partly because it's thicker and darker, and partly because
> it doesn't use those little icky baby carrots.
>
> Serene
>

Agreed! I really hate those baby carrots. The "real" baby carrots that are
sometimes found at gourmet or farmer's markets are really good, but these
pared-down manufactured baby carrots are horrible.

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.

On Sat 28 Mar 2009 05:02:09p, Leonard Blaisdell told us...

> In article >,
> Sqwertz > wrote:
>
>> http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg
>
> It's interesting to me that from the start of the thread on, nobody
> thickens the broth in the stew which is what I grew up with, still do
> and won't stop doing. I guess I make cream of stew. FWIW, all the
> pictures are great.
>
> leo
>

I also thicken the broth, Leo, no matter what kind of stew I'm making. To
me, it should be a bit more like a not overly thick gravy.

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.

Mark Thorson wrote:
> Sqwertz wrote:
>> Steve Pope > wrote:
>>
>>> Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.
>> Nothing icky about them. They're just big carrots, whittled down
>> into smaller ones. Especially after they cook, they're exactly the
>> same.
>
> No, that's not how baby carrots are made. They are
> grown from the same seed used for regular carrots,
> but they are planted closer together and harvested
> earlier.

That's how *actual* baby carrots are made, but here, we also get a
product called "baby carrots" that is not that at all, but the
mechanically whittled ones that Steve describes.

Quoting the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Carrot :

"In North America, Baby Carrots are adult carrots chopped into smaller
pieces and peeled (known as baby-cut carrots). Taking fully grown
carrots and cutting them to make them smaller was the idea of California
farmer Mike Yurosek."

Serene
--
42 Magazine, celebrating life with meaning. Inaugural issue March '09!
http://42magazine.com

"But here's a handy hint: if your fabulous theory for ending war and
all other human conflict will not survive an online argument with
humourless feminists who are not afraid to throw rape around as an
example, your theory needs work." -- Aqua, alt.polyamory

Serene Vannoy > wrote:

> Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> They're just big carrots, whittled down
>> into smaller ones.
>
> And the center of a carrot is the mildest (read: least flavorful) part,
> in my opinion.

OK, I guess you have a point there. But some of them don't seem to
have that big center stalk that runs up through the bottom of the
larger carrots. They seem to be mostly ... carrot rather than woody
stalk.

My new favorite are the Parisian carrots. I can get those pretty
cheap in the freezer section. Granted, they're slightly cooked
(blanched), but I really like them. And they're not whittled down
carrots into round balls, but actual peeled carrots.

I don't know of any unscrupulous marketers that are shaping them
from round carrots.... yet.

-sw

In article >,
Becca > wrote:

> When I make stew, I dredge the meat in flour before I brown it. This
> makes the stew nice and thick. How do you thicken yours?

I brown the plain meat in a tablespoon or two of hot oil right at the
start. Near the completion of the stew, I add flour/water slurry to
thicken and adjust seasoning if I have to. I generally don't have to.
Since it's more difficult to add the slurry to a bunch of meat and
vegetables as you've seen in the photos in the thread, it's convenient
for me to remove them or most of them with a slotted spoon while I'm
thickening the broth and add them back. That's not necessary though.

leo

On Mar 28, 8:53*pm, Mark Thorson > wrote:
> Sqwertz wrote:
>
> > Steve Pope > wrote:
>
> > > Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.
>
> > Nothing icky about them. *They're just big carrots, whittled down
> > into smaller ones. *Especially after they cook, they're exactly the
> > same.
>
> No, that's not how baby carrots are made. *They are
> grown from the same seed used for regular carrots,
> but they are planted closer together and harvested
> earlier. *I learned that from an ag program which
> was named "Voice of Agriculture" or "California Farm
> Bureau Report" before it was renamed "California
> Country". *They got rid of the old guy who was the MC
> and certain segments that were too "technical",
> mostly dealing with the birth of calves, which seems
> to be the favorite activity that farmers use to
> gross out city slickers. *Now it's mostly focussed
> on artisan this and that.

The things most of us call baby carrots are not those you described.
Cali ag folks want people to stay confused as they make a lot of money
from baby cut carrots.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Carrots
>
--Bryan

Leonard Blaisdell > wrote:

> In article >,
> Becca > wrote:
>
>> When I make stew, I dredge the meat in flour before I brown it. This
>> makes the stew nice and thick. How do you thicken yours?
>
> I brown the plain meat in a tablespoon or two of hot oil right at the
> start. Near the completion of the stew, I add flour/water slurry to
> thicken and adjust seasoning if I have to. I generally don't have to.
> Since it's more difficult to add the slurry to a bunch of meat and
> vegetables as you've seen in the photos in the thread, it's convenient
> for me to remove them or most of them with a slotted spoon while I'm
> thickening the broth and add them back. That's not necessary though.

I take out some of the liquid, make the slurry with that, then add
it back in. Less awkward/damaging stirring is required that way
(and I don't have to remove everything but the broth)

-sw

Sqwertz wrote:
>
> Steve Pope > wrote:
>
> > Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.
>
> Nothing icky about them. They're just big carrots, whittled down
> into smaller ones. Especially after they cook, they're exactly the
> same.

No, that's not how baby carrots are made. They are
grown from the same seed used for regular carrots,
but they are planted closer together and harvested
earlier. I learned that from an ag program which
was named "Voice of Agriculture" or "California Farm
Bureau Report" before it was renamed "California
Country". They got rid of the old guy who was the MC
and certain segments that were too "technical",
mostly dealing with the birth of calves, which seems
to be the favorite activity that farmers use to
gross out city slickers. Now it's mostly focussed
on artisan this and that.

On the reformulated show, you won't see that cow
at UC-Davis which has a sort of porthole cut into
her side so you can reach in and take samples of
her digestive material, midway through the process.
I miss that. :-)

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> Serene Vannoy > wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>>> They're just big carrots, whittled down
>>> into smaller ones.
>>
>> And the center of a carrot is the mildest (read: least flavorful) part,
>> in my opinion.
>
> OK, I guess you have a point there. But some of them don't seem to
> have that big center stalk that runs up through the bottom of the
> larger carrots. They seem to be mostly ... carrot rather than woody
> stalk.

Buy better carrots is all.

> My new favorite are the Parisian carrots. I can get those pretty
> cheap in the freezer section. Granted, they're slightly cooked
> (blanched), but I really like them. And they're not whittled down
> carrots into round balls, but actual peeled carrots.

Frozen carrots, in home made stew, your baby carrots are better... get outta
here... you may as well use all frozen veggies, iffn you like mush
veggies... now instead of Dinty Moore the sqwartz dwarf is attempting
Campbells condensed. hehe

Leonard Blaisdell wrote:
> In article >,
> Becca > wrote:
>
>> When I make stew, I dredge the meat in flour before I brown it. This
>> makes the stew nice and thick. How do you thicken yours?
>
> I brown the plain meat in a tablespoon or two of hot oil right at the
> start.

Me, too. I prefer to brown the meat, rather than browning flour *around*
the meat. I used to do the flour thing, but I find my stews are meatier
since I stopped doing that. I think I actually learned that here.

Serene
--
42 Magazine, celebrating life with meaning. Inaugural issue March '09!
http://42magazine.com

"But here's a handy hint: if your fabulous theory for ending war and
all other human conflict will not survive an online argument with
humourless feminists who are not afraid to throw rape around as an
example, your theory needs work." -- Aqua, alt.polyamory

"Serene Vannoy" > wrote in message
...
> Mark Thorson wrote:
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>> Steve Pope > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.
>>> Nothing icky about them. They're just big carrots, whittled down
>>> into smaller ones. Especially after they cook, they're exactly the
>>> same.
>>
>> No, that's not how baby carrots are made. They are
>> grown from the same seed used for regular carrots,
>> but they are planted closer together and harvested
>> earlier.
>
> That's how *actual* baby carrots are made, but here, we also get a product
> called "baby carrots" that is not that at all, but the mechanically
> whittled ones that Steve describes.
>
> Quoting the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Carrot
> :
>
> "In North America, Baby Carrots are adult carrots chopped into smaller
> pieces and peeled (known as baby-cut carrots). Taking fully grown carrots
> and cutting them to make them smaller was the idea of California farmer
> Mike Yurosek."
>
> Serene
>
Exactly. They're whittled down in a rotating drum coated with an abrasive,
and they're constantly washed with water to rinse away the abraded portion.
By the time folks buy them the vitamins and the flavor have mostly been
lost, and they taste funky. Those things are really quite worthless as as
food item... wtf is do difficult about paring carrots. Actually the carrots
in my stew were stolen from the five pound bags I buy for feeding deer...
they're large carrots grown in Canada, an excellent carrot, sweet and
tender, not at all woody.

Steve wrote:

>> The sqwartz dwarf is not familiar with good homemade stew with big chunks
>> of quality meat and veggies,
>
> http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg
>
> I win.

I'd have liked to see a picture of your stew after it was done cooking. As
it stands, Sheldon's stew looks better than yours. (Of course, taste is more
important than looks anyway.) And it doesn't look like *either* of you
browned the meat thoroughly enough, though I recognize that food photographs
can often fall short of depicting that kind of thing.

Sheldon posted this: http://i40.tinypic.com/fk2wza.jpg

....and I found myself wondering, "Isn't that a dog dish?"


Bob

"Bobo Bonobo®" > wrote in message
...
On Mar 28, 6:39 pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
> Serene Vannoy > wrote:
>
> >Can't believe I'm saying this, but not in my book. You-know-who's looks
> >better to me, partly because it's thicker and darker, and partly because
> >it doesn't use those little icky baby carrots.

You can't believe you're admitting that "You-know-who's looks
better to [you] partly because it's thicker and darker"??? Is it
longer and harder too?
>
> Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.

They're just little shapes cut out of full sized carrots. Silly and
wasteful, but not icky.
>
>
They are too icky... because they were peeled long ago, and then left to
rot. Frozen carrots are far better.

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> Leonard Blaisdell > wrote:
>
>> In article >,
>> Sqwertz > wrote:
>>
>>> http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg
>>
>> It's interesting to me that from the start of the thread on, nobody
>> thickens the broth in the stew which is what I grew up with, still do
>> and won't stop doing. I guess I make cream of stew. FWIW, all the
>> pictures are great.
>
> I thicken it when it's cooked down some more. I make a gravy out of
> it. I can't stand watery stew. My bowl will be 30-40% gravy
> (unlike Sheldon - who apparently doesn't use any. He probably
> throws the best part away).
>
>
My cut up spuds thickened the gravy... actually it became too thick so I
added a cup of water and reseasoned... yours is mostly water... by the time
you thicken it'll will be Dinty Moore. LOL

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> brooklyn1 > wrote:
>
>> The sqwartz dwarf is
>> not familiar with good homemade stew with big chunks of quality meat and
>> veggies,
>
> http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg
>
> I win.
>
>
Nope, you lose... that's soup! LOL

On Mar 28, 8:13*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> Serene Vannoy > wrote:
> > Sqwertz wrote:
>
> >> They're just big carrots, whittled down
> >> into smaller ones. *
>
> > And the center of a carrot is the mildest (read: least flavorful) part,
> > in my opinion.
>
> OK, I guess you have a point there. *But some of them don't seem to
> have that big center stalk that runs up through the bottom of the
> larger carrots. *They seem to be mostly ... carrot rather than woody
> stalk.
>
> My new favorite are the Parisian carrots. *I can get those pretty
> cheap in the freezer section. *Granted, they're slightly cooked
> (blanched), but I really like them. *And they're not whittled down
> carrots into round balls, but actual peeled carrots.

If you're going to cook them anyway, blanched is OK.
>
> I don't know of any unscrupulous marketers that are shaping them
> from round carrots.... yet.

Unscrupulous businessfolks are in a different world these days. The
worm has turned. Like Michel's sig, regular folks are on to the
concept of greed being a necessary evil, not an intrinsic good. Many
rather fundamentalist Christians have rediscovered 1 Tim 6:9-10, and
although President Obama has alienated them with other of his
positions regarding sexuality, they nevertheless have seen the folly
in Mammon worship. I see Mammon not as a symbol of personal greed,
but an elevation of greed to a high moral status, a demigod perhaps,
but one incompatible with the worship of JHVH (I am that I am).
Honesty and hard work are gaining new respect in the USA. The
legacies of Lincoln, both Roosevelts, and the Kennedy/Johnson
presidencies are embodied in our new president. I just wish that he'd
bring Michael Pollan into his administration as an undersecretary in
the Ag dept.
Like Jimmy Carter with his solar panels, the Victory Garden that the
Obamas are planting is setting an example for all Americans.
Wholesome food and energy use reduction is prosocial and indeed,
patriotic. The children of the most powerful man on the planet are
getting their hands dirty in a garden, and are going to eat food that
they helped grow. Fresh food, local food. You can bet that they'll
serve some of it to honored foreign dignitaries. This elevates
agrarians around the globe to a higher status, and I hope that it
inspires my fellow Americans, if they have the means, to plant their
own gardens. To paraphrase the UNCF, an Earth is a terrible thing to
waste.
>
> -sw

--Bryan

Bryan wrote:

> I just wish that he'd bring Michael Pollan into his administration as an
> undersecretary in the Ag dept.

Now THAT would be interesting! But I doubt he'd last in that position if he
lacked the authority to make the changes he wants to make. It sure would be
a breath of fresh air if the Agricultural Department started policing
Monsanto.

Bob

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> Steve Pope > wrote:
>
>> Serene Vannoy > wrote:
>>
>>>Can't believe I'm saying this, but not in my book. You-know-who's looks
>>>better to me, partly because it's thicker and darker, and partly because
>>>it doesn't use those little icky baby carrots.
>>
>> Finally, someone else who considers those baby carrots icky.
>
> Nothing icky about them. They're just big carrots, whittled down
> into smaller ones. Especially after they cook, they're exactly the
> same.
>
> As for his being darker and thicker, clearly that is not evident by
> the pictures. He didn't even put any sauce in his finshed dish
> anyway.
>
> Note that my stew wasn't finished cooking yet.
>
>
Yes I did... and anyone can see the sauce in the cookpot, that's why I
pushed the solids over to take that picture... had I served myself in a
plate the sauce would be plainly seen but I like my bowls at my PC, they
keep food hotter longer and I'm a slow typer. And yours has no sauce, it's
some sort of very weird looking liquid, actually clouded like decaying TP in
a septic tank... look closely, looks like scum from the meat was mixed in
instead of skimmed off. And your stupid carrots are old, peeled long before
so all the goodness and aroma has disapated... you used those carrots
because you're lazy, too lazy to peel carrots... and you have too much
celery... I don't use celery in beef stew, makes it bitter. And that's not
stew anyway, that's some sort of fercockah soup... you'll have to add a lot
of starch to thicken it... I knew you only know Dinty Moore. LOL

Becca wrote:

> When I make stew, I dredge the meat in flour before I brown it. This
> makes the stew nice and thick. How do you thicken yours?

I prefer to brown the meat without dredging and then thicken it with
Veloutine after it is cooked. Veloutine thickens very quickly but the
liquid has to be boiling, so I remove the braised meat first, and then
put it back in after the sauce is thickened.


FWIW, I don't follow a recipe per se. Stew is more a matter of style
than recipes. I usually season the meat with salt, pepper, Worstershire
and savory. Saute chopped celery, carrots and mushrooms, and then
remove them and crank up the heat to brown the meat, being careful not
to add too much at a time. Remove the meat, add a little wine and some
beef stock and some tomato paste. Out everything back in the pot, stick
a top on it and shove it in a 300F for about 2 hours. Remove the meat
and add Veloutine to thicken.

We usually cook beef one day and then reheat it the next day. Stick some
chopped potatoes and carrots in the pot and pop it in the oven for
about an hour. Add some frozen peas about 5 minutes before serving.

"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote in message
...
> Steve wrote:
>
>>> The sqwartz dwarf is not familiar with good homemade stew with big
>>> chunks of quality meat and veggies,
>>
>> http://i40.tinypic.com/z5vgk.jpg
>>
>> I win.
>
> I'd have liked to see a picture of your stew after it was done cooking. As
> it stands, Sheldon's stew looks better than yours. (Of course, taste is
> more important than looks anyway.) And it doesn't look like *either* of
> you browned the meat thoroughly enough, though I recognize that food
> photographs can often fall short of depicting that kind of thing.

There's a photo of my meat browned in the pot, it's browned more than
enough... I don't want carborized.
>
> Sheldon posted this: http://i40.tinypic.com/fk2wza.jpg
>
> ...and I found myself wondering, "Isn't that a dog dish?"
>
>
That's better than your Chicken of the Sea dinnerware I'm sure. That's a
chili bowl from Williams Sonoma, I think they still sell them in sets of
six, excellent for keeping food hot... mine are the larger 28 oz size. I
guess one can use them to feed their dog, why not... actually that's a great
idea, they are better than dog bowls from pet stores and cost less...
they're extremely heavy, even a large dog can't push them around. Of
course my cats eat from much nicer than most people, hand made one of a kind
originals, museum quality, thrown by a renowned potter in New Mexico, each
has their name fired on.

http://tinyurl.com/c9gsgt

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/produ...s&cm%5Fsrc=SCH

On Sat 28 Mar 2009 08:02:03p, Dave Smith told us...

> Becca wrote:
>
>> When I make stew, I dredge the meat in flour before I brown it. This
>> makes the stew nice and thick. How do you thicken yours?
>
> I prefer to brown the meat without dredging and then thicken it with
> Veloutine after it is cooked. Veloutine thickens very quickly but the
> liquid has to be boiling, so I remove the braised meat first, and then
> put it back in after the sauce is thickened.
>
>
> FWIW, I don't follow a recipe per se. Stew is more a matter of style
> than recipes. I usually season the meat with salt, pepper, Worstershire
> and savory. Saute chopped celery, carrots and mushrooms, and then
> remove them and crank up the heat to brown the meat, being careful not
> to add too much at a time. Remove the meat, add a little wine and some
> beef stock and some tomato paste. Out everything back in the pot, stick
> a top on it and shove it in a 300F for about 2 hours. Remove the meat
> and add Veloutine to thicken.
>
> We usually cook beef one day and then reheat it the next day. Stick some
> chopped potatoes and carrots in the pot and pop it in the oven for
> about an hour. Add some frozen peas about 5 minutes before serving.

I like your process, Dave. I don't think Veloutine is commonly available
in the US. Is it closer to cornstarch or flour in its properties?

I usually use a beurre manié to thicken my stews

Thanks!

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.