Stews For A Winter's Day

Chilly days call for hot stews.There's nothing like them to warm the body and the soul.They're also great to male and freeze for a later date too. they're also one of the easiest dishes to make too. Dave Tanis gives his own spin on this great cold weather dish in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Dining section.He uses winter vegetables, French cooking methods and Indian spices to create a warm, toasty and flavorful dish.He mixes squash and parsnips along with cauliflower and chickpeas with curry and turmeric for bounce and flavor.With these he layers the veggies in true Gallic fashion with the onions first as the base followed by potatoes, then after these are semi cooked, carrots and peas are the final level.It's a great way of melding and blending all the flavors. You don't have to make your stew that fiery.A French style stew is always welcomed.While Mr. Tanis omitted any kind of meat you can add beef, chicken or lamb.The classic , though is beef in a red sauce.A good red wine, onions and carrots also add taste and texture. Italian bacon , panecetta is used to give it more flavor and body (if you want, you can omit this)Garlic is also employed as is cremini mushrooms.A classic stew dish is a lamb oneBritish chef, Gordon Ramsay,t's it with muffins(but you can use dumplings) All you need is a good leg of lamb ,red wine onions and thyme.If you want ,you can add whatever veggies you want to it but add it towards the end of the cooking time, for a firmer texture and richer flavor. Stew is the perfect dinner for a cold winter's night.Make it spicy with an Indian twist or traditional with red wine and onions. Either way a plate of it is a great chill chaser.