Beef Stew

I usually just get the beef the grocery packages as 'stew meat', although chuck is good too. It's okay if you use a cheap cut, because it'll be cooking for a good long time. Serve this with a good bread and a salad, and you've got a complete meal.

3 pounds beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup water and 1 cup red wine or 2 cups water (a hearty red like burgundy or merlot is good)
15 ounce can tomatoes
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
Bay leaf (1 large or 2 small)
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups sliced carrots or 2 cups baby carrots
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 pound pearl onions

Brown meat thoroughly on all sides in the oil. Add water, wine, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion and all seasonings; cover and simmer at low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.
Add more water if needed.
Add carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and pearl onions; cover and cook 30 minutes or until vegetables are done. 6-8 servings.

New England Clam Chowder

This one's mine; it makes a nicely thick and rich clam chowder. It's easy to make too. Just be sure to trust me on the directions --- right after you blend in the crumbled crackers you'll wonder if I'm the one who's crackers, but it'll be fine, I promise. Oh yeah: please note that there's no salt listed in this recipe, because it'll get plenty from the salt pork.

4- 15 ounce cans of minced clams
2 cups diced salt pork
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups sliced onions
1 cup crumbled 'common' crackers or pilot bviscuit
3 cups diced potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 and 1/2 cups whole milk
1 and 1/2 cups cream

Drain minced clams, reserving 4 cups liquid. Saute pork in butter in a heavy 4 quart sauce pan (a dutch oven work nicely) until pork begins to brown; stir in onions, cover and cook about 8-10 minutes until onions are tender and translucent. Blend in crumbled crackers. Add reserved liquid from clams, the potatoes and the bay leaf. Simmer loosely covered for 20 minutes. Stir in clams, milk and cream. Bring to just below a simmer: boiling toughens clams. Cool uncovered then refridgerate overnight for best flavor.