By Jeanne Winnick Brennan
Photography by Dave Brooks
To banish the winter chill, a working mom stirs up an easy, old-fashioned stew. By Jeanne Winnick Brennan
When the weather turns cold, you can be sure Kate Jaques is reaching for her soup pot.
“I love cold-weather cooking and making my family feel cozy with homemade soups and stews,” says Jaques, an English professor at American River College. “It’s my way of nurturing them, and it makes the house smell great.”
This busy mother of three applies her time-management skills to cooking, making dishes that cook slowly on their own, without a lot of tending. A self-taught cook, she proudly made her first pie from scratch at the age of 15. Now, she researches recipes and perfects her favorite dishes, like this old-fashioned beef and vegetable stew.
“My idea of a perfect winter meal is salad, bread, wine and a home-cooked ‘one-pot’ soup or stew,” she says. “If you don’t believe me, just look at all the frozen stocks I keep in our freezer.”
Kate's Old Fashioned Comfort Stew
In large pot, sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil. Place flour in a bag, add meat and shake to coat. Add meat to the onion/garlic mixture, pour wine into the pot and simmer on low for 10 to 15 minutes. Add vegetables, seasonings and water, bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer covered for about 2 hours, until meat is tender. Serves 6.
Ingredients |
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2 tablespoons minced garlic |
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed |
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This article appears in the January 2005 issue of Sacramento Magazine.
