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

Sorry, but properly steamed, I love "baby" carrots and so does dad.
IMHO they still taste like carrots! They are convenient and save me
knife time sometimes.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

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

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

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

"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

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

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. :-)

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 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.

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

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.
>
> 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. :-)

I gather there are real baby carrots, as you describe, and fake,
whittled-down ones.

--
Jean B.

Jean B. wrote:

> I gather there are real baby carrots, as you describe, and fake,
> whittled-down ones.

Exactly. People call the bags of whittled carrots Baby carrots,
but they aren't. Then there are the fancy whole actual baby
carrots.

nancy

"Jean B." wrote:
> Mark Thorazine 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.
>>
>> 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. :-)
>
> I gather there are real baby carrots, as you describe, and fake,
> whittled-down ones.
>
> --
> Jean B.

There are real baby carrots, but not as the drug numbed cretin Thorazine
describes... harvesting immature veggies to use for presentation is common
practice... but they'd never be peeled and a couple inches of stems would be
left intact otherwise there'd be no way to distinguish them from those awful
pre-pared fakes. There are many varieties of carrot, many different sizes,
configurations, and colors... but they're rarely found at stupidmarkets..
they're typically grown in home gardens and a small number of specialty
farms grow them for the high end eateries, and they'd not be hacked up for
soups/stews, they bring a premium price. The crap carrots the squartz dwarf
used (because he's lazy and has no shame) are machine made from a variety of
carrot that naturally grows long and narrow. No one with a functioning
brain should buy those pre-pared fakes, they're old, lacking in nutrition
and flavor, and typically treated with chemical anti-oxidents and color
fixitives... they are NOT baby carrots

http://www.veggieharvest.com/images/...ges/carrot.jpg

http://www.burpee.com/p2p/searchResu...ivals&page=all

On Sun, 29 Mar 2009 09:22:20 -0400, "Jean B." > wrote:

>I gather there are real baby carrots, as you describe, and fake,
>whittled-down ones.

I remember thinning carrots with my grandfather. They were the baby
carrots that went into stew. I was always excited about that stew.
Can't remember if it was beef or lamb now. Probably beef, but I'd
make it lamb stew today.


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

Mae West

"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

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> 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

Yes, I noted that.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

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

"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.

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.

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

"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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
5.247...
> 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
>
>
No need attempting to impress with fancy schmancy nomenclature... spuds
thicken stew poifectly. Geeze, it's just stew.. I never figgered the
sqwertz dwarf would take it as a personal challenge... he could never beat
me at cooking anything anyways, he couldn't beat me at a glass of water...
first he's gotta find a clean glass... LOL

brooklyn1 wrote:

>>
> No need attempting to impress with fancy schmancy nomenclature... spuds
> thicken stew poifectly. Geeze, it's just stew.. I never figgered the
> sqwertz dwarf would take it as a personal challenge... he could never beat
> me at cooking anything anyways, he couldn't beat me at a glass of water...
> first he's gotta find a clean glass... LOL


Just stew? I have had lots of stews that could be called "just stew".
My mother was a pretty good cook, but her stew was not very good. I
have had lots of other stews that I would not bother with, but I learned
to make stew from my wife, who learned it from her mother, and I have a
whole new appreciation for braised foods because they can be wonderful

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

>> 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 learned that method from my wife who is the braising queen. I find it
too much of a hassle to follow recipes for things like stew because when
it comes right down to it, it is just a style of cooking, and you can
adjust and modify pretty much at will.

I suppose I could hope over the border and see if Veloutine is sold in
Buffalo or Niagara Falls NY, but even if it is, it doesn't mean that it
is common everywhere in the US. It's great stuff because you just bring
the liquid to a boil add the Veloutine and stir and it thickens within a
minute or two and is completely cooked, unlike flour which needs to cook
for a while. I think that it is basically potato flour and a little
caramel for colour.


> I usually use a beurre manié to thicken my stews

That would work too. You can also add a flour slurry, though that would
take longer to cook.

On Sun 29 Mar 2009 10:20:41a, Dave Smith told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>>> 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 learned that method from my wife who is the braising queen. I find it
> too much of a hassle to follow recipes for things like stew because when
> it comes right down to it, it is just a style of cooking, and you can
> adjust and modify pretty much at will.
>
> I suppose I could hope over the border and see if Veloutine is sold in
> Buffalo or Niagara Falls NY, but even if it is, it doesn't mean that it
> is common everywhere in the US. It's great stuff because you just bring
> the liquid to a boil add the Veloutine and stir and it thickens within a
> minute or two and is completely cooked, unlike flour which needs to cook
> for a while. I think that it is basically potato flour and a little
> caramel for colour.

I almost always have potato flour on hand, so that could easily be
substitutedd for regular flour. As for color, I could use a bit of Kitchen
Bouquet.

>> I usually use a beurre manié to thicken my stews
>
> That would work too. You can also add a flour slurry, though that would
> take longer to cook.

Yes, a slurry would take longer.

Thanks, Dave.

--
Wayne Boatwright

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

In article >,
Becca > wrote:

> 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

I most often thicken with arrowroot or corn starch.
I don't like flour, and wheat does not like ME.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> Becca > wrote:
>
>
>> 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
>>
>
> I most often thicken with arrowroot or corn starch.
> I don't like flour, and wheat does not like ME.
>


My husband can not have wheat because he is gluten intolerant. I will
use rice flour or a gluten free blend. I was surprised that it makes a
good gravy. It is different and I am learning as I go along.


Becca

In article >,
Becca > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> > In article >,
> > Becca > wrote:
> >
> >
> >> 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
> >>
> >
> > I most often thicken with arrowroot or corn starch.
> > I don't like flour, and wheat does not like ME.
> >
>
>
> My husband can not have wheat because he is gluten intolerant. I will
> use rice flour or a gluten free blend. I was surprised that it makes a
> good gravy. It is different and I am learning as I go along.
>
>
> Becca

Ain't it grand? :-)

Seriously, do try some arrowroot. It's easier than flour of any kind
and the result is very pleasing texture-wise.

Make up a slurry of it in cold water (just like using corn starch) and
slowly stir it into the simmering or boiling stock/juice.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

"Becca" > wrote
> My husband can not have wheat because he is gluten intolerant. I will use
> rice flour or a gluten free blend. I was surprised that it makes a good
> gravy. It is different and I am learning as I go along.
>
My biggest surprise foodwise of the month was that a thin cornstarch slurry
made very nice gravy for pot roast. It was sirloin tip, the cut I like the
best for this dish. I browned it in olive oil and braised it low and slow in
good sized chunks. In the end, after I had added the vegetables, I poured
the liquid into a sauce pan, brought it to a boil, and added two juice
glasses of water/cornstarch mixture. It was clear looking, but just the
right thickness, and the browned beef flavor was wonderful.