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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, October 3, 2008 The Forum: Another tip on oven-bake stew By Judyrae Kruse Herald Columnist No need to panic here, but if you're planning to take in some football this weekend -- and hoping to take a rare timeout from the usual game-interfering, seemingly endless stint in the kitchen -- then you're probably figuring on fixing Everett cook Nancy Wilson's simple but satisfying, bakes-itself-without -any-further-muss-or-fuss oven stew. So far, so good, but read this first: In a quick follow-up e-mail, a horrified Nancy tells us, "I hope it's not too late, and I'm sorry for my mistake, but I need to amend the directions for the oven stew (which appeared in the Forum Oct. 1), because I left out one sentence. "The directions near the end should read, 'Uncover only once near the end of the cooking time to stir the stew and check if additional cooking time is desired.' "The recipe concludes by saying the stew is excellent served over garlic mashed potatoes." I say no harm, no foul, so that takes care of that. Or maybe not, because chances are good some Forum readers already have misplaced the original how-to, missed their one chance to rip the recipe out and save it before the paper disappeared, or just plain missed it entirely. How's this, then, for our game plan -- we'll have an instant recipe replay: OVEN STEW 21/2-3 pounds stew beef, cut into small cubes 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained (or a 29-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped) 1 box frozen peas 6-8 slender carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths 3 small yellow onions, chopped 1 cup chopped celery 2 slices bread, crusts removed, cubed 3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 cup hearty red wine 1 tablespoon salt Pepper to taste Thyme, marjoram and rosemary to taste, fresh or dried (can use one, none or all three, but really best with at least the thyme) In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing well. Place mixture in a large pot and cover tightly. Bake at 250 degrees for 5 hours or at 300 degrees for 4 hours. Uncover only once near the end of the cooking time and stir the stew and check if additional cooking time is desired. Excellent served over garlic mashed potatoes. SOS: Everett reader Erin Kelly writes, "I purchased a pound of pine nuts with the intention of making a batch of pesto. However, I can't seem to jog the recipe loose from my memory. I remember basil and olive oil -- can your readers help with the other ingredients?'' If you can share a favorite pesto recipe, hurry it along to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206. We are always happy to receive your contributions and requests, but please remember that all letters and e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com. The next Forum will appear in Monday's Time Out section. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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