Remember that scene in the movie “Sabrina”–the old, original version–where Audrey Hepburn, newly arrived home after studying in Paris at the Cordon Bleu, whips up an amazing meal for Humphrey Bogart from what seems like a tin of anchovies, some ice cubes and a lemon? That’s never going to be me. I am not the kind of creative cook who goes fearlessly into the kitchen and throws unlikely ingredients together and comes out with something wonderful. BUT, I am a collector of recipes that are easy and rarely fail to delight.
Now, a number of you, I know, have tried the country stew recipe I’ve posted before. It’s yummy and warming in cold weather and has one of those favorable effort-to-deliciousness ratios I look for. So, as I said, I’m not a very creative cook, but I was thinking maybe you could vary the flavors in that stew. Maybe instead of those tomato-y ingredients with those lively top notes, why not something with deeper, more umami tones. So I followed the recipe’s proportions, liquids, solids, etc. and used red wine, onions, garlic, and mushrooms and I was amazed to find that it worked. It was delicious. And I’m thinking a carbonnade flamande type thing–garlic, onions, beer–would work, too.
So, not a real recipe here other than the original, but a little nudge toward using your own creativity with this as an easy and forgiving template. Pick your own favorite tastes and let me know how it goes.