Name: Beef Stew
Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients: 1/2 cup flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2 pounds stew beef, cubed; 3 teaspoons olive oil or butter; 1 bay leaf; 1 clove garlic, smashed; 1 beef stock cube; 1 pound small onions; 6 carrots, sliced; 3 medium-size potatoes, quartered; 1 package frozen peas

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Beef StewCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

The original recipe that appears in my book, Cherries in Winter: My Family's Recipe for Hope in Hard Times is something of a template, a very basic beef stew that allowed for variations. For example, my Nana's recipe didn't call for beef stock cubes, but I find they really boost the flavor. I also added more garlic because I love it. You could add half a cup of red wine if you're going to put it in a slow cooker on low for a few hours and let the wine and meat juices mingle. And you can add beans instead of peas—or in addition to peas! Everyone in my family took this recipe and made it her or his own, and I invite you to do the same.

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