Hot comfort

Stew to keep from stewing

By Kathy Gunst

BREAK OUT THE CROCK POT: lamb stew to drive away the blues.

Why can’t I stop cooking? Standing in front of the stove, I listen to the news on the radio: The United States is on heightened alert for chemical war, the grim task of removing bodies and rubble from the World Trade Center will take a year to complete, Afghani women aren’t even allowed to leave their homes unaccompanied. We are in the middle of a bombing raid on their country. Maybe I’ll mix up some skillet cornbread, rich with buttermilk, and perhaps a layer of fresh chives.

The newspapers pile up with gruesome photographs of flaming Twin Towers and bombed out terrorist camps. I go to the garden and pick the last tomatoes, herbs, leeks, and potatoes. Two hours later a gorgeous stew simmers on the stove, and the kitchen fills with the heavenly scent of basil, garlic, and red wine. The more anxious I become over world events the more I fill my pots and pans and skillets with . . . Last week there was a brisket of beef which braised for close to 24 hours and a lamb stew with fresh ginger and scallions. A noodle kugel fed my family for two days, and the garden tomatoes were simmered all day into a rich sauce that filled half a dozen Mason jars.

Cooking, the art of transforming raw ingredients into a delicious meal, transcends airplanes crashing into skyscrapers and government buildings and terrorism and the fear of war. It provides me (and in turn my family and friends) with a feeling of warmth in a world that seems to have suddenly turned cold.

I suppose I cook for the same reasons that artists paint, and writers compose poems. It is an attempt to make something beautiful amid all the ugliness, an effort to make sense of things at a time when our world feel horribly out of order.

What we eat can affect how we view the world. I’d like to send some lamb and ginger stew to Dan Rather, and bake a cake for Tom Brokaw. And what about all those CNN reporters going ’round the clock? A nice plate of garlic mashed potatoes might help their outlook on current events.

As we bomb Afghanistan we are simultaneously dropping sacks of food to help feed its people. Food, the sign of friendship. Perhaps even Osama Bin Laden could be lured out of his cave by a steaming bowl of stew. When he holds up his bowl to ask for more we could slap the cuffs on him, and drag him off to jail.

These are anxious times. We can stay aware (or “alert” as the President requests), voice our opinions, and sign petitions about the issues we believe in. But for a true dose of comfort, this writer finds peace in the kitchen. There is a sense of tradition and continuity, connection to the earth and to family in the simple act of cooking.

I think I’ll skip the news tonight and make another stew. Maybe bake a cake.

Lamb Stew with Ginger

Soothing, and hearty, this main-course stew should be made a day ahead of time, if possible. Serve with crusty bread, or mashed or roasted potatoes for true comfort.

You can substitute 2 pounds chicken cut into 2-inch chunks. Or you can make a vegetarian version of the stew by omitting the lamb and doubling the onions, leeks, and carrots and adding 4 large, peeled potatoes cut into chunks, 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks and adding 2 cups spinach or Swiss chard during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

This recipe comes from my new book, Relax, Company’s Coming! (Simon & Schuster).

1 cup flour, plus 1 tablespoon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2.5 pounds lamb stewing meat, cubed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped

2 large onions, sliced

3 leeks, sliced lengthwise and then sliced into 2-inch pieces

5 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, or 2 teaspoons dried

1 tablespoon thyme, or 1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, homemade or low-sodium canned

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

1 bay leaf

Place the 1 cup of flour on a large plate and add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Dredge the meat on all sides, coating well.

In a large casserole, heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat. Add half the coated meat, along with a handful of garlic and ginger. Brown the meat on all sides. Drain with a slotted spoon and transfer the meat to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and meat.

Using a paper towel or spoon, remove all but 1 teaspoon of the oil in the pan. Heat the remaining oil over low heat and add the onions and leeks, and sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, half the remaining garlic and ginger, the rosemary and thyme, and cook another 2 minutes, stirring. Add the 1 tablespoon of flour and stir well to coat all the vegetables. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Raise the heat to moderately high and add the wine. Simmer and add the chicken broth, remaining garlic and ginger, soy sauce, a grinding of pepper, and the bay leaf. Add the browned meat and bring to a boil.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the casserole from the heat, cover, and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Cook for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender and almost falling off the bone. Taste for seasoning. Before serving, warm the stew over low heat, or in a low 300 degree oven until simmering. Serves 4.