What Do You Make of It? Stew and Forrest Claypool

Very early yesterday morning, I got me a crock pot.

I got me some cubed chuck beef ( 2 lbs.), two pounds of small red potatoes, flour, Kerry Gold butter, garlic, a big Vadalia onion, celery,carrots, Bay leaf, chopped parsley, chopped basil, cracked black pepper, Kosher salt, paprika, a 16 oz. can of crushed tomatoes. What do I make of it?

Well, I made a dark red roux with a tablespoon of the flour and a tablespoon of Kerry Gold butter in my cast iron skillet using a big wooden spoon and a sharp eye and set it aside. Then, I tossed the two pounds of cubed chuck in a zip lock bag of flour Kosher salt, and paprika and when thoroughly coated tossed the bag contents into a huge cast iron skillet with a mixture of melted butter and oil.

I tossed the the can of crushed tomato and bay leaf into the crock pot, added six cups of water and set the pot on high and added the red spuds after cutting washing them good and cutting each one in half. I thinly sliced the celery -about two cups; likewise, the carrots and into the pot they went.

The meat browned up like the nose of a grammar school snitch and I let it take on a good crust. I crushed two big cloves of garlic and added that to the pot and coarsely cut the big Vidalia into man-sixed pieces and added them to the pot. In went the meat, once it looked like the leavings of a Jean and Georgetti's Juggernaut porterhouse on the plate of a Yuppie - charcoal on the outside and medium red within.

I added more paprika, a slice of Kerry Gold butter, a whole clove of garlic, and the six cups of cold water. I stirred the stuff like Justin Wilson trying to scare off a hangover and let it cook for two hours and added my roux and churned up the mess again with more care.

I covered the the top of the stew with finely chopped parsley and set it on medium. I went to Leo High School at 5:15 AM, left the Hallowed Halls at 7:45 AM for meeting in Lansing at 8:30 after that ended at 10:45 AM got on Bishop Ford and stopped home. Smelled good in Casa Hickey. I stirred up the pot and added a tablespoon of mixed Italian spices to more chopped parsley and headed to meetings in Bridgeview and later Joliet.

I got home at 4:35 PM and kept the kids away from the pot. We dined at 5:45 PM. Not bad.


Mrs. Daley was buried while I was on the road. Herman Cain had some babe in Atlanta accuse him of thirteen years of marital infidelities. Newt Gingrich is the new Romney. Pakistan is going rouge-er. American Airlines is going bankrupt. Gov. Pat Quinn will sign legislation that will allow speed traps all over Chicago. Blago got slapped by Judge Zagel again - no tapes- and is expected to take a 12 year minimum sentence in Club Fed and put it under the Holiday Tree. Tolls will double to help ring in the New Year. Francis Cardinal George and some other Catholic Bishops will meet with Governor Christian during Advent Cyber-Black Monday netted some major coin.
Forrest Claypool wants to know, "How did you enjoy your bus rides?" The RTA spent $500,000 to conduct paper surveys handed out at CTA and Metra stops. Forrest loves it!

The survey "enables us to receive honest and helpful feedback from our customers to help us improve all facets of our operation," CTA President Forrest Claypool said.

Gee, I always fib on surveys, Forrest, and so do many, many, many of my pals and neighbors.

Name - Soren Dias

Address - Stately Wayne Manor

Phone - Often

E-mail - She Male

& etc.

Gee, Forrest, I generally prepare my ingredients, use the proper tools, time everything within reason, and periodically actually taste the stew I am about to serve.

How about riding a few buses and stepping onto the old Red-line? Novel, I know and subjective, but generally effective. Far less costly.


What are we supposed to do with all of that?

As best we can.

I had some quality ingredients at least and was prepared to make use of them. I did not need to conduct a paper survey of my stew-recipients. They ate like they were going to the Chair.