Sunday, December 28, 2025
Damp, and yet, not quite precipitating. Fairly warm, around 60°F at 10:52 am. By afternoon, the sun had started to break through the clouds. A bit windy with intermittent strong gusts. I took advantage of the warm spell and opened a few windows to let in some fresh air.
Going to bed that night, I could see clouds racing past my window. A strong wind buffeting the trees about. Later I was told an intense rain storm came through in the middle of the night, dropping a 1/2 inch of rain, and boasting wind gusts over 40 mph. I am happy to say that I slept through it.
Monday, December 29, 2025
Winter Storm Ezra continues to make her presence known. From 1 am to 7 am the temperature dropped 20 degrees, going from 50°F to 30°F and it continues to fall. I can hear the wind roaring through the trees and around our apartment building, battering the bricks with frigid air. The wind chill makes the ambient temperature feel even lower, dropping it down into the lower teens.
I am glad I don’t have to go outside today. Going to make beer stew and biscuits for dinner, a favorite recipe of mine. This is a nice twist on traditional beef stew, with the beer and seasonings giving it a different flavor profile. Naturally, you can use whatever beer you like, but I prefer to use Guinness. In the past, I have tried various other dark beers but always come back to the iconic Irish stout.
This recipe was given to me some time ago by a friend and I have made several adjustments to suit my tastes (If by some chance you are reading this, you know who you are. Many thanks for sharing it with me!). I hope you enjoy this hearty winter dish. The recipe is as follows:
Beer Stew
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
~2 hours
Serves
6-8
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chuck or other beef, cut into 1″ to 2″ cubes
- 1/4 cup flour (if gluten free, skip the flour)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 3 slices of bacon, diced
- 2 small white onions, diced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced (optional)
- 3-4 cloves garlic, 1 tbs. crushed and minced
- 16 oz. mushrooms, sliced or quartered
- 16 oz. carrots, sliced
- 3-4 golden potatoes, cubed
- 1 cup chopped spinach (frozen or fresh) (optional)
- 1 1/2 cup petite peas (optional)
- 1 can of beer (I recommend using Guinness)
- 4 cups broth
- 1 tbs. soy sauce
- 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves, whole
- 1 tbs. Maple Syrup (optional)
- Pinch of tarragon (to taste)(sweet – to balance the flavor)
- Onion granules (to taste)(optional)
- Garlic powder (to taste)(optional)
- Pinch of celery salt (to taste)(optional)
NOTES: I often find that chuck stew beef has too much gristle for my liking, and I trim most of the tough fat off. You can also use other cuts of beef or even lamb, if you’d prefer. For extra flavor, you can marinate the meat overnight.
Another habit of mine while cooking is to pack in as many vegetables as possible, hence the addition of the spinach and peas (it needed something green!). These are entirely optional, or you can experiment with vegetables of your preference. Maybe parsnips or other root vegetables.
Lastly, every dish I make has a healthy amount of onion and garlic powder. It helps to add flavor (entirely optional, just my personal preference). Remember when tasting, the flavors should be well rounded and hit every part of your palette. If its too sour or bitter add more sweet (tarragon or maple syrup in this case).
Steps
1
Combine flour, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Coat beef cubes in mixture. Set aside.
2
In a large stew pot fry bacon until done, discard excess fat.
3
If using carrots, pre-boil them or sauté them separately with the onions to ensure they soften and are cooked through. Add garlic to the onions in the last minute of cooking.
4
Brown beef cubes in the leftover bacon fat. Add all remaining ingredients, except the peas.
5
Bring the pot to a boil, then simmer over low to medium heat until vegetables are soft and cooked through. Add peas and return to a simmer. Once the peas are hot it should be done. Taste test and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve in large bowls with bread or biscuits.
Eating Seasonally
The cold weather makes me crave comfort foods. I love making stew during the winter. However, the concept of eating seasonally is as old as the hills. In fact, it central to traditional Japanese cuisine1, as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine2, and is just another component of seasonal awareness. Of course, this is no mere coincidence, it’s Mother Nature talking to us through our stomachs. In other words, our nutritional needs change with each season. Let me give you an example.
In summer when it is hot, we are sweating more. As a consequence, our bodies need to take in more water and find ways to cool down. Nature responds to the summer heat as well, by providing seasonal produce like watermelon and cucumber, which offer an ideal solution to counter the hot weather. Watermelon contains a host of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and just so happens to be 92% water3!
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, among various other sources, there are multiple benefits to eating seasonally4. These include higher nutritional content, better flavor, greater food diversity, improved sustainability, all while supporting the local economy (which tends to make it more affordable with a lower carbon footprint). Want to know what foods are in season? Check out this comprehensive list from the Seasonal Food Guide5.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
The golden hour of dawn (which is from 7:56 am to 8:37 am today, according to Meteogram). The warm light makes the building facades glow. I wish I could see the sunrise from here! Meanwhile, we have partly cloudy skies with simultaneous snow flurries and patches of blue. It’s pretty darn cold out there, currently 18°F. The heat hasn’t stopped running since I got out of bed and turned it up.
The cats are being extra fussy today (perhaps the cold inspired them?), demanding more attention than usual. I swear they are not content unless I wait on them hand and foot (paw?). You might think that because I am home all day, I spend my time sitting in front of the computer, but no! I spend it slaving over the cats (only a slight exaggeration)!
Snow flurries and blue sky over western Cincinnati. Photo Credit: Amy Earls
An hour or so and too many distractions later, my coffee has gone cold before I could finish it. A bank of grey clouds has swept across the city, turning Cincinnati into a giant snow globe. It’s SO pretty! I wonder if it will accumulate? Probably not. Making another cup of coffee… Today’s flavor is called Autumnfest, its a lovely combination of hazelnut and cinnamon. And while it may have been created to suit fall, it makes for a delightful cup in the winter months.
What is your favorite kind of coffee? Are you like me, all milk and sugar, or do you prefer it black? …And after writing this post, my coffee is cold again. XD
- https://www.coquitlamsushimori.com/post/seasonal-eating-in-japanese-culture-embracing-nature-s-bounty ↩︎
- https://www.acu4u.com/blog/eating-according-to-the-seasons-dietary-principles-of-traditional-chinese-medicine ↩︎
- https://www.watermelon.org/nutrition/watermelons-benefits/ ↩︎
- National Breast Cancer Foundation – https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/blog/a-guide-to-seasonal-eating-winter-edition/
Premium Medical Circle – https://premiummedicalcircle.com/en/artikel/seasonal-nutrition-the-natural-way-to-better-health ↩︎ - Seasonal Food Guide – https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/why-eat-seasonally ↩︎
P.S. – This post took ages to write, since I had to find sources for the information I wanted to present. I hope you find it helpful. Going forward, I think I am going to try to incorporate more seasonal food information.
Your stew sounds delicious!
It’s an old favorite of mine! Let me know if you make it!