Moody Stews

Dear Tia T -

I've been having one of those weeks where I feel so raw the slightest thing could catapult me into sobbing into my soggy morning cereal (is there anything worse?), so I was thrilled to have your most recent letter distract me into laughter. I did, of course, immediately ask J what planet parmesan was from, and he, of course, immediately smuckled and said "Uranus." Ain't it grand when the right questions have the right answers?

I do two things when I feel raw: I write poetry, listen to sad music (how cliche, right?), and obsess over food. Okay, to be fair, I do those things anyway (especially the latter), but there's a particular kind of force that I feel barreling through me that leads to some furious writing and and cooking. I feel suddenly awake and affected by every little thing I see - every little thing seems to remind me how simultaneously beautiful and awful the world can be. It reminds me, actually, of how you and your mother pay attention to plants and flowers as y'all move through the world - each petal and stem and leaf matter, and each have their own unique way of being present in the world. I've learned from y'all that plants are certainly more than just garnish along a city sidewalk.

So a couple of afternoons ago, I was writing at home and thinking about what to make for dinner. I wanted something bold, filling, comforting - something that would rise rich in the air, something tangible. I also wanted to make use of 2 pounds of chuck roast J bought, inexplicably, while I was in Brooklyn, and the last of the peppers that my friend Keith had given us.

I found this recipe on a Texas Monthly message board, and it totally fit the bill. The stew did fill the air with deliciousness all afternoon and early evening, and staved off, thankfully, more self-deprecating behavior. I served it alongside a spinach and bell pepper salad and some leftover parathas. It was a nice East meets West kind of meal - I felt like I was honoring both my heritages at once. It also warmed up really nicely, so J and I ate on it the rest of the week without once getting tired of it.

Also, I wanted to tell you - my Kentucky friend M is in town for the weekend, and I knew he was going to drag all the boys into a long night/morning of poker, so I decided to make a couple of those delicious looking beef and spinach pies you made to sustain their erstwhile efforts. The girls came along too and we stayed in and chatted after they left for their game, making it two! official girls' nights in between the two of us. Represent!

Your soup looks absolutely delicious, and perfect for both my recent obsession with slow cooking and the onslaught of cooler weather. I love the idea of a submerged sprig of rosemary - how cool a word is sprig, by the way? I wish we could have sat in your lovely apartment next to the window and dipped chunks of bread into it together.

By the way, I feel as though I should apologize for how depressing my recent letters have been - I'll be in Texas next week, so hopefully I'll be blogging about being cheered up by some serious Tex-Mex instead. My friend Kate is meeting me in Austin with her baby girl - be prepared for some serious baby gushing. Any ideas of baby-friendly places or things to do while we're there?

Hope your injury is better too - I'd advise using it as an excuse to B not to wash dishes - it might get infected!

Much love,

Tia F.