Beef pumpkin stew

You guys. This rich, warm, comforting wintry stew was SO GOOD for a cold January night. I just kind of riffed on what we had in the kitchen, so will try to render as accurately as I can remember! Definitely making again.

• 200g beef (I only had mince in the freezer but stew chunks would be even better)
• You could for sure make this vegetarian by using thick flavorful mushrooms here
• 1 smallish Hokkaido pumpkin, cut into large chunks. (You don't need to peel Hokkaido.)
• Maybe a dozen (?) small, firm potatoes, cut into spoon-sized chunks
• Sizable chunk of ginger, about the size of half a computer mouse, chopped
• 1 onion (I used a small red onion but any sharp onion would surely be good), sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• A few tablespoons of oil or butter for sauteeing (I prefer clarified butter)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, drained (Stephan drinks the leftover juice. #italian )
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds (crushed) or powdered coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• A handful of chopped parsley (dried is fine)
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• Lots of salt
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Splashes of red wine
• Splashes of apple cider vinegar
• Crème fraîche for topping

Brown the beef (or mushrooms) in a bit of oil/butter/ghee. Turn down the heat and throw in the sliced onion, sauteeing until nearly soft; add ginger and garlic plus a bit more butter. Don't let the garlic burn! 

After about a minute, add the tomatoes and spices (not yet the salt). Let simmer together for a bit before you pour on about a liter of water.

Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Add salt. Turn down and let bubble for about ten minutes before you add another liter of water and the pumpkin chunks. Let bubble for another ten minutes.

As it all starts to soften and blend together, add the brown sugar and a few splashes of wine and vinegar for flavor. Taste and see if it needs more of any of those three (or more salt).

Let the whole thing simmer for at least 30 minutes more. Resist the aromas in the kitchen. Resiiiiist theeemmm... Maybe pour yourself a glass of that red wine while you wait.

Serve topped with a dollop of crème fraîche and sprinkle with more parsley to look pretty. 

(Trust me on the crème fraîche. It adds a whole new dimension.)

Snarfle!

Oh yes, and we had an arugula salad while we were waiting. With some parmesan flakes, it was perfect.

Gingerbread pancakes

These came out *perfect*: tall, bouncy, richly spiced, crisp on the edges. I adapted them a bit from the New York Times Cooking blog. If you don't have fresh ginger, then first of all, that would be a shame (it's really great in this recipe) but second of all, just double the powdered ginger. However, do make sure you have lemon zest, as it simply makes this recipe!

Mix wet in one bowl:

• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1/3 cup dark molasses (but not blackstrap)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (I mean *really* fine. Biting into a chunk of ginger is great in soup but jarring in pancakes)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (seriously, do this)

Mix dry in another bowl:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves

Pour the wet into the dry and stir until just combined. You don't want to overblend; it's okay if there are some lumps in there.

Drop batter by the 1/4 cup onto a preheated, thickly buttered skillet (it should sizzle a little). Fry them up like usual. They'll inflate to towering cakes, mmm! Keep finished batches on a plate in a warm oven until it's all cooked up.

Serve with whatever (butter, quark, cream cheese, syrup, all of the above) but be sure to top it with cinnamon! Some orange slices make the plate look pretty, too.