The weather has been uncharacteristically fall-like the past couple of days (right now, the mercury is at 59 degrees, almost 20 degrees lower than where it should be at this time of the year) that my entire day has consisted of doing things normally associated with the beginning of October. In order to brave the chilly rain, I wore my well-worn cords, my favorite salmon-colored coat and waterproof shoes, all of which have been resting in my closet since the middle of April. Instead of wearing a sunny tuberose-coconut-orange flower scent that I bought to sweeten the last hot humid days of summer (yes, the one that bankrupted me last week), I dabbed on a blackberry-rose-cinnamon-cedar blend that is more keeping in tune with the cool air. I have drunk 4 cups of coffee to compensate for the fact that there is no central heating available (Hello! Still August!). And instead of preparing a light poached salmon and mixed greens dinner, I ran to the store to get hunks of beef for a heavy, satisfying stew.

Stews are often associated with colder weather, for various reasons. My reasons are a) it is an excuse to turn on the oven for three hours, thus heating up the kitchen and b) the steaming hot dish, with melt-in-your-mouth cuts of meat (sorry, no vegetarians here) warms the body and the soul. The recipe I share here reminds me of when I was younger, in the big old house, and my mother used to make a version of this. During my college days, this was also a staple at my aunt's home, where I was living at that time. My uncle introduced a very unexpected yet perfect innovation...a side which my friends know as "Tito Tato's Sauce" which (my friends swear) brings the stew to even greater heights.

So, while I am waiting for the stew to cook, I am typing out the recipe here, so that even if I lose my memory, I shall never lose the stew (what kind of lame-ass line is that?).

You will need:

Beef. Lots of it. Okay, maybe 3 large pieces of beef short ribs, and about 4-5 pieces of neck bones (with a bit of meat on it)

One ginormous onion (and yes, I believe ginormous is now in the Oxford dictionary). Julienned or roughly chopped.

Five large cloves of garlic, crushed.

2 large cans of pork and beans.

2 bay leaves.

Enough olive oil for sauteing (if there is such a word).

Salt and pepper to taste.

The best way to go about this is to heat the olive oil on high heat. When smoking, add the garlic and onions. When onions are softened, add the meat. Let the meat brown, then add the canned beans. Add enough water to cover the meat. Add the bay leaves. Boil, then turn down the heat to its lowest setting. Simmer forever (well, at least 2 hours. Today's stew has been simmering for almost 3.) or when the beef becomes very tender. Season to taste.

Tito Tato's Sauce:

The stew is usually ladled onto a bowl or plate of rice. A little bit of the sauce is then mixed into it. You need:

1/4 of a small onion, chopped very finely

about 1/4 cup vinegar (none of the fancy ones, just plain white)

2 tablespoons olive oil

one hard boiled egg, chopped

Combine first three ingredients in a small dipping bowl. Spoon mixture on the rice stew combination and top with a bit of egg.

Enjoy!

Painting by Velasquez. Hey, it may not be stew, but at least she's still cooking!