Spicy Berbere Stew

With tonight being our first chilly night, I thought I would make a stew. I've been craving soups for a week now. I had my first bowl of corn chowder of the "season" last Friday night and noticed that Shelley had posted a yummy and easy corn chowder recipe. She always posts the best stuff.

Yesterday, while shopping for dinner, I found this packet of delicious looking spices for Ethiopian Berbere Stew. I bought some lentils and planned on making it for dinner tonight. I can't even tell you how good it smells simmering. It called for either tofu or beef. Since I don't "do" tofu, I opted for the beef. I'm sure Ethiopians don't put beef in their stews, but I did. The hub is a meat and potatoes kinda guy, so I must keep him happy, right? He's been so busy traveling and on deadlines lately, he's totally exhausted. Poor guy. So putting beef in the stew is the least I could do. Instead of water, I used chicken stock, that always makes soups more tasty! I forgot to buy bread, so we will be having American flat bread with it, since that's what was in the freezer. Looks like pizza, but it's basically just the dough with some herbs sprinkled on top--kinda like Indian naan. It's so good. Oh, how international we are tonight. hehe. I hope that now the cooler weather is here, I'll have a little more interest in cooking. I was really bad most of the summer. It was just too hot to get into the kitchen to whip any real goodies up for supper.

Yesterday, while I was out, I found this new cookbook for Tapas. Remember my gastronomic visit to the tapas restaurant in DC with my brother? I'm going to have to try some of the recipes; I swear, I could graze at every meal and be perfectly happy!

Frankie (my mom's dog) has been visiting us through the back door since I have it open to the fresh air. He's getting more used to the cats (doesn't want to eat them, just scare them now) which is a good thing. I gave him his heartworm meds and a doggy biscuit while I put Frontline on his neck. Guess we'll probably still have fleas and ticks for a while longer. He is just the cutest little fellow. Still a tad scaredy cat, after living on the streets all his life; but he has his moment of pure love. He'll dance and grin if you ask him to! Rootie gets jealous and nudges him right back out on the deck where he proceeds to head back down to momma's quarters! It's too funny to watch.

Ewweeeey, just took a taste of the stew, hot sewey! I mean spiceysewey! Hope everyone is gonna like this. I added a little sweet curry to it to lessen the blow a tad. I don't think it worked! hehe

Look at what MJ sent me today. Two very sweet thank you cards. She didn't have to, but I do love my love letters, you know!


Well, I oiled our kitchen table yesterday and now I have to go wipe all the access off so we can eat on it tonight! Now that it's going to be in the sunlight (I close the blinds in the summer time), I better keep it oiled up. Maybe a tablecloth is in order.

And, of course, Blooger is acting up, again. Sheeeesh!