Customer Reviews

Real Stew: 300 Recipes for Authentic Home-Cooked Cassoulet, Gumbo, Chili, Curry, Minestrone, Bouillabaise, Stroganoff, Goulash, Chowder, and Much More (Non)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a longtime fan of cookbook author Clifford A. Wright, and was delighted to get a copy of his latest, "Real Stew." Perfect just as the weather starts coming on cold, this cookbook makes wonderful leisure-time reading and is chock-full of terrific recipes to boot.

Wright has set an ambitious agenda for himself here, including stews from all over the world. Hungarian Paprikash is here, as is Spicy Indian Eggplant Stew, Bedouin Lamb and Mushroom Stew, Swedish Sailor's Beef Stew, and more. I can't find one that doesn't come across as utterly mouthwatering. Stew is comfort food at its most primal, of course, and Wright gets down and dirty and primal with the ingredients. You'll find stews here calling for rabbit, for instance, and he even gives a brief overview of a Canadian specialty called Assiniboin Bear Stew (which he cautions you not to make unless you're prepared to marinate the bear meat in either wine or vinegar). Of course there are plenty of fish and shellfish stews as well.

Beautiful graphic design, numbered directions (in my view, a must for when the cook must look away for a moment), and easy-to-assemble ingredient lists help to make Wright's "Real Stew" a real winner for both beginner and experienced cooks.

I generally do not review cookbooks, but I felt obliged to review Real Stew after seeing so many questions raised about its practicality.

I have owned this book for several years, and both my partner and I cook from it regularly. We give it as a gift to our friends and recommend it often and wholeheartedly. A number of the recipes are on very high rotation with us (the Austrian beer stew comes to mind) and it is never put away for very long in the colder months.

Wright is clearly interested in the history of these recipes as much as he is in the practical side of cooking. That is one of the things that I enjoy so much about it as a cook book. The historical side bars are fascinating and fun, and I really liked the chance to try out some of the ancestors of family favorites. Readers should use their common sense about how far they want to follow him down the road of some of the more historical recipes-- some of them are clearly included for the fun of it. I found that even the less practical entries added texture and humor to the work.

It is true that this isn't the book if you are looking for quick one-pot recipes which you can make in a half an hour and toss into the oven. This is more the kind of book for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon cooking together as a family.

As to the ingredients, it is also true that while some of them may be hard to pick up in the local supermarket, most of them should be able to be found with no real difficulty. You will need access to a good butcher and to a market or organic store which has some of the more out-of-the way vegetables. I live in Amsterdam, very far from the source and target market of most of these recipes, and I have still been able to locate most of the ingredients. (I almost expect to need to substitute with US cookbooks.)

In short, if you are someone who likes to cook and enjoys taking your time and making a bit of a ritual out of it, then this is a book that I would highly recommend.

I thought this book sounded fabulous. I love stews, and I like authentic food.

This book went too far off the deep end for me. I looked up cabbage as I had some on hand. One recipe called for 14 ingredients, including celery root (celeriac) and parsley root (try finding that ANYWHERE--it's similar to, but NOT, a parsnip).

Another called for 27 ingredients, including a 1/2 chicken, a parsnip, a turnip, a small amount of a hubbard squash (they don't COME in small amounts), etc.

The final straw was the recipe (with cabbage) that called for *39* ingredients, including (I'm not joking): beef honeycomb tripe, beef chuck flanken-style ribs, fresh chorizo or andouille sausage, prosciutto BONES, lamb shoulder, ham fat, ham bone, smoked slab bacon, boneless and skinless chicken thighs, goat meat on the bone, beef or veal marrow bones, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rinds, fresh fava beans, fresh fenugreek leaves, celeriac, beef feet and pig feet. I'm serious.

I flipped through the rest of the book, and things like "rendered duck or goose fat" kept cropping up along with other insane ingredients. I live in a huge metropolitan city and would have difficulty finding many of these ingredients.

I'm sure there are a few good recipes in this book, but it really seems written for chefs who have unlimited access to off-the-wall ingredients through their vendors. I'm thankful that I checked it out from the library before purchasing it. I won't be purchasing it.

This book, like all of Clifford Wright's books, is a pleasure and a treasure. The man is a genius. Most of the recipes are extremely easy and extremely delicious, like the Hungarian Smoked Sausage and Prune Stew, which has a total of 4 ingredients, including water (a garnish/enrichment adds 2 more). Wright makes the recipes easy by giving authentic ingredients but including substitutes that you can find in any market. For example, he says to use a prosciutto bone or a ham bone; goat milk or cow milk plus cream, etc. Many of the stews have only 3 or 4 ingredients after water and salt and pepper; many include ingredients that are just throw-ins that require no preparation, like olives, capers, tomato paste, nuts, or raisins. The more adventurous cook can try recipes that include things like preserved lemons--Wright tells you how to make them. He also makes the book idiot-proof with the organization: "Stews With Beef," "Stews With Pork," "Stews With Vegetables"--you get the idea. If you don't like some of the ingredients, you can substitute what you do like. You can't go wrong with Wright.

I was dismayed to see that 25 of 27 readers found the panning review by "Houston TX Reader" (December 12, 2002) to be helpful. His review is seriously flawed, and very much misses the point. For one, Wright's "Cliff's No-Name Stew," which "Houston" lambastes, is clearly a tongue-in-cheek finale, a freezer-and-fridge-emptying fun project, and not one of the carefully researched ethnic recipes that Wright offers. While sometimes complex, these recipes and his notes give a clear and richly detailed account of a world of classic, authentic, and distinguished stews. "Houston" seems preoccupied with counting ingredients, and lacks the cook's common sense to omit or substitute -- there is no need to despair of parsley root or duck fat, or to vacate to "chefs with unlimited access." My concern, really, is not with "Houston," but with the 25 readers who may have given this book less than a fair look. Please try again.

I have owned this book for about a year now, and it's fantastic. The recipes are not instant, but if you have the time and inclination to make wonderful, authentic tasting (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) food, buy this book. My particular favorites are the chicken and sweet potato curry, spinach bouillibaise, and the full-length traditional bouillabaise. However, I have never made a recipe from this book that I didn't like. After buying loads of seasonal vegetables at the farmer's market - this book is one of my first stops in finding ways to use the vegetables. I'm buying a copy today for my brother; I'm sure he'll love it. I'm also looking forward to using Mr. Wright's Meditaranean cookbook which I'm buying.

This cookbook will definitely challenge you to think beyond the "traditional stew" of meat and potatoes. The author provides many sidebars to explain terms or to provide rationales behind certain ingredients. While the recipes call for many ingredients, it is certainly not any different from cooking by scratch where the cook simply adds a little of this and a little of that until the desired flavors are achieved. You will need to have access to a good butcher in order to make the most of this book, but any good cook should be able to make do or substitute in the recipes to get something he or she enjoys. A list of sources for many of the ingredients used in this book can be found in the back.

Overall, I enjoyed reading through the book and have tried several of the less ambitious recipes. I especially enjoy the ones with African and Indian backgrounds.

Stew. The word alone summons warm and fuzzy memories for many of us. Bubbling aromatic brews atop the stove, sputtering promises of mealtime delight, and never lacking satisfaction.
My apartment is a block away from the Sunset Strip, and I often find myself feeding gangs of ravenous musicians who wander in after their sets at the Whisky a Go Go and Viper Room... usually around 2 am. Their needs are simple .... Something warm, tasty and abundant. My desires are more complex: To fill my home with the delicious scent that only quality mixtures can breed. I take great pleasure in the process of cookery and the blending of unfamiliar spice ... kitchen voodoo ... and the happiness it gives me when a kid who has just escaped a riot of adoring fans, looks over his dark glasses, and tells me the bowl in his hand is the best meal he's ever had ... and that he's going to write a song about my stew. That tune hasn't been recorded yet. Maybe I'll just settle for the Pink Cadillac I was promised the week before. That's the magic in Stews.
You too can inspire promises of wealth and fame from complete strangers. My secret? REAL STEW by Clifford A. Wright.
Informative and history filled, this inspiring book is overflowing with stews I'd never heard of... like the Greek TOURLO; This hearty vegetarian mixture is baked, and served as a fragrant stew, but can be saved for the next day, and served at room temperature as a meze, a kind of tidbit eaten with a glass of wine... or in the case of my diners, with a pint of Jack Daniels.
There is also JAGASSE. No one seems to know where the name came from, but it was apparently common for nineteenth-century Cape Cod and New England cooks giving made-up and whimsical names to their creations. The original recipe called for 2 qts. of dried lima beans and 3 cups of rice. That would be enough to feed 25 people ... which wouldn't be an uncommon number for me to nourish ... but fear not. Mr Wright has scaled-down his tasty recipe to feed only 6.
My town of West Hollywood is known for our annual Halloween Parade and Festival. Nearly half a million revelers gather on Santa Monica Blvd. amounting to the largest Halloween celebration in the world. It's our family's tradition is to assemble with our friends, helping one another with outrageous costumes and makeup, and descending upon the festival. It's hard to describe the incredible scent that met us at the door after returning home from our night of exhausting activity this year. I had the foresight to have a pot of Mr. Wright's POSOLE simmering on the stove. This recipe is sublime... overflowing with succulent chunks of pork shoulder and sweet hominy. I'd never tasted a broth this delicate before ... Although not necessary, the Pigs head floating in the big cast iron cauldron made for an appropriate Halloweenie presentation. My mind's eye recalls a dining room filled with ghouls and macabre political characters, all blissfully filling their spoons with the satisfying stew. Not a word was spoken, except "please pass the tequila".
You will find this book to be a treasure chest of motivation. Clifford A. Wright has included numerous sidebars filled with fascinating history and serving suggestions. The layout is user-friendly, and easy to read, with chapters divided by ingredient s: including Stews with Beef, Stews with Vegetables, Stews with Fish and Shellfish and the other usual choices.
REAL STEW will quickly become your most constant travel companion. You'll visit nearly 50 countries, and become an expert on the rich traditions associated with each dish you try. Mr. Wright is very generous with his knowledge of world cuisine.
So buy it, Now! There's a songwriter out there somewhere wanting to make you the famous stew slinging Mama (or Papa) in his newest Billboard hit!

Our library has a "new books" section, and we walked in on a cold day when this book was in front. The cover picture looked just perfect for the weather, so we took out the book. I think we tried one recipe, then bought it on Amazon.

Since then, we've used it quite a bit. The shortribs in Merlot is easy and it's one of my son's favorites. There are certainly some complicated ingredient lists (and we don't make those recipes), but there are lots of simple ones. Sometimes we just look at our current leftovers and can find something to make. Everything has been good, a few are exceptional.

We're pretty basic cooks, and this is one of our better purchases.

There are 300 recipes in here, and you can't help but find something to love. Some of the recipes are complicated, but often a long list of ingredients does not make for a complicated recipe. They are STEWS though and require sufficient time (read: several hours) to complete, but the recipes I've tried are worth the effort