Same stew core ingredients, just simply replacing red wine with white wine or sherry.

INGREDIENTS: 2 lbs beef-cubed, 5 cups vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions, celery), 1 can tomatoes, ¼ c white wine or sherry or beef broth, ¼ c raisins, ¼ c molasses ¼ c flour or arrowroot (thickener).

SEASONINGS: BASIC BEEF STEW SEASONINGS, 3 garlic cloves-chopped, ½ ts ginger.

DIRECTIONS: Brown beef. Place beef and any remaining flour and seasonings into the slow cooker. Combine tomatoes, carrots, molasses and wine. Pour over beef. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 7 hours on LOW. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve over cooked noodles.

The original Irish dish was made with mutton or older sheep which required long slow cooking to tenderise the meat. Today, it can be made with lamb or beef. Both use dark beer as part of the broth. A German version includes Brussel sprouts.

INGREDIENTS: 1¼ lbs beef or rack or shoulder of lamb - cubed, ¼ c olive oil, 6 c beef broth, 1 c Guinness beer, 1 c red wine, 3 lbs russet potatoes-cut into ½-inch pieces (about 7 cups), 2 tb tomato paste, 6 garlic cloves-minced, 1 tb sugar, 1 tb thyme, 1 tb Worcestershire sauce, 2 bay leaves, 2 tb (¼ stick) butter, 1 onion-chopped, 2 tb chopped parsley.

OPTIONS: Add 2 c carrots-sliced, ½ c leeks.

DIRECTIONS: 1) Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat and sauté meat until brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

2) Melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew has simmered for one hour. 3) Add vegetables to the stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Spoon off fat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Salt and pepper to taste. Cool then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.) Serves 4-6.

Hungarian goulash is closer to a soup than a stew. Goulash dates back to the 9th century Magyar shepherds who prepared it in a cast-iron kettle hung above open fire. Goulash or Gulyás, is a spicy dish, originally from Hungary, usually made of beef, onions, red peppers, and paprika powder. Gulyás is a paprika-based dish and the taste of tomatoes should not be discernible. Meat is seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika, and then browned in a pot with oil. In German-speaking countries, a similar dish is made with sausage; Kartoffelgulasch (“potato goulash”) is a less-expensive goulash substitute.

INGREDIENTS: 1 ½ lbs stew beef cut into 1-inch pieces, 2 tb olive oil, 2 c beef broth, ½ c red wine, 1 lb new potatoes-sliced (about 7 cups), 8 oz portobello or crimini mushrooms-sliced, 2 tb tomato paste, 2 garlic cloves-crushed, 3 tb paprika, 1 red bell pepper-chopped, 2 onions-chopped, ¼ c flour or arrowroot. GARNISH: 4 tb plain yoghurt, 2 tb chopped parsley.

OPTIONS: try 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream, 4 c cooked egg noodles.

DIRECTIONS: 1) Coat beef with flour, and brown in olive oil over medium-high heat about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, garlic, paprika, tomatoes, tomato paste, peper, and mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Transfer to pot and pour in broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Add potatoes and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes. Add flour/arrowroot to thicken, and optional sour cream. Srir for 1 minute. Top with yogurt and sprinkle with parika. Serve over noodles. Serves 4-6.

A daube is a traditonal French dish, in which meat was braised in a single piece, usually in wine. Then it was cooked in a pot over an open fire.

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb 10 oz boneless rump roast, 1 lb 12 oz canned tomatoes, 8 oz mushrooms-sliced, 2 oz ham-slced thin, 4 carrots-sliced, 4 shallots-sliced, 12 black olives, 1 ½ c white wine, 2 tb brandy, 1 tb white wine vinegar, 2 tb olive oil; mashed potatoes as a side.

SEASONINGS: 1 bay leaves, 1 garlic clove-chopped, 1 finely pared orange rind strip, 6 black peppercorns, 4 fresh thyme strips or 1 tb thymes, 1 fresh rosemary sprig.

DIRECTIONS: Combine wine, brandy, vinegar, shallots, carrots, garlic, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and bay leaf. Coat on beef; cover with plastic wrap and let stand in refrigerator to marinade 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 300°. Drain beef and reserving marinade. Heat half the oil in casserole dish and brown beef in batches. Return all beef to the caserole and add tomatoes, mushrooms, and orange rind. Strain the reserved marinade into the casserole. Bring to a boil and cook in the preheated oven for 2 ½ hours. Add ham and olives and cook for another 30 minutes. Discard rind and serve over mashed potatoes.

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb ground beef, 1 (15-oz) can red kidney beans, 1 c onions-chopped, 1 c corn, 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, 2 c water or broth, ½ c celery-chopped, 1 c elbow macaroni, 6-oz favorite cheese.

SEASONINGS: 4 oz green chilies, 1 tb chili powder, 1 rts oregano, 1 ts thyme, ½ ts cumin.

OPTIONS: Add black beans, 1 ts mole paste or 1 tb peanut butter, 4 sun-dried tomatoes-minced, bell peppers, zucchini-finely sliced, sour cream.

DIRECTIONS: Brown beef. Mix in seasonings and veggies into skillet or slow cooker. Simmer or slow-cook for 1½ hrs, add broth to keep moist. When cooked - add cheese and sour cream, serve.