Portuguese beef stew, from the latest issue of Cook’s Illustrated. It calls for using a white wine for the braise instead of the usual red wine or beef broth. Putting onions at the bottom of the stew at the beginning is supposed to release a meat-tasting chemical that lends a mature taste, and you cook the beef and onions with peppercorns, allspice berries (I used it ground), bay leaf (I didn’t have any), and cinnamon. I added carrots and celery, which weren’t called for in the recipe, and omitted the addition of chorizo at the end. It was good. I still prefer to brighten up a stew with an assertive vegetable like lemongrass or peppers.

(Photo: Eden Center in Falls Church, where we had bánh xèo for lunch.)

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