Stews, bogs, and burgoos

by James Villas

Whatever you've got a hankering for, you'll find a stew for it in Stews, Bogs, and Burgoos - pork, chicken, beef, game, fish, shellfish, even vegetables, beans, and fruits can be transformed into sumptuous one-pot wonders. Savor Mother's Old-Fashioned Oyster Stew, hunker down with Braised Bourbon Rosemary Beef, revel in Chicken Gumbo Ya Ya. Feel like a walk on the wild side? How about Low Country Stewed Rabbit Smothered with Onions, Minnesota Braised Pheasant with Wild Rice, or Tennessee Quail Burgoo? For those meals when you want the satisfaction but not the meat, try Cajun Maque Choux, Jack Czarnecki's Stewed Wild Mushrooms, or California Vegetable and Chickpea Chili. And don't put your stewpot away just yet - there's still dessert. Enjoy the heady flavors of Bucks County Stewed Spiced Pears or Stewed Gingered Figs.