Margy Cooks! Kidney Bean Stew

For her turn at the stove, Margy chose a recipe from Peter Berley's book The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen.

Her sous chef put an end to the vegetarian part.

"Sounds like a great dish," I said, "but I bet it would be even better if you started it with some bacon or pancetta." No stranger to the almighty power of pork products, Margy saw my point, and opted for pancetta. In the end we agreed that it added a depth of flavor but that the stew would be just as good in its meatless version.

Making the dish was a lot of fun -- Margy, bossing me around the kitchen, soaked and then simmered some beans, added plenty of red wine and tomato paste, along with carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs, and threw the whole thing in a 275-degree oven for an hour and a half. She mixed in some cooked shell-shaped pasta at the end, and there was more than enough to feed us all week. You'll be seeing this stuff again...