On cold days, I love having something warm with bread for dinner after work. I made this dish, my friend!

The origins of beans (Phaseolus spp.) are ancient, dating back to the dawn of time in Central America, particularly in Mexico, where they were cultivated as early as 5000 BC. These species arrived in Europe during the first ocean crossings and quickly found an ideal growing environment on the old continent, gradually replacing European bean crops belonging to the Vigna genus. From that moment on, beans began to conquer the palates and arable lands from Europe to the Far East, and over this five-century journey, a variety of beans developed, even very different from each other. This led to the red bean, which is simply a common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) characterized by a red skin of varying intensity, sometimes mottled. In Italy, we have many typical varieties of legumes, and among these, we can find at least two types of red-skinned beans, which are world-renowned excellences, such as the red bean of Lucca and the Lima bean.

Winter in Northern Vietnam is really cold. In the evening, the whole family gathers around a warm meal with dishes full of color and flavor, which helps to dispel some of the cold!

A great and simple stew recipe that can be eaten as a stand alone dish or served with white rice or egg noodles.

I was looking for a filling comfort food for a holiday meal. This nailed it on the head. The gravy is such a nice touch.

It’s funny... I made some chili last week. As I was thinking in my head, “What the hell goes in chili”? I started saying, “Wait, no. This is sounding like a beef stew”. So... I decided to make a beef stew now. It’s cold now and these dishes warm the soul. I never appreciated beef stew when I was younger. But I realize how fine of a dish it is in my older age haha.

My wife has a recipe for beef burgundy which is excellent but I wanted to try making a more traditional beef stew. The weather here in Pennsylvania is starting to get cold so it is a great time for a hardy soup.

Hanoi is getting cold again this week. There's nothing better than coming home after a long day at work and cooking a pot of fragrant, warm soup like this for dinner with the whole family!