Food Scroll #3 : FT4Me's Best Beef Stew...Ever!!

Dreamy looking photo isn't it?

Yeah, that's no fancy camera effect...

just some regular old steam from my delicious Beef Stew of 2011!

The goods.

I found a good looking hunk of bottom round on sale this particular weekend, which led to this awesome creation! 

Tried something new...coating with flour before the browning.

In my Ode to Julia/Christening of Le Creuset, she instructed to sprinkle flour after the brown...

...but I think this worked better. 

Would you look at that, it's perfect!

Time to get the cauldron going.

Olive Oil, Garlic, Onion go into the pan used to brown the meat.

 Whole Baby Carrots, Celery, Baby Potatoes and Bay Leaves join the pot.

I am not sure this makes a difference or not, but I tend to season (salt/pepper, thyme) with each addition.

I particularly LOVE the smell of dried thyme when in the garlic/onion stage.

In goes a bottle of Bordeaux (I think this really helped to kick things up a notch on the deliciousness scale), then some beef stock and we simmer until thick.

FT4Me's Best Stew Ever!