Words and Light

A few days ago, David Rees spotted Jeff in the photo lab and asked, “So, what’s for dinner?”

I’m guessing his question had something to do with my three or four entries detailing the various meals Jeff and I have concocted over the past 20 or so days.

Well, David, I’ve now got a response to your query. We haven’t had a chance to cook together since you asked Jeff — until tonight.

Meat.

When we were at my house in Houston over winter break, my mother prepared pork stew with carrots and a brew of Chinese sauces and cooking wine. It is delicious, but I didn’t ask her for the recipe until we’d already returned to Columbia. So my mother e-mailed an approximate recipe and mailed up a few ingredients we wouldn’t be able to find in Columbia.

So tonight, we attempted to replicate my mother’s success.

Stewing.

Now, when we call it “pork stew,” the “stew” generally refers only to the fact that the meat simmers in the broth for at least an hour, if not more. Unlike beef stews and other stews that most Americans are used to, this stew retains a thin, soupy broth that absorbs quickly into the rice over which it is served.

But it’s a damn good broth if done correctly.

Stew.

I don’t think we quite did it correctly.

It’s still good.

But next time, we should be more selective with our cut of meat and be more liberal with the seasoning.

David Rees, I hope you are reasonably satisfied with this delayed answer to your query!