Beef Stew with Pearl Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon

• How to make beef stew and lamb stew and invent your own variations
• How to make a stew without browning the meat
• How to make with left overs
• How to make ravioli
• How to make a meat “sauté” that looks like a stew

I’m always reluctant to give a recipe for a stew because, in my kitchen at least, the best stews come about almost by accident—a few unfinished bottles of wine, a little of my homemade vinegar, and a tomato or two might go into the pot, with results that are never entirely predictable. Perhaps because of the simple spontaneous delight of using what’s around, these haphazard concoctions end up more satisfying than a perfectly executed recipe.