On my last trip overseas, I spent a week in Dublin. I spent a lot of time walking through the city and along the banks of the River Liffey, perusing the collections of rare and antique books at famous libraries, and taking in great museum exhibits. But all that walking and intellectual stimulation caused me to work up quite an appetite, and I ate very well at a number of fantastic restaurants. One of my favorites was the trendy Bull & Castle Gastro Pub, located a stone's throw away from Christchurch Cathedral.If you're an urbanite or someone who is used to prepared food like frozen dinners or grab-and-go restaurant meals easy beef stew you might want to stick with freeze dried meals or MREs.I let the stew cook for an hour or so on high and then I taste it and start to season. It will need some salt, pepper and garlic powder. I also add some simple beef stew bouilon cubes and some onion soup mix as well. At this point you can also add some frozen corn and green beens or whatever else you want.Potluck meals can be fun, but an invitation to one can also include a certain level of anxiety. You may at first rack your brain on what to bring...your usual dip, vegetable casserole, or your world-famous chocolate chip cookies. Whatever you decide, you have a challenge that lies ahead of you: how do you make the same old dish exciting and new again? It's easier than you may think.The other thing is to note that herbs sometime loose their intensity in the long cooking process. So an hour before serving, sneak a taste - it's ok, I do it all the time.All in all, I really like this versatility of this spoon, and it comes in very handy when we are out camping. I always get compliments on what a great looking spoon it is.Nine 75 is a great place for lunch. You will find some of the same items that are on the dinner menu and some lunch only items like the nine 75 hamburger for $8.00, whisky oven beef stew for $8.00 and for desert, the flourless chocolate cake for $8.00.Finally, add plenty of dried herbs and spices to the veggie mixture in the pan. I like garlic, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram, but you can use whatever you've got.I'll ask again, would you break into a sweat if you had to create a 6 course French dinner for friends? Now I believe your answer would be "no", because it only takes 5 basic cooking methods, not 5 long, complicated, vague and outdated written simple beef stew no stock.