Eats Cookbook from The Old Farmer's Almanac

What is EATS?  Good food for good times!  Get 95 recipes for every occasion, from light party bites to game day winners and fun family favorites. Plus, you get helpful tips and advice from the editors.

Having a party? Got the gang coming over? Planning a potluck? Here are recipes for every occasion!

To give you a taste, here are FOUR of our favorite recipes from EATS:

1. Beef and Mushroom Stew

Watch this pot so that it never boils, or the meat will become tough.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds stew beef, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2  cups beef broth
1 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup dry red wine
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 bay leaves
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
2 cups fresh green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup

Directions:

Combine the stew beef and 1/4 cup of flour in a large plastic bag and shake well to coat the meat.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Working in two batches, shake the excess flour off half of the meat, put that meat into the pot, and cook for 3 minutes, or until browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer the meat to a heatproof dish. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and brown the remaining meat.

Add the onion, celery, mushrooms, garlic, and first batch of browned beef to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, or until the onion is soft. Add the beef broth, tomato juice, wine, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Ladle 3/4 cup of the broth into a medium bowl and set aside. 

To the large pot, add the potatoes, carrots, green beans, thyme, oregano, pepper, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup. Cover and continue to summer for 1 hour more, or until the vegetables are tender.

About 10 minutes before serving, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour to the reserved broth. Whisk until smooth, then add to the stew. Simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring often, until thickened. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Photo Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner.

2. Turkey Sloppy Joes

Nobody will ever ask, “Where’s the beef?”

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced tomatoes with their juice
1/2 cup ketchup or 1/4 cup ketchup plus 1/4 cup tomato-based chili sauce
1/4 cup barbecue saucce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add the green pepper, onion, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, or until the meat is browned. Add the tomatoes, ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, salt, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Simmer for 12 to 18 minutes, or until the mixture is thick but still saucy. Near the end of the cooking, add the vinegar plus Worcestershire sauce and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Serve over grilled or toasted rolls or burger buns.

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Photo Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner.

3. Warm Brownie Pie

Like your brownies gooey-soft in the center and very chocolate-y? This pie is for you!

Ingredients:

your favorite piecrust

Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups chocolate chips, divided
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts, preferably toasted

Directions:

Roll the pie pastry into a 12-inch circle and line a 9-inch (not deep-dish) pie plate with it. Pinch the overhanging pastry into an upstanding rim or trim to be flush with the side of the plate and crimp the edge with a fork. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

For filling:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of the chocolate chips and heat for a few seconds more, then remove from the heat. Tilt the pan to make the butter run over the chips. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk to smooth the chips.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugars, and vanilla and whisk until evenly blended. Add the melted chocolate and whisk to blend. Add the flour and salt and stir until combined. Add the nuts and the remaining 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Scrape the filling into the piecrust and smooth the top.

Bake on the center oven rack for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a crust develops and the pie rises slightly. (A toothpick inserted into the center will not come out clean.)

Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Photo Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

4. Fresh Tomato Tart

Watch this video for another delicious recipe from Eats, the Fresh Tomato Tart!

Good Food for Good Times

YUM! Don’t these recipes look tasty?  We love EATS and hope you will, too!

As one reader said, “What a beautiful and useful book.  I always wonder with so many cookbooks out there, how anyone can come up with yet a new look and approach and you did it.  This will become my standby.”

Look inside EATS in our Almanac.com Store! 

As a special offer, we’re giving away EATS for free with your order of Readers’ Best Recipes and the Stories Behind Them.