Monday, Monday and Provencal Beef Stew

I've been cooking for my friends every Monday night for a Tuesday bible study. I charge them $5 a head which is a small profit but will go toward that pint or two of Guiness and train tickets in Ireland in a couple of weeks. I'm trying to introduce new flavors and cuisine to the group so that they get what they paid for and don't get bored by the same ol', same ol'. Let's see, so far we've traveled to Italy, Cuba, Korea and threw in the classic Americano - chili. I think it's time to visit France and fortunately enough, my new job is a hop, skip and a jump away from a food market that sells not only every type of cheese known to man but fresh lamb, fish, french baguettes and a nice selection of fine wine. What more could a girl ask for? I could very easily splurge and spend all of my travel money on purchases of french cheeses, sausage, freshly made pasta but I am going to resist temptation - yes, yes I am! I found a recipe in my new french cookbook called Provencal Beef Stew. Okay, so it's not a very good summer recipe but it's basic and sounds delicious AND if you had to travel 20 minutes with hot food a la pied every Tuesday night, you'd try to keep your cooking as simple as possible too. Back to the recipe...I love beef. Yes, I admit I am not at all interested in becoming a vegeterian. If that means that I croke of a heart attack at 50 then so be it but I. LOVE. MEAT. And I am not ashamed. Whew, glad I got that off my chest. NOW, back to the recipe...it's super simple, it's french and it's completely affordable for the frugal shopper which unfortunately, I have to be these days. The only major expense with a recipe like this might be the beef, depending the on the quality you get. I suggest not purchasing pre-packaged beef, if you can avoid it. The vegetables in this recipe won't cost a thing and are really only used to enhance the flavor of the meat. Go to the butcher and get those 2 lbs. of fresh, right off the bone, decadently colored flesh red beef. I used to visit a butcher in Forest Hills who would sell me the best cuts of marinated lamb for nearly a leg and an arm - I think 2lbs of lamb would rack up to $80 but after a patient simmering evening on the grill, it was worth it! And if you can splurge a little on a bottle of Beaujolais or another french table red, do! You should not be cheap when cooking with wine because you can taste the cheap if you purchase grocery store $6.99 wine. Also, p.s., p.s.s. anything labeled "cooking wine" will not cut it in my opinion. Buy the real stuff. You want to impress when you're feeding a crowd, right? If it's just you, go for the 2 buck chuck but don't 2 buck it with your guests.