Okay. . . I'll admit it. I don't cook as much as I should or would like to. . . but right now, at this exact moment, I actually have an excuse. My new kitchen is an absolute wreck (see image at left). This photo is actually from moving day one. I can not tell you how much more disastrous it looks at this point, after a week or so of moving things in and trying to find a happy home for everything in a kitchen which has surprisingly much less drawer space than the old apartment did.

Also of note, I am now having to become accustomed to cooking on a dreaded ELECTRIC stove. Who ever thought of electric stoves? Can anything really replace an open flame underneath your pot?

That being said, I have made my first attempt at cooking something in the house other than microwave lasagna or ham sandwiches. It was, of course, a classic. . . Sauce Piquante. There are, sadly, no pictures of the food - because who knows where the camera is now? It's probably buried under the lawnmower in the middle of the living room floor. . .

Anyhow, here's my recipe for Sauce Piquante, passed down from mom. She adds sausage to hers now, but I left that out since I am no huge fan of sausage. I've seen other recipes that are much more complicated. . . but why bother when this is so good and so simple?

Sauce Piquante
2 lbs. beef stew meat
2 cans Rotel
1/2 onion, diced
1 T. Vegetable oil
1 small (8 oz? 6 oz?) can of tomato sauce

Heat the vegetable oil (or butter if you've stupidly left the oil at the old apartment) and toss in the onion. Sauté the onion until it starts to wilt. . . turns translucent. That's it. Then, toss in the stew meat, and I always sprinkle some Tony Chachere's on it, but not too much, otherwise it'll all be too salty. Brown the meat, then lower the fire (or pretend fire if you have an electric stove) to low. Add the Rotel, and tomato sauce and mix well. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about two hours. Spoon over rice.

This is one of my comfort foods, and always reminds me of home. It's also one of the few dishes that my dad cooked when I was growing up. . . Sauce Piquante, roast, brisket, and bbq. I guess it has enough meat in it to count as man food.