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(I dunno how other people do it, but I start with a drop of olive oil, add onions, garlic, bacon and celery – all chopped quite small, and cook them thoroughly, then add the diced beef and cook (fry) it nice and brown. I add the vegetable stock, sea salt, black pepper, parsely, a LOT of dried oregano, enough chili powder to get that chocolaty hint, but not enough to identify it, bring it to boil, add just a little tomato paste, the potatoes and carrots, and I cook it all, stirring frequently until the potatoes break down and create the thickness without needing to add flour. Then I slice the mushrooms and serve when they are done. If I am feeling a bit evil I add a bit of scotch to it – just enough so you aren’t sure what it is you taste. This all takes a bit. I sometimes add pasta shells, or serve over rice, or just serve with a slice of course bread. But it is awesome comfort food. If I had a garden again I’d add some finely chopped greens….. My intuition says that it’s the strange combination of dried oregano and chili powder with the boiled down potatoes and tomato paste that makes it ‘right’. Anyway. It makes managing this cold much more enjoyable. 😉 )