From the fridge to the pantry and freezer, my kitchen is stocked with versatile ingredients like cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, vanilla paste, and flour, to name a few. The freezer boasts a variety of proteins from ground beef, chicken thighs to spicy sausage, along with chopped celery and caramelized onions – the staples of any good stew.

One of the things I love about stews is they are mostly one-pot meals and so easy to make in a kitchen with limited space. Soups and Stews simmer in one of my slow cookers while I sleep.

One important thing I learned while living in Italy and later in England was the importance of small rituals and how we should try to make even the most minor thing beautiful. Try serving cooking on a beautiful vintage dish, use real napkins, and place a small vase with one perfect flower on the dinner table.