ROBUST ITALIAN STEW
Wine-Braised Beef Over Creamy
Polenta

3 tablespoons olive oil
7 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed, boned, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup dry red wine
2  1/4 cups beef stock
2 14 to 16 ounce cans whole Italian plum tomatoes
1/2 cup pitted Nicoise olives
4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried, crumbled
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips

Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over high heat.  Add 1/3 of beef and brown on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Transfer beef to bowl using slotted spoon.  Repeat with remaining beef in 4 more batches.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add onion and Italian parsley to Dutch oven and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.  Stir in chopped garlic, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and allspice.

Return beef to Dutch oven and stir to coat with onion and spice mixture.  Add red wine and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.  Simmer mixture 15 minutes.  Add beef stock and simmer 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon.  Mix in olives and rosemary.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until beef is tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours.  Add bell peppers, cover and cook until just tender about 15 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  (Nicoise olives are a small brine-cured black olive, available at specialty food stores.)

POLENTA

9 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups cornmeal

Bring water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan.  Gradually whisk in cornmeal.  Continue whisking until mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook cornmeal until thick and thoroughly cooked, whisking occasionally, about 30 minutes.  (Polenta can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead.  Cove tightly with aluminum foil.  Set bowl over large saucepan of barely simmering water.  Stir occasionally.)

Bring beef to simmer, stirring occasionally.  Spoon Polenta into shallow soup bowls.  Spoon beef over.  Serve with a fresh Italian salad, crusty French bread slathered with cold sweet butter and a robust red wine.  Clean the palate with a tart lemon ice, pudding or torte.  Enjoy.