Mushroom Stew

This is a festive and hearty vegetarian stew. It makes a great vegetarian item for Thanksgiving or other wintertime holiday meal.

Leave the mushrooms whole and sauté them over high heat to brown them before they lose their moisture. The smell of thyme, butter and mushrooms sautéing is one of my favorite kitchen experiences, and you get that here. Do not omit the green olives. They are a signature part of the stew. You can omit the boiling onions without compromising the character of the dish. Adding some red wine gives the stew important depth of flavor. The stew is rather acidic, so I add some baking soda to it to cut the tartness.

The 2 tablespoons of flour can be substituted by 1 1/2 tablespoons of potato starch if you wish to avoid using wheat.