The Odd Fork got the inspiration for this recipe from the Greek traditional dish "Gioubetsi" which is made with veal, beef or even chicken and sometimes seafood. It is made in a pot on the kitchen stove where it boils with tomato paste and when the meat is tender, it is transferred in a baking casserole and with the addition of short pasta -usually orzo- it is baked until is soft and sauce is thick.

The Odd Fork cooked it in the pot over the kitchen stove, used millet instead of orzo, added many spices, carrots and red peppers and nice Greek black raisins and the result was a hearty, aromatic stew -probably far from mom's Gioubetsi, but still lovely!

Ingredients:

- 300 gr of veal stew meat, cut in small cubes

- a small onion, finely chopped

- a clove of garlic, finely chopped

- 2 red peppers cut in thin strips (the Odd Fork used the Greek "Florinis" peppers)

- 2 Tbsps of tomato paste (or a mini pack of 70 grams)

- 2 carrots grated in the cheese grater

- salt, pepper

- a pinch of dried spearmint

- a pinch of red hot pepper

- a pinch of nutmeg

- 2 bay leaves

- 3 whole cloves

- 2 to 3 allspice grains

- a whole star anise

- 2 to 3 Tbsps black raisins

- 1/2 cup uncooked millet

In a pot, add a tbsp of olive oil and sauté veal with onion and garlic. Add peppers, tomato paste and 2 cups of water. Stir well and when it comes to a boil add carrots, salt, pepper, all the spices and raisins and cook over medium heat for 40 - 45 minutes, until meat is tender. Add millet and cook uncovered for about 25 minutes or until millet is tender and it has absorbed most of the liquids.

The veal was tender like bread dough and the millet had infused all the aromas from the spices and raisins -it worked exactly like orzo! The Odd Fork pinched the food satisfied and paired it with a "ripe" semi-sweet red wine.