Whenever we end up living in a new state – which, let’s face it, has been a pretty regular occurrence for Team MarTar – I go “all in” on the regional cuisine. Spending a large chunk of my youth in Hawaii explains my obsession with Spam. In the PNW, I was all about Dungeness crab and salmon. In South Dakota, I fell in love with chislic. And even though my parents don’t recall ever taking us to Skyline when we lived in Ohio, we did partake in a 3-way on our road trip in 2021, and now Cincinnati chili – cinnamon and all, served atop spaghetti – is a fave of ours.
Adapting my taste buds to the Wisconsin lifestyle has been easy-cheesy. Curds, fish frys, brandy Old Fashioneds…there’s plenty to love in America’s Dairyland. So, when I stumbled upon a recipe for booyah – a thick stew that Belgian transplants brought to Wisconsin in the 1800s – I was intrigued. Other than the slang term, which is often accompanied by a pumped fist and used to express triumph (e.g., “I got the CheeseGov job! Booyah!”), I’d never heard the term before.
“I found a new recipe I want to make,” I told Tara. “Booyah!”
“What is it?” she asked.
“Booyah!”
“I’m glad you’re excited about it, babe. But what’s the dish?”
“Booyah!”
This might have gone on indefinitely, Abbott and Costello like – I can’t help it that “Booyah!” is so fun to say! – but instead of going ’round and ’round in circles, I showed her the recipe.
I thought it looked delicious. Chicken and beef are slow-cooked with carrots, celery, onions, shredded cabbage, potatoes, frozen corn, frozen peas, and frozen green beans. What’s not to like?
“I’m not going to like it,” Tara said.
Ever the notorious picky eater, that one. Her list of objectionable ingredients was essentially two-thirds of the recipe: the shredded cabbage, potatoes, frozen corn, frozen peas, and frozen green beans. But she insisted I go ahead and make it for myself, which is precisely what I did on Friday.
Booyah is not a labor-intensive dish; brown, boil, and simmer the meat for two hours, throw in the veggies, simmer for another two hours. Top with oyster crackers (or if you’re like me, forget to top with oyster crackers – doh!), and voila! A hearty meal perfectly suited for mid-winter.
I have to say, it turned out every bit as delicious as I’d hoped. Those French-speaking Belgians know a thing or two about stew, is what I’m saying. Tara conceded the broth was tasty, but that’s as far as she would dip her spoon. Oh, well; more for me!
The problem is, there’s a lot more for me. The booyah filled a large Dutch oven. I’ve had four servings since making it and there’s still a ton of leftovers. I’m planning on freezing the rest of it today.
Speaking of freezing, it has been…though we’ve had very little snow this winter. Major bummer for a snow-lover like me. We got about an inch on Friday, which as always, transformed our yard into a winter wonderland.
Today’s plan: build a fire, watch the Broncos-Bills playoff game, and hope for the best. And if my team does happen to pull off the upset victory, you can bet I’ll pump a fist in the air and shout, “Booyah!”
Mark My Words 
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