There’s something about a recipe that’s been passed down from generation to generation.
Like a fine wine, it seems to only get better with age.
That’s why Oxford resident Mary Forte decided to share her grandmother’s recipe for Irish Stew with the community of Oxford ? and anyone else who wants to vote for her recipe at Chefs.com.
So far, her Irish Stew is rated 38 out of the 100 semi-finalists for the website’s Treasured Recipes Contest.
The top five vote-getters will be flown to San Francisco, California, for a cook-off tested by a panel of celebrity judges. The Grand Prize of $10,000 will be given to the winning recipe.
Chefs was looking for the top 100 recipes with great stories behind them, so Forte thought she’d give it a go.
The history behind her Irish Stew stems from her grandmother, Sara Mitchell, who came to America from Ireland in 1912 with her mother’s recipe.
‘She would use root vegetables, which they could store year round,? Forte said.
Forte said ‘Grandma Sara? liked this sixth-generation recipe because she could put it in the oven in the morning before beginning her chores on the farm, and then it would be ready by suppertime ? no Crockpots needed.
Even today, Forte said she cooks the recipe in the oven, because that’s what her grandma would do.
Ironically, Forte won a St. Patrick’s Day contest in Troy over 20 years ago using this same recipe.
To vote for Forte, you must be a registered member of Chefs.com, but membership is free. Log onto www.treasuredrecipes.chefs.com to vote. You can vote up to five times a day until January 24.
Besides sharing her wonderful Irish Stew recipe, Forte wanted to enter the contest to get her name out in the cooking world, as she is trying to publish her own cookbook.
She said it’s going to be ‘different than any other cookbook that’s out there? and will focus on getting people to be more ‘adventurous? with their cooking.
Forte attributes her love and style of cooking to her parents.
‘They cooked by the seat of their pants with whatever ingredients were on hand,? she said.
What makes generational recipes so good, according to Forte, is that they’ve been taste-tested time and time again.
‘You can’t fail with them,? she said.

Mary’s Irish Stew
Ingredients:
2 lbs. stew meat (beef, lamb or venison)
2 Tbs. oil
2 cups onions, cut in 2-inch pieces
2 cups potatoes, cut in 2-inch pieces
2 cups carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces
2 cups celery, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar
3 cups tomato juice
2 cups canned or frozen peas

Preparation:
In a large pot or dutch oven, brown the stew meat in oil. Add all of the ingredients except the peas. Place a lid on the pot and place in a 250 degree oven. Cook for 6 hours. Do not peek. During the last 15 minutes, add the peas and put back in the oven. Yield: 6 servings.