What an issue of fun, zany, sharing (1) glad to see the return of the doorman -- you owe your audience updates on the rubber band ball(s) although the Dogs of Brooklyn sounds viral :) (2) Minnie is a star and part Steve McQueen (Papillon!) -- this is what I call in dogs a high-energy model!!! (3) Doesn't matter whether we call it stew, booyah or gumbo it is cool when something ends up with so many ingredients. It takes an A-STEW-T reporter to capture the fun -- hard to believe you can make something when everyone brings whatever they want??? (4) Finally so happy to hear about Marcos -- it sounds like a WHOLE LOT OF RANDOM kindness to offer him a hand up (5) Outrageous hope -- if the STEW event becomes a thing, I would bet there is a CAFE ANNE reader who is local who has figured out how to make a stable tow trailer for a bicycle that maybe next year's stew crowd can do a fundraiser for Marcos to tow the cauldron next year -- like the relay to light the Olympic flame. Marcos could use the mini-trailer the other times to deliver stuff lots of other bicycles cannot and become a fixture in the neighborhood! Maybe even Trader Joe's might consider sponsoring the trailer as an example of an NYC success story. I have seen these sorts of trailers in the "Co-op area" of town and they always make me smile. The extra torque of an e-bike makes modest towing a thing with a bicycle!!! (6) THANK YOU ANNE -- lots of people walk by those among us that need help and have an uneasy coexistence with the poor. To use your voice to transform life one person at a time is a great thing. YOU ROCK.
I (an Episcopal priest) am EXTREMELY EXCITED that this piece was published today, since I will have plenty of time to work it into my sermon for Sunday 7/16, when the lectionary has us reading from Genesis 25, in which Esau trades his birthright for STEW. “It’s not about the stew.”
Amazing! I was reading about perpetual stew just this week - and then this turned up in my Substack inbox! I am SOOOO going to fire up a cauldron of my own - I've got to act on what the universe is telling me, right? Following advice to keep it veggie....
My friend's dad is very proud of his post-Christmas turkey soup, which he keeps on the stove and adds things to every day until New Year's Day, and every year my friend has has serious qualms about every staying over at Christmas, believing that surely THIS time tired-turkey soup tragedy will strike...
In my youth, when we had a stove that heated our house and our hot water, we often had perpetual stew. As long as the stew boils for at least ten minutes a day, it can be kept ‘forever’. Very much a fact of life on Aussie farms and English households last century as far as I know. We’d start afresh periodically just to change the flavour range, but it was wonderful to come in on a cold day and be able to help yourself to something so warming and nourishing.
This stew concept is an old time one. There is even a famous folk story called Stone Soup, where one person brings a pot and a stone and some water in the pot, and then goes around asking neighbors or strangers if they can make the soup a bit tastier by adding some more ingredients.
About ten years ago, there was a young woman named Katie who was known as the Soup Girl, and she invited people to her home to either add to the soup selection or to have a bowl of soup. I guess it is new to New York, and what you have written about is more like what we used to call a Happening, a spontaneous event somewhere.
As to Marcos, once he gets a place to stay and a job, he should be able to put his time at Trader Joe's behind him.
On July 6, following an anonymous complaint, the NYC Department of Health arrested Annie, the founder of the Perpetual Stew Club, on charges of being an unlicensed food vendor.
On July 7, the NYC Department of Taxation and Finance, fined said Annie $5,000 for failing to declare the assorted beans, vegetables and mysterious green things as unsolicited income.
On July 8, the NYC Department of Motor Vehicles, fined said Annie $10,000 for driving an unlicensed four-wheeled mini dolly.
On July 9, Annie released a statement from her cell on Rikers Island that she was setting up a Go Fund Me defense fund.
As of noon on July 10, Annie announced her Go Fund Me had reached $300,000 and Netflix had signed her up for a pilot series on her adventure.
It's Stew York City, Baby!
This was a stew-pendous issue.
Anne, I love these articles. They sure beat the hell out of reading about anything negative and depressing. I will let this article stew for a while.
What an issue of fun, zany, sharing (1) glad to see the return of the doorman -- you owe your audience updates on the rubber band ball(s) although the Dogs of Brooklyn sounds viral :) (2) Minnie is a star and part Steve McQueen (Papillon!) -- this is what I call in dogs a high-energy model!!! (3) Doesn't matter whether we call it stew, booyah or gumbo it is cool when something ends up with so many ingredients. It takes an A-STEW-T reporter to capture the fun -- hard to believe you can make something when everyone brings whatever they want??? (4) Finally so happy to hear about Marcos -- it sounds like a WHOLE LOT OF RANDOM kindness to offer him a hand up (5) Outrageous hope -- if the STEW event becomes a thing, I would bet there is a CAFE ANNE reader who is local who has figured out how to make a stable tow trailer for a bicycle that maybe next year's stew crowd can do a fundraiser for Marcos to tow the cauldron next year -- like the relay to light the Olympic flame. Marcos could use the mini-trailer the other times to deliver stuff lots of other bicycles cannot and become a fixture in the neighborhood! Maybe even Trader Joe's might consider sponsoring the trailer as an example of an NYC success story. I have seen these sorts of trailers in the "Co-op area" of town and they always make me smile. The extra torque of an e-bike makes modest towing a thing with a bicycle!!! (6) THANK YOU ANNE -- lots of people walk by those among us that need help and have an uneasy coexistence with the poor. To use your voice to transform life one person at a time is a great thing. YOU ROCK.
I (an Episcopal priest) am EXTREMELY EXCITED that this piece was published today, since I will have plenty of time to work it into my sermon for Sunday 7/16, when the lectionary has us reading from Genesis 25, in which Esau trades his birthright for STEW. “It’s not about the stew.”
If you can stew it there
You can stew anywhere
It’s up to you,
Stew York, Stew York!
Fun issue.
“Every day I wake up happy!” he said.”
MISSION ACCOMPLSHED, ANNE!!! Wow! That Williamsburg Safe Haven should go national.
What a stew-pendous newsletter! (Do I get a prize for making the first stew-comment?
I need a newsletter from Annie documenting the stew in a diary style, this was great content!!
Amazing! I was reading about perpetual stew just this week - and then this turned up in my Substack inbox! I am SOOOO going to fire up a cauldron of my own - I've got to act on what the universe is telling me, right? Following advice to keep it veggie....
My friend's dad is very proud of his post-Christmas turkey soup, which he keeps on the stove and adds things to every day until New Year's Day, and every year my friend has has serious qualms about every staying over at Christmas, believing that surely THIS time tired-turkey soup tragedy will strike...
Reminds me of the wonderful 'stone soup' folk tale - do you know it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Soup#Story
How wonderful about the stew! What a great community!
Mr. Ramos is a gem of a human! Amazing. And I need to hit up the stew scene when I return to NYC. I didn’t even know it existed!
In my youth, when we had a stove that heated our house and our hot water, we often had perpetual stew. As long as the stew boils for at least ten minutes a day, it can be kept ‘forever’. Very much a fact of life on Aussie farms and English households last century as far as I know. We’d start afresh periodically just to change the flavour range, but it was wonderful to come in on a cold day and be able to help yourself to something so warming and nourishing.
This stew concept is an old time one. There is even a famous folk story called Stone Soup, where one person brings a pot and a stone and some water in the pot, and then goes around asking neighbors or strangers if they can make the soup a bit tastier by adding some more ingredients.
About ten years ago, there was a young woman named Katie who was known as the Soup Girl, and she invited people to her home to either add to the soup selection or to have a bowl of soup. I guess it is new to New York, and what you have written about is more like what we used to call a Happening, a spontaneous event somewhere.
As to Marcos, once he gets a place to stay and a job, he should be able to put his time at Trader Joe's behind him.
On July 6, following an anonymous complaint, the NYC Department of Health arrested Annie, the founder of the Perpetual Stew Club, on charges of being an unlicensed food vendor.
On July 7, the NYC Department of Taxation and Finance, fined said Annie $5,000 for failing to declare the assorted beans, vegetables and mysterious green things as unsolicited income.
On July 8, the NYC Department of Motor Vehicles, fined said Annie $10,000 for driving an unlicensed four-wheeled mini dolly.
On July 9, Annie released a statement from her cell on Rikers Island that she was setting up a Go Fund Me defense fund.
As of noon on July 10, Annie announced her Go Fund Me had reached $300,000 and Netflix had signed her up for a pilot series on her adventure.
Oh my gosh, I'm weeping with joy for Marcos! And he's praying for his donors? 😭 His heart is so big! ❤️❤️❤️ PLEASE keep us posted on his journey.
"One, two, three, everybody say 'stew!'" said Annie. "STEW!" they shouted, and jumped in unison."
That photo literally screams Stew York!!