What other meal is better suited to this time of year, when night’s darkness creeps into early afternoon?

The smell of simmering cubes of potato, carrot, celery and beef in a broth of red wine–infused stock greeting me at the door has the power to transform any day into a night of pleasure. But it’s not just stew’s comfort-food factor that appeals.

Most stew recipes don’t usually pinch pockets the way that other protein and potato meals do. Not only because stew calls for less expensive cuts of meat, ones that are ideal for slow cooking, but also because its vegetables are grown locally. Which brings me to my next point: stew caters to our penchant for farm-to-fork Ontario fodder and to our thirst for reducing our cooking carbon footprint.

This ideal family feast requires minimal cooking experience and little prep time in the kitchen, too. Its elements can even be thrown together in a slow cooker a day ahead of time, the vat stored in the fridge overnight, then pulled out and the slow cooker turned on before heading to work.

Cooking for a picky eater who won’t go near carrots? Can’t eat beef for religious or ethnic reasons? Got a thing against bay leaf? No problem. Many ingredients and spices can be easily swapped for others, or just plain omitted. There’s lots of forgiving room for creativity and interchangeability—out of preference or from sheer desperation based on what’s in the fridge.

Andrew Mackenzie, Co-Founder (with Andrew Hunter) of Buddha Dog, the "fast food" restaurant founded to promote local and handmade culinary pleasures, says, "We try to bring a lot of creativity to our stews, and they incorporate some of the best local ingredients. I think of making soup, but building stews."

Last year’s wavering economic stability coupled with mainstream society’s blossoming attention paid to all things local has nudged many of us to self-educate and experiment. "Certainly we see much more interest in quality, origin and education," says Andrew. "People want to know where their food comes from and—more so these days—how to cook it." You can try Male Chauvinist Chili (with three types of pork!) this week at Buddha Dog.

All The Best Fine Foods, a catering and retail shop selling fine foods and prepared dishes to go in Rosedale, Toronto, uses naturally raised meats and poultry, local when possible, and modifies offerings to match what’s available each season. Sue Bowman, COO, says that "classic foods never go out of style," and that demand is always high for prepared stews—especially when the weather turns cold.

Beef Bourguignon, chilli con carne, coq au vin, Tex-Mex chilli and classic French lamb with white bean stew are all regular features at All the Best. This week, Moroccan vegetable stew combines carrots, squash, zucchini, raisins, chickpeas and onions.

Even Jonathan Gushue, one of the world's few (and exalted) Relais & Chateau Grand Chefs says he and his team at the luxurious Langdon Hall are thinking about stew, now that the days are getting shorter. "People always appreciate a good stew," he explains, adding that he's been experimenting with off-cuts like duck gizzard, duck neck, pig cheek, tripe and pigs feet as well as novel combinations like elk and chocolate. Despite stew's humble origins, Gushue claims the patrons most interested in stews are the enthusisiasts and die-hard foodies, since they are likely making them at home as well.

So what goes best with a steaming bowl of stew? A slice of hearty rustic rheuct from Brick Street Bakery , of course. And for the thirsty, Mackenzie recommends local deep red wines or crisp Ontario cider from County Cider.

Kelly Jones is a freelance writer and editor. She teaches Food Writing at George Brown College.