(NYTimes) - It started with a question from a friend. “What budget-conscious, vegetarian dinner party dish can you think of that’s as impressive as beef Bourgignon, can be made entirely in advance, doesn’t involve tofu and will be satisfying enough for meat eaters?” After much discussion, the answer we came up with was: a big pot of beans stewed with red wine. The rationale went like this: beans can be made ahead and get better after sitting a few days. The red wine, cooked down to syrup, adds intensity, complexity and that certain company-worthy fanciness to the whole thing. And even if you splurge on heirloom beans, it’s still going to be less expensive than beef.