Sunday Gravy

I woke up this morning, less than 12 hours after the second Sunday Supper of 2010, with two very distinct thoughts. 1) Sunday gravy should really be made on Saturday so you can sleep extra late. Believe me, you'll need it after the food coma this will set you into ... or maybe I should eat less?? 2) My friends must actually hate me, the jerks left 3 whole cannoli in my refrigerator! I go back and forth between delighted and disgusted. Delighted as I bite into that creamy delicious goodness; disgusted 5 minutes later when the richness has started to get to me & I think about the number of calories I have just consumed. Ugh. Oh well, tomorrow I will get whipped into shape by Coach Mike at 6 am Core Running class. Might as well enjoy that cannoli tonight!

Back to Sunday Supper. Last night featured Sunday Gravy. I'm not Italian, but I have a great love for most things Italian. It's quite possible that it was in Italy that I made my first conscious connection between food, emotion and environment. Some of the most amazing and memorable meals of my life were experienced in Italy. I was 3 months shy of 25, traveling with cousin Kim and her husband Mike, and on my way to falling head over heels in love (with a boy I had left back in the US). It was my first trip to Europe and my first extended vacation. Three weeks away from work - BEST decision of my life. And one I have made several times since. I digress, Italy. Pesto. Pasta. Pizza. Gelato. Wine. I could go on. The words themselves take me back. Maybe it was the food, but I'm convinced it was the combination of many factors. Food, wine, company, emotion, surroundings. Everyone says there is something about Paris, and they are right. (I'll share those stories another time.) But, you know, there is something about Italy too. Tradition, comfort, homemade with love. Italian grandmothers spending hours in the kitchen with recipes passed down through generations. Everything about it made me feel at home. It was exactly what Sunday Supper is to me, so it was with great respect, admiration and appreciation that I set out to try my hand at Sunday Gravy. One of the finest and most traditional of the "Italian grandmother" dishes. An entire day in the kitchen, 6 cuts of meat, and a healthy dose of TLC.

For my Sunday Gravy, I went with a recipe that cut it to a 1/2 day affair and 3 meats. 2 lbs baby back ribs, 1 lb hot Italian sausage links, and 1 lb homemade meatballs from a blend of ground beef, pork and veal. I picked Megan up at noon, we picked up the meat & came back to my place to get started. Megan mixed up the bloody marys and I made brunch. First things first, this was going to get serious. Once we had a little nourishment, it was time to uncover that inner Italian spirit. I browned the ribs and Italian sausage in my coveted Le Creuset dutch oven, and then set them aside while I prepared the rest of the sauce. As soon as the sauce was ready, the ribs and sausages were added back in & the pot went into the oven. Tip #1: If you don't have any arm muscles to speak of, do not attempt to lift this pot full of goodness on your own. Thank goodness I have been working out! Tip #2: Not advisable to place heavy pot on a weak oven rack. I could have sworn my oven rack was bowing with the weight. While the sauce (aka gravy) simmered in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, I made the meatballs. And I have to say, they were out of this world. The whole meal was really quite simply amazing. Delicious and impressive if I do say so myself. Ask my friends, I'm betting they agree since it only took 4 of us girls and 1 guy to nearly polish off a meal that was supposed to feed 8-10. Hmmmm ...

I may not be Italian, but with enough practice, I just might be able to give one of those grandmothers a run for her money!


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