What We Ate

Quickie post.
Last night we had wonderful Indian food from Taste Of India on Wickenden Street.
Lamb curry, kadai chicken - no cream, extra hot, garlic naan, papadam, raita, kachumber salad, mulligatawny soup, meat samosas...we do this often on Monday nights! Dr. Dinnerman loves it, and so do I.

Yesterday I made a gravy, which some of you may refer to and think of as a tomato sauce.
I learned years ago that technically speaking (or culinarily speaking, whichever applies as you see it), a gravy is made with meat and a sauce could be made without. Where it pertains to the tomato based dressing for pasta, a gravy is better. It took me years to figure that out, and years to come up with a quotidian gravy method.

Here's how it goes:
I pour olive oil in a big stockpot, then brown some sausage and boneless pork country style spare ribs. Then I turn them over. Then I add garlic - minced or as I did yesterday, whole peeled cloves.
After the meat is sufficiently browned, I add 2 28 oz. cans of Pastene crushed tomatoes plus just about one can of water. This simmers for about an hour and a half.

Then I refrigerate this concoction for at least a day. I used to make this and serve it on the same day, but it tastes so much more developed and rich the day after.

There you go!

This recipe is so easy, and foolproof, and sooo gratifying. Dr. Dinnerman declared tonight's gravy to be the best yet, and believe me, I have made many a gravy for this man.
So, try it. You'll like it.

As a prelude I made naked peppers. Take some hot peppers (such as Italian red long hot peppers, Hungarian hots, or regular jalapenos or poblanos) and stuff them with a mixture of ground chicken or turkey, breadcrumbs, an egg, grated romano cheese, and salt and pepper. Bake at 375 until the filling is cooked and the peppers are tender. Drizzle with good olive oil, and eat. These were inspired by the peppers at Primo Vino in Little Italy in Cleveland, OH. Mine have not yet lived up to Robert Fatica's. But give me time!

Incidentally, last week I tried a gravy variation with only beef meatballs. Not so much.
You really need the browing-of-the-pork component. It adds so much, and makes all the difference...all the difference.

Gravy and radiatore in our bellies, we can now sit down to watch the Red Sox give it all up to the Indians. Such heartbreak. Such is the stuff of this existence.

At least we eat well.

Until next time...