The Wonders of Gravy

Welcome to post #3 in my very random ongoing series Things I Believe (and you probably don't)! The first two post were related to church and theology, and therefore quite serious. This one is a bit more whimsical. But that doesn't mean I believe it any less- or that any fewer of you will take issue with my stance! In fact, this post is dedicated to my friend Lisa Jewett, who thinks Gravy in any form is disgusting. So let's get started!

The word Gravy means different things to different people. For many folks it is a brown, watery substance often served with pork or with turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving. For others it is simply the juice from any cooked meat, thickened up a bit and poured over mashed potatoes or bread. I have Italian friends who call marinara sauce Gravy, because they serve it over almost everything they eat. Some people treat ketchup like it's gravy; Buddy the Elf used maple syrup in a similar manner. But while I enjoy all of these different forms of Gravy, it is my belief that all pale in comparison to the one, true Gravy. I'm talking about breakfast gravy, white gravy, sausage gravy, sawmill gravy, southern gravy- whatever you call it, it is one of the great culinary creations of all-time! It is wonderful with biscuits (by the way- if you can still see the biscuit, you need more gravy!); it is a marvel on country fried steak or chicken; it brings out the true spirit of mashed potatoes; and it ROCKS on eggs and hash-brown casserole! I believe that it should join mustard and ketchup as standard condiments on the table at most every restaurant. And not just for breakfast. Sausage Gravy makes pretty much everything but dessert better. And it makes for pretty good eatin' straight out of the bowl too. Now that I have revealed a bit of my Carolina-bred, redneck southern nature, I am craving Cracker Barrel, where it's ALWAYS breakfast! Ahhhh...the good stuff!

And one word of warning- Gravy that comes from a bottle or a can, or gravy that was made more than 24 hours ahead of time is no longer gravy and is not covered under this post. That just needed to be said...