SUNDAY PASTA…or…what happened to moderation”

I was falling under the spell of Michael Pollan and his cohort of food writers who have, with an almost religious zeal, been exposing the sins of the processed food industry, and the darker sides of America’s agribusiness.  It is hard to dismiss their messages about the potential hazards of our un-informed eating habits, and the benefits of eating the healthy “plant based diet”, forgoing the convenient processed foods, and curtailing our unabated apatite for meats and sweets. 

Add to the mix elevated cholesterol numbers for Patience and I, and my dear, sweet Mediterranean diet never had a chance.  Like rats leaving a sinking ship I left it behind, determined to find the bliss, and self satisfaction, along with low cholesterol numbers, of ‘eating healthy”.  I would shop around the periphery of the grocery market looking for all things plant based and “organic”, and cast disapproving eyes at those unfortunate uninformed or disinterested shoppers going through the cases of prepared, frozen food, their shopping carts filled with all things processed.  I was prepared to commit my remaining years to beans, greens, nuts, fruits, grains, and berries, so I could die healthy.

Kale - Barley - mushrooms

                                                       Feeding the body 

Pasta?  Only if it is whole wheat.  Sausage?  Don’t even think about it.  Pork loin, steak, chicken, meatballs?  No Way!  For me it was going to be beans, and Kale, and grains, and Kale, and vegetables, and Kale, and fruit, and Kale, and….well, you get the picture.  I have eaten more Kale in the past 3 months than in the previous 73 years!   OK, I know, I am exaggerating, but not a real lot.  Substituted for Kale has been a lot of Broccoli Rabe, which, thanks to Midtown Market, is now readily available.

What was I doing?  Did I want to add 3 years to my life so I could eat even more Kale, nuts, and berries, 3 more years of missing sausage and Sunday pasta with its thick, meat-based sauce?  What happened to that old axiom, “everything in moderation”?  It occurred to me that the quality of life is as important as the quantity of life, and for me, certain foods are much more than a source of nutrients.  They are a part of my history, a link to my past and the people who shared it with me, They play an important role in defining who I am, and there simply is no way I can give them up.

Pasta with sausage and chicken

                                                          Feeding the soul

Like so many aspects of life, it is not a matter of either –or.  Common sense tells me that it is possible to enjoy the health benefits of one, and the spiritual benefits of the other.  Moderation…it trumps everything.

SUNDAY GRAVY…9-4

After several days away from the stove I can’t think of a better way to start a new month than with Sunday Gravy on a gray Sunday day.

Using two different meats, chicken thighs and sausage, I plan on making enough for several meals. What I don’t use tonight will be frozen for use on some lazy day in the future.


I know I’ve posted this before, but to save you the time of tracking it down I’ll go through the process again.

THE SAUCE/GRAVY

I have one package of Italian sausage with the links cut into 2-3 inch pieces, and 4 chicken thighs with the skin removed but with bone in place. The meat is browned in olive oil and removed, and the pan deglazed and scrapped with red wine. The results are saved with the meat.


More olive is added and the garlic and onion cooked until soft. For my Sunday gravy I like to use imported San Marzano tomatoes which I buy on line; they are more expensive but worth the extra money. Today I’m using two 28 oz. cans, which I add to the pot, cover, and let simmer for about 10 minutes before returning the meat to the pot. Keep the lid on and simmer over low flame for 1-2 hours. Remove the lid if you want to make the sauce thicker. It won’t take long for your kitchen to be filled with most heavenly fragrance.


Since I was having company tonight I decided to serve rigatoni…I like this pasta with the thick sauce, P doesn’t care for it and she is out of town, and it is easier than spaghetti for non-pasta eaters to handle.

COMMENTS:

I found myself in a funky mood this weekend…hot weather, wife out of town, and just a general “life sucks” mood. I knew I had to do something to get out from under this dark cloud, and the solution was obvious…SUNDAY GRAVY. As soon as the garlic hit the olive oil I knew this would be a better day. And it was. Pasta never lets you down!


Kitchen art by my dear artist friend, Keyth Kahrs.

SUNDAY…6-25

It’s time to work on the freezer where there are now several containers of frozen “Sunday gravy”. I try to only cook enough for Patience and myself, but making the rich, meat-laden sauce on Sundays always produces enough for at least two meals, and sometimes three.

Tonight’s sauce, posted to the blog on the 8th of May, was made with San Marzano tomatoes and chicken thighs.


Pasta transports me back to my mother’s kitchen…Fresh Beets and their greens does the same for Patience. These came in our weekly veggie box from the Amish farm.


Tomorrow I'll return with a new pasta dish.