And Some People Eat Ragu

The plan started on Saturday morning. Given the fact that I wasn't working on anything new writing-wise, I had to do something to pass the time, so I started on the sauce for Sunday dinner.

Being that I had plenty of time, I relished the fact that I was cutting up garlic and onions and mixing it with the basil and olive oil.

I defrosted the ribs, broiled them, cut up beef chunks, put eggs in boiling water, and waited for the aroma of the oil and garlic to fill the room.

"Cook it slow and don't burn the garlic," I remember the greatest chefs I've ever met whispering in my ear. I thought of Dad doing the same thing every Sunday morning, and considered that Jeff perfected it.

I opened the tomatoes, mixed the meatballs, thinking of my sister Carrie nailing the mixture every time, and did my best.

The aroma of the cooking sauce filled the house for the next 24 hours. My first thought on Sunday morning was to put it back on simmer, and then I did the most important part. I texted a few friends and asked if they'd like to join us for the pasta and the Gold-Medal Hockey game.

We ate in between the first and second periods. My first spoonful alerted me to the fact that the sauce was perfect.

"My God, it's great," someone said.

"You should bottle this," someone else mentioned.

Every forkful went down easy. I had a couple of meatballs, a piece of Italian bread, a bowl of salad, and a few ribs. I ate past what I needed to eat and into that sweet area of comfort where shit is starting to hurt. My buddies were right there with me.

Unfortunately, the third period of the hockey game was somewhat diminished. When Parise scored to tie it up with 24 seconds left no one was able to jump in the air.

"It feels like it's four in the morning," my buddy said. "I'm not going to make it to eight o'clock."

The clean-up was rough, but everyone helped - the worst part of cooking sauce is the film it leaves in the sink.

When Canada scored in overtime, there was a collective groan, but a sense of relief as well - it was now time to rest.

And the best part is that there's still plenty left for Wednesday's dinner.

Comments

deafjeff said…
I made it til 8:30, out like a light. It must be the pasta that makes you go to bed so early.
Good job Cliffy is was spot on awesome.
Larry L said…
I am still waiting for my text :)
Andrea Renee said…
My mouth is watering... gonna make some sauce today. (wish I could taste yours!)

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