comfort food and Milk Gravy

When I think of the word comfort food, so many yummy images comes to mind. Mac and cheese, chicken noodle soup, baked steak, smashed potatoes, and pot pie to name a few. Oh my golly my mouth is drooling. :0)
I was blessed to have been raised in West Virginia. A place where you never meet a stranger and the women are crazy amazing cooks. My Mother was raised in a small town on the border of West Virginia and Virginia. During Bluefield's hey day it was the hub of the Southern coal fields. My Grandparents  cooking style was a combination of southern and Appalachian. My Grandmother could bake up a storm. My Granddaddy was know for his rolls. I am convinced their food had such wonderful flavors because they cooked with lard.

To quote Wikipedia, " Lard is pig fat in both its rendered and unrendered forms. Lard was commonly used in many cuisines as a cooking fat or shortening:" I know your stomach is not happy right now and your face is all scrunched while saying "ewwwwww". Mind you this is before trans fat, saturated fat and any other fat. I can tell you that lard made the most amazing dinner rolls. 




I have been really sick so maybe that is why I have been craving my Mother's and Grandmother's dishes. Recently I was craving gravy. Not just any gravy. More specifically, cube steak milk gravy. But how would it taste gluten and casein free? I gave it a try using white rice flour and almond milk original. I was uncertain if white flour would thicken like regular flour. I was pleasantly delighted. :0) Now I am a pro again at milk gravy, i have found that I love brown rice flour in my milk gravy. Every once in a while I will even spoil Jeff and make it the "other way" with milk and white wheat flour. He told me the other day how wonderful my sausage gravy was. SHhh don't tell him it was GF and CF! Hee Hee Hee

May your table be bountiful~blair