Back in the early 80's, I lived in Vanderhoof BC. I befriended a gentleman that lived south of Vanderhoof approximately 60km's,

He lived very much like these people on the current Alaska reality shows. Off grid. Log cabin, no electricity, no running water, wood stove for heating etc.

When he cooked his dinner, it was always fried. Did not matter what it was. When he was done frying the meat, he ALWAYS made gravy with the meal. Some days I think that he drank it like soup. Said that he always wanted something hot in his stomach.

So, here is the $64,000 question. Is this a common thing with people living in the bush ? Making gravy even if you have nothing to put the gravy on ?

Growing up, and not in the bush, but rural Idaho...

Frying pan gravy was a staple back the day. From my granddad's early logging days, gravy went on/in about every meal that involved a skillet.

He had power and running water, but kept up an outhouse until he passed.

I think it's more of how you were raised, and the patterns that became habits throughout life, than the location.

Gravy is a dish for on the table, costs just a little flour or corn starch. Older folk wasted nothing. And if you have some bread, you have something to put gravy on. Also the meat.

And, done right, gravy just makes most meals better.

Canucks, some that is, like gravy on French fry's.

I have friends that just eat (or drink) gravy. One is 88 years old years. I ask him if he was in WW II and he said "Hell I won the Damn thing". Gravy hasn't hurt him yet!

Homemade fries and gravy plus a bit of vinegar. Good to go!

My dad is 88. He was 16 when WWII ended. He did make Korea on Uncle Sam's dime.

I had heart surgery in '98. Before they would let me go home I had to attend a class on the "do's and don'ts" post surgery.
At one point the nurse stated "this is Georgia where gravy is considered a beverage." I see now Georgia isn't the only place.

Ya have to explain this. I love gravy on my fries, but vinegar? miles

Miles, it's not my thing, but as they say, "There is no accounting for taste", and like the old song, "If you don't know, I ain't a gonna' tell you".

Folks get so passionate about food.

I like doing a gravy when I fry squirrel, rabbit or quail in the skillet.

A little flour and milk and all is good.

Until I left home, I was unaware there was another way to prepare squirrel that didn't involve bacon grease and gravy.

miles,

I've spent enough time in Canada over the decades that I've grown to like vinegar on fries--not all the time, but often enough.

Malt vinegar is best, like with fish & chips.

I need to get out more, as I have never heard of this. That said, I can't remember the last time that I used ketchup on fries, or anything else. Now white gravy is a different thing. miles

Speaking of gravy, is there anything really better than creamed chipped beef on toast?

Talk about comfort food...

Yes, left over shepherd's pie on toasted sourdough !

LUNCH !

We ate a lot of gravy meals growing up, not just from stuff that was fried.

Roast beef, the pan drippings were turned into gravy.
Roast turkey, of course.... gravy!
Pork chops......gravy

We ate brown gravy with hamburger over rice quite frequently as it was inexpensive and stretched good for 5 kids/2 adults/1 earner.

Guess it trained me, now if I cook some sort of meat in a fry pan and there is some juice and little crunchies in the pan, it gets turned into gravy or at a minimum "au jus" and poured on whatever I have.

At one time when in my mid 20's and "poor", bacon drippings became gravy and went over bread to stretch my budget.

As someone else mentioned, the older generation (who went thru the Great Depression) wasted nothing. I learned "waste not/want not" from my folks and guess I learned it well.

Geno

PS, my wife didn't grow up with gravy on everything, really doesn't like it much, and can't seem to understand why I do it with everything.

PPS, if it wasn't gravy we were using we had sauce on it, as in sugo.........spaghetti sauce that is, known as "gravy" in some households.

Not much better that I've found.

We had gravy with pretty much every meal growing up & I really like it on French fries.

In the bit of Canada I see, some people like mayonnaise on French fry's. McDonald's will have packets of Miracle Whip on the counter.

When I grew up on the west coast, nobody put ketchup on fries ,just white vinegar. Out of a Coke bottle with a cap like a salt shaker.I have to bring packets of vinegar when go south.


Fried chicken with cream gravy, I miss that. My Grandmother on my mother's side was American.

Miracle whip is NOT mayonnaise!

Aces, as Jack Webb, used to say, "Just the Facts Mame."

Malt vinegar to be specific.
I sprinkle the vinegar on first, let it soak in a bit then add the gravy. A good thick brown beef gravy is best. Been eating it since I was a young'un so going on 50+ years.

Putting Mayo on fries is a German thing. First time I saw was in Lahr Germany when I was over with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Lots of military guys kept doing that when they came home.
Most use Miracle Whip now. I never got drunk enough to try it though.

Thank goodness! MW has some flavor.

I make cream gravy with real cream and bacon grease. My grown children want fried chicken, fried pork chops and chicken fried steak when they visit. They won't eat fried food in a restaurant because the gravy comes from a mix.

Men that like Miracle Whip are the kind of people that step out of the shower to take a piss.

Speaking of good grease & flour gravy, this is a great method.



I've made good gravy like this a couple thousand times of so. Still do.

L.W.

What better way to clean a cast iron pan than by making gravy? Mmm
And whats with the talk of chipped beef......on a hunting site....)
I prefer venison, very lean of course

And vinegar on chip/fries is an English thing.
Ketchup? well Food for thought