65. Pastabilities

I saw a sign a few weeks ago in a South Philly bakery for an upcoming Red Gravy Cook-Off to benefit the East Passyunk Community Organization. “We’re in,” I said to Ben, my good sport husband. And sure enough, two weeks later, we were there, with our friends Nanette and Rick.

The event was held in the cafeteria at a Neumann-Goretti Catholic High School, with eight anonymous contestants bringing four gallons each of their specialty “gravy,” or sauce, as we would call it at my house. Some had meatballs; some had seafood; all were delicious. We were given scratch pads to jot down notes and ballots to enter our favorite. There was also a judging panel of local politicians and personalities. Soon enough, a winner was announced — a nice young man won both the “people’s choice” and the judges’ prize. He made sure to credit the women in his life — his wife, his mother and his nonna, whose recipe he used — who all came up with him to receive the trophy. Everyone in his crew was so delighted that they couldn’t help but dance.