Sunday dinners

As another Sunday comes to a close following a meal shared with friends, it reminds me of the importance of Sunday dinners to me and my family. I’m sure that I am not alone in this; Sunday has traditionally been an important day for family meals. Even in occupations like farming, where days of the week don’t determine when the work gets done, Sundays are usually a time to stop work and be with family, if only for dinner.

This prominent role is reflected in the names given to various foods. The one that may immediately come to mind is Sunday gravy – the name implies that this is a special sauce, reserved for a special dinner. No one makes Monday gravy. Beyond Sunday gravy are many other meals named after the day; the EYB Library lists 365 online recipes (1,764 for the entire Library) that have Sunday in the title of the recipe or the cookbook. There are Sunday soups, Sunday roasts from brisket to lamb, and even a Sunday avocado salad.

Sunday’s importance to mealtime extends beyond dinner. Breakfast and brunch are also well-represented with special Sunday names. The most popular morning dish for this weekend day is Sunday pancakes (sorry, Sunday waffles, you are a distant second).  In my family, Sunday was the only day that we broke out the griddle to make these treats – they never made an appearance the other six days. Eggs get an honorable mention for Sunday with several frittata and omelet recipes, including a Sunday morning omelet with asparagus and goat cheese.

Most newspapers devote greater attention to food on Sunday; many times it’s the only day to feature recipes or food-related events. Even among chefs, who spend every day making meals, Sunday is a special day. This is noted by cookbooks such as Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant and Sunday Suppers at Lucques.

Are Sunday meals special to you? What’s your favorite “Sunday” dish?