Not At All Like Ikea

"This is the perfect dinner for a day like today," James declared between bites. "I wanted something hearty but uncomplicated," he explained. Comfort food -- my James was looking for comfort food.

I'm not sure what could be more comforting than meatballs with gravy and mashed potatoes. I seasoned up some meat with a pinch of cardamom, mace, all spice, minced onion and parsley and mixed in bread crumbs, 1 egg, and a dollop of sour cream (no milk in the house). I fried the meatballs in butter until almost cooked through and then removed them to a separate dish. I added flour into the frying pan along with some chopped onions and cooked down the roux until the floury taste would be gone. Then I added in stock and made a thick gravy that I extended with another dollop of sour cream. The meatballs warmed back up in the gravy while I finished the mashed potatoes. Perfect.