St. Sam's and St. Bede's Recipe Pages
                Bon Appetit!
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White Sauce v. Cream Gravy

"White Sauce" is the term for thickened (with corn starch or flour) and 
fat of some sort (usually butter or oil when it's called "white sauce") milk. 

"Gravy" is the same, but with meat drippings for the fat, browned further if they 
weren't browned enough in the original process, and water for the liquid.  

"Cream Gravy" if the liquid is milk.  The flour or cornstarch itself may also be browned 
in the fat before the addition of the liquid. 
It's all the same thing, along a spectrum of cooking techniques and basic ingredients.  

To the best of my knowledge, "White Sauce" always has milk, not water, 
and "Gravy" might have either, but the "White Sauce" is usually a base for some 
other added ingredient(s), flavorings or herbs at the very least, 
and can become cheese sauce, curried meat to be served over rice, part of the binder 
for croquettes, a base with eggs for a souffle, or a skillion other things.

Love in Christ,

Sibyl Smirl

Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 
From: Sibyl Smirl 
Subject: Re: Honey Garlic Rib Stir Fry