Spork or Foon?

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

2010-02-07T15:57:52-05:00

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Chocolate Baileys Buttercream Frosting

As January rolls in, we here in America mourn the end of the winter festivities and gay merriment of Hanukkah and/or Christmas, and the New Year, but we always forget about the third winter holiday: Super Bowl Sunday.

Super Bowl Sunday is where we Americans pay our respects to the young men who put themselves out in the face of danger once a week (and maybe even during two-a-day practices). They forgo seeing their families, drinking, and participating in other activities that may affect their stamina each Sunday. These young, athletic men have a 100% chance of getting injured during the season (true stat). But they do it for one reason and one reason alone: make it to The Big Game. And for their multi-million dollar salaries. So I guess that is two reasons.

Twice Dipped Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Football Treats

In America, family and friends gather to celebrate the big day. Some men have "No Girls Allowed" parties. Grown men. Those type of men are extremely mature.

But the cooler people do not discriminate based on sex. No! Whether one is in it for the game, the commercials, or the food, you can believe a good time will be had by all.

I've made the Holy Taco Snack Stadium, but everyone needs a little something sweet as a change from the spicy wings, 5-foot long heros (or hoagies or subs depending on what part of the country you are from, but really, we should all call them heros because the other words just don't make sense. And don't even get me started on Jimmies. Or Pop. Um... hello. Sprinkles and Soda!). This year, I decided to make a Guinness Football Cake with Bailey's Buttercream frosting, horseshoe and fleur de lis sugar cookies, and, my personal favorite of which I could not stop eating as I was making it making me feel like I won't fit into my jeans soon, twice-dipped chocolate peanut butter rice krispie football treats.

Unfortunately, I do not have time to post the recipes (not that ANYONE would start making these items now... is anyone even on the internet right now? ) so I will post them at a later date where these treats will be completely irrelevant and readers wonder, "Why is she posting about football in March?"

Enjoy your day and GEAUX SAINTS!

Sugar cookies decorated with royal icing

The Ultimate Super Bowl Snack: The Holy Taco Football Stadium

2010-02-04T00:12:00-05:00

Last year for the Superbowl, I made the stadium above. Please excuse the photo, but I didn't have my camera with me and I took the photo with my ANCIENT iPhone 3G. Now I have the iPhone 3GS. So much cooler.

I felt that I needed to re-post this, because this is the Ultimate Super Bowl Snack. It is comprised of 60 Twinkies for the stadium, 1 lb guacamole for the field, Queso Dip for the Steelers End Zone, Salsa for the Cardinals End Zone, Slim Jims for the goal posts, Vienna Sausages for the players, Cheese for the helmets, and Assorted Chips for the fans.

I would like to recreate this again this year, but I wonder what I would use for the end zones. I'd keep the queso for the Saints end zone, but I'd probably dye onion dip blue for the Colts end zone.

The people at Holy Taco explain this snack this way:

TOTAL CALORIES: 24,375

TOTAL GRAMS OF FAT: 1,285

TOTAL COST: $86.47

TOTAL DELICIOUSNESS: 1 Billion trillion, dude. One billion trillion.

Click here for the tutorial (and a MUCH better photo and composition).

Homemade Pesto

2010-02-03T08:26:34-05:00

I love pesto, but oftentimes, ordering food with pesto scares the crap out of me. I sometimes believe that eating even a drop of pesto will cause me to gain copious amounts of weight, distributing fat throughout my arms, legs, stomach and hips as I enjoy it's nutty, sharp, garlicky, oil-filled flavor.

But sometimes, I just like to have it. Some of my favorite salads have a basil pesto vinaigrette and I wanted to re-create those salads in home in all of their glorious wonder. I know it has become common, but I am totally a "dressing on the side" girl, and I still feel like a jerk for asking that. But believe you me, in New York City, that is the least of the special requests. You have no idea. If the dish is grilled trout with crispy potatoes, bitter greens, and anchovy vinaigrette, you'd better believe that the order will go something like this:

"I'll have the grilled trout, but instead of grilled, I'd like it steamed. And I'd like the potatoes to be boiled instead of crispy. How are the greens prepared? Sauteed? No, no, no, I can't have that. I'd like them roasted, but absolutely NO BUTTER. I'm allergic. And no vinaigrette. Thank you."

If you think I'm kidding, you are sadly mistaken. I can't tell you how many dinners I have been to with requests like that. And the waiters all take it in stride... at the table. I'm sure they, along with the chef, are cursing the diner as they enter the order.

Sometimes, it's just better to make the food that "scares you" at home, so you know exactly what is in it. Food like pesto is a prime example: I know that it is fresh, there are no secret preservatives deterring my body from metabolizing it.

I definitely like to make pesto the old fashioned way: mortar and pestle. There is no fun tossing stuff in a blender and letting the blender do all of the work. No! I want to pound that pesto to a pulp! Release any pent up stress! Beat that beat! RAWR! And the end result is so worth it. Creamy pesto filled with the fresh, sweet flavor of basil, nutty pine nuts, pungent garlic, sharp, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and quality olive oil. Just a little taste goes a long way. And not on my hips.

Homemade Pesto

In a mortar, pound 1 garlic clove and a pinch of salt to a paste.

Add 1/4 cup pine nuts and continue to pound that to a paste.

Add 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese and pound that in.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Coarsely chop 1 lightly packed cup of basil leaves.

Place the leaves in the mortar and pound the leaves until they become a paste.

Return the pine nut mixture to the mortar with the basil mixture. Slowly drizzle in 1/3-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil as you continue pounding the mixture. Adjust salt, if necessary.

Homemade Pesto adapted from Alice Waters: The Art of Simple Foods

1 bunch basil (about 1 lightly packed cup), coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 - 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste

In a mortar and pestle, pound 1 garlic clove and a pinch of salt to a paste. Add the pine nuts and continue to pound. Add the parmesan cheese, pound until the mixture is well-combined. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

Add the basil leaves to the mortar and pound them until they become a paste. Return the pounded pine nut mixture to the mortar. Pound the leaves and pine nut mixture together. Continue pounding as you gradually pour in 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. Taste for salt and adjust, if necessary.

TWD: Dark-Chocolate Mini Heart Cake Filled with Chocolate Covered Raspberries

2010-02-02T16:22:40-05:00

I was really excited to see that Kristin of I'm Right About Everything chose Milk Chocolate Mini-Bundt Cakes for this week's TWD mainly for one reason: it gave me an excuse to by a new cake pan.

Unfortunately, I am never able to stick to the plan when it comes to shopping for food, cooking, or baking supplies.

I often beg Jack to come to the supermarket with me whenever I need to go food shopping. But Jack, who often works 70-80 hour weeks, could think of a million other things he'd rather do with his free time. I try to explain that I need someone to reign me in. Someone to tell me that I don't need to buy the guava flavored panda bears that I will never eat because I don't eat candy but feel that I HAVE to have because they interesting, and really, who wouldn't eat guava flavored panda bear gummies (besides me because, you guessed it... I don't eat candy)?

I go in with a list of four things, I come out spending over $100.

So when I went down to the Baker's Supply store on 6th Avenue and 23rd Street, I had two things in mind: heart shaped cookie cutters for Valentine's Day and a mini-bundt pan. One hour and much-more-money-than-I-wanted-to-spend later, I walked out with 3 different sparkling sugars, colored gels, a mini-heart-shaped springform pan, fleur de lis and horseshoe cookie cutters (for the Super Bowl) and a football cake pan (again for the super-bowl). What was missing?

Heart shaped cookie cutters and a mini-bundt pan.

This is why, my friends, you see this mini-cake before you. I made some slight changes to the recipe. The original cake recipe called for milk chocolate as opposed to dark (I'm a chocolate snob and milk chocolate tastes like nothing to me) and cocoa-covered walnuts swirled throughout the batter. I hate nuts in cakes and brownies so that is a double no for me. Instead, I dropped chocolate covered raspberries in the batter and baked away.

I then frosted the cake with a raspberry buttercream frosting, covered it with my fondant and rolled the cake in a bit of sanding sugar.

The cake was good, but I think it was because of my changes (toot, toot to my own horn). I liked the deep chocolate flavor that the other TWDers said the cake was lacking because of the milk chocolate, and the bits of gooey chocolate covered raspberries added a nice surprise and definitely played a part in the moistness of the cake which, otherwise, was a tad dry. The raspberry buttercream added a nice sweetness and smooth texture, while the marshmallowy fondant (which I love) and the sanding sugar added some playful textural contrast.

Overall, it was a fun cake to make, although I probably won't use this recipe again. And for some reason, I must be cursed because none of my other photos will upload! I shake my fist at you, Typepad blogging platform!

Check out the rest of TWD and check out Kristin's site for the recipe!

How to Get Perfect Scrambled Eggs

2010-01-29T10:28:55-05:00

I love eggs. Love, love, love. I typically eat egg whites for breakfast every morning. I am always trying to find ways to get the perfect scrambled egg. A while back, I read in a magazine (Saveur, I believe) that diners will sometimes use blenders to blend eggs in order to really aerate them, resulting in a light and fluffy egg.

I often use this trick and always get fantastic results. I have read much on this subject (I know, I need a life), and I find Saveur's tips and tricks extremely helpful. The trick is to keep the stove on medium-low to low heat and let the eggs cook slowly in order to ensure the perfect texture. I love the addition of the soft, sweet onion flavor of chives and to finish out my eggs, I will add up to a tablespoon of cream cheese towards the end of cooking to heighten the creamy texture (and you cannot taste the cream cheese at all) of the egg without it being runny. If you'd like, you can use heavy cream or milk instead.

I did this tutorial with whole eggs, but it works beautifully with egg whites as well, which is what I always use.

PERFECT SCRAMBLED EGGS

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.

Mix 3 eggs in a blender until the eggs have increased in volume.

Pour eggs pan and let set until they just stick in the bottom of the pan, about 20-30 seconds.

Break up the eggs into curds with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

Cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are almost set but still runny (3-4 minutes) and remove from heat.

Add cream cheese (or milk or cream) and stir until melted and incorporated into the eggs and eggs have finished cooking, about 1 minute.

Add chives and season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately.

PERFECT SCRAMBLED EGGS

1 tablespoon butter
3 eggs
2 teaspoons chives
2 teaspoons cream cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat in a nonstick skillet.

Add eggs to blender and blend until eggs are pale and increased in volume, 30 seconds.

Add eggs to skillet. Let eggs sit until just set, about 30 seconds.

Cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are almost set but still runny (3-4 minutes) and remove from heat.

Add cream cheese (or milk or cream) and stir until melted and incorporated into the eggs and eggs have finished cooking, about 1 minute.

Add chives and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Lamb and Eggplant Shepherd's Pie

2010-01-27T00:39:00-05:00

I am always drawn to dishes that are a bit different. "Out of the norm" some may say. "Weird." say others.

Jack and I are actually both similar in that department. If we are at a restaurant with dishes like sweetbreads, veal cheek, or stuffed pig's feet, you can be sure we'll order it. Once, I ordered bone marrow at a restaurant and a fellow dining guest asked, "Why would you order that?"

"Hello!" I exclaimed, as if that was the dumbest question in the world. "Because it's delicious!" And then I shoved a piece of bread covered with the fatty, brain matter-resembling marrow in her face.

Needless to say, she was not pleased.

Now, this dish is not that far out there, but it is different, so when I saw it on the cover of Bon Appetit last year, I always wanted to make it. And this past week, I finally did.

Let me tell you this. This takes all day to make. All. Day. Each ingredient is separately sauteed in the same pan almost as if each ingredient is a building block of flavor in the walls of the pan. First, eggplant is tossed in salt and left to sit for an hour to draw out all of them moisture, then sauteed until tender. Next, lamb shank is tossed in a bit of flour and sauteed in the same pan (sans the eggplant). The lamb is then set aside and onions are sauteed until tender. Afterwards, the pan is deglazed with white wine before the diced tomatoes, garlic, beef broth and oregano are added. The lamb is then added back into the pan and slowly cooked for an hour. Next, the eggplant is added back into the pan and the flavors are allowed to marry and the broth thickened for another 45 minutes.

Like I said. All. Day.

The mixture is then put into a baking dish (the recipe calls for a 9x13" dish, but I used an 8x8" dish) and topped with delicious mashed potatoes (and I will forever use this for my mashed potato recipe. Love.) and baked for an additional 45 minutes.

The resulting dish is a wonderful marriage of of sweet, tender eggplant, deliciously moist lamb, a deliciously fresh tomato broth and creamy mashed potatoes. This dish is GOOD. Really, really good. And I don't think anyone would be scared of these ingredients. If you have all day, please, please make this.

It's always good to get out of our comfort zones. With or without stuffed pig's feet.

Lamb and eggplant shepherd's pie - adapted from bon appetit

FILLING

1 1-1/2-pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
Coarse kosher salt
7 tablespoons (or more) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds well-trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
All purpose flour
3 cups chopped onions
1 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
3 cups beef broth (preferably organic)
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano

TOPPING

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp whole milk
1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely grated sheep's milk cheese (5 to 6 ounces)

PREPARATION

FILLING

Scatter eggplant on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; let stand 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Rinse eggplant and pat very dry.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl.
Sprinkle lamb generously with coarse salt and pepper, then dust with flour to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add half of lamb. Sauté until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to large bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil and remaining lamb.
Add 1 additional tablespoon oil to same pot, if needed. Add onions. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until very tender, about 10 minutes (bottom of pot will be very dark). Add wine to pot. Increase heat and boil until wine evaporates, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, broth, garlic, and oregano and bring to boil. Add lamb with any accumulated juices. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Uncover and continue to simmer until lamb is very tender and gravy thickens slightly, about 45 minutes. Stir in eggplant. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. (I used an 8x8" baking dish)

TOPPING

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 14 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt butter with oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add milk and bring to simmer.
Drain potatoes. Return to pot. Stir over medium heat until excess moisture evaporates. Add milk mixture and mash potatoes until just smooth. Stir in cheese. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Drop potatoes over filling by heaping tablespoonfuls, covering completely.
Bake pie until filling is heated through and topping is golden, about 45 minutes.

TWD: Cocoa-Nana Brownies

2010-01-26T12:55:21-05:00

It's the first time in a very long time where I've played around with one of Dorie's recipes, which must mean I'm feeling back to my old self again after a crazy few months.

I woke up this morning (hi, I'm Slacker, nice to meet you) and the first thing I thought was: Cocoa-Nana Brownies.

Ah, the mind of a food blogger.

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of brownies. My father is a huge fan of boxed-mix brownies, and the smell of those chemical-laden brownies wafting through the air always slightly wanted to make me vomit. But I truly believed the only way to make brownies was to pour a mystery mix into a bowl, add eggs or oil or something, mix and bake. And try to hold dinner down.

Years later, when I finally learned that I need not be a slave to Duncan Hines, I tried to make my father "cakey" brownies from scratch. Even though brownies are not my favorite treat, I was extremely pleased with how these brownies turned out. I proudly presented one to my dad.

He took a bite and silently chewed.

"Well?" I asked in anticipation. "How are they?"

He nodded.

"What does that mean?" I asked, getting impatient. "Do you like them?"

He looked at me with the eyes of a five-year old kid. "I like box brownies." he said, innocently.

I threw up my hands in frustration. "You're gross! That makes me want to puke!"

Now who is the five-year old kid?

But I do believe that I would win over that box-mix fan with these Cocoa-nana brownies. I combined Dorie's Cocoa-Nana bread recipe with King Arthur Flour's brownie recipe. The result is an incredibly light, sky-high cake brownie studded with chocolate chunks that is incredibly moist with a slight tang from the buttermilk, a far-away, deep caramel flavor from the brown sugar and a hint of banana and topped with a smooth chocolate ganache. These brownies definitely don't make me want to puke.

Yummy.

Check out Steph of Obsessed with Baking's website for the recipe for her extremely popular choice (the actual Cocoa-Nana Bread) and check out the rest of TWD for some more Cocoa-Nana Bread! No puking!

Cocoa-Nana Brownies adapted from Dorie Greenspan: Baking from My Home to Yours and King Arthur Flour

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter 
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
3/4 cup light brown sugar 
1 1/4 cups Dutch Process cocoa 
1 tablespoon vanilla 
5 large eggs 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup buttermilk 
1 1/4 cups all purpose unbleached flour 
2 medium, very ripe banans
1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add in cocoa. Beat in vanilla, then beat in eggs, one by one. Beat in baking powder and salt (making sure baking powder is dissolved), then add in buttermilk. When smooth, lower speed to low and add flour and stir just until blended. Add chocolate chips if using.

Pour into pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Let cool. Frost brownies when cool.

Chocolate Ganache

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter

Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the butter and cream over medium heat, stirring constantly. When mixture is almost boiling, pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 30 seconds. Then, stir until smooth.

Pour ganache over cooled brownies and spread evenly.

Allow ganache to firm before cutting brownies. Brownies may be placed in refrigerator to expedite this.

Meatloaf Sandwich: Baby Arugula and Russian Dressing on Whole Grain Bread

2010-01-25T08:18:50-05:00

In my previous food experiences, if there was anything that was less appealing than meatloaf, it was leftover meatloaf. And few things were less appealing than meatloaf except for, say, broccoli covered in Velveeta cheese.

I shudder at the memories.

However, since I have finally found a phenomenal meatloaf recipe that has forever changed my opinion of meatloaf, I wasn't afraid to change it up a little with the leftovers. I had seen several recipes for meatloaf sandwiches recently. I never imagined eating meatloaf in a sandwich before, but then again, I could never imagine eating meatloaf willingly, so the sandwich thing wasn't far off.

This sandwich, which tops the leftover meatloaf with Russian dressing (or, actually the shortcut Russian dressing: 4:1 ratio of mayonnaise and ketchup) and arugula. The meat, which was still deliciously moist and even more flavorful the next day really worked well when paired with the creamy dressing and peppery and fresh arugula.

As I sit here and write this, I wonder where that picky little child in me went. Me, a meatloaf lover?

Oh, how I've changed.

Meatloaf Sandwich adapted from Epicurious

1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ketchup
2 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
2 slices

meatloaf, about 1/2-inch thick

1/4 cup baby arugula leaves

Stir together the mayo and ketchup in a small bowl. Spread on one side of each slice of bread. Lay the meat loaf over one slice and top with the arugula leaves. Cover with the remaining slice of bread, mayo-side down.

The World's Fluffiest Pancake Recipe

2010-01-21T11:40:05-05:00

Pancakes are probably my second favorite breakfast food that I never eat, right up there behind French Toast. I love them. I love their soft, doughy middles covered in sweet syrup. But I only eat them once in a blue moon, due to the amount of calories and carbs behind all of their delicious goodness.

When I do allow myself a pancake or two, I always make this recipe which was in Saveur Magazine's breakfast issue a few years back. This recipe promised to be light and fluffy pancakes and employs two unusual ingredients: yogurt and seltzer water. I had to try it.

The result is a pancake that is so high and light, it is almost like a chiffon cake. But be careful. If you work with a heavy hand, these will be dense and hard to cook through. And we don't want that, now, do we? Not when you're about to eat all of those delicious, fluffy, syrupy calories.

Syrupy calories... mmmm.....

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

Combine 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.

Combine 1 cup yogurt with 2 teaspoons baking powder.

Let rest for 10 minutes until it looks like this:

Combine dry ingredients with yogurt mixture.

Add 2 lightly beaten eggs and 1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda.

Let rest for ten minutes.

Spoon two 1/4-cup portions batter into a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Press a handful of blueberries into the batter and then flip!

Mmm... pancakes.

Mmmm... fluffy pancakes...

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes adapted from Saveur Magazine

2 cups flour
2 tsp. sugar
1⁄2 tsp. fine salt
1 cup yogurt
2 tsp. baking soda
1⁄2 cup seltzer water or club soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more to taste
3 cups fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar
Maple syrup

Place a sieve over a large bowl and sift together the flour, sugar, and salt. In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt and baking soda; let sit for 10 minutes. Add the yogurt mixture, seltzer, and eggs to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Let batter rest for 10 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp. butter in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in 6 batches, spoon 2 portions of batter (about 1⁄4 cup each) into skillet, gently spreading out each portion of batter with the bottom of a spoon or a measuring cup to make disks about 4 1⁄2" in diameter. Cook pancakes until bubbles begin to form around edges, about 2 minutes. Top each pancake with 1⁄4 cup blueberries, press down on them gently with a spoon, flip each pancake with a spatula, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, for "silver dollar" pancakes, spoon 1 heaping tbsp. batter into the skillet for each pancake and top with 1 tbsp. blueberries.) Transfer pancakes to a paper towel–lined baking sheet and cover with a towel to keep warm. Wipe out skillet and repeat process with remaining butter, batter, and blueberries to make 12 pancakes in all. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with butter and maple syrup.

The Best Meatloaf Ever. Even for Meatloaf Haters.

2010-01-20T10:27:51-05:00

I hate meatloaf. Hate upon hate upon hate. When I think of meatloaf, I think of the dry, strange meatloaf from my youth (sorry, Mom). Meatloaf is Public Enemy #2 in my kitchen, right there behind cilantro.

The sad thing is, Jack loves it. We were out at a popular sandwich place in NY a few weeks back, and Jack was deciding between a chicken cutlet sandwich or a meatloaf sandwich.

"Which should I get," he asked me, while staring up at the board. "Meatloaf or Chicken Cutlet?"

"MEATLOAF?!" I exclaimed. "That's disgusting. Chicken cutlet." The Italian in me would never let Jack pass up a chicken cutlet sandwich. Especially because I was getting a salad and I wanted a bite.

Jack looked at me incredulously. "I love meatloaf," he defended. But as a good boyfriend, he got the chicken cutlet.

Fast forward to a few weeks later. I was in my kitchen, trying to decide what to make for dinner. I wanted to make something simple and delicious, and I was stumped. I opened up some of my favorite recipe sites for some inspiration. There, on the first page, was a large picture of meatloaf. I clicked right past it, not even giving it a moments thought. Then, I stopped myself from clicking any further.

Let me try the meatloaf, I thought to myself. It'll make Jack's night.

The meatloaf is a delicious combination of pork, veal, and beef flavored by a sauteed mix of celery, carrots and onions, robust garlic, (or as we in the food world like to say, a mirepoix) Worcestershire sauce (I love saying that word), cider vinegar, spicy cloves, plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and parsley. Prunes and bacon are also listed in the recipe, but I left them out. The last time I made Jack something with prunes in it he almost spit it out, and I forgot the bacon.

I served it alongside mashed potatoes, but I did something along the way that made them go beyond mashed and turned them ultra-creamy and dense. I almost threw out the mixture, but it was actually delicious. I have no idea what I did. I boiled the potatoes for an hour, peeled them, put them in my food processor (I like to do that to get very creamy mashed potatoes) and processed with some milk and salt. I must have processed way too long, but I loved the outcome.

When it was time to serve dinner, Jack still had no idea what I was making. When I put down the plate above on the table, he almost jumped for joy. When he tasted it, he did jump for joy. Then I tasted the smallest piece, wondering if this was any good.

Not only was it good, it was delicious. It was out of this world. And not, I wish I could throw this meatloaf into outer space out of this world. It was out of this world good.

Maybe I'm a meatloaf convert?

Maybe only with this meatloaf.

The Best Meatloaf Ever adapted from Epicurious

1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices firm white sandwich bread)
1/3 cup whole milk
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium celery rib, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 pounds ground mix beef chuck, pork, and veal
2 large eggs
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low, then cook until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Add to bread-crumb mixture.

Finely chop bacon and prunes in a food processor, then add to onion mixture along with beef, pork, eggs, and parsley and mix together with your hands.

Pack mixture into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf in a 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish or pan.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meatloaf registers 155°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.