How to Improvise: Cajun Meatloaf via Great Good Food by Julee Russo

How many of your remember THE SILVER PALATE cookbook? I do. It's one of the first cookbooks I bought when I first began to pursue my interest in cooking. It was a huge hit in New York, as it was written by the Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins and named after their gourmet shop of the same name. Recently the book was re-issued in a 25th Anniversary edition, which gives you some idea of its importance in the pantheon of American culinary history. Yes, it was that important. In my opinion, it was as influential as Martha Stewart and Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa, in establishing a certain, opulent, bountiful, American cuisine. And by rich, I don't mean expensive, I mean tasty.

After the wild success of The Silver Palate, Russo/Lukins wrote The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, and then apparently wen their separate ways.

Julee Russo established a lovely bed and breakfast called the Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, Michigan, which I hope to visit some autumn, and she wrote more cookbooks. Big, fat, all encompassing cookbooks, such as The New Basics, and Great Good Food, that are friendly and accessible and take your every day favorite dishes and give them a fresh perspective.

This week's recipe, Cajun Meatloaf, comes from Great Good Food and is also a lesson on improvisation in the kitchen.

I love meatloaf. But throwing together the same ketchup/BBQ sauce/breadcrumbs variations can get boring after the 100th iteration. Which is why I was very interested in trying Julee Russo's Cajun influenced recipe. However, when I read her recipe, I didn't have all the required ingredients. For instance, her recipe called for half ground beef - half ground turkey. I only had ground beef. It called for fresh jalapeno, I had a jar of pickled jalapenos. Tomato paste? Nope, tomato sauce. You can see where this is going....

Instead of abandoning the recipe, I chose to read it, make note of the flavor profile she was creating, and make do with what I had in my own pantry to re-create the dish. And it worked beautifully. For instance, I didn't have chili powder to go along with the cumin called for in the recipe, but I did have smoked paprika to use with cumin and I still achieved the smokey depth the recipe wanted to achieve. Sure, pickled jalapenos are sweeter than a fresh jalapeno, but I like the unexpected flavor twist it added to the final meatloaf.

The point is, it's always recommended to follow a recipe to the letter the first time, in order to see what the original cook was trying to achieve. However, in a pinch don't be afraid to improvise by incorporating similar ingredients to achieve a similar result. This approach will lead to creative fun in kitchen and your ability to make a dish your own.

So here's my riff on Julee Russo's Cajun Meatloaf recipe. And please check out her cookbooks, they are incredibly fun and creative and inspiring.

Cajun Meatloaf ala Suzanne

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (substitute ground turkey if you wish)
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons chopped jalapeno relish
• 1 Tablespoon onion flakes 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Mix all ingredients together using your hands. Form into a loaf and place in loaf pan or 2 quart baking dish. You may slather the meatloaf with ketchup or BBQ sauce if you wish, a piece of bacon is also a nice touch.

Bake for 50 - 60 minutes. 

Let rest for 10 minutes after taking from oven.

Serve with mashed cauliflower 'potatoes' and corn on the cob.

Enjoy!

Giddy Up -N- Go!: A Weekend with Beth

My friend Beth came for a visit last weekend. I haven't seen her in almost two years,  so we were looking forward to making the most of her visit. To say that she has boundless energy is an understatement. To prove my point, here's what we accomplished in one weekend....

FRIDAY

On Friday, we took Henry to the Bark Park for a hike on their open trails. Afterward, we did a little shopping and then grilled dinner on the deck.

While we were enjoying margaritas and looking at the stars using the ipad for stargazing, I mentioned that I really wanted to do the Evergreen Road Race, which was to be held that weekend. So we got all the information online and .....

SATURDAY

Got up the next morning at 6:30am to go to the high school to sign up for the race.

We then discovered that race day was Sunday, not Saturday....since we were already in the car, we took a drive up to Echo Lake, a beautifully scenic drive.

At 10:30 we took a Pilates mat class my local Pilates studio.

Afterwards, we stopped by Echo Thrift Store to pick up Mom, who was volunteering there and then headed to Main Street just in time to see the launch of the Dam Duck Derby.....an event which involves floating little rubber ducks down Bear Creek.

The little darlings get caught in the rocks and have to be scooped up.

We also managed to get a picture of the free horse drawn trolley that goes up and down Main Street.

SUNDAY

Finally, it's race day and we are up early. We participate in the 5K (walk) and enjoy a lovely stroll down Upper Bear Creek. The number of pictures we took is a testament to our speed (or lack thereof). However, I've decided to run the 10K next year in honor of my 50th bday.

After the race, we drove to Vail. Took the gondola up to the top of the mountain, had a beer, then back down to Vail Village to do some shopping.

On the way home, we stopped in at the Little Bear Saloon in Evergreen, to listen to the Railbenders, an excellent country music band.

MONDAY

On Monday morning we were back at the Bark Park for another walk with Henry.

 And then, we managed to play nine holes of golf before I took Beth to the airport.

After which, I went home and slept.

In all, a great weekend!

Thanks to Beth's adventuresome spirit, we enjoyed a variety of fun activities, some of which I wouldn't have tried without her impetus, such as the 5K and playing golf for the first time in years....but which I will now make a part of my life here. Thanks Beth!

Croatian Mushroom-Stuffed Tomatoes via Sunday's at Moosewood Restaurant

We return with joy to Sunday's at Moosewood Restaurant for another recipe using those vegetables I usually avoid. This time it's tomatoes and mushrooms.

What enticed me into trying this recipe is that last summer I featured a recipe of beef stuffed tomatoes by the Two Fat Ladies, which I loved. So I was anxious to try out this vegetarian alternative to see how it compared.

Once again, this recipe suits our requirements for easy summer dinners because it's light and easy to assemble.

Chopped baby 'bella mushrooms are sauteed in olive oil with your choice of fresh herbs ( I had thyme, oregano, and basil on hand) and salt and pepper to taste. You can also throw in spinach or another green if you want to add more depth and flavor.

Two eggs are then beaten in with a pinch of flour, to bind the mixture together.

Meanwhile, cut the tops off of your medium sized tomatoes and gently scoop out the insides with a spoon, careful not to puncture the sides. You want to create little bowls to hold the mushroom mixture that you've lightly sauteed. Then top the stuffed tomatoes with bread crumbs and shredded cheese.

Place the tomatoes into a casserole dish, add half and inch of water to the bottom of the dish. Cover the casserole and bake at 400 F twenty minutes covered, then an additional ten minutes uncovered to allow the cheese and bread crumbs to get toasty.

While the stuffed tomatoes are baking, relax and enjoy a glass of wine with goat cheese that has been sprinkled with olive oil and served on your favorite cracker.

And here's the finished dish. As to the comparison with its meaty cousin? Just as delicious.

So if you are looking for a vegetarian alternative, give this dish a try, even your most dedicated carnivore will be pleased.

White Pizza with Arugula

I love Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame. Her recipes are elegant and yet accessible. Which is why I'm not very surprised when the other day I googled 'arugula, pizza', a recipe by Ina jumped to the top of the results page.

This simple, yet incredibly delicious, recipe was adapted by one she has on FoodNetwork.com.

What follows is my adaptation of her recipe....

I started with a low-gluten corn meal pizza crust. I sauteed minced garlic in olive oil and a bit of butter until it was fragrant. I poured the garlic/oil mixture onto the crust of the pizza, then topped it with slices of fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, and parmigiano reggiano. Then I popped the pizza into a 400 F oven until the cheese had melted and the crust was golden.

While the pizza was in the oven, I tossed a generous handful of arugula with a vinagrette made of olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and pepper. I dusted it with a few shavings of parmigiano reggiano.

When the pizza came out of the oven, I piled the arugula salad on top of the pizza and ate both together. The strong flavors of the arugula are perfectly complimented by the richness of the assorted melted cheeses.

I served this for dinner with a very nice Pinot Noir and couldn't have been happier!