Until Midnight (& Sometimes Later)

Dinner is in the oven. For a change, I thought I’d document one of my usual recipes. So, here is Elektra’s meatloaf.

Combine in a bowl: 2 pounds meatloaf mix (combined ground beef, veal, and pork), 1 beaten egg, 3 onions (chopped), 3 tablespoons chopped garlic, 1 bell pepper (chopped), 12 oz fresh mushrooms (chopped), 1/2 15oz can tomato sauce. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, ground cardamom, ground coriander and ground ginger. Add enough bread crumbs (I prefer panko) to create a dry enough meatloaf to be shaped.

Place in a large baking pan and shaped into a loaf that is of even height throughout. Surround with canned white potatoes (I used two 15oz. cans–Mike really likes them). Top both the meatloaf and the potatoes with the remaining tomato sauce, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until it appears to be done when you cut into it.

I tend to adjust the seasoning every time I make it–never the same meatloaf twice! Leftovers make great sandwiches (best with homemade bread).

Sunday saw us all gathered around the table for a pseudo-traditional Thanksgiving dinner. A good friend, Danielle, missed Thanksgiving this year so we decided to reschedule when she was available. We ended up being six: Mike and I, Danielle and her husband Mike, and Neal and Tina Levin.

Dinner included the traditional turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes, steamed asparagus, sauteed mushrooms, caprese salad and fresh bread (courtesy of the infamous bread machine). Dessert was apple pie and pumpkin pie with homemade ginger ice cream, accompanied by assorted adult beverages.

A lot of fun conversation was had throughout the afternoon–it was really a fun day.

Thanks to Danielle and Mike for the cookbook and the the bottle of Bailey’s, and to Neal and Tina for the wonderful chocolate!