Italian Meatloaf

If you've ever wanted to make one giant meatball, here's the meatloaf of your dreams. I've thought about doing that for a while now. Then I came across this recipe, which took all the pesky thinking out of it for me. Now I can concentrate on what else I'd like to loaf. Maybe, for a change of pace, a nice dessert loaf. Yes...a nutella booze loaf! It's so obvious. How could that not catch on?

ITALIAN MEATLOAF

Yield: 4-6 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 red pepper, seeded, small diced

1 onion, diced

2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic

1 pound ground beef

2 eggs

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup marinara sauce

1.       Preheat oven to 350º F.

2.       Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the peppers, onions and garlic. Saute until just soft, remove to a plate and cool.

3.       When the peppers and onions are cool, combine all of the remaining ingredients together except for the marinara. Pack the meat mixture into an oiled loaf pan, if you do not have a loaf pan, form the meat mixture into a loaf shape on an oiled oven tray or baking dish. Top with the marinara making sure to spread evenly over the top.

4.       Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160º F. in the middle of the meatloaf. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

from Michael Chiarello

pepper and onions

all the ingredients

 mixing

loaf'd

pouring the sauce on top

I used Rao's. It's a little pricey, but that's only because it
rocks. It's definitely my favorite jarred marinara sauce.

ready to bake

baked

slicing

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Blackout Cake

Here's one for the chocolate lovers. It's adapted from the famous blackout cake from the old Ebinger's Bakery in Brooklyn, NY. As a matter of fact, for years I thought this was their recipe, but when I looked it up to post, I discovered it's similar, but not exactly the same. And I've had it for so long, I can't remember where I got it. So if it was from you, please let me know and I'll give you full credit. You wise asses out there, don't even try it. I have a very acute bullshit meter, so I'll know if you're lying. There's not much more to say really. You've got chocolate cake filled with chocolate pudding, topped with chocolate frosting and chocolate cake crumbs. And if you don't like chocolate, I suggest you go out and buy some chocolate and try it again, because you're wrong.

BLACKOUT CAKE

Serves 10

chocolate pudding filling:

1 1/2 cups milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 large egg + 1 yolk, beaten well

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft

cake layers:

1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

frosting:

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup hot brewed coffee

2 teaspoons corn syrup (or light agave syrup)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

_____________________________________________________________________

Make chocolate pudding filling:

1.      In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup milk to a boil.

2.      Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, cocoa and cornstarch. Whisk in remaining 1/2 cup cold milk.  Gradually whisk the hot milk into the cocoa mixture.

3.      Return entire mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture boils. Whisk 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into beaten egg and yolk, then scrape back into saucepan. Stir custard for 30 seconds, while eggs cook through.  Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and butter; whisk until smooth.  Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Let cool, cover, and chill at least 3 hours.

Prepare cake layers:

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Butter two 8-inch cake pans, line with parchment and butter parchment; dust with cocoa, tap out excess, and set aside.

1.      Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; reserve.

2.      In a mixer with a whip attachment, beat sugar and eggs at high speed until thick but still grainy (about 4 minutes). Reduce speed to medium and beat in vegetable oil. At low speed, alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk, then incorporate coffee and vanilla.

3.      Divide batter evenly between cake pans.

4.      Bake for 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let layers cool in pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks. Peel off paper, and let cool completely.

Assemble layers and filling:

1.      Split each layer in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Crumble one layer; spread crumbs on a baking sheet, and dry in low oven for 15 minutes, stirring twice. Let cool, then crumble again to make fine crumbs; set aside.

2.      Place one layer on a cake plate. Spread with half the pudding. Place second layer on top, and spread with remaining pudding. Top with third layer, and refrigerate while making frosting.

Make and apply frosting:

1.      In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat, whisk in the coffee, corn syrup and vanilla.

2.      Transfer double-boiler top to an ice bath and allow mixture to chill, whisking often until thick, but spreadable. 

3.      Using a long, flat spatula, ice cake completely. Press cake crumbs onto top and sides. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.

adapted from Ebinger’s Bakery

sugar, salt, cocoa and cornstarch

adding the hot milk

bringing to a boil

mixing warm chocolate mixture into eggs

eggs added and thickening

adding chocolate and butter

I used callebaut chocolate chips instead of chopping.

thickened

Only it turns out I should have let it go a little longer,
because my pudding was a little thin (you'll see).

sifting the dry ingredients for the cake

sugar and eggs

adding the oil

adding the dry ingredients

adding buttermilk

adding coffee & vanilla

batter in pans

I only had 9-inch pans, so my cake is slightly shorter and wider.

baked cake layers

peeling off the parchment

slicing a layer in half

spreading the pudding filling

Here's where you can see really see the filling is a little thin.
But I assure you, this is a solid recipe...I've made it before
and it works. I just didn't cook it long enough. That being said, feel
free to go ahead use your favorite chocolate pudding recipe instead.

making the crumbs

I also made these crumbs a little large. They would look
a little nicer on the outside of the cake if they were finer.

baked crumbs

melting the chocolate and butter for the frosting

whisking in the coffee, vanilla and agave
syrup (I used that, instead of corn syrup).

frosting

frosting the cake

The beauty of this cake is that you don't have to
make the frosting look good. It just has to cover
everything so the crumbs will stick.

applying the crumbs

blackout cake

a delicious chocolate avalanche about to happen

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Lime Syrup and Chives

These might look like sweet potatoes, but they're actually a symbol of my personal triumph over extreme procrastination. I bought them a month ago. Week one came and went, no pressure, still fresh. Every morning of week two I passed by them, gave them a quick inspection to make sure they were still edible and kept walking, confident that they would be cooked by the end of the day.

That spilled over into week three (by then, my confidence was long gone and I swore I would make them just to prove I could follow through). I also found myself hoping they were too gross to eat so I could justify throwing them out (I know, it's wasteful - get off my back, I have a problem). And by week four the ritual remained the same, except I added a step where I questioned what the hell is wrong with me for not making these damn sweet potatoes!? Other things were getting bought and cooked left and right, but still these sweet potatoes just sat there. And I wanted to make them, except I just didn't. I felt kind of shitty about myself too...because of SWEET POTATOES. If I was more insightful, I might be able to figure out what the hell these sweet potatoes represented to me, but I'm not. They really just looked like sweet potatoes.

month old sweet potatoes
See how they mock you?

Then one day, I finally made them. And I can't explain why that day was different from all the rest. Nothing else made it special. But I definitely felt triumphant. And these sweet potatoes with the sweet-tart lime syrup and the oniony chives...they were sooo good. Maybe it was the taste of victory, and not the sugar, that made them so sweet. I guess you'll have to test that theory out for yourself. But whatever you do, don't let the sweet potatoes win. I'm pretty sure you're bigger and smarter than they are.

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES WITH LIME SYRUP AND CHIVES

Makes 4-6 servings

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

1.      Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 450° F.

2.      Toss potatoes with butter, salt, and pepper in a bowl until coated well, then spread in a single layer in a large (15- x 10- x 1-inch) baking pan and roast, uncovered, until potatoes are tender and undersides are browned, 20 to 25 minutes total.

3.      While potatoes roast, bring water, sugar, and lime juice to a boil in a very small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer until reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 4 minutes.

4.      Pour the syrup and lime zest over the potatoes; toss. Sprinkle with chives.

Cooks' note: Potatoes can be roasted and syrup made 1 day ahead (without tossing together). Chill separately in airtight containers. Reheat potatoes in a single roasting pan in oven, and heat syrup in a small saucepan until hot. Toss together, then toss with zest and sprinkle with chives.

barely adapted from Gourmet, November 2005

chopped sweet potatoes mixed with butter, salt and pepper

ready to roast

Ideally, they would be spread in only one layer,
but I didn't feel like washing another dish.

lime zest

lime syrup

I accidentally added the lime zest to the syrup (you're supposed
to sprinkle it over the sweet potatoes once they're roasted).
Oh well. At this point I was just giddy that the sweet potatoes had
actually been peeled and cut. Everything else was gravy. Or syrup.

lime syrup, reduced

chopping the chives

pouring the lime syrup over the roasted sweet potatoes

sprinkling on the chives

ready (and delicious, I might add)

It took me all of 20 minutes to peel/cut/chop/zest stuff to make
this recipe. I'd like to say I've learned something from this,
but clearly my college psych classes have yet to pay off.

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