Chorizo - More Than Just On a Bun

A lovely trip to the market on Saturday scored some of my favorite sausages... fresh Argentinian Chorizo from the people of Getaway Farm Meat Mongers. Of course I love them grilled and served on a bun with a hint of Dijon and some chopped onions, but I've discovered some other wonderful ways to prepare them...

Obsessing Over the Missing Meatloaf

Recently someone, in search of substitutes for  parchment paper on AskRuth, sent me this email...

"Happened to read your blog about parchment paper substitute.  I like your writing style - very thorough.  You mentioned David’s favorite meat loaf (when discussing plastic wrap), but I can't find the recipe on your site.  Help! The spinach sandwich between the meatloaf layers peeked my interest." 

I vaguely remember making the meatloaf she mentioned.  I think it was one of those I made over and over until I found a new "best ever in the world" recipe to make over and over and... repeat the cycle a bunch of times.  The parchment paper post was written back in 2006!.  Naturally, I had to check for the missing meatloaf for myself.  Not among the list of other meatloaves I've written up.  Not in my cookbook - Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories.  I even obsessively went through my posts for six months leading up to that article!  Nothing!  


So what's a girl to do?  Try to recreate it of course.  I took some elements of several recipes and came up with this 

Mushroom Spinach Surprise Meatloaf

And if I do say so myself... pretty darn tasty!   The chipotle honey glaze was from Mushroom Surprise Meatloaf  - seriously one of my best meatloaves ever!. It's from one of my favorite sections of fineCooking magazine - the "create your own". And I bet, you vegetarians and vegans out there can find your own magic loaf, replacing meat - meat for some vegetarian version, but I digress.   I sort of followed this recipe idea for the rest, adding spinach to the mushroom filling.   I do hope you enjoy the results.... we did!


But the main reason for this post... aside from sharing a wonderful dish... is because it made me think about why I started the blog, and why I continue to keep it up.   This article in Saltscapes Magazine that a fellow food writer wrote about me, sums it up best. At first, it was to connect to my daughters who lived in other cities and share their favorite recipes as soon as they wanted them.  


But then it became more about me... and the things I was interested in and passionate about.... farm to table.... farm markets....eating local...cooking with kids....chats with cool chefs and farmers who love what they do even though it's incredibly, physically hard to do so. And now I have to add that it's also about remembering, and  easily recreating or adapting an old favorite recipe.  Since some of my best dishes are created on the fly and if you asked me the next day what I put into it, I'd probably not remember, this is the perfect place to share... with family... friends... and ... myself! 


If you're a blogger, why do you write?   If you're not a blogger, do you keep a recipe journal?

Meat Loaf or Shepherd's Pie?

According to my girls, my Shepherd's Pie is not really Shepherd's Pie at all.   And perhaps they are correct.  Since every other version I've ever eaten is much soupier than mine.  Mine, on the other hand, is a solid meat loaf usually topped with buttery mashed potatoes and baked until the tops of the potatoes are golden and crispy and sprinkled with a little sweet paprika.  And that's the way I like it best!

I've made Moroccan Style Shepherd's Pie, with dried figs & apricots and some Ras El Hanout spice mixture topped with Sweet Potatoes.... also awesome and definitely not just "plain old Shepherd's Pie".

I've even made a very delicious and interesting Lamb & Eggplant Shepherd's Pie... shhhh, don't tell my Honey about the eggplant.  I think it's time to make some again very soon.

In fact, some version or other of meatloaf with potato + topping is often served up here.  In large part because I really don't have to THINK when putting it all together.  Not to mention a  great use of leftover cooked vegetables.

This time started out like that... meatloaf like this one,  topped with a roasted sweet potato and some leftover roasted parsnips, potatoes and... I swear, just half of one small beet which turned it a brilliant shade of red.     I served it with some Roasted Pecan Brussels Sprouts, drizzled with a little maple syrup during the last 10 minutes of cooking.   Comfort Heaven on a plate!

And, naturally, my daughters would tell me that no matter how delicious it was, I should stop calling my carb topped meatloaf "Shepherd's Pie".    So a little poll.... is your Shepherd's Pie soupy or firm?

fineCooking Takes Meatloaf to a Whole New Level

Seriously... I mean... since I've been on and on lately about comfort food... naturally my heart skipped a beat when the latest issue of Fine Cooking graced my mailbox.

I love the section "8 Delicious Ways to Make the Best Meatloaf" with the very special fineCooking feature where you can make your own variation. In fact, last year I wrote about another one for Braised Short Ribs (see my penchant for comfort foods?) that my then three year old came up with. He loves cooking and playing on the computer... so what a great combination. Thanks fineCooking! (The link will take you to an interactive page where you get to choose your own ingredients.)

Before I share my creation, I found this healthier variation for meatloaf cupcakes that Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy blogger shared and fineCooking noted. You have to check it out. The photos are to die for.

Back to the magazine... The 8 options... and each one sounded awesome... Indian Spice Lamb; Sausague, Lemon & Parmesan; Blue Cheese & Bacon; Southwestern Spicy Pork & Bell Peppers; Double Mushroom & Sherry; Stout & Cheddar; Turkey, Bacon & Fennel; and Greek Olive, Red Wine & Feta. All of them are free form, five have tasty glazes and three are wrapped in bacon. It's hard to stop myself from drooling.

Because I can never just leave a good thing (or in this case 8 great things) alone, I came up with my own take on the mushroom one...

Mushroom Meatloaf with Honey Chipotle Glaze

I used a combination of fresh cremini and dried wild mushrooms. And because I often find sherry a little too overpowering, I did half sherry and half of the mushroom liquid from reconstituting the mushrooms. Instead of the ketchup glaze, I made my own honey & chipotle puree instead. The spiciness balanced the richness of all those mushrooms.

This seems like a perfect fit for Hearth & Soul, a lovely blog hop, moderated by a great bunch of ladies. Check it out and let me know what your favorite meatloaf is.... or if you're like my daughter and has it at the bottom of her fave things to eat... silly girl!... I bet they'd each make some great burgers.


Obviously I had to share with another great roundup - Magazine Mondays hosted by Ivonne of Cream Puffs In Venice .