Love meatloaf. Love meatballs. Since I love them so much, I’m very discerning about the cooking and eating of them. I have my favorites. For meatloaf, it is K-Paul’s Cajun Meatloaf — dubbed the Best Meatloaf of all Time by me back in ought-six — but I’ve been making it since I got his cookbook in 1984. For meatballs, the Polly Dutton meatballs that I learned to make from Polly as an Ensign in the Navy, living in Coronado. That said, I’m always trying new stuff. If the recipe looks good, I’ll give it a shot in hopes that it can topple K-Paul or Polly.

This meatloaf was published in the New York Times Magazine in July, 2009 and called Fancy Meatloaf for Nora Ephron. It looked good enough to make and Sam Sifton’s story made it even more intriguing. I belatedly got around to making it recently. I’ll let Sam Sifton introduce his meatloaf:

“I was invited to cook dinner for Nora Ephron. This is what happens if you hang around New York long enough, writing about food… You end up at ground zero. The invitation was to a potluck. Guests were meant to bring food inspired by Ephron’s career or by the woman herself. It was essentially high-stakes food charades. My draw was meatloaf. Ruh-roh. Ephron is famous for her meatloaf, a version of which is on the menu of Graydon Carter’s new restaurant and clubhouse, the Monkey Bar. And cooking plays no small role in her new film, “Julie & Julia.” Just thinking about cooking for her, I felt sick and wondered if bringing a few bottles of cold Pellegrino or Laurent-Perrier Champagne would do instead. I’ve read widely in the literature. Nora Ephron loves Champagne. But I got down to cooking. I started to grind. What was borne out by my experience I pass along as gospel: Do not make Nora Ephron’s meatloaf for Nora Ephron. This is a sucker’s play and remains true even if you’re cooking for someone’s aunt on a Saturday night in Fort Myers, Fla.: Don’t make a person’s signature recipe for that person, ever. Instead, take it as a starting point. Move the ball along. And practice. A couple of years ago, Ruth Reichl edited a huge cookbook that was built out of the recipe files of Gourmet. In it is a meatloaf recipe that combines beef and veal, pancetta and Parmesan, brightened with lemon zest and white wine. It’s a luxurious feed, and I’d run versions through the oven before deciding to take it on the road.”

I had all the ingredients on hand except the Italian bread and thin sliced pancetta. I was planning to try and recreate rice meatballs served to me at a dacha outside Kyiv, but reading about Sifton’s meatloaf made my mouth water so I usurped the meats. Meatballs next time. The last time I made K-Paul, I mixed the meat with my (sorta) new Kitchen Aid mixer toy. I found it gentle, quick and non-messy, although mixing meat with my hands is fun and sensual in a way. Continue reading →