Ed Debevic Makes Meat Loaf Almost as Good as Mom’s

DEAR SOS: I recently had the wonderful meat loaf at Ed Debevic’s Short Orders Deluxe in Beverly Hills and loved it. It was just like the meat loaf my mother made when I was a kid. Any chance we can get the recipe?

--MARY

DEAR MARY: Isn’t meat loaf a dandy dish to present after the New Year when you probably will be looking for something economical yet satisfying? Meat loaf can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. For a party, try decorating the meat loaf with vegetable cutouts, a bouquet of watercress, basil or mint leaves.

ED DEBEVIC’S MEAT LOAF

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1 onion, minced

1 medium potato, cooked and mashed

1 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 egg

1/2 cup tomato juice

1 teaspoon tomato paste

2 1/2 pounds ground beef

Combine parsley, onion, potato, garlic powder, pepper, salt, egg, tomato juice and paste. Mix well. Add beef and mix well again.

Pack into 9-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees 1 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees. Drain grease and cool in pan 15 to 20 minutes before removing. Makes 8 servings.

DEAR SOS: During the Great Depression, my grandmother used to bake a very rich, moist applesauce cake. When I mentioned it to my 85-year-old aunt, grandmother’s last surviving child, she said: “Do you know how she did it? It’s was called Poor Man’s Cake.” Grandmother used to boil apple slices, sugar or raisins, then cool and add flour. She said it had no eggs and probably no shortening.

--BETSY

DEAR BETSY: Thanks for the tip. We have a recipe for Poor Man’s Cake making use of 2/3 cup cold coffee, which can be substituted with equal amount of applesauce for the liquid.

POOR MAN’S CAKE

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup cold coffee

Cream together butter and sugar in large bowl. Stir in corn syrup. Set aside.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Dissolve soda in coffee. Add flour mixture and cold coffee mixture alternately to creamed mixture.

Pour into greased 13x9-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

DEAR SOS: I’ve just lost my recipe for Beer Bread. It uses a can of beer and self-rising flour. Please help.

--KATHI

DEAR KATHI: Simple and to the point, and oh, so good.

BEER BREAD

3 cups self-rising flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 (12-ounce) bottle beer

1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix flour and sugar in large bowl. Add beer 1/3 at time, mixing thoroughly. Turn batter into well-greased 9x5-inch loaf pan, filling in corners and sides. Drizzle butter over top.

Bake at 350 degrees 50 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf.

Note: Bread slices will be better if made day before serving.