Meat Loaf, Pumpkin Butter

DEAR SOS: We’d love to have the recipe for Daily Grill’s meat loaf. It’s a great dish.

--DOLLY

DEAR DOLLY: Here’s the recipe with seasonings you’ll find interesting (fennel for one). You can double the recipe, cut it in half or make individual loaves to freeze for use anytime.

DAILY GRILL MEAT LOAF

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced shallots

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrots

2 pounds ground chuck

2 eggs

1 cup sourdough bread crumbs

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon ground fennel

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add and saute garlic and shallots. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook 3 minutes. Cool.

In bowl mix vegetables with meat, eggs, bread crumbs, tomato puree, salt, pepper, mustard, fennel, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Pack into 8- or 9-inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees 1 hour or until meat is firm to touch. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

294 calories; 677 mg sodium; 162 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 36 grams protein; 0.4 gram fiber; 32% calories from fat.

DEAR SOS: Around Halloween, The Times printed a recipe for pumpkin butter. I made a batch and everyone liked it so much I’ve been serving it ever since. Unfortunately I’ve lost the recipe and would appreciate a replacement.

--CHERYL

DEAR CHERYL: Pumpkin butter is great on morning toast or as a condiment for roast pork, turkey or even certain fish. You can make the butter year-round because the pumpkin called for is canned.

PUMPKIN BUTTER

1 (1-pound 13-ounce) can pumpkin

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 (1 3/4-ounce) package powdered pectin

4 1/2 cups sugar

Turn pumpkin into large saucepan. Add spice and pectin to pumpkin, mixing well. Place over high heat and stir until mixture comes to hard boil. Stir in sugar at once. Bring to full rolling boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Ladle quickly into hot jars. Cover at once with 1/8-inch layer hot paraffin. Makes 7 (8-ounce) glasses.

DEAR SOS: I really would like to know how to make a good Pad Thai. I hope you can offer a recipe that’s not too spicy.

--EILEEN

DEAR EILEEN: Here’s a recipe that’s not spicy at all.

PAD THAI

1/2 pound Oriental dried rice noodles, 1/8 inch thick

Oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 egg

1/4 cup peeled and cleaned shrimp, soaked in hot water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups bean sprouts

2 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths

2 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground roasted peanuts

Soak noodles in cold water 10 to 15 minutes until slightly tender. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in wok. Add drained noodles and stir-fry quickly. Add vinegar, fish sauce and paprika and stir.

Push noodles to one side of wok. Pour another tablespoon oil next to noodles. Break egg into oil and cook without scrambling until almost firm. Break up egg and stir in noodles. Add drained shrimp, sugar, bean sprouts and green onions and stir. Stir in heaping tablespoon peanuts. Turn noodles out onto serving platter and top with remaining peanuts. Makes 4 servings.