Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Meatloaf

DEAR SOS: If I were dying, I would want the coffee cake served in the junior and senior high school cafeterias in Los Angeles as my last meal. Do you, by chance, have the recipe?

--MICHELE

DEAR MICHELE: Our sentiments exactly. Here’s the recipe as provided by the Los Angeles Unified School District archives. As a matter of record, the sour cream coffee cake has been served in city school cafeterias since 1959.

1959 CITY SCHOOL SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sour cream

Topping

All ingredients should be at room temperature. In bowl mix together flours, soda and baking powder.

In another bowl cream together butter with sugar until fluffy and light. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add half of dry ingredients, mixing just until flour is blended. Blend in sour cream, then remaining dry ingredients.

Spread half of batter lightly into a 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle with half of Topping and spread with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining Topping. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 45 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

580 calories; 331 mg sodium; 85 mg cholesterol; 34 grams fat; 66 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; .77 gram fiber.

Topping

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup butter

Mix together flour, sugar, salt and nuts. Add butter in small pieces. Rub in by hand until mixture is crumbly. Be careful not to overmix.

DEAR SOS: I have lost my recipe for 74th Street meatloaf served at a restaurant in Ventura. Thanks.

--MARILYN

DEAR MARILYN: Do you perhaps mean the meatloaf from 72 Market Street restaurant in Venice?

72 MARKET STREET MEATLOAF

3/4 cup minced onion

3/4 cup minced green onions

1/2 cup minced celery

1/2 cup minced carrot

1/4 cup minced green pepper

1/4 cup minced sweet red pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup ketchup

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 pound lean ground pork

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Gravy

In skillet saute onion, green onions, celery, carrot, green pepper, red pepper and garlic in butter until vegetables are tender and liquid is absorbed. Cool and reserve.

In bowl combine salt, cayenne, black pepper, white pepper, cumin and nutmeg. Add to vegetable mixture. Stir in half and half, ketchup, beef, pork, eggs and bread crumbs. Mix well.

Form into loaf and place on greased baking sheet or in 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Pour off excess fat. Slice and serve with Gravy. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

566 calories; 1,234 mg sodium; 223 mg cholesterol; 36 grams fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 29 grams protein; 0.66 gram fiber.

Gravy

4 shallots, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

Dash crushed black pepper

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup veal or beef stock

1 cup chicken stock

Salt, pepper

Saute shallots in 1 tablespoon butter with thyme, bay leaf and black pepper. Add white wine and simmer over high heat until reduced to glaze. Add beef stock and chicken stock and simmer over high heat until reduced by 1/3 or 1/2. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir until butter melts and sauce blends in. Discard bay leaf. Serve with meatloaf. Makes 1 cup.

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