A DINER of ONE’S OWN

There is something about the speed and complexity of modern life that brings a hankering for plain and simple dishes, full of the delicious smack of nostalgia. In short, we long for home cooking-or for its commercial counterpart, diner cuisine.

A chef colleague recently confided that he sometimes feels a need to visit his mother just to taste her old-fashioned meatloaf. Professional though he is, he somehow can’t replicate her dishes. “Maybe it’s her recipes or her way of doing things, or just Mom herself,” he said. “Why is it that Mom or that diner I used to visit as a kid-it was inside the corner drugstore, for God’s sake!-always seem to make that food taste so good?”

I know why. It’s the taste of simplicity. The food is hearty and lasting. And it’s easy to prepare-with limited advance work and foolproof technique.

Some of the recipes even call for canned soup. Let me confess this: Every once in a long while, when the moment is right and nothing else will do (and no one else is around to see), I head to the pantry, open a can of soup, dump it in a recipe and create the kind of casserole a Junior League cook, circa 1955, would have been proud of. The fact is that the odd can of soup can make for some truly good eats.

Shocked? Well, get over yourself. There’s a lot to be said for convenience, flavor and ease of preparation. (Sometimes I even go a step further and use packaged onion soup powder.) Can-of-soup cuisine is not something to brag about to your gourmet club, but it’s not a crime either. And sometimes it’s the only way to get that diner taste.

You don’t have to be either a mom at home or even Chef Mom of Mom’s Diner to bring out the shmek of these dishes in your own kitchen. These appetite-whetting plates celebrate the beguiling warmth of the family table. One taste and we are reminded of leisurely, uncomplicated times. We get a sense of comfort from every forkful.

What’s more, these recipes are usually complete meals-main dish and vegetables all in one-making for a satisfying, effortless dinner that only requires a fresh green salad to round it out. Add an apple brown betty or a tapioca pudding for dessert and you have the stuff of legends.

So never mind that the old-fashioned neighborhood diner may no longer be there (it is now a tattoo parlor or feng shui supply store) or that Mom is no longer in the kitchen but is orbiting cyberspace looking for a wok on e-Bay, or that it’s Dad or another significant “caregiver” at the domestic helm. The spirit of nurturing is alive and well and simmering away in any one of these casseroles.

The Blue Plate Special Deluxe Tuna Casserole

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

This is an amalgamation of about three or four tuna casserole recipes to make it the mother of all tuna casseroles. The Ritz cracker topping appeared in a vintage version and it makes for a terrific, crunchy topping.

6 ounces flat egg noodles

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons margarine

2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans white flaked tuna, drained

1 cup frozen peas, thawed and drained

1 cup milk

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 (10-ounce) can cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Salt, pepper

2 teaspoons minced parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 teaspoon fresh

1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

20 Ritz crackers, coarsely crumbled

2 tablespoons melted margarine, for drizzling

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch casserole or two smaller ones.

Prepare the noodles according to the package directions and drain. Set aside.

Cook the celery and onions in the margarine in a small skillet over medium heat until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the noodles, celery and onion mixture, tuna, peas, milk, sour cream, soup, cheese, salt and pepper to taste, parsley, dill and Old Bay Seasoning. Toss well.

Spoon the noodle mixture into the casserole. Sprinkle the crumbled crackers evenly over the top, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted margarine (this assists browning). Sprinkle lightly with the paprika.

Bake the casserole until the top is golden brown and it is evenly hot throughout, 30 minutes.

6 servings. Each serving: 441 calories; 999 mg sodium; 57 mg cholesterol; 26 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 3.11 grams fiber.

The Bistro’s Garlicky Meatloaf

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Garlic and sun-dried tomatoes update this perennial favorite. Serve with a green salad and garlic mashed potatoes.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

2 tablespoons minced carrots

2 tablespoons minced onion

Salt, pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and minced

3 tablespoons minced mushrooms

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/3 cup red wine

1/2 cup beef broth

1 head garlic, separated into cloves, but not peeled

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the beef, carrots, onion, salt and pepper to taste, garlic, garlic powder, hot sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and bread crumbs in a large bowl, mixing well. Shape the mixture into a mound and place the meatloaf in a small metal roasting pan.

Drizzle the wine and broth around the loaf and scatter garlic cloves about. Bake the meatloaf, basting occasionally, until juices run clear when it’s pierced with a fork, 40 minutes. Place the meatloaf on a platter and keep it warm. Return the pan to the oven and bake the garlic until it’s tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Strain the pan juices into a serving bowl. Squeeze the garlic from its skin and add it to the bowl. Serve the pan juices and garlic on the side with the meatloaf.

4 to 5 servings. Each of 5 servings: 333 calories; 249 mg sodium; 94 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 28 grams protein; 0.45 gram fiber.

Diner-Style Macaroni and Cheese

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

I like the combination of Havarti and Cheddar for this.

TOPPING

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted unsalted butter

Dash cayenne pepper

Combine the bread crumbs, butter and pepper. Set aside.

MACARONI

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni

2 cups shredded cheese, such as Havarti and Cheddar, mixed

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/3 cups milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Salt, black pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Dash cayenne pepper

Prepare the macaroni according to package directions, cooking it so it’s a tad on the firm side. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 4-quart casserole.

Toss the cooked macaroni with the cheese, eggs, milk, butter, salt and black pepper to taste, paprika and cayenne and spoon it into the casserole. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top.

Bake the macaroni until it’s golden brown and bubbling on the sides, 25 to 30 minutes.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings: 423 calories; 412 mg sodium; 159 mg cholesterol; 32 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 0.68 gram fiber.

Mom’s Famous Garlic Cross Rib Roast

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 3 1/2 hours

A cross rib is a cut that is between the shoulder (sometimes known as the chuck) and rib of a the whole side of beef. You may have to ask your butcher for it if you do not find it in the meat section. This roast resembles a round roast but is surrounded about three quarters around with short ribs, which greatly assist with the flavor in this recipe. If you can’t find a cross rib, use a boneless chuck roast, or a 3-to 4-inch thick top round roast and lay it in the roasting pan on top of some extra short ribs. Whatever you use, this recipe is a combination of braise and roast and makes for tender, moist roast beef, good hot or cold. While gravy packets can be found in various sizes, do not use one larger than what is called for here, or the roast may be too salty.

1 (5-to 7-pound) boneless cross rib roast

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

10 large cloves garlic, crushed, then minced

Pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons light olive oil

1 tablespoon paprika

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup red wine

1 (0.87-ounce) packet beef gravy mix

1 tablespoon dry onion soup mix

1 (10-ounce) can golden mushroom soup

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Place the meat in a shallow roasting pan. Make a paste by mixing the mustard with the garlic, some pepper, the garlic powder, dry mustard, oil and paprika. Slather it over the top and sides of the roast, smearing well. Pour the water, wine, beef gravy mix and onion soup mix over the roast. Cover the roast with foil.

Roast it until the meat is fork-tender, basting it every so often, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil the last half hour of cooking.

Remove the meat and thinly slice. Add the golden mushroom soup to the roasting pan and stir it with the pan juices, mixing well. Pour some of this over meat, offering the remaining as a side gravy.

8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings: 626 calories; 733 mg sodium; 126 mg cholesterol; 46 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 36 grams protein; 1.10 grams fiber.