Now, I'm no Chantal Stacy but I do like to be in the kitchen.
John's co-worker sent us his wife's recipe for "The Ultimate Meatloaf" Now, let's be honest, when most of us hear "meatloaf" we go running in the other direction. It's because meatloaf sounds like every leftover your mother ever had,and all of them going in to one dish. But trust me, this is no ordinary meatloaf.
So, I decided to try to defeat the stereotype of this peculiar dish. I wanted to make cooking a little more fun so I put on the 1962 movie "If a Man Answers" with Sandra Dee and Bobby Darrin. (who were real life lovers if you didn't know. I didn't know until today. So that automatically makes the movie even cooler.) I watched this movie about a year ago with my dearest friend Lisa Z. and I immediately fell in love with it. It contains some of the best advice about love I have ever heard. So, we are going to call this
"Meatlove not Meatloaf"
So, here is what you will need to make this savory entrée.
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 – 2 celery rib, chopped fine
1 Tbsp minced garlic plus garlic salt
1 carrot, chopped fine (several mini carrots)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp Worscestershire sauce
1 to 1 ½ lbs of ground beef
1 to 1 ½ lbs Ground Chicken
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Our humble kitchen, pre operation meatloaf.
In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter, over moderate heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cover and stir occasionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.
In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, bread crumbs, vegetables, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2 inch high sides. Cover loaf with remaining ketchup.
Bake meat loaf in oven for 1 hour @ 350 degrees.
While I am waiting for this meaty thing to cook I sit down to finish the movie. John comes home from work and he watches the rest of the movie with me. The best part is about to happen as Chantal is getting ready to marry Eugene. Chantal's brilliant French mother, Germaine who is played by Micheline Presle, comes to her daughter and Chantal says that she is nervous to get married because she doesn't want to be dissapointed. Germaine then says,
"If you come to love and say please me,care for
me, fulfill me. You will be disappointed. It is
what YOU bring to love that matters.
Don't you disappoint love!"
You really must see how Micheline says it, it is simply magical. So, isn't that how love goes?
Effort.
Responsibility.
Accountability.
That is what I have seen to be true thus far in my 2 short months of marriage. Just like meatloaf doesn't make itself neither does a marriage. (of course unless all of the leftovers and elements combine in your refrigerator overnight...ew.) We can't expect to partake in a relationship if we aren't willing to do the work, measuring out the right amounts of discipline, patience, compromise, love and SO much more.
Really, this movie is a MUST SEE. If you want to borrow it let me know. It also teaches you how to train your husband to do just what you'd like him to, French women really know how to deal with the male species.
Here was the finished product.
Meatloaf or love...whichever you prefer.
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