Comfort.
Skillet
lasagna
This is my favorite season to cook. (I may have said that about other seasons as well.) But fall is the season to create and find different enhancements for old dishes. I found this plate picture by Karl...don't know him, but I had to sigh when I saw it. It speaks early fall to me. Meat loaf does not take a pretty picture, but oh the taste. The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, likes to surprise her guests; if she thinks they expect a gourmet meal, she feeds them meatloaf or spaghetti and meatballs. She says they love it, but I tried that and it did not go well.
A couple of antiques dealers often stayed with us when there was an antiques show in town. They slept well and ate even better. This went on several years. So after hearing about Ina's idea, I decided to serve them a meal such as the one that is pictured: meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and peas. As we started eating the conversation fell to nothing and I noticed one expectant guest running a piece of meat loaf around his plate but never eating it. I asked if he liked meat loaf and his snarky reply was, "it was not what I was expecting." Well, I was not expecting to be his free bed and breakfast either and so that was the end of my experiment of surprise. I watched Ina's guests on one of her shows and they were expecting something grand because they were rather grand, and, oh boy, I noticed a face or two fall when she turned up with a piping hot bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. She said they loved it. Hmmm.
I say, if their hearts are set on prime rib, don't serve meat loaf!
