Meatloaf: An American Classic

Forgive the delay and the poor quality photo, but I present to you Turkey Meatloaf, Roasted Carrots, and Mashed Potatoes- my first dinner of 2010. Barlow made us this homey American classic on January 1, and we enjoyed at it at his home in Waltham, MA in "the nook." (A part of the house that was once a front porch but has since been converted into a cozy tv room. In addition to the couch and the tv, the nook now also houses a stately space heater, upping the coziness factor)

Being the child of Cuban immigrants, meatloaf was certainly not a staple in the Castroverde household. And since meatloaf is usually made with a variety of meats we Castroverdes do not eat, it never made it onto the dinner menu. I did finally try a turkey meatloaf for the first time last year at a local restaurant, but it was an overpriced letdown. Barlow's meatloaf was another story. He made it with turkey- which, he reported, tasted just as good as the usual beef or pork, veal, beef combination. The meatloaf was savory and moist, but when combined in the same bite with the mashed potatoes was really a taste of homey, cozy, warm, and fuzzy heaven. The roasted carrots were perfectly seasoned and a great compliment to the main dish. Eating this meal in the nook with Barlow was a lovely way to begin our very snowy 2010.

But along with discovering the joys of meatloaf, I also learned that the real reason one makes meatloaf is for the meatloaf sandwiches the next day. That sandwich, made on fresh tomato cheese bread from a Mennonite bakery, might have been even better than the original meatloaf!

When I told my mother about my adventures in meatloaf, she shared with me her only memory of eating meatloaf- in her school cafeteria in Miami. In her words, "It was so good- I didn't understand why we couldn't eat this every day!" Well meatloaf, you've certainly got some Cuban converts.