Ah comfort food!

Instructions:

72 Market St. Meatloaf

Source: 72 Market St. - Los Angeles, California

from Venice, California’s “72 Market Street” restaurant.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup finely chopped onion

¾ cup finely chopped scallions, white bulb and 3 inches green

½ cup finely chopped carrots

¼ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup minced red bell pepper

¼ cup minced green pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic

salt to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 eggs, well beaten

½ cup ketchup

½ cup half and half

2 pounds lean ground beef chuck

12 ounces sausage meat (not fennel-flavored Italian sausage)

¾ cup fine bread crumbs, toasted

1. Preheat the oven to 375*.

2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and add the onions, scallions, carrots, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the moisture from the vegetables has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool; then refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least 1 hour.

3. Combine the salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, cumin, nutmeg and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat well. Add the ketchup and half and half. Blend thoroughly.

4. Add the chuck, sausage and bread crumbs to the egg mixture. Then add the chilled vegetables and mix thoroughly with your hands, kneading for 5 minutes.

5. With damp hands, form the mixture into an oval approximately 17 x 4-1/2 x 1-1/2 inches – resembling a long loaf of bread.

6. Place the meat loaf in a baking dish, and place the dish in a larger pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

7. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

8. Remove the baking dish from the water bath, and let the meat loaf rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

adapted from Julee Rosso and Shiela Lukins