Remember Recipe Cards?

Back when I first started cooking, some grocery stores offered free recipe cards.  They were made of heavy-duty paper, cut into a 3” x 5” shape so they would fit into a wooden or metal recipe box.  On one side would be a detailed recipe and on the other a picture of the end result.  The cards were marketing tools.  If the picture looked attractive and the recipe called for a pound of stewing beef, why not buy some right now?

At the time there was no such thing as the Internet or companies that sold Make-It-Yourself Meals in a home-delivered box. Most people cooked dinner every night, and families sat down together to eat.

People even traded recipes, which they wrote out on 3” x 5” cards.  Apparently I even did this.  I recently came across my mother’s old recipe box, and in it was my recipe for Meatloaf, in my handwriting.

Times have changed, but not totally.  Last week I was shopping at my local Ralphs supermarket, and what did I see near the fish counter?  A rack of recipe cards.  I couldn’t resist grabbing a few because the pictures looked so inviting: Tuna Poke Bowl, Greek-Crusted Catfish and Crab Cake Sliders.  I’m going to try them all. 

But first I wanted to explore my old meatloaf recipe.  These days I seldom eat beef, so I switched out a few ingredients.  Ground beef became turkey and pork, and barbecue sauce and brown sugar became soy sauce and sesame oil.  I quite liked the end result.   Maybe I’ll put it on a 3” x 5”card.

Asian Fusion Meatloaf – serves 6-8 

1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground pork
2 large eggs
4 cups Chinese (Napa) cabbage or 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
6 scallions, white and green parts sliced thinly
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more if you like very spicy food
1 teaspoon canola or other oil for greasing
Hoisin Sauce 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Combine all the ingredients except the oil and Hoisin Sauce in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. 

Grease a large casserole dish or roasting pan.  Transfer the meatloaf mixture into the dish/pan and shape it into an oval, patting the surface smooth. Bake uncovered for 60-to-70 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the meatloaf reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.  Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.  

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