Comfort Food

Chef-owner Zov Karamardian built her Orange County restaurants around the concept of comfort food. She's the owner of Zov's Bistro in Tustin and Zov's Cafe & Bakery in Newport and Irvine, and the author of Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart.

Zov’s Meat Loaf

Serves 6

Many times meat loaf is made in a loaf pan, but I find this makes the meat loaf soggy and only allows a delicious golden brown crust to form on top of the meat loaf. So, instead, I bake my meat loaf on a rack set on top of a baking sheet so that it browns nicely all over. Lining the baking sheet with foil makes cleanup easier.

• Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

• 1 cup (about 1½ ozs) cubed day-old white bread

• 1/3 cup half-and-half

• 1½ lbss ground beef (22% fat)

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots

• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/3 cup tomato paste

• 2 whole large eggs

• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves

• 2 tsps chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 1½ tsps freshly ground black pepper

• 1½ tsps salt

• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves

• 1 tsp seasoned salt

• Mushroom Sauce, see recipe below

Mushroom Sauce

Makes 3 cups

I like to use a combination of mushrooms for this luscious gravy-like sauce. Shiitake, enoki and cremini work well; however, I do not use white mushrooms since they tend to exude too much liquid when sautéed, which prevents the mushrooms from browning as well.

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 12 ozs fresh assorted mushrooms (such as cremini, enoki and stemmed shiitake), sliced

• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped shallots

• 2 tsps finely chopped garlic

• 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

• 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

• 2 cups hot beef broth

• ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp seasoned salt