Quick boil some water!

No I’m not having a baby… it’s Default Pasta Night!

At my house Default Pasta makes regular appearances. In fact I’d even go so far as to call these appearances star turns. That’s because learning how to bring forth quick, flavorful weeknight meals can be a lifesaver, and a toe-tapper as you will see.

There are a lot of good reasons to master the concept of Default Pasta. Maybe you have not been to the grocery store for weeks and the fridge and pantry are pretty bare. But never fear, because if you follow my rules for Default Pasta you can make any meal special.

Of course in my world (well, most of our worlds really) Default Pasta Night happens at the end of a long day, you are tired, hungry and just want to turn the TV on and sing and dance along with Glee. Singing and dancing with hot soup is hell on the carpet, and you are sure to burn your vocal chords. That’s where the Default Pasta rules come in and that’s what the pot of boiling water I used as my opening hook is for; cooking dried pasta, the greatest friend a weeknight cook has ever had.

Meat loaf. Meatloaf. Loaf of meat!

No matter how you say it. Now matter how much you love it. It just does not sound that good, does it?

It’s such an American staple though. Indeed, it is an American food of iconic proportions. Well worthy of the name comfort food, in my opinion.

But meatloaf? Really? Could there be a less glamorous name? Who named it any way? Ethel Mertz?

Now the French understand a good meatloaf too. But, let’s face it--- Mousse de Foies de Volaille, Pâté Maison, Torchon, Rillettes, Terrine de Campagne. These are all just fancy French ways to say meatloaf.

Well, I have to admit. I do like fancy.

But I also have to admit to limited culinary skills. So I am choosing to make the most rustic of the French meatloaves, Terrine de Campagne. Which loosely translated means: countrified meatloaf.