Free Stirring It Up with Molly Ivins by Ellen Sweets

additional 2 to 3 minutes to develop the flavor of the paprika. Just before serving, stir in the sour cream or crème fraîche and heat through. Do not boil. Serves 4.
    CHEF PAUL’S LOAF
    Â 
    This is the original recipe from Louisiana food god Paul Prudhomme for my favorite birthday dinner. It is one of the few recipes Molly and I never tinkered with. It is what I hope meat loaf will taste like when I get to heaven, and I have to believe in heaven because in
Defending Your Life
, Meryl Streep got to eat as much as she wanted of anything she wanted. (If you ask ahead and say “please,” the butcher might grind the beef and pork together for you.) Reproduced with permission.
    INGREDIENTS
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    Â¾ cup finely chopped onion
    Â½ cup finely chopped celery
    Â½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
    Â¼ cup finely chopped green onion
    1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Meat Magic
or
Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Pork and Veal Magic
or
Magic Seasoning Salt
    2 teaspoons minced garlic
    1 tablespoon Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Pepper Sauce
    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    2 whole bay leaves
    Â½ cup evaporated milk
    Â½ cup ketchup
    1½ pounds ground beef
    Â½ pound ground pork
    2 eggs, lightly beaten
    1 cup very fine dry bread crumbs
    DIRECTIONS
    Melt butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, green onion, Magic seasoning blend, garlic, Magic Pepper Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture starts sticking excessively, about 6 minutes. Stir in milk and ketchup. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool at room temperature.
    Preheat oven to 350°F.
    Place beef and pork in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, cooked vegetable mixture (remove bay leaves), and bread crumbs. Mix by hand, being careful not to overmix, since overmixing will release the protein in the meat and make it mushy. Blend no longer than necessary to distribute ingredients. Place mixture in an ungreased 13-inch-by-9-inch baking pan. Shape into a loaf about 12 by 6 by 1½ inches—it will not touch the sides of the pan—and bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Raise heat to 400°F and continue cooking until done, approximately 35 minutes. Serves 6. Copyright © 1995 by Paul Prudhomme.
    MOLLY’S CAESAR SALAD
    Â 
    Because raw eggs are a component, prepare this just before serving and warn anyone who has a compromised immune system to seek an alternative dressing. Discard leftovers.
    INGREDIENTS
    1½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
    4 garlic cloves, forced through a press or minced
    3 anchovies
    1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
    1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    Â½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    2 egg yolks
    2 heads Romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried, deribbed, and torn—not cut—into bite-size pieces
    Â½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
    DIRECTIONS
    In a bowl combine pepper, garlic, and anchovies, smooshing them into a paste. Whisk in mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, vinegar, and egg yolks. Immediately toss gently, gradually adding cheese. Serves 6 to 8.

10
Vive la France!
    UNDAUNTED BY THE HORROR OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, Molly returned to the City of Light in November 2002, breaking a long-standing tradition of family Thanksgiving at home.
    She was determined to see Paris again, to make up for all those times she was too busy to go where she really wanted to go. Friends who joined her from as far away as New York and New Orleans still talk about it.
    John Pope and his wife, Diana Pinckley, flew in from New Orleans. He is a reporter with the
Times-Picayune,
and she is a widely respected communications consultant. Pope, as he is generally called, had known Molly since his university days at UT and had shared many a