Ayesha Curry may be married to NBA champion Stephen Curry, aka “Chef Curry,” but everyone knows she’s the one who does all of the cooking.
At age 12, Ayesha started cooking while her parents were away at work, and she hasn’t relinquished a pot or pan since.
Fast-forward 16 years and the mom of two is not only a chef but also a cookbook author, star of the Food Network’s Ayesha’s Home Kitchen and an entrepreneur. In April, she launched Homemade, a meal-kit delivery service for people on the go.
“I know there’s a million services out there … so I wanted a service that caters to everybody and everyone’s needs,” she says.
From ham and cheese waffles to marinating chicken in pickle juice, Ayesha has the secret sauce. Here’s one of Ayesha’s favorite fall recipes, Papa Alexander’s Meatloaf.
Papa Alexander’s Meatloaf
Ingredients
- Oil for coating
- 1/2 cup ketchup, plus a little extra
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, plus a little extra
- 2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
- 2/3 cup celery, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup carrot, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup green onion, finely chopped
- 2 whole green onions
- 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- salt for taste
- pepper for taste
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Oil a medium roasting pan. Coat the bottom with ketchup and a spoonful or two of dark brown sugar. Combine all ingredients except for the green onions in a large bowl. Mix until evenly incorporated.
Form the meat mixture into a loaf with tapered ends, like a small football. Unlike a lot of meatloaf recipes, my dad’s doesn’t touch the sides of the pan. Using your finger, make a thin indented line lengthwise down the center of the load and make several lines across the loaf.
Generously coat the meat load with more ketchup and season with salt and pepper. Lay the reserved green onions on top of the meatloaf, using the indentations to help hold them in place.
Cover the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover the pan and bake until the top of the loaf is golden brown and the internal central temperature reaches 160 °F, for about 15 more minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and cut into thick slices.
This is an excerpt from the September 2017 issue of EBONY magazine. For more recipes grab your copy, available on stands now.
