Recipe for skillet American chop suey

CONCORD, N.H. - Almost anything.

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For a chance to flip one more time through my great-grandmother's recipe box, I would give almost anything. Just for a chance to jot down a few of the favorites by this woman I considered a second mother.

My family never figured out what happened to her recipes after she died some 14 years ago at the age of 94. We cleaned out her apartment and moved most of her things to our basement to sort out later.

When later came, her recipes weren't among the boxes and bags.

It's not that my great-grandmother was such a brilliant cook. In fact, she had a pretty limited repertoire of mostly fatty, meaty foods. And I would give almost anything to have another bite of them.

One of my favorites was a liverwurst-like pate she called pork scrap. This supposedly is a common French-Canadian dish, but I've never had much luck finding recipes that resemble what she made.

She made a batch almost every week, trudging to the butcher to get the pork parts and who knows what else she needed. I never saw her make it, but every Friday when I visited for my overnight stay a fresh bowl of pork scrap waited.

The only way to eat it was cold, spread thick on a slice of white bread and doused with ketchup. Creamy and spicy all at once, it was heaven.

Then there was her shepherd's pie, which she called Chinese pie. Can't figure how it got that name, but it was delicious - a layer of browned beef topped with a layer of creamy corn kernels and a thick mash of buttery potatoes.

Speaking of faux Asian dishes, she also made a wonderful American chop suey. The noodles, I think they were egg, were tender and slightly chewy. There was a gravy, thick and rich. And tomatoes. I remember tomatoes.

For years I have resisted trying to replicate her recipes, especially since I would want to adjust them for vegetarian sensibilities. Why tamper with great memories?

But recently I was emboldened, in part because meat substitutes have come so far. I recently tried one variety that originates in England that is so good several committed carnivores I've offered it to ate it eagerly.

I got the idea to try this "meat" in a version of American chop suey (a dish I've not eaten since my great-grandmother died) after seeing the latest book by the folks at Cook's Illustrated magazine.

Their "Cover and Bake" (America's Test Kitchen, 2004, $29.95), a collection of casseroles and other mostly one-dish dinners, includes an easy (and no doubt perfected) version of American chop suey.

The only vegetarian adjustments needed were the meat and the chicken broth. The result? OK, not my great-grandmother's. But nothing ever will be. Nevertheless, a great American chop suey.

Skillet American Chop Suey

(Preparation 1 hour)

5 teaspoons vegetable oil

1½ pounds ground "beef" alternative

1 medium onion, chopped medium

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped medium

1 large celery rib, chopped medium

2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press

Salt

14½-ounce can diced tomatoes

15-ounce can tomato sauce

1½ cups vegetable broth

½ pound elbow macaroni (about 2 cups)

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over a medium-high flame until just smoking. Add half of the meat substitute and cook until lightly browned (time will vary by brand). Transfer the meat substitute to a bowl and set aside.

Add 1 more teaspoon of oil to the skillet and heat over a medium-high flame until just smoking. Brown the remaining "meat" and transfer to the bowl.

Add the remaining oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering over a medium-high flame. Add the onion, red pepper, celery, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the vegetable begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth and "meat" and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until the "meat" and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the macaroni and continue to cook, covered, over a low flame, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

(Recipe adapted from "Cover and Bake" by America's Test Kitchen, 2004, $29.95.)