The Ultimate Macaroni & Cheese!

Now we all love macaroni and cheese, and I've done a recipe or two on macaroni and cheese in the past, but this has to be, by far, my favorite recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese. I've been making it for years, and it's always a crowd pleaser!

I made this special treat for my birthday, since it fell on Good Friday this year, and being the good Catholic boy that I am, was barred from eating meat that day. I also added a special addition to this version, just for my birthday!

This is a dish that will appeal more towards the adult crowd, but kids should love it just as well, and the leftovers are even better!


Ingredients:


8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)(I used a mix of Vermont White, and extra sharp cheddar cheese)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
1 pound elbow macaroni
8 oz cooked lobster meat (imitation lobster meat is perfectly fine too!), torn into chunks (optional)


Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish (or two 1.5-quart casserole dishes); set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.


In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat.

When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups of the cheddar cheeses, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere.

Set cheese sauce aside while you prepare the macaroni.

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.

Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce, and if using, gently fold in the lobster chunks. Because I would be serving this to my mother, as well, who suffers from a severe seafood allergy, I divided the macaroni and cheese in two halves, and only added the lobster to one half of the macaroni and cheese.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. I'm using two 1-1/2 qt baking dishes since I divided in half. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheeses, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top.

Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes.

Serve hot as a delicious lunch, first or main course or just whenever you're craving the ultimate in comfort food!

The leftovers are just as good and if you're looking for a unique twist on leftover macaroni and cheese, why not fry it!

Leftover macaroni and cheese, refrigerated at least overnight.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 egg beaten with 2 ounces water
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Oil for deep frying, preheated to 375 degrees

Cut refrigerated macaroni and cheese into slices or bite size pieces.
Season the flour with salt, pepper and cayenne.

Dredge each piece through the flour and gently tap off excess.

Dip in the egg wash and then coat with the bread crumbs.

Allow them to rest for 5 minutes so the crust can set. Very carefully drop into the oil and fry until golden brown.

Remove to a baking sheet fitted with a rack and rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Summer is in full swing and a deliciously different and healthy way of taking advantage of the best summer produce is this unique gazpacho made up of fresh watermelon, and packed with a few fresh vegetables. Traditionally, gazpacho is a Spanish cold tomato based soup containing many raw vegetables and herbs. This version is a little sweet a little savory and perfect served anytime during the hot summer weather, and the colors are just gorgeous!

Ingredients:

5 cups peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped watermelon, plus 1 cup finely chopped
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
1 cup diced celery (about 2 ribs)
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, minced
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, minced
Juice of 1 lime (about 3 tablespoons)
1-1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, minced


Combine the 5 cups of watermelon and the cranberry juice in the bowl of a food processor, and puree until mixture is smooth.


Pass through a fine sieve into a large container, discarding pulp. You should have 3 cups of strained liquid.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the watermelon liquid, and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator until soup in well chilled, at least 1 hour.

Serve cold and enjoy. Store the rest in the refrigerator up to 1 day!

Slow-Cooker Bean and Barley Soup

Serve this delicious hearty and healthy soup during the comfortable days of Autumn as well as the cold days of Winter! It guarantees to satisfy!

A helpful tip: Soak the beans overnight, in about 8 cups of cold water, just for a little re-assurance that they will not be "crunchy" when the soup is finished.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried Great Northern beans, picked over and rinsed
• 6 cups water
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juice
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 medium carrot, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, optional
• 3 cups cleaned baby spinach leaves (about 3 ounces)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Coarse Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to season
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Put beans, water, tomatoes and their juices, garlic, celery, carrots, onion, barley, bay leaf, herb blend, pepper, and porcini mushrooms (if using) in a slow cooker; cover and cook on LOW until the beans are quite tender and the soup is thick, about 8 hours.

Stir in the spinach, cheese, and vinegar, cover, and let the soup cook until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and drizzle each serving with olive oil.

Tomato Jam - The "New" Ketchup!

Have you ever tried Tomato Jam? If you're a ketchup fan, you'll definitely love this unusual and delicious savory jam that can be used in a variety of ways. Use this in place of ketchup on sandwiches and with meatloaf.

I first tasted Tomato Jam while visiting the Amish Community in Shipshewana, Indiana. It's sweet spiciness hooked me at first taste!

Though it does have somewhat of a long simmering time, it's actually quite easy to make. You can get the recipe here: Tomato Jam

Ingredients are, tomatoes (of course), red-wine vinegar, brown sugar, honey, red onion, fresh garlic & ginger, ground ginger, ground cloves, cinnamon stick & star anise.

Have you ever seen or used "Star Anise"? These wonderful spice pods have a delicious anise or licorice taste, and look like, what else, little stars!

The jam starts out with a hot pan and a little olive oil. Saute the garlic, fresh ginger, and onion until translucent.

Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a wooden spoon. Then add the vinegar, honey, brown sugar and all the spices.

Simmer and stir for about 70 minutes until the tomatoes have dissolved, the liquid has evaporated and it's the consistency almost that of ketchup.

Discard the cinnamon sticks and star anise and cool before serving. Will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Mario's Weekend Cooking Challange: Spinach Torta via Hoboken!

Mario's Weekend Cooking Challenge is a new Facebook Group for people to get together, once a month and cook the same recipe, compare notes and discuss outcomes. It is put together by Mario Bosquez host of "Living Today" on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112 & XM 157

The first challenge recipe is "Spinach Torta via Hoboken. A recipe adapted from The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family”, by, James Beard award-winning author, Laura Schenone. Get the complete recipe here: Spinach Torta via Hoboken.

4 packs of frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and completely squeezed of all liquid. I found placing the spinach in a cheesecloth and "wringing" it out complete the easiest way to do this.
A bar of cream cheese at room temperature, some eggs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley, to taste.

To start, you want to pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a 9" x 11" Pyrex-type dish, brush 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the bottom and sides

In a the bowl of a mixer, whip up the bar of cream cheese until smooth. Then add all the beaten eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, pepper and parsley.

Mix this well until smooth and thick.

Divide the mixture in half. Mix one half with the spinach. Evenly spread this spinach-cheese-egg mixture in the prepared pan.

Cover the spinach mixture with the remaining half of the egg-cheese mixture.

Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.


Let cool and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Serves 10 to 12 as an appetizer or side dish. Also makes a great light lunch!

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and Arugula.

Here's another "Dinner 1-2-3" from the January/February, 2010 issue of Everyday Food Magazine.
Not only is this dish comforting on these cold winter nights, it's also delicious and healthy too! This dish takes about 30 minutes, from start to finish!

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place 2 pints of grape tomatoes, 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic, 3 shallots that have been cut into eighths. 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and season with coarse salt and pepper.
Roast until tomatoes burst, shallots are browned, and garlic is soft, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook 1 lb of rigatoni until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

3. Peel roasted garlic and mash with the flat side of a chef's knife. Add to pasta pot, along with vegetables, 1/3 cup of pitted olives (such as Nicoise), coarsely chopped, and pasta water. Cook over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, then toss with arugula.

To give this healthy recipe an extra boost of fiber, use whole-wheat pasta!

Souffle Au Fromage

I've always been a fan of Julia Child, and who isn't? Anyone who has any remote interest in food, loves Julia Child! Just last year, I purchased "Mastering The Art Of French Cooking", the first book Julia Child wrote (actually, she co-wrote the book, but it's about Julia, right now!), and her most well-known book to date.

The book almost didn't get published as initial publisher Houghton Mifflin, rejected the manuscript for being too much like an encyclopedia. Finally, when it was first published in 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf, the 734-page Mastering the Art of French Cooking was a best-seller and received critical acclaim that derived in part from the American interest in French culture in the early 1960s. Lauded for its helpful illustrations, precise attention to detail and for making fine cuisine accessible, the book is still in print and is considered a seminal culinary work.

Since seeing the newly released film, "Julie & Julia", I felt inclined to start making recipes from this, somewhat intimidating, book! I decided on "Souffle Au Fromage" or Cheese Souffle. This is one of Julia's more popular recipes and one I've been wanting to try as I've never even tasted a souffle before!

Getting all your ingredients measured out for this recipe is very important!


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Butter the inside of a 6 cup souffle mold and sprinkle it with 1 Tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese. Now most American recipes for souffle often direct you to give the mold added height by tying a double strip of buttered foil or parchment paper around the souffle mold and removing it when it's done. According to Julia Child, this is nothing more than a nuisance, and not necessary.
In a heavy saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, slowly. Stir in 3 tablespoons of flour with a wooden spoon and cook over moderate heat until butter and flour foam together for 2 minutes without browning.

Remove from heat; when the mixture has stopped bubbling, pour in 1 cup of milk, that's been heated just to boiling, all at once. Beat vigorously with a whip until blended. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt, 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

Return over moderately high heat and boil, stirring with the whip, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.

Remove the sauce from the heat. If you haven't done so already, immediately start to separate 5 eggs. Drop the whites into a bowl, add 4 yolks into the center of the hot sauce and beat in well, one at a time. Note, ONLY 4 YOLKS in the sauce, but save 5 WHITES!! Adjust seasonings at this point.

Add your egg whites to a clean mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and beat until stiff.

Stir a big spoonful of the beaten whites into the sauce.

Stir in 1 cup (minus 1 tablespoon) of grated Swiss cheese.

Delicately fold in the rest of the egg whites. Be careful not to over-fold!! This is a very important step!

Turn the souffle mixture into the prepared mold, which should be almost 3/4 full. Tap bottom of mold lightly on the table, and smooth the surface of the souffle with the flat of a knife. Sprinkle the reserved tablespoon of Swiss cheese on top.

Set on a rack in the middle of a preheated 400 degree oven and immediately turn the heat down to 375 (DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR FOR 20 MINUTES!!).

In 25-30 minutes the souffle will have puffed about 2 inches over the rim of the mold, and the top will be nicely browned. Bake 4-5 more minutes to firm it up, then serve at once.

A well baked souffle will stay puffed for about 5 minutes in the turned off hot oven. As it cools, it begins to sink. Therefore, there should be no lingering when a souffle is to be eaten.

To serve a souffle, puncture the top lightly with a serving spoon and fork--held vertically--and spread it apart for each serving!

Bonjour, Bon Appetite!

Some Comfort Food For Thought!

It probably wouldn't be on the menu for your mother-in-law's first dinner visit, and it isn't exactly gourmet fare, but macaroni and cheese is one of the most popular--if not the most popular--American comfort foods. Nearly every soul food cookbook and many Southern cookbooks have recipes for the American favorite, with few differences from one to the next.

Some believe the dish was created by founding father Thomas Jefferson, known for his great interest in food, and in a 1996 "Restaurants & Institutions" article, Barbara Bell Matuszewski wrote that Jefferson served the dish in the White House in 1802. However, noted food historian Karen Hess claims Jefferson did not invent the dish, though he did return from a trip to Paris with a macaroni mold.

According to John Mariani, author of "The Dictionary of American Food and Drink," macaroni and cheese was first made in the nineteenth century, but it took on a even greater popularity when Kraft Foods introduced the Kraft Dinner (macaroni and cheese) in 1937. According to a company spokesperson, Kraft now sells more than one million boxes of the dinners every day! The Kraft dinners are so popular, in fact, that children and some adults have been known to turn up their noses when offered a rich and delicious homemade version (sad!).

Homemade macaroni and cheese can be a simple layering of cooked macaroni, shredded (or sliced) cheese and salt and pepper, or it can be made with a white sauce-cheese base, topped with more cheese and buttered crumbs before baking. This ever-so-humble dish is delicious and satisfying as is, but you can jazz it up (homemade or package version) with the addition of chopped vegetables, meat, fish or poultry, or your favorite herbs or spices.

Recently having this odd "craving" for some good homemade macaroni and cheese, I found this very easy recipe that I've been wanting to try for some time.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a 2 qt. cassarole dish.

Next, prepare your ingredients: 4 cups cooked macaroni (2 cups, dry), 1/2 stick of unsalted butter (cut into pieces), 1/2 cup of sour cream, 2 cups of shredded cheddar, 3 eggs, beaten, 1 cup of milk, 1/2 teaspoon course salt.

First, cook and drain the macaroni and place in a large bowl. While the macaroni is still hot, add the cheddar cheese. In a seperate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add this to the macaroni mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cassarole dish and bake for 45 minutes.

If you want some additional "cheesiness", sprinkle about a cup of additional cheddar on top after 35 minutes and bake for the remaining 10 minutes.




Remove from the oven and let cool just a bit!




Enjoy!





NOTE: Please excuse the odd layout of this entry, but blogger.com was being a little "stupid" as I was posting this and it won't allow me to correct it!