Trio Tops Them All

Today's review comes from my new favorite restaurant in Palm Springs, Trio. 

I decided to try this place after reading stellar Yelp reviews about their macaroni and cheese. 

The place did NOT disappoint. It is one of the BEST macaroni and cheese dishes I have ever had. It is totally worth the (expensive) price tag of $17. The portion is also HUGE, so you will definitely have some leftovers to enjoy the next day or two. 

They start with five different kinds of cheese; Fontina, Goat, Bleu, Cheddar and Romano. The dish also has loads of bacon, green onions, tomato and bread crumbs. 

I got a to-go order and the smell was so delicious I couldn't even wait to get home before I had to rip open the container and try a bite (or five). 

Well done Trio! A+

Momma Said to Eat Your Broccoli

My dear pal Zoe bought me a fabulous book entitled Macaroni & Cheese by Marlena Spieler.  I love gifts, don't you?!  The book has the most creative m&c recipes with really nice photos.  I have been dying to create something special ever since receiving it.  If you are in the market for a book exclusively detailing mac and cheese, I highly recommend this one.

Because I was feeling the need to be healthy, I decided on Marlena Spieler's Macaroni and Cheese "Broccolissimo" as a side dish to the yummy meal Hubbs was preparing.

First, blanch the broccoli and set aside.

Broccoli: the healthy part

Next, melt butter (the more the merrier), sprinkle in some flour and add milk.  Season with salt, cayenne and nutmeg.  I love the idea of nutmeg in this recipe - it is so festive.  Add a bunch (this is the exact measurement) of cheese.  The recipe calls for Sprinz or Asiago or a combo of Appenzeller, Jack or Parmesan.  My suggestion: use whatever type you have.  I used Mexican cheese, some smokey Gruyere, Cheddar, Mozza, and Parm.

Are you wondering what the little white marshmallow looking chunks are? Chopped string cheese. Uber classy.

Stir in the pasta noodles to the melted cheese.  Spoon into a shallow baking dish. Top with the broccoli and a bunch (again, please remember to use this exact measurement) of extra cheese.

Bake just until the top is bubbling and hot.

Bubbling and Oh So Hot

Enjoy with some deliciously bbq'ed asparagus.  Try squeezing some lemon onto the asparagus and topping with some fancy salt. Oh so delicious.

Does life get any better than this? Seriously.

Would you like a bite?

Nothing Comes Closer to Home

Hello M&C Lovers,

We have some news to share here at Oh So Cheesy.

Tay moved!

Back to CA. Palm Springs, to be exact.

Surprise!

Because I moved this week, I have been kind of a homebody getting settled and such. I also haven't been cooking much.

But don't worry. I have still been Mac and Cheesing.

It was late on a Sunday and I'd been working/getting settled all day. I needed some things from the drug store and was craving something comforting and cheesy. I went with good 'ol Stouffer's, a long time favorite of mine. Although it's not my favorite frozen macaroni and cheese (we'll save that for a later post), it is the most nostalgic.

It still tastes exactly the same as when I would eat it with my great grandmother when I was five. And that's a good thing! Creamy, delicious and comforting.

Keep it up, Stouffer's.

M&C is for Lovers

Today we have a very special Valentine's Day recipe for you!

Get excited.

You can make this for your significant other, or, if you're single like me you can make it and eat it straight out of the casserole dish while crying into your glass (bottle) of Cabernet wondering why you've been single for so long.

Did I just blog that out loud?

Anyway, this is the first recipe posted that I made up! Inspired by George and Neyleen's improvised wasabi macaroni and cheese, I decided to do something original to honor St. Valentine. Perhaps he'll send me a tall/liberal/educated/loveshismother as a thank you for the delicious dish I created in his honor?

Ingredients;

- Kosher salt
- Vegetableoil
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 pound bow tie pasta {because you get presents on Valentine's Day and presents are tied with bows. And presents with bows covered in cheese are the best.}
- 1 quart whole milk
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter {divided into 6 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons}
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups of cheese {because this is a Valentine's day recipe, I wanted to use all white cheese so that the vegetables and sauce would create a lovely red and white palette. I used 3 cups incredible Gruyere/Cheddar blend from Trader Joe's and 3 cups of Pepper Jack}
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups (5 slices; crusts removed) fresh white bread crumbs

Directions

- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

- Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the bowtie and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes  (I would cook for 4-5 minutes if I were you)

- Drain well.

- Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it.

- Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour.

- Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk.

- While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth.

- Off the heat, add the cheese, diced bell pepper and tomatoes.

- Also add 1 tablespoon salt and pepper.

  - Add the cooked pasta and stir well.

- Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top.

- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

- While the m&c is becoming nice and oozy, use heart shaped cookie cutters to make ham hearts.

- When the macaroni and cheese is done, spoon into heart shapes bowls ($1.99 at Michael's Craft Store!) and place ham hearts on top.

- Enjoy!

<3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3   <3 

Tay Makes Ina's Mac

**Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everyone! MLK Jr's favorite food was macaroni and cheese. Ok, I made that up. But it could be true**

Post:

I love to hate Ina Garten. 

I think she has fantastic taste and style and there is no doubt the woman is one of the most talented culinary minds we have today. She also makes an incredible martini.

But she seems so haughty. And why does she always tell me to use a GOOD olive oil. Why does she assume that I would dare to use MEDIOCRE olive oil?

Anyway, I'm glad that I got that off my chest.  Let's move along, shall we?

Did you know that Ina was a White House nuclear policy analyst? She was. Pretty impressive.

Today's recipe comes from the beloved Ina. The result was delicious. At one point, before baking, I thought that the sauce to noodle ratio was off. It wasn't. It turned out very well. My cousins and uncle gobbled it right up like good fellas. I prepared this mac and cheese this summer, so the tomatoes were especially lovely. 

The recipe can be found by clicking here. 

******************************************************

Ingredients

- Kosher salt
- Vegetableoil
- 1 pound elbow macaroni {I used Fusilli. Mostly because I enjoy saying the word. Also because I enjoy things in corkscrew shape. This is because it reminds me of wine. And I love wine. Mmmm. Also, the grooves in the Fusilli hold the cheese sauce very nicely.}
- 1 quart whole milk
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter {divided into 6 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons}
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces (4 cups) grated Gruyere
- 8 ounces (2 cups) extra-sharp Cheddar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 pound (4 small) fresh tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups (5 slices; crusts removed) fresh white bread crumbs

Directions

- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

- Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes  (I would cook for 4-5 minutes if I were you)

- Drain well.

- Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it.

- Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour.

- Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk.

- While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth.

- Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar.
{don't you just love a recipe that calls for 6 cups of cheese?}

 throw some cheese at a wiener. wieners love cheese.

- Also add 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

  - Add the cooked pasta and stir well.

- Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.


- Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top.

- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top.

- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Enjoy the oh-so-cheesy goodness......

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Tips

1) I freeze my cheese for about 30 minutes to make grating easier. 

2) If you have bread that is about to go stale, stick it in the freezer and save it for making breadcrumbs! Way better than something you could buy at the store. 

3) I thought the pasta to sauce ratio was going to be off on this recipe, but it turned out perfectly. Don't be worried when you put everything in the oven. The roux will thicken everything while it's baking. Good job, little Roux. 

4) I followed the cooking directions on the Fusilli and the end result turned out to be a tad over cooked. I would recommend cooking the pasta for 3/4 of the recommended time. It will continue to cook while baking and should end up being the perfect degree of tenderness!

5) Save the Rind from the Gruyere! Stick it in the freezer and save it for the next time you're making soup or stock. It adds a lovely flavor dimension according to Lynn Rossetto Kasper. :-)