Country Living

Today's recipe comes from Country Living magazine.

When my mom and I spotted the recipe in the magazine last weekend we knew we wanted to try it!

I usually reserve making macaroni and cheese recipes for Sundays because they usually take awhile, but this one was SO easy and simple! The recipe was really yummy. I thought it might be bland because of how few ingredients are in the recipe, but the gruyere was complex tasting and perfectly gooey.

I also made a DELICIOUS and simple dessert inspired by a menu item from one of my favorite Phoenix restaurants, Gallo Blanco.

To make this dessert, simply layer chocolate pudding and marshmallow fluff, then stick some graham crackers on top! It's like a s'more in a bowl.

Try these easy recipes this weekend!

Beachwood BBQ Should Stick with the BBQ

One of hubbs' fav dining spots is Beachwood BBQ. He mostly likes it because it has a terrific variety of delicious micro brews.

After a quick bike ride down to Beachwood BBQ, we ordered a couple of beers, our usual fried pickles (magestic), a pulled pork sandwich and contemplated trying something new. That is when we noticed mac and cheese.  Not sure if this is new to the menu or if I have simply indulged in too much beer on all of my prior visits because I don't remember seeing it on the menu before.

Beachwood BBQ's Baked M&C boasts ingredients including green onion, bacon, chilies, beer, and Gruyere.

Sounds majestic. Well, sadly, it is not. The first bite was bland.  I added some salt. Better, but not brilliant.  Next, I made a concoction of Beachwood BBQ's sauces: hot sauce, sweet sauce and mustard.  It was pretty tasty when doused in random sauces.  But, I am a purist and prefer my mac non-doused.

My advise: stick to the beer.

And the winner goes to ......

Today was the first annual Firm Mac and Cheese Cook-Off.  We had three very unique entries and six hungry judges.

How do you choose between flavorful, decadent, and zesty?

 

Our fabulous entries

 Drum roll please ....

 Best Presentation goes to Grace's fabulous ham filled ramekin surprise! 

Clockwise from bottom: Grace's ramekin delight, Kelly's gourmet goodness, and Kimi's cheesy masterpiece

This mac was especially unique because Grace used wide egg noodles, which I have never had in m&c before.  She mixed fontina, mozzarella, and parm in with heavy cream, milk, cayenne and nutmeg until it thickened.  Then she mixed in smoked turkey ham and parsley.  She filled the ramekins, topped with panko bread crumbs and extra cheese for good luck, she baked it and voila - a creamy, cheesy, flavorful mac dish is made! This mac would be perfect for a family meal including kids and would make a nice entree as it is pretty filling with the ham.

Next, Kimi made us a wonderful six cheese delight that won the coveted "Cheesiest" prize!  And, to be clear, by prize I mean the praise and affection of the judges. No money in this competition!

I love a hidden jolt in my mac and Kimi really made that happen nicely.  The first bite has a nice all-American flavor but moments later this goodness is met with a powerful kick of chili.  Kimi's international cheesy concoction was made up of Spanish onion, cream cheese, heavy cream, sharp cheddar, parm, swiss, jack, mozzarella, and get ready for this - Chinese chili paste! Brilliant.

 The 1st Place Winner of the 1st Annual Firm Mac and Cheese Cook-Off goes to ... Kelly!

It is no surprise that this mac consists of:

·         Onion

·         Shallot

·         Garlic

·         Butter

·         Dry white wine, Pinot Gris will work

·         Whole milk

·         Flour

·         Fresh herbs such as oregano

·         Short pasta like Cavatappi

·         Gruyere

·         Ementhal (God bless the Swiss)

·         Sharp chedder

·         French baguette

·         White truffle oil

Kelly's mac tasted like it was the showcase item in this month's Food and Wine Magazine. The texture was excellent as it had a nice creaminess to it. It was wonderfully flavorful; the garlic, herbs, wine, cheese combo and white truffle oil combined to create a decadent flavor.  I noticed several judges go back for second helpings of this mac. It is a good thing I loaded my plate up early.

Thank you to our lovely contestants for brightening my Monday and making my pants fit just a tad more snug today.

From left: Grace proudly displaying her ramekin delight (please notice that there are none left to display since we ate them all), Kelly is grinning from ear to ear after winning 1st place, and Kimi gladly embracing her much deserved cheesiest title!

If you want the full recipe for any of these macs, please comment below and I'd be happy to send it to you.

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?

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......

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

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. :-)

Mobile eateries make a girl go wild!

Food trucks are all the craze in LA right now.  I have seen a kabob truck, ice cream truck, cup cake truck, sushi truck, Korean bbq truck, French fry truck; honestly, there is a truck for every food fetish these days. Including {drum roll please} mac and cheese. Yep, and not just mac and cheese but mac and cheese in the form of a grilled cheese sandwich.  Clearly this changes the entire dynamic.  For good reason, the Grilled Cheese Truck has earned itself quite a reputation around town.

Because New Years was just last week and I have not had enough time to forget about my new year’s resolutions, I decided to add sliced tomatoes to my Cheesy Mac and Rib which already consisted of macaroni and cheese with sharp cheddar, bbq pork, and caramelized onions.  Delicious AND healthy. 

If you look very closely, you can see the tomato slices

Anything with hot sauce is better

Look at those gorgeous delectable noodles!

In the powerful words of my lady love Brittany, “melted cheese and bread = the perfect marriage.  Today that marriage was conducted by the grilled cheese food truck.  Glorious.”

This sandwich was honestly divine.  It was so perfectly melted and gooey that I almost forgot about the hour long line I stood in just to order my chow and the 45 minutes I had to wait for the food to be prepared…

Oozing with cheese!

 

Because I am a pure glutinous, I didn’t stop at the Cheesy Mac and Rib + tomatoes (don’t forget the healthy part). I also indulged in a Plain and Simple Gruyere Melt with a parmesan crust.  I opted for the French bread instead of the wheat bread because after all, I already made the effort to eat my vegetables (yep, the tomatoes).

Dipped into a shot of tomato soup made each bite heavenly. Seriously, I could hear angels singing in the background.

 

Not done yet.

What would a meal of this grandeur be without tater tots? Dumb question. 

Not just plain tater tots, but tater tots dipped into a trilogy of sauces: bacon andouille (hmmmm bacon), nacho cheese (try mixing it with a tad of tapatio), and straight tapatio hot sauce.

And you thought my meal was over, didn’t you? Nope. Dessert is the most important part of any meal. My lunch concluded with a Dessert Melt - Roasted banana puree, Nutella and marshmallow.  

It was a party. In my mouth.

Verdict: Eating light is for sissies.