XXX Macaroni and Cheese - Adults Only ?

Ok, ok, the title of this post is a bit misleading. But I have to say, after making this dish for Man Mountain, I have never seen him so gustatorily satiated!

And it's a fancy-schmancy recipe - FIVE cheeses. But they had me at the first one alone - a mac-n-cheese recipe with BLEU CHEESE? Yes please!

Now, I have never been one of those truffle-lobster-foie gras-insert-uber-expensive-gourmet-food-product-here macaroni and cheese fans. Growing up, I loved Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese. Baked in our food-encrusted, fire-hazard of a toaster oven, it took 55 mintues to make, so you got good and hungry waiting for it. Even though we would open the toaster oven constantly while it baked, the cheese still bubbled up over the rim, creating these delicious browned crusty bits that we fought over.

But today, it's all about the microwave. Stouffer's can now be nuked, and there is no bubbling and certainly no brown bits. And then there are the macaroni-and-powdered-cheese-in-a-box fans. My kids are Annie's Macaroni and White Cheddar fans, which I find, um,  horrendous unpalatable. My husband still loves Kraft, even the generic kind.

Therefore, while I make it often for the hungry masses, I don't eat macaroni and cheese. I don't choose it when it is offered on a buffet, or off the menu, or make it for myself (no ancient toaster oven, no Stouffer's).

Until my friends, Mr. and Mrs. St. Louis Connection, had a lovely little dinner party, and changed my thoughts on "macky cheese" (as Little Bitefuls lovingly calls it) forever. It was like my beloved Stouffer's of the 80's, but with a crunchy, buttered breadcrumb topping!!! I begged Mrs. STL Connection for the recipe and she happily obliged.

I call it food porn.

XXX Macaroni and Cheese
(Adapted from Five Cheese Mac and Cheese for Grown-Ups from food.com)

• 16 ounces penne 
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups Fontina cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup bleu cheese, crumbled (I use Italian Gorgonzola Dolce.)
• 3/4 cup gruyere cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (I prefer Grana Padano. It has a slightly nuttier flavor)
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cups crumbled cooked bacon (optional)

Directions:

1. 1Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.
2. 2Cook pasta according to package directions, less 2-3 minutes cooking time; drain.
3. 3Saute onion in 2 Tbl. butter until it is transluscent. Add the rest of the butter to pot and whisk in the flour, stirring constantly. Next whisk in the mustard. Gradually add the milk and cream, whisking constantly.
4. 4Season with thyme, bay leaf, and salt. Cook over low heat (low simmer) for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. 5Strain out solids (thyme and bay leaf). Immediately add 1 cup of the Fontina, the bleu cheese, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, 1/2 cup of the cheddar, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the reserved bacon, and parsley. Stir until cheese is melted. Add the drained pasta and stir to coat.
6. 6Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Combine the remaining cheeses with the bread crumbs and parsley and sprinkle over top.
7. 7Bake 15 to 20 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned. Let rest a few moments before serving.
   
   
   
   

The Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Debate

thin and crispy VS. soft and gooey

Ok. There are millions of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there. But really, there are only two types of chocolate chip cookies in my world. Thin and crispy, or soft and gooey.

(Well, there are three. Warm, slightly undercooked pizza-sized, chocolate chip cookies from the Pirate's Cove in Gambier, Ohio. At 3am. Preferably as a chaser to a night of drinking Boone's Farm wine and after a thin crust Cove pizza with pepperoni, pineapple, onions and green peppers. Sadly, the Cove closed its doors soon after I graduated from college. Which is almost 13 years ago, but I'm not counting or anything.)

Soft and Gooey

Thin and Crispy

So, currently, there are only two types of chocolate chip cookies. Twin 1 and Man Mountain like soft and gooey. (Man Mountain actually likes raw best. I think I would too if I didn't keep thinking salmonella!). Twin 2 and I like thin and crispy. Now, making two whole batches of cookies takes time patience and effort, things I have little of during football season (with the Giants losing to the freakin' Cowboys!), so I decided that it was time for a family taste-test to choose one, once and for all!

Little Bitefuls, who will consume chocolate chip cookies in ANY form, would be the tie-breaker.

For thin and crispy, no one, NO ONE (not even my beloved Ina) can compare to Tate's. Kathleen King of Tate's Bake Shop in Southampton, N.Y. invented a recipe that is absolutely addictive. And the recipe on the back of Nestle's Morsels tends to be the generic go-to for soft cookies around here. But I wanted to change that up.

Sidebar: Man Mountain makes a heckuva chocolate chip/oatmeal/walnut cookie that is baked in mounds as big as Goliath, but I wanted to keep it a little simpler. 

So after an exhaustive, but drooling day of research, Twin 2 and I decided on this.

And it was good. REALLY good.

But it had NUTHIN' on Tate's.

Even Man Mountain agreed.

The homemade ones retained a slight softness in the center that made them EVEN better than the ones from the stores. Ridiculously good. Little Bitefuls concurred. She had to try each one three times though before she made up her mind. Ah, the capriciousness of youth!

So, we declared Tate's....The WINNER!!!


Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe 


from Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook by Kathleen King

Yield: 4 1/2 dozen three-inch cookies.

• 2 cups all-purpose pour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup salted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (Chocolate quality MATTERS. I used Ghiradelli Mini Chocolate Chips)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with Silpat, or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the water and vanilla. Mix the ingredients until they are just combined.
4. Add the eggs and mix them lightly. Stir in the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Don’t over mix the dough.
5. Drop the cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets using two tablespoons or an ice cream scoop. (I used ONE tablespoon for the pictures in the photo)
6. Bake them for 12 minutes or until the edges and centers are brown. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon...Pancetta!

There is something about bacon...

I have people who are peripherally related to me by marriage that are vegetarians, with one exception - yup, bacon.
Some say that bacon is a food group unto itself.

And there is a whole subculture within this food group.

It is known as FOREIGN bacon.

One such bacon beacon of delight is from Italy. Pancetta. Crispy and delicious, salty, rich. Sorry Oscar Meyer, but the Italians have us on this one.

And it is with pancetta that I make a little party favor that I take to cocktail parties. I had the original at a friend's house for book club, and tinkered with the recipe to make it into a sandwich.

The "Happy Pig" Sandwich

Sliced ciabatta roll, brushed with olive oil, lightly toasted, or grilled
Schmear of goat cheese (Beltane. To die for!)
Fresh spinach leaves

1/4 inch slice of ripe, but not too ripe, Bartlett pear OR 1/8 inch slice of Granny Smith apple

Half-moons of crispy pancetta*

Fresh thyme leaves, cracked black pepper and clover honey to garnish

*To cook pancetta - Preheat oven to 450. Place 1/4 inch slices on aluminum foil on rimmed baking sheet. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes until crispy. Voila!

Try it with a fried egg, yolk warm and oozing, on top.

Greek Saucy!

Man Mountain hates cucumbers.

Apparently, he is genetically predisposed to loathing them.

Granted, he did go to medical school so he should know something scientific about genetics.

His parents hate cucumbers.

And...

...our children hate cucumbers...so there may actually be something to it. (Wait - does that mean my genetics are weak.....?)

Because I love me some cucumbers, ESPECIALLY in pickle form! And I love the delicious Greek condiment Tzatziki - (which is yogurt with cucumbers, garlic and herbs).

Fresh herbs!

So, I decided to make roasted lamb shanks and potatoes for dinner. Bare-bones recipe:

Free hand the following:

Layer olive oil, fresh rosemary sprigs, whole garlic cloves, lamb shanks, and cut russet potatoes in a wide-mouthed dutch oven.

Add 1 heaping Tbl. tomato paste and enough beef stock to halfway cover the lamb and potatoes.

Liberally, salt and pepper.

Cook in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

When lamb is done (should be falling off the bone),  mix fresh dill and mint into the hot gravy and let sit, out of the oven, for 10 minutes.

Dust with lemon zest, sea salt and toasted pine nuts, if desired. (I desire!)

Serve over couscous...with a dollop of this.

PS - You can also add cucumber to this. And then invite me over to share.

Apple Puffs

My Apple Puff!

I love apple picking season. I love watching my girls scamper through the orchard, picking up apples from the lowest branches, taking one bite, handing mauled apple to Man Mountain to finish, and then prancing towards the next tree to try yet another type.

Golden Delicious is the big winner in my house (although Man Mountain prefers MacIntosh, slathered in Jif peanut butter). This year's jaunt was short, but profitable, as the orchard was packed with trees heavily laden with fruit. The hot, long, wet summer made for an early harvest, and we picked ourselves a bounty!

I love making apple pie. I am a Pillsbury Ready-Made Crust devotee, but I saw a recipe for apples with a puff pastry crust and I had to give my own version a whirl.

These blissful apple puffs are delicious and so easy to make!

Thaw puff pastry according to box instructions. I swoon for Trader Joe's.

While pastry is thawing, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel, core and slice 4 Golden Delicious apples into 1/4 inch slices.

In a large bowl, mix 3/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1/4 cinnamon.

Let apple mixture stand for at least 1/2 hour. This softens the apples, lets the liquid run to the bottom of the bowl (which avoids an overly soggy crust), and cuts baking time!

Inhale the scent for a little impromptu aromatherapy.

Place pastry on baking sheet and apply apples in a circular patten.

Make an egg wash with 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon heavy cream.

Apply egg wash to puff pastry edges NOT covered in apple slices.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes, depending on puff pastry box instructions.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or eat ravenously as is!

Meatballs of Guilt

I am beginning to feel the guilt. Blogging should be my relaxation outlet, writing recipes should be cathartic. Little anecdotes should be FUN!

So should cooking.

Unless, (after the Hummingbird incident), one feels this irripressable urge to raise one's hand at Back-to-School night and volunteer to chair the BIGGEST FUNDRAISING EVENT at your daughters' elementary school.

Then cooking becomes less about fun, and more about guilt.

I'd like to blame the vodka. But it had been 1oz. And it had been 4 hours earlier.

So, I am now in charge of organizing a Pasta Supper for 700 people.

A Pasta Supper where the pasta is cooked the night before, slathered in cooking oil, and held overnight in a massive refrigerator in black garbage bags.

I am not Giada de Laurentiis, and yet, I cringe.

But apparently it is the "Night of the Yeeeeeeeear!!!!" And YES, I know it is for the kids. I love kids.

But I am still on the fence about cooked pasta in garbage bags.

But I do this for the kids.

And with this "pasta" (oy, Mama Leone is cringing), we serve "Meatballs". 3 per person. Frozen. From a big box shop.

Not my meatballs.

Here are my meatballs:

In a large, non-reactive bowl, mix together:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground veal (trust me)
1 slice white bread, soaked in 1/4 cup whole milk
1 large (or extra large) egg
1Tbl. Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1Tbl. (each) - fresh basil and fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Splash of Worcestershire Sauce (optional, but my family loves it!)
Pinch of paprika
Sea Salt and Black Pepper (your discretion)

***SECRET WEAPON OF MOISTNESS***SEE BELOW***

In a saucepan, heat 2 Tbl. olive oil. and cook 3 cloves of garlic and 1 medium chopped red onion until soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 teaspoon dried oregano to bloom the spices. Let cool. Add to bowl. Mix thoroughly, and roll into balls.

On a foil-lined, olive oil rubbed baking sheet, bake meatballs at 350 degrees for 15- 20 minutes, until slightly browned. They will not be cooked through. Add them to your red sauce and barely simmer, on low, for one hour.

Ladle over al dente (bagged, refrigerated) pasta.

Makes 9 - 12 meatballs, depending on size and patience of meatball maker.

The Hummingbird

I came home after a perfectly delectable day today - lunch with Mom and middle sister, bra shopping, and then a pit stop at Trader Joe's for organic raspberry jam and lemon curd with which to make a girlfriend's luncheon tart.

And as I was unloading the car,  a hummingbird flew into my house.

Now I know that in some obscure ancient culture this is a sign of good luck.

But I like to watch nature on TV. "Camping" to me is not having central A/C.

Remember, I was born on the island of Manhattan, not Galapagos.

So I flew around like a half-crazed banshee waving at it with a broom in order to gently persuade said bird to leave my house before it crapped all over my cream couches became dehydrated, as to not blacken my karma by killing the thing.

It would not leave.

Apparently my karma needs massaging.

Man Mountain sensed urgency in my voice, (or perhaps he felt a pull towards nature. After all, he IS from Northern Wisconsin. Or "Canada", as I like to call it), and came home.

His mere presence led the hummingbird to leave, going gently into the proverbial night.

Man Mountain is my hero.

But I still needed a cocktail.

It's 5pm somewhere. And it's close enough to 5pm here.

Here is my version of "A Hummingbird".  (Some call it a "Stoli-Doley".)

1 oz. (or 2 oz., depending on how big the hummingbird is) of Stolichnaya Vodka (or any vodka that comes in a non-plastic bottle. C'mon. There's gotta be standards.)

2 oz. Dole Pineapple Juice. Because I am a label whore when it comes to my pineapple juice.

Drink with a straw.

Feel your karma being refreshed.

Is there really blue food in this world?

Tom Colicchio says that there is no such thing as blue food.

Blueberries are purple, he says, and so are blue corn tortilla chips.

Well, I was at White Gate Farm recently, and Pauline said that she had blue potatoes. They looked like black, dusty things to me, but I really wanted to see if I could find something blue to prove Mister Know-It-All wrong.

So, I bought'em. Just to see.

I mean, Tom would never really KNOW I had proven that blue food existed.

(Yes, I talk about Tom Colicchio as if we are on a first name basis. I have that same issue with Ina. As in Garten. It used to be just "Martha" too, but I have had serious issues with her recipes, so she is now back to "Martha Stewart".)

So, yes Tom, I bought the blue potatoes.

And as much as I hate to admit it, you may be right.

These bad boys were tie-dye purple.

Purple Potato Bake

Cut potatoes into 2 inch pieces. 

Dose with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Eat like candy.

Or smother in ketchup (if you are Little Bitefuls. Or Man Mountain.)

Serve with this:

Beef Tenderloin

(Adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

Place beef tenderloin (that has been trimmed and tied) on a foil-covered, rimmed baking sheet, and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, lightly covered with plastic wrap.

 Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. 

Discard plastic wrap and oil top and sides of tenderloin with vegetable oil. 

Cook for 30 minutes, until center reaches 115 - 120 degrees. 

Let sit for 20 minutes. Internal temperature will reach about 130 - 135 for gorgeous rare-medium-rare.

Enjoy with a deep, bold, spicy red wine!

Pica-wha? Peek-ah-dee-yo. Picadillo. And rice.

It takes a few dinners together before I foist picadillo on new friends. One, because it is a jumble to pronounce and two, because they always say, "Wow, that is so UNIQUE!" when I tell them what it is - basically meat and raisin stew. And we all know that "unique", when it comes to food and personal style, is the "kiss of death" phrase. 

But then they eat it. 

And then it is all over. 

Because once you've had it, (and my Grandma Iris' black beans and rice), that is all you'll want when you come over. 

And even though I'll suggest steak and twice-baked potatoes, you'll say, "Um.. how about that meat and raisin thing? And your Grandma's black beans?" 

So now you can make it yourself. 

And when you come over I can make something else - something else UNIQUE! I promise! 

Puerto Rican-style Picadillo 

This dish is like Puerto Rican Hamburger Helper (no disrespect, Nana). Both my Mom and my Grandma made delicious versions - my Mom adds cumin and no capers, Grandma Iris used tomato paste, and she was so old school that her green olives had PITS! I remember seeing them rim my Grandfather's plate. Neither of them used Worcestershire sauce. Only Grandma used sherry. But because I have been cooking this meal weekly for almost 12 years now, I have tweaked it to my family's tastes. 

Ingredients:

Olive Oil - 2 Tbl.

Manzanilla Olives - 15 small, chopped

Pimentos - 1 heaping Tbl., finely chopped

Capers - 1/2 Tbl.

Onions - 1 large yellow (Spanish), chopped

Garlic - 4 medium cloves, diced

Cubanelle Pepper - 1, seeded, de-membraned and diced - (Cubanelles are light green and long. Do not substitute green peppers.)

Recao, or Culantro - 1/4 cup - (This is an herb similar to cilantro, but with a milder flavor. Can be found in the fresh produce section of the Shop Rite in New London, but can be challenging to find for many, which is why I list it as optional.)

Sherry - 2 - 3 Tbl. - NOT "Cooking Sherry"- (The Taylor brand is inexpensive, and can be found in any liquor store. Cooking Sherry is sodium-filled and tastes like rubbing alcohol.)

Worcestershire Sauce - 2 Tbl. - preferably Lea & Perrins

Ground Beef - 2 lbs. (feeds my family, with leftovers for Man Mountain, or hungry twins)

Tomato Sauce - 8 oz. can - preferably Goya

Ground Coriander (McCormick makes Roasted Ground Coriander - even better!) - 1 tsp. (Note: Coriander is cilantro in seed form, but with a much milder, almost smokey, flavor.)

Onion Powder - 1 tsp.

Kosher Salt - 1.5 tsp.

Black Pepper - 1 tsp.

Cumin - 1 tsp. - (optional)

Brown Sugar - 1 tsp. - (optional)

Dried Thyme - 1 tsp. (optional)

Raisins - 1/4 cup - preferably Sun-Maid dark raisins
1 Bay Leaf, fresh or dried

Optional Condiments:

Fresh Cilantro

Tabasco

or

Apple Sauce (My kids' idea.)

Heat olive oil in large bottomed pan, on medium heat.

Add onions, olives, cubanelle pepper, garlic, pimento and capers, and recao, if you can find it. This is the making of a sofrito. Saute for 5 - 6 minutes until the ingredients have softened and melded together.

Pour in sherry and worcestershire sauce to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any of those luscious brown bits. Allow alcohol in sherry to burn off, and sofrito to soften further, about 2 - 3 minutes.

Push the sofrito to the sides of the pan and crumble ground beef into the center of the pan.

Sprinkle ground coriander, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and optional spices (cumin, brown sugar, and/or thyme) on the ground beef.

Cook ground beef until you see it browning well, approximately 5 minutes.

Add the can of tomato sauce.

Gently fold the sofrito and tomato sauce into the ground beef, and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Add raisins. And Bay Leaf. (Note: I had to mince them when the twins were between the ages of 5 - 7 because they were horrified that they were eating meat and raisins mixed together. So, if you have picky eaters, mince the raisins, and call the whole thing a Sloppy "Juan"!)

Cover a simmer over low heat for about 5 - 6 minutes, until meat is no longer pink, raisins have plumped up a bit, and the sauce is thickened.

Serve over white rice, with fresh cilantro and Tabasco sauce liberally sprinkled over the top. Or not. 

And always eat with Grandma Iris' Black Beans (Will post later. I promise!)