Macaroni and Cheese, Version 2

Winter has barely started and we are already experiencing some bone chilling, painfully cold days here in the midwest. The kind of days where you don't really want to leave the house as you irrationally fear frostbite will immediately set in even by merely stepping in the cold for the minute it takes to bring the garbage containers out to the curb, to walk from the car into the grocery store, or to bring more wood in to keep the fire in the fireplace going. Days where cozying up with a good book (preferably sitting near a warm fire), binge watching all of those shows you couldn't find the time to watch, and/or eating comfort food are the simplest of life's pleasure. Yet somehow they feel more like one of those 'pinch yourself' moments of indulgence.

A couple of years ago, the Huffington Post shared their list of the 25 Best Comfort Foods. Number three on the list was Macaroni and Cheese. A dish listed somewhere on almost every other best or quintessentially classic comfort food list ever published. Not surprisingly the search for Macaroni and Cheese recipes increases as the temperature decreases. Seems everyone goes on the hunt for the creamiest, cheesiest, dreamiest version of the most addictive of all comfort foods when the weather turns wicked. But most of us want not just creamy and cheesy, we want some crunch! In other words, we want our Macaroni and Cheese to have it all.

Recipes for making Macaroni and Cheese fall into two general categories: (1) those completely made on the stove and (2) those baked in the oven. This creamy, cheesy version begins on the stove and finishes in the oven.

Traditionally Macaroni and Cheese is made with elbow macaroni. But nothing prevents you from changing out the type of pasta in this dish. Although choosing the right kind of pasta is critical as using the wrong kind of pasta will affect the dish. Select a pasta having nooks and crannies to catch and hold onto the cheese sauce. Pasta shapes like shells, cavatappi, and farfalle are good at trapping the cheese sauce and can transform your Macaroni and Cheese dish from a simple to an 'up-scale' one.

The foundation of the cheese sauce is a roux made with equal parts butter and flour. Warmed whole milk is slowly added to roux, turning the mixture into a bechamel sauce. By using slightly warmed milk, you will spend less time whisking to get the sauce to the desired consistency. Salt, pepper, some Tabasco sauce (I like Cholula Hot Sauce), heavy cream and grated cheeses will finish off the sauce.

Cook your pasta al dente (i.e., firm, but with some bite) as it will continue to cook in the sauce when baked in the oven. More often than not I cook my pasta about a minute longer than the recommended al dente time listed on the bag/box. But test it before adding any cooking time. To temporarily stop the pasta from cooking any further, rinse in cold water as soon as you drain it in a colander. Be sure to drain the pasta before adding to the sauce.

I used an aged white sharp cheddar (from Vermont Creamery) and gruyere in this Macaroni and Cheese as both are known for melting easily and complimenting one another. If at all possible, never use pre-shredded cheese as it will not deliver as rich of a taste as cheeses freshly grated do. If you don't have or can't find gruyere cheese, use Parmigiano-Reggiano, Fontina, or a mild Gouda to go with the white sharp cheddar.

As tempted as you will be to eat the sauced pasta right out of the pan (and you will be), you will be rewarded for your patience if you pour (all but one or two small bites) it into your buttered casserole dish.

Sprinkle the reserved half cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole, before evenly spreading the buttered bread crumbs. Instead of using boxed bread crumbs, put some (white, egg or brioche) bread and/or rolls in a food processor and process until the mixture is crumbly. One generous cup of bread crumbs mixed with four Tablespoons of melted butter covered the casserole perfectly.

The Macaroni and Cheese bakes for 25-30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven. It's done when the bread crumbs turn a beautiful golden brown and some of the sauce is bubbling up along the sides of the dish. Allow to sit for at least five minutes before serving.

This is a creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese. The combination of the sharp cheddar and gruyere cheeses blended together contribute to giving the finished dish a great depth of flavor. And the buttered bread crumbs give it the perfect bite of crunch.

This version of the Macaroni and Cheese is the perfect side dish to go with barbecue, burgers, or grilled chicken, however, it's one where it can be a meal all unto itself. Serve with a simple salad and some white wine and you have the makings of a dinner party. To take this dish up a notch or make it slightly more decadent, top the servings with some sautéed lobster medallions or top the entire dish with them. Regardless of how you serve it, it is destined to help you survive the winter as well as completely satisfy a macaroni and cheese craving for at least a week.

On a side note, this version of Macaroni and Cheese may be my most favorite. I don't think I will be looking for another recipe any time soon. If ever.

Recipe
Macaroni and Cheese, Version 2 (slight adaptation to James Beard's Macaroni and Cheese recipe as shared in his cookbook Beard on Pasta)
Serve 6-8 as a side dish. Serves 4 to 6 as a main course.

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco, or more to taste (Note: My favorite is Cholula Hot Sauce.)
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream 
1/2 pound cavatappi or elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
8 ounces white, aged sharp cheddar, freshly grated and divided (Note: An eight ounce block of cheese is equivalent to 2 cups of grated cheese)
1 1/2 ounces grated gruyere  
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
4 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Butter a 12 inch casserole dish and set aside.
2. Melt 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter over low heat. Add flour and stir with wood spoon or spatula until the roux is frothy and the taste of raw flour is gone (approximately 3 minutes).
3. Add warmed milk gradually to the roux, stirring hard all the while. 
4. Turn up the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is just to the boiling point.
5. Turn down heat and let simmer for several minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and Tabasco.
6. Stir in one half cup heavy cream and simmer for a couple of minutes longer.
7. Mix in three quarters (1 1/2 cups) of the grated cheddar and all of the grated gruyere into the sauce. Stir until cheese has melted. Remove from heat. Note: If sauce seems too thick, add the remaining quarter cup of heavy cream.
8. Cook (to al dente), rinse in cold water, and drain pasta. 
9. Mix pasta into the sauce.
10. Pour mixture into prepared dish.
11. Mix bread crumbs with melted butter.
12. Top mixture with remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese and the bread crumb mixture.
13. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and bread crumbs have nicely browned.
14. Allow to set for 5 minutes. Serve.

Notes: (1) The first time you make this Macaroni and Cheese, use the traditional elbow macaroni. (2) Top individual servings of the Macaroni and Cheese with lobster medallions to turn it into a lunch/dinner course. (3) Instead of using slices of bread, buy a fresh roll from your bakery or in the bakery section of your grocery store to make the bread crumbs. (4) Reheat leftovers on a low heat microwave setting.

Shadows on the canyon walls in the Lower Dells at Matthiessen State Park, Oglesby, IL (January 2017)

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad w/ Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Ready, set, it's almost time to get your stretchy pants on! In less than twenty-four hours the Thanksgivings festivities, food fest, annual Turkey Trot races, football binging, and family drama begins! As this is my most favorite holiday, I can hardly contain my excitement for the day. Ours will be a somewhat non-traditional day, one without turkey (be still my traditional heart), one without my niece at the dinner table (unfortunately collegiate swimmers going to school on the east coast don't get to come home for this holiday), one drama free (we didn't invite our individual politics to the table), one beginning with a hometown 5K run with some of my friends, and one where this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette will be served for the 'first' time on Thanksgiving.

If your Thanksgiving menu isn't yet carved in stone or if you have been asked to bring a dish to a gathering, consider making this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette. And if for some reason, you can't bring yourself to make yet another trip to the grocery store or couldn't possibly add one more 'new' dish to your Thanksgiving holiday meal, then plan to make this salad for your next dinner party while butternut squash is still in season. It took me six years to make this salad (this is what happens when one has too many cookbooks, cooking magazines, recipes clipped from newspapers, or recipes shared by friends). Hopefully it won't take you that long. I have already made it twice and will be making it for a third time for Thanksgiving (my contribution to this year's family dinner at my sister's house). 

The benefit of now making this salad a couple of times is figuring out the adjustments to the recipe albeit relatively minor ones. The first time I made it I tossed the arugula, roasted squash, cranberries, roasted walnuts and grated cheese with the dressing. While still delicious, it felt that the salad become a little 'overdressed' and didn't have as much as the visual 'wow' factor on the platter. The second time I tossed the arugula only using about a 1/4 cup of the dressing then arranged the squash, cranberries, walnuts and cheese on top. The remainder of the dressing was served on the side. I liked it even more the second time.

The second adjustment may or may not be an adjustment at all, more like a preference. And it involves the cranberries. More on that later.

Technically butternut squash is a fruit, although we treat it more like a vegetable. It's tan-yellow skin is easily peeled with a vegetable peeler. Normally it is sliced lengthwise (be sure to have a good sharp knife), but for this salad you can (if you want) cut half-inch slices starting at the smaller/top end of the butternut squash. When you get near the bottom of the squash, the place where all of the seeds are, it is much easier to cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and cut into one half inch slices. Keep cutting the slices of squash until you have beautiful deep orange little 1/2 inch diced bites. 

The diced butternut squash is tossed with extra-virgin olive oil, pure maple syrup (use the real stuff), kosher salt and pepper and baked for 22-24 minutes in a preheated 400 degree (F) oven. At least once during the baking the process use a spatula to turn over the squash. To test for doneness, insert a sharp knife into several pieces of the squash. If the knife goes through easily, your butternut squash is done. 

Okay here's the part where I talk about the cranberries. In the original recipe the cranberries were added to squash during the last 5 minutes of baking. I did this the first time I made this salad. Somehow I forgot to add them the second time and instead simply added them to the salad. Either way worked, but I think I liked them added to salad instead of being baked.

The dressing can be made a day ahead, brought to room temperature and slightly reheated or it can be made while the butternut squash is roasting. The apple cider, cider vinegar and shallots are cooked over medium-high heat until the mixture reduces to about a 1/4 cup. The dijon mustard, kosher salt, pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil are whisked in after you take the pan off the heat. 

Walnuts are always better toasted. In a 350 degree (F) oven they toast up beautifully in 8-10 minutes. If you don't have a thin slicing grater to create chards of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, use a vegetable peeler. And if all else falls, use a boxed grater.  

Lightly dress your arugula with about a 1/4 cup of the dressing and taste. If it needs more, add more. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

Evenly scatter the roasted butternut squash, cranberries (baked or unbaked), toasted walnuts and grated cheese and serve. 

The Roasted Butternut Squash Salad w/ Warm Cider Vinaigrette is what I would call a 'platter' versus a 'bowl' salad. Whether you make it for Thanksgiving, for a dinner party, or even a weeknight meal, bring out one of your favorite platters so everyone can first eat with their eyes before they actually taste the sweetness of the butternut squash, the tartness of the dried cranberries, the nuttiness of the cheese and walnuts, and the peppery bitterness of the arugula all dressed in a warm cider vinaigrette. Pure beautiful deliciousness!

Wherever or however you are celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday this year, may your day be filled with joy, harmony, peace, contentment, abundance, and gratefulness. As you take time to be thankful for the family you love, for the friends you cherish, and for all of the blessings received and yet to come, take some time to spread the holiday spirit to others. Happy Thanksgiving wishes to all of you!

Recipe

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad w/ Warm Cider Vinaigrette (slight adaptations to Ina Garten's Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette as shared in the Barefoot Contessa's Bake to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients cookbook)

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice

1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup

1/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup fresh apple cider

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons minced shallots

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (recommend Maille)

4 - 5 ounces baby arugula, washed and dried

1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

2. Place diced butternut squash on a baking sheet. Add 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and toss.

3. Roast squash for 22-24 minutes, turning once, until tender. Note: Add cranberries to the pan for the last five minutes of roasting or save cranberries to toss in salad.

4. While squash is roasting, combine apple cider, cider vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Remove from heat.

5. Whisk in dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil until dressing is emulsified.

6. Place arugula on a large platter. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the dressing over the arugula and toss. 

7. Top with the roasted squash mixture, walnuts, cranberries (if not already combined with the roasted squash) and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve extra dressing on the side.

8. Serve immediately.

Notes: (1) My butternut squash was cut into a 1/2 inch. Original recipe called for cutting into a 1/4 inch dice. If cut smaller, adjust roasting time. (2) Use a good quality fresh apple cider, the kind found in the refrigerator section of a grocery store or orchard. (3) Toss salad in the dressing right before serving. (4) The butternut squash can be peeled, diced, put in a ziplock bag and stored in the refrigerator several hours or the night before roasting.

The edge of Lake Michigan in South Haven before sunrise. (November 2016)

Thanksgiving Round Up: The Sides

If there was ever a holiday dominated by traditions, Thanksgiving might be the one having this distinction. At least in my world. This is not to say that every Thanksgiving is the same. It isn't. Oh, there are elements of continuity from year to year (with one unforgettable exception), but it has become a tradition to be sightly non-traditional. Although there is one sacred part of the meal: the turkey, stuffing, and gravy. Mess with that part of the dinner and, well, I will not take responsibility for what could happen next or how far I will spiral downward. Yet changes to the appetizers, sides, desserts, or even the table setting would not even phase me at all. My Thanksgiving flexibility is clearly compartmentalized. 

This year will be a very different Thanksgiving. With the person who shall remain nameless not returning home from an out of the country work assignment until after this holiday, I am left with deciding how, where, and with whom I will honor and celebrate it. At the moment, my fiercely independent side is having an ongoing conversation with my traditional side, with both sides being egged on by a few other personality characters (aren't we all more or less multidimensional?). Fortunately I have some time before having to make a decision. But for those of you fortunate enough to have a Thanksgiving plan already in place, maybe this is your year to change it up a bit. Particularly the meal part of the day. To encourage you to add something new to your holiday table, I will be re-sharing some of my favorite 'perfect' for Thanksgiving dinner recipes over the course of the next few weeks. First up. Well, the sides, of course.

Each of the following seven sides have appeared on 'my' Thanksgiving table more than once. It would be safe to say there is at least one (Wendy's Mashed Potatoes) where everyone's day would be ruined if it wasn't served. And not just because it's 'tradition'. All but one of them can be made the day before and are easily transportable. Each vary in their levels of richness. None of them are what you might consider 'low calorie', although the Roasted Brussels Sprouts Gratin might object. There are no obscure, hard to find, or must go to the ends of earth to find ingredients in any of the recipes. However, I won't guarantee they will be available if you wait until the night before Thanksgiving to do your grocery shopping. All seven of them push the limits on what most would consider 'best ever', 'the most insanely delicious side ever', 'worth fighting over the last spoonful' and/or 'worthy of going on a last meal list'. A click on the link below each of the photos will take you immediately to the recipe. As Ina Garten might say 'How easy is that?'. But don't feel you have to wait for Thanksgiving to make any of them. These sides would make any Sunday dinner, dinner party, and/or Christmas/Hanukkah meal memorable. 

Spiced Cranberry and Dried Fruit Chutney

Wendy's Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Bread Pudding

Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin

Sweet Potato Casserole

Boursin Spinach Gratin

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." (W.T. Purkiser) 

Mexican White Rice with Fried Plantains

After weeks of watching the Presidential conventions and sideshows, my patriotic spirit has been slightly dampened. While there certainly have been a few inspirational moments, nothing has been more disheartening than watching the darker sides of this year's political process play out. But then this past weekend I started to feel differently or rather start to feel more like myself again as my resiliency kicked in. Or I should say was rather kicked. The pride, hopes, and dreams I have for this country (and the world) returned. What caused this 180 degree shift in restoring my patriotism, my love of country? The 2016 Olympics. Quite possibly the most perfectly scripted, well-timed event to happen.  Am I not the only one who needed this year's summer Olympics to get a much needed patriotic adrenaline rush? Not only as a reprieve (or at best a diversion) from listening, watching or reading about the Presidential candidates and their campaigns, but to restore an optimistic, unifying spirit. Between the individual and team events along with the back stories on athletes themselves, the 2016 Olympics may seem to be a temporary distraction from everything else going on in the world. Except, their impact extends well into the future. From planting seeds of dreams for future generations both on and off the athletic playing fields to promoting peace and unity, the individual and collective impacts of the Olympics seem to have gone well beyond what the Ancient Greeks had conceived in 776 BC. And, I for one, could not be happier.

A few weeks ago I took a cooking class with a couple of running group friends. After having a margarita at A Todo Madre (an incredible Mexican Bistro in the western suburbs of Illinois) we walked across the street to Marcel's (an amazing locally owned culinary and food emporium) to learn all about the making of Summertime Street Tacos. Although the focus of the class was on tacos and not the Mexican Rice side dish, I first tasted and learned how to cook with plantains while in this intimate, hands-on class. Can you believe I had somehow managed to live a plantain free life? Who knew some of the takeaways from this class were opening my eyes to the deliciousness of a Mexican White Rice with Fried Plantains and discovering that White Rice with Fried Plantains is a perfect side dish for tacos!

In addition to cooking plantains for the first time, my eyes and palate were opened to the flavor (and heat) of Serrano chiles. Apparently my culinary life has been a little more sheltered than I have been willing to admit. This Mexican White Rice with Fried Plantains was the perfect way to expand my gastronomic horizons.

In addition to being insanely delicious, it is a relatively inexpensive dish to make. A little olive oil, celery, half of an onion (sweet yellow or white), garlic, half of a Serrano chili, a small bunch of cilantro, some long (or extra-long) grain rice, some kosher salt, chicken broth, two black (ripe) plantains and some vegetable oil make up the ingredients. 

I used a sweet yellow onion instead of the white onion we used in class. Feel free to use either one, although the white onion is the onion of choice in classic Mexican cooking. Both the onion and celery should be cut to fine dice. While the garlic and Serrano chile are finely minced. The heat in this rice dish comes from a half of Serrano chile, seeds and all. As someone who doesn't really do 'hot' well, this rice dish had just the right amount of heat. 

After the diced onions and celery are sautéed until the onions are slightly translucent, the garlic and chile are added and cooked for 30-45 seconds before the rice is added. Long grain rice is the rice most commonly used in Mexican cooking. Chefs like Rick Bayless and Zarela Martinez recommend using a medium-grained white rice for best results as the long grain rice found in the US is not comparable to the long grain rice found in Mexico. Having learned that after I made this rice dish and using extra-long instead of long grain rice, all I will say is that my choice of rice did not at all affect the incredible flavor of this dish. What it did affect was my rice cooking time.

Before the chicken stock is added to the saucepan, the rice is cooked along with the sautéed vegetables until it is slightly translucent (approximately 3-4 minutes). During this phase of cooking, you will be stirring the rice constantly. However, once you add the chicken stock and reduce the temperature to low, the covered pot remains undisturbed for at least 15 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Side note: My cooking time was almost 25 minutes.  

According to Wikipedia 'Plantains contain more starch and less sugar than dessert bananas and are therefore usually cooked or otherwise processed before being eaten'. Sometimes referred to as the pasta and potatoes of the Caribbean, they have found their way into the produce section of many grocery stores. As the peel changes to black, the plantain becomes sweeter while still retaining the firmness necessary for frying.

The skin of a plantain is much thicker than that of a banana and requires a few knife cuts to remove it. By making several long cuts though the skin from one end of the plantain to the other, the skin removes easily. When frying the plantains in vegetable oil, keep these two things in mind: (1) make sure your vegetable oil is hot and (2) work in batches so you don't overcrowd the plantains. The cooking time for 1/4" slices is approximately 1-2 minutes. Transfer the cooked plantains to a dish lined with paper towels and season with kosher salt. Side note: You can make the plantains either before or while you are making the rice. They don't necessarily need to be hot when added to the rice.

The cooked rice is finished with chopped cilantro and the fried plantains served either in a bowl or platter. If you are not a big fan of cilantro, this Mexican White Rice with Fried Plantains might have you changing your mind.

In addition to being a perfect side dish to tacos, this Mexican White Rice with Fried Plantains would compliment a grilled chicken dish or any other Mexican entree. Although I could just eat this rice as a meal. Especially if margaritas were involved! Or maybe to pay homage to the Olympics in Brazil, I should serve this dish with some Caipirinhas (Brazil's national cocktail) using some of the Cachaca (clear sugarcane hard liquor) the person who shall remain nameless brought back from a work trip to Brazil last week. Served with or without alcohol or with or without tacos this Mexican White Rice with Fried Plantains could end up being one of your favorite side dishes. Or if you are anything like sheltered me, open your palate to the deliciousness of fried plantains.

Recipe
Mexican White Rice with Fried Plantains (ever so subtle changes to Robin Nathan's Mexican White Rice with Sweet Plantains recipe)

Ingredients
Rice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large sweet yellow or white onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Serrano chile (with seeds), finely minced
2 cups long grain or extra long grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth
Kosher salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Plantains
2 ripe (black) plantains, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
Vegetable oil for frying
Kosher salt

Directions
Rice
1. Heat oil in a heavy medium sized pan or stock pot. 
2. Add onion and celery, sautéing until onion is slightly translucent (approximately 2-3 minutes).
3. Add garlic and chiles, continue to cook for an additional 30-40 seconds, stirring constantly.
4. Add the rice and stir to coat with vegetables. Cook until rice becomes slightly opaque (approximately 3-4 minutes).
5. Add broth and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a quick simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and cook undisturbed for 15-25 minutes (or until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice). Note: My cooking time for the rice was almost 25 minutes. This may have been due to the level of heat or size of pot. Would recommend checking for doneness at 15 minutes and then continue cooking until rice is done.
6. Fluff with a fork and transfer to serving bowl or platter.
7. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro

Plantains
1. In a large, preferable non-stick skillet, pour in vegetable oil to coat bottom of pan and to a height of approximately 1/4".
2. When oil is hot, add a third or half of the plantain slices (you do not want to overcrowd the pan). Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, flip when lightly browned. Repeat with remaining plantains.
3. Place cooked plantain slices on a plate lined with a paper towel. Season with kosher salt.
4. Arrange plantain slices around the edge of the bowl/platter of Mexican White Rice. 
5. Serve immediately.

Images from a walking tour of Philadelphia (Summer 2015).