Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni &Cheese

I could say that there are as many Mac & Cheese recipes out there as there are recipes for roasted chicken, meat loaf, or chicken soup, to name a few.  These are considered some main comfort foods and have been appearing on many restaurants’ menus during the past several years.   Although I grew up as a child consuming the “mac & cheese” from a blue box that used to cost $1.00 for three boxes – I never made a home-made dish.    Something I didn’t really think about ever making at all.  Actually, not at all.  Until yesterday.

After spending a day at the International Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Show at the Javits Center in NYC, and after enjoying lunch at Spice Market in the late afternoon, come evening, we were hungry.  And, since I was out all day, I didn’t replenish the proteins or produce in the fridge.  So, what should I make?  Okay…after looking in the fridge at the cheddar cheese, milk, butter and two black truffles in a jar that were left over from another meal, I thought about mac & cheese, with truffles, of course.  And the cabinet held a half a pound of egg noodles left over from last week’s chicken stock and soup.  Perfect.  So, I pulled out my yellow Gourmet Cookbook and modified a classic with ingredients that I had on hand…and it was unbelievably good.

For the topping:

1 Tablespoon of unsalted melted butter

1 cup of panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1 cup of extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated on the traditional stainless steel hand held grater—avoid grating knuckles.

For the cheese sauce and macaroni:

2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter

1 tablespoon of arrowroot (arrowroot is better than flour, IMO, as a thickening agent to make a roux; also, better to digest, I’ve been told)

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup milk

½ cup of cream cheese (yes, cream cheese, which is always on hand for a bagel…and since I had no heavy cream on hand)

2 cups of coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, coarse, country style—my favorite. Not that yellow stuff they put on hot dogs.

Dash of salt

Finely ground crushed fresh black pepper

2 truffles, finely chopped

Truffle oil – about 2 tablespoons, for drizzling

½ pound of egg noodles (or whatever is in the cabinet left over from a pasta dish or any macaroni-type meal).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a shallow baking dish.  A two- quart dish worked for this recipe. Adjust accordingly for the amount of m&c that you are making.

For the topping:  Stir together the butter, panko and grated cheddar cheese in a bowl until well combined.

For the sauce:  Melt butter in a heavy pot.  Whisk in arrowroot and red pepper flakes and cook, whisking for a few minutes to make a roux.  Whisk in milk slowly.  Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly.  Simmer for three minutes.  Stir in cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mustard, chopped truffles, salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.

Cook the macaroni in salted water until al dente.  Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water and drain macaroni.

Stir together macaroni, reserved cooking water and sauce in a large bowl; transfer to baking dish.

Drizzle truffle oil over macaroni and sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni.

Bake until top is warmed through….not tough or dry….about 20 minutes

Spinach Salad

This is a recipe that was included in a teakwood salad bowl set I received as a wedding gift in 1978 (I was 19).  Needless to say, the marriage didn’t last.  However, the recipe is still in its original “paper” (paper? what’s that?) form and tucked away in a 3” x 5 ½” plastic recipe box that I still have from when I was 13 years old.  I modified the recipe and made it for years and always received many compliments.  That was “back in the day” during the time period way before I started experimenting and creating cuisines from “around the world.” 

Recently, after purchasing a beautiful bunch of fresh spinach from the produce market, I revisited the recipe. I don’t use bacon, so it’s vegetarian friendly.  Instead, I use red onions (yes, red onions), which are finely diced into ¼ inch pieces, then rinsed under cold water and drained and squeezed through paper towels to remove the water.  This takes out the “tartness” of the onion but still keeps the flavor.

1 pound of raw spinach

Dash of Kosher salt (my dash = 0.0125 grams)

3 cloves of garlic, minced or smashed – whatever you like

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

6 Tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

½ pound of raw button  mushrooms, sliced (if you want to, get exotic with the mushrooms, then go for it)  -- I you don’t like “a lot” of mushrooms, use about a cup of sliced versus the ½ pound

½ cup of red onion- finely chopped into ¼ inch pieces.  Rinse onions under water and drain with paper towels. 

Wash spinach well. Of course, we know this today; this is from 1978.  Cut away tough stems.  Drain spinach leaves and chill in damp clean cloths—again circa’78.  Today, we use a salad spinner and then let spinach sit in the fridge to chill.

Sprinkle bottom of the salad bowl with salt and then rub with garlic.  Keep garlic in the bowl if you’re bold.  If not, remove it.  This will just give a “hint” of garlic flavor.  Add lemon juice and olive oil and chill the bowl for about 30 minutes.  Tear spinach leaves into bit size pieces.  Add spinach to chilled bowl.  Add sliced mushrooms and red onion.  Toss lightly.  Serves 4.

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

With the influx of “fusion” cuisine during the past decade, or more likely almost two decades, it’s amazing to experience the robust and unique flavors that many talented chefs have incorporated into certain foods that were once only a standard side dish at the dinner table.  I know, we’re getting tired of the term “fusion,” but let’s look at the simple side dish of mashed potatoes, which are now available in a variety of flavors.  Who would have thought that an effortless combination of potatoes, milk and butter would turn into a worldly cuisine incorporating ingredients such as ginger, jalapeno, eggplant, spinach or chocolate (well maybe not…or maybe so)?  The list is endless as to what could be added to this “simple” side dish that was once only “dressed” with gravy, typically from a can, nonetheless.  Remember that?  Anyway, after eating basic mashed potatoes (sans gravy) for many years growing up as a child, today, one of my favorite “flavored” mashed potatoes is made with wasabi root.  I can’t even count the number of restaurants that started serving this alternative exotic-sounding starch on their menus after the Nobu invasion in the late 1990’s. It is very good.  If done well.

The potatoes should be made with the real wasabi root, however.  NOT the powder, which could cause the potatoes to have a “plastic, artificial taste.”  If real wasabi root is unavailable, then the paste would suffice (sort of).  Again, stay AWAY from powered wasabi.  Here goes…

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes:

2 pounds baking potatoes (russets), peeled and cut into 2 inch dice

½  cup milk – warmed

4 ounces butter, cut into pieces

About 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons freshly grated wasabi root (alternatively use about 1 tablespoon of wasabi paste; don’t use powder)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the potatoes in salted, boiling water until done. Pass through a food mill or ricer. Whisk in warmed milk and butter.  Stir in freshly grated wasabi root (or wasabi paste). Stir until well incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.