Fancy Mac & Cheese that's Not So Fancy

Dreary, hazy days scream mac & cheese. But not any ordinary mac & cheese, but one that is a little bit special, a little bit unexpected and a whole lot of cozy. Yes, mac & cheese can be cozy. If you don't agree, we can take this offline. (Side note: I love when you're on a work conference call and someone says that, it's like being called to the Principal's office - I put myself on mute and crack up every time.)

I've tried many a mac & cheese, just for the main fact that I think everyone should know how to make a good bechemel sauce. And it's not easy. If you think it's easy then you're probably much better at it then me. It needs to be creamy, sans lumps and also be flavorful. This is where a lot of mac & cheese experiments fall flat. Not this one I promise.

Have I ever told you I'm not a huge fan of bacon. Yeah it's true. It's something with the smokiness, just not my fav. That's why there's prosciutto. A whole lot of adult fanciness that becomes a little less toned down in mac & cheese.

 And then the cheese. I think it's important to have a mix and to try different combinations. You really can't mess it up so veer a little bit away from the traditional cheddar and it's amazing how mac & cheese becomes a fancy Sunday night meal. And while we're on the topic of cheddar, definitely buy aged, definitely buy one from a farm (can be found at the grocery store) and don't even think of orange.

Real Deal Mac & Cheese (must enjoy with wine, by the fire, in your fleece-lined leggings)
Ingredients
8-12 pieces of prosciutto - I start with 12, then usually eat 4 during the whole production
1lb fancy shaped pasta (trust me, it helps the cheese attach to the pasta)
1 1/2 cups milk (full fat, don't skimp here)
2 garlic cloves, smashed but not taken out of the skins
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
1 cup Fontina cheese, grated
2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Asiago cheese, grated
Rosemary sprigs
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

How To Make
-Place prosciutto on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350F, until crisp. Set aside to cool and increase the oven temp to 400F.
-Cook pasta according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside
-Meanwhile, on your lowest setting heat the milk, 1 rosemary sprig and 2 garlic cloves (yes just place them in the liquid with their skins!), 1/2 tsp pepper, 3/4 tsp salt in a small saucepan. 

-You want the liquid to be warm, but not something you can't touch. (Again, this is me asking you to put your finger in hot liquid.) Strain the liquid so you only have the seasoned milk.
-In a medium saucepan melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk over low heat for 2 minutes, don't stop whisking! While whisking, add the hot milk and cook until it becomes thick and smooth and wonderful. This is a roux, it's a beautiful thing!
-Turn off the heat and add the Gruyere, Fontina and Cheddar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the pasta.
-Now crumble the prosciutto and mix this into the pasta cheesy yumminess.

-Pour into a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish.
-Next, take a small nonstick pan (like one you make eggs in), add 1 Tbsp olive oil and heat over low heat. Add the panko bread crumbs and cook, stirring every so often, until they turn light brown. Remove from the heat and add the Asiago. Let them cool a couple of minutes and place on top of the mac & cheese - aka fancy  breadcrumbs.
-Bake at 400F for 30-35 minutes until you have THIS...

And that my friends is Sunday night dinner that trumps all other Sunday night dinners!

Please Give Me More Hours

I miss the weekend, and it's only Tuesday. Don't get me wrong, I love my job but somehow things are easier on the weekend. There's usually cocktails, leisurely coffee drinking and a couple more hours in the day. I miss this when Tuesday feels like I just can't get everything done. Oh well.

Let's reminisce though on what happened this weekend so we can get ourselves excited for what's to come in just 4 short days. (That's me tricking myself into thinking the week will fly by.)

There was puppy playtime on the beach.

Apparently, Lucy thinks playtime is naptime and took a sunbath instead. Don't ask.

Then there was Prosecco (I drank it to quickly to take a photo. Oh, you're not supposed to chug Prosecoo? Oops, my bad.)

 Followed by some oyster tasting. Ah love. I love oysters over and over again. And these ones were dished up from Mare in Boston's North End. I applaud them. Thank you. Now please deliver to our sleepy beach town asap!

6 on the left are Little Pleasant Bay, 6 on the right are Island Creek

Oh and can we discuss this raspberry mignonette in the middle. I would have drank that straight from the container, but I I was dressed all fancy, you know. But, it was truly perfect - many mignonettes take away from the true oyster flavor, this one simply complemented it.

And then after-dinner cappuccino. Because 1. we are old, 2. we needed to pretend we were in Italy and 3. to give us a couple more hours in the day.

Don't Push, It's Only a Salad

I love salad. No really, like love it. However, it's way better when someone else makes it, why is that? However, my partner in crime doesn't know how to make a salad. Well, he knows how, but I can't allow that. If I did we might only have lettuce with croutons. That's not a salad, that's like a bunch of green with stale bread. (Hi husband, I love you if you're reading).

But I have some tips for making salad, really good salad. So good you can make it yourself. Kind of like the first time you actually tied your shoelaces in a real bow. Smiling all proud only to realize everyone else mastered that one years ago. That didn't happen to you? Oh, me either. Moving on. To salads.

I only have iphone photos - need to pull out the camera

Know your Greens: I'm obsessed with Baby Kale right now! It's perfect and pre-washed. I find it at Whole Foods and it's labeled - Cooking Greens. And then in little letters it says Baby Kale. (I really don't think they need to be so sneaky.) Try different options for your green and get to undestand what you like and the texture of each. Boston bibb - nice and soft. Romaine - crunchy and watery. Arugula - peppery with a lemon flavor.

Toppings: Okay this can't be too little or too much. But it's all trial and error. The goal is to be able to taste each flavor and understand that each plays a role in this little salad. Remember the time you went to the salad bar and added every topping? Yeah that didn't taste so good, don't do that again. Salad Law (laws are serious, you can't break them): I like to add 2 or 3 additional veggies and sometimes a surprise guest. Some ideas:

• Veggies: cucumber, radish, tomato, fennel (love this one), cabbage, pepper, onion, carrot
• Surprise Guests: Avocado, feta, goat cheese, oranges/grapefruits, pumpkin seeds, prosciutto

Season Before Dressing: This one is HUGE. A lot of people season after the dressing stage but this doesn't allow the lettuce and veggies to get any love. It's sad, salad sad. Don't do it. Salt and pepper before you dress and we'll still be friends.

See the pepper on that fennel!

Basic Dressing: I think salads should be fresh, not sweet. It's okay we can fight about this, just don't push - it's not nice. My go-to is either half a lemon squeezed over the salad or a few splashes of rice wine vinegar, then finish off with a little GOOD olive oil. Here's the thing, the lettuce should not appear wet. So try to put a little oil on at first, mix, walk away and then return to taste the salad. This will allow you to adjust either the seasoning or any part of the dressing.

Oh and always use a big bowl. Really, are you waiting for a big party to use the big bowl? Unnecessary, just use it today. And remember, no pushing.

A Post Without Pictures

Oh the horror! Actually, I'll probably sneak in some puppy pictures at the end, but that doesn't count does it? It's like when you eat cookie dough, those calories don't count - I double checked and that's the truth.

Speaking of truth, here it goes. My first post that's open, honest and whole lot of scary if you ask me. But with 2013 in full swing, I'm hoping many of you don't see this post and we can go back to our regularly scheduled program in a couple of days. For those of you that do, I apologize in advance. It's a lot of words, so grab a glass of wine.

I don't have resolutions this year, just goals. Oh wait, I just lied. I did resolve to snuggle more with the puppy and always hug and kiss when we leave and enter the house. But those seemed normal so I never wrote them anywhere. Those are normal right?

But back to goals, yes I have a handful of them:

1. To use this blog as an extension of me, to let you into my little world a whole lot more. What does this mean? It means you'll get to hear about Crossfit, paleo, Gluten Free and a whole lot more puppy. (That's in addition to random food ramblings, which is how this whole thing got started.) I'm basically hoping Lucy becomes famous and can support us when we grew old. Should I make that a goal too?
2. To get back into style, to accessorize and to own the clothes I wear. I work from home, I love yoga pants and they are completely acceptable for a Tuesday night dinner. But, I also love fashion, grew up in that world and don't want to forget that classic style I was handed from my Mom.
3. To stretch it out and go to yoga more. I hate to stretch, then I have to think of things and then I get all nervous and sweaty. And then my sweaty hands can't hold a stretch. But it's good for me so I'll do it.
4. To determine my own healthy. Most recently as a couple of years ago I thought healthy was fat-free, skipping meals and a lack of taste. Luckily, my brother's a chef, my family is Mediterranean and I figured out a new healthy. Yes cookies are healthy if made from scratch (in my own little world).
5. To understand the world of bubbly. I know nothing about Champagne, unless you count knowing that good champagne doesn't give you a hangover. But I want to know more so I can drink more. How does one go about this goal?
6. To cater a party. I'm probably going to have to pay someone to let this one happen. It's totally opposite of how the deal should work, but I'm kinda backwards so I'll probably let that happen. I'm not beneath convincing a 1st grader to let me make cupcakes for their big day.

And now some pictures of the puppy. She's available for photo shoots 7 days a week!

Who is cuter than Lucy - Happy 2013!

Well, Today Was Rough

I'm confused what day it is, the holidays are over and all of a sudden there's no cookies. Without cookies I get confused, so I drink, a lot...

Of tea and coffee. Get your heads on straight - I work, you can't drink while you work. Actually, that's a lie, I've done it before when putting in long hours. It helps, and I think the work has a special twist to it. But back to the topic, hot beverages - I love them.

I think tea cups should be big and coffee cups should be small and classic. My absolute favorite are glass coffee cups. Seriously, how do they not break with boiling liquid - it's like a science experiment every morning. Remember back in the day when I thought I  liked science and went to school to become a doctor, yeah that was funny. Now I just write and work and hug people. I tricked everyone.

so cute, yet fancy

As you know I don't make coffee, my partner-in-crime does. But I know a lot about the topic (see how tricky I am). Like too much that if I start talking I borderline become a coffee nerd. I'm okay with that because otherwise I'm super cool (tricked again!). Okay back to coffee. I don't make it. My husband does. And I love it.

I drink it black, always. Well, that was a trick because once a couple of years ago I tried it with milk and sugar for 2 days. I quickly smartened up and went back to the straight up kind. That is unless it's a cappuccino, then obviously there's a milk product included.

I miss the overabundance of cappuccinos in Italy

Beans are bigger and better. Sure, ground coffee is easy, but it doesn't taste as good. And I should know I drink it black! The freshest coffee is in bean form and is most recently roasted. That brew will knock your Monday into Wednesday, trust me.

And in case you need me to clear up any confusion, here are some of my favs:

• Folgers - ahaha tricked ya again! This isn't one of my favs.
• Cafe Du Monde - we order this New Orleans staple and always have cans in our house. It comes in ground format, and is the only acceptable ground coffee allowed in our little kitchen. 
• African & South American Beans - you can find these at a lot of gourmet coffee roasters and they are worth the premium price.
• Fresh Market - for those times when we can't make it to a gourmet coffee retailer I depend on this specialty grocer. They sell beans, lots of them. I like variety.

And even better is pour-over coffee - the way coffee was supposed to be made. I first tried this at the Queens Kickshaw and fell in love. (If there are any Boston shops that do this PLEASE let me know!) So naturally I bought my husband all the items to make this at home for Christmas. I hope he's reading and he tries them out soon. (I'm tricky). I'll report back soon on how that experiment goes. For now, no tricking just drinking.

Awkward Situations...Just Hug

So many parties, so many people on the list. I pretend to start my holiday shopping early, but I inevitably forget. Like when you forget to buy lemons at the store. I do that a lot too. And then there's the whole situation of forgetting to put people on the list and those last-minute awkward present exchange situations (where you get something, but have nothing to give in return). Yeah, just smile and hug the other person, it's less awkward that way. Trust me.

Or you can just have some of these babies on hand.

My heaven

Yes, that's infused olive oil. The little gift that I made for every smiling guest at our wedding. I was hoping they would remember this gift in the future in case I ever forgot to buy a holiday gift. It was like a pre-gift.

And if I can make 150 of these in one day, you surely can make 10, have them on hand and distribute as needed. First, you MUST have a pretty (heat-proof) glass container. And then you are off and running

Rosemary Infused Olive Oil
Enough GOOD olive oil for each bottle
One rosemary sprig for each bottle

• Heat olive oil over LOW heat. You'll be tempted to turn it up, just eat chocolate instead. You want to heat it so you can still stick your finger in there and its warm but not boiling. (I have no way of telling you how to do this so let's just pretend you'll watch it for a bit)

• Meanwhile place rosemary sprigs in each bottle.

 

•  Once oil is heated either using a funnel (a kitchen one please) or a measuring cup (something with a spout) pour the heated olive oil into the containers. This infuses the oil with the rosemary flavor.

• Wait for the oil to cool and close each bottle. 

If stored in a nice cool place these can last for a couple of months. But let's be honest, you're going to want to take some crusty bread, yummy cheese and dip right in. Don't you think?

Voila!

Cookies Happened...

For a Cause. I love this cause, because of the cause and because there are cookies involved. Are you confused? I'm kinda confused - but that's the norm for me.

So back to it. The Great Food Blogger Cook Swap 2012, or as my brother-in-law likes to call it - cookies from friends on the internet. (Don't worry he ate the cookies). Our lovely friends over at OXO helped us out this year and we all set out to bake cookies, REALLY good cookies, for each other in support of Cookies for Kids' Cancer. And our donations to participate meant that OXO would match dollar for dollar back to the cause up to $100,000. See why I love them so?

It doesn't get much better than that, unless I let you into my little cookie world and let you drool over the creation that came to be. Lucky ladies Hannah over at Blue Kale Road, Rachel over at Williams Kitchen and Adriana over at Food-N-Thought got to taste test my treats. I hope they were good (I tried one, they were kinda delicious).

I took a classic. And by classic I mean anything by Joy the Baker, she's the best, and added my special holiday flavors. These are the distinct tastes that come to mind when I close my eyes and envision the holidays. Chocolate, white chocolate, espresso and orange. (Yes my mind is a little crammed, but I went with it and these cookies did not disappoint.)

Dark Chocolate Cookies a-la Holiday
adapted from Joy the Baker's recipe

10oz ounces good quality dark chocolate , 60%-72%(chopped or in chips)
3 Tablespoons butter (always use Organic unsalted when baking, it tastes better trust me)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs (again Organic and cage-free)
1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped white chocolate (use the good stuff)
zest from one fresh orange

In a double boiler, melt together the chocolate and butter over low heat. Stir continuously until all the chocolate melts.

In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs till they’re thoroughly combined. Add the melted chocolate mixture, then stir in the remaining ingredients, including the chocolate chips, white chocolate and orange zest.

Preheat the oven to 325 F.  Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets, three if you have them. Drop the cookie dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets. 

Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes, until their tops are shiny and cracked.  They won’t crack until the very end, so keep a close eye on them; when they’re cracked all the way across the top surface, they’re done. Remove the cookies from the oven. Wait 5 minutes then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.