Sass & Veracity

Mexican...Erm...Welsh Rarebit

When it comes to cheese, I guess I tend to lean toward the white side of things more so than the yellow or orange, so that means that mozzarella, feta, goat, and provolone are what I reach for first when I'm standing in front of the deli case wondering what I should throw in the cart.  And it doesn't stop there, because machego, iberico, St. Andre, brie, and camembert are also favorites.

This doesn't mean I don't care for "orange" cheese, however, and I do have to think of the resident hunkster who absolutely loves extra sharp cheddar.  Loves.  It.  Finds it in the deli drawer, looks at me and asks, "Are you saving this for anything?" and then takes a slice here and a nibble there -- especially when he comes home from work and dinner isn't quite ready.

Me?  I only like it melted.  Melted in grilled cheese sandwiches, or on burgers.  Oozing between layers of pasta or in enchiladas.  Or Welsh Rabbit.

Welsh what?  Wait -- cheese with rabbit?  Hmmm...

No, no rabbit.  Welsh Rarebit -- or in this case, Mexican Rarebit.

Evidently, both names are correct -- rarebit or rabbit -- and if you're one whose interests lean toward the history of food, then there's much to read about his particular dish.  To me, it's yet another dish that is relatively quick, comforting, and fairly inexpensive -- yet packed with incredible flavor.

Make a salad, pour a beer -- but save one for the dish, and you're ready for another Friday night meal in.  Don't forget your napkin.

Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon and Tomatoes

It's been just about as cold as it ever gets here, hovering around 50 or so, and although the sun is bright, I'm freezing, so that means dinnertime is all about comfort food.

Comfort food warms me just thinking about it.  It comes in large pots or big casseroles, isn't always as complicated as it may first seem if I'm trying a new recipe, and is challenging to keep from helping myself to just one small serving.  What's best about comfort food is that time in the fridge over night improves the flavor.  And since I'm the one who gets to enjoy it for lunch, that matters quite a bit.

While my sister's family was here for the holidays, I made several dishes I'd say fit this bill -- which provides yet another characteristic of comfort foods:  They can feed a big group, and if you're not sure whether everyone will be able to sit down to dinner at the same time, they're nearly always something that can be made ahead, and heated up.

I'm sure we all have our favorites, but one of mine is Macaroni and Cheese.  It probably tops my list.  In the last few months, I've sampled a variety of recipes, not so much trying to find the one we like best, but more to see just what each recipe can do with an old classic.

This version is similar to Ina Garten's, but I've included some thick bacon and parsley, and cut back on the cheese.  Not quite a Bacon, Lettuce, & Tomato Mac-a-Cheese, but the idea was there. 

Spicy Duo: Breaded Calamari and Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon

I've been so jittery the last couple of days.  I know it's the election -- waiting, and waiting to find out.  The feeling is strangely like I felt waiting for Christmas morning to arrive when I was a kid, the anticipation just about doing me in. 

But it's not just the election.  Having to pack four rooms in our house to prepare for a big remodel isn't helping.  It's great to be busy, though,  since the time is flying by.  Each book or knick knack I take from the shelf to pack is accompanied by my nagging alter ego which is reminding me I should have gotten rid of this crap a very long time ago.

And then there's the little matter of a trip I'm taking in a couple of days, leaving the hunkster to finish what I've not managed to do to prepare the house.  Maybe that's why I'm giddy with excitement as well.  I'm headed to the Midwest to meet with several food bloggers.  In fact, it's for a wedding:  Lis' wedding.  You know Lis, right?  Co-founder of The Daring Bakers? La Mia Cucina Lis.   And guess who's making the wedding cake?  Helen.  Helen, Tartelette Helen.  Now how exciting is that?

Seriously exciting if you ask me.  So I'm pretty much a basket case right now, stomach in nervous knots and finishing almost nothing that I start.

Wait.  That sounds somewhat like a normal day now that I think of it.  The not finishing anything I start part.  Whatever...

So food is definitely in the low maintenance zone at our house right now and since the hunkster wanted to know what was on the Election Day menu, I figured Batter Fried Calamari & Jalapeno Poppers would work just fine.  And I have the perfect accompaniment for both -- a sauce made with a bit o' spicy love. 

Bread: Bacon and 3-Cheese Mother Loaf

I'm wondering if this post begins where it just ended -- with a grilled cheese sandwich that if I wasn't so full of right now, would have me back in the kitchen putting together another.  In thinking about it though, I'm not sure if it was the apple smoked cheddar and sopressata, or the bread.

The bread is something all by itself.

The mother loaf to be sure.

It all began when...

Just kidding, but here's the quick version.  Remember those cute little muffins I baked in tiny terra cotta pots not too long ago?  No?  You can refresh your memory here... Well I've been keeping an eye on my cheese drawer so that I could give the bread recipe I first saw those cute little pots in because I've wanted to try it for so long.

My cheese drawer just happened to have quite the stash of Grafton Cheddar Reserve (my husband loves sharp cheddar), Cypress Grove Midnight Moon (this is the most amazing goat cheese to nibble on with wine...), and Parrano (which I often use instead of parmesan).  There was also some of that lovely Goat's Brie, but I decided right at the end that I'd save that for nibbles since the flavor is so mild.

I could have stopped there, but the recipe did mention that deli cuts of meat are good to add.  Except the few pieces I was able to scrounge up looked a bit dodgy, so why not bacon?

Little did I know...

Home Alone with Baked Ricotta, Olives, & California Rose

It's been a while since my husband and I have been home alone.  My mother stayed with us for six weeks after returning from her supposed to be permanent move to Virginia, and while we were on vacation, two of my sons traveled with us.  But my mother has found a place to live of her own, my older son is back at his place, and our teenager is visiting a cousin.  That means we have the entire house to ourselves.

Ahhh...

After my husband gets home from work, we've decided to either walk or swim some laps on alternate days.  Sounds more interesting than it actually is when you consider that the laps last about 10 minutes before tongues are lolling from our mouths in exhaustion.  Good thing there's no one around to witness our inability to stick it out for a solid 30 minutes.  But to our credit, last night, we did work for 20 minutes, then feeling sorry for my husband, I decided we were done and walked the short distance to our house, dripping like drowned rats.  Dinner afterward is something light.  Well, lighter than normal, which means there are only two items on the plate instead of three. 

Keeping with the "home alone" mood of things, I decided that an appetizer of sorts and something refreshing to sip on a pleasant summer evening after a dip helps make life seem a bit more glamorous.  Well, except for the part where we flopped on the couch and watched Harry Wilson's War on a pay channel while we enjoyed our food.

But the food was excellent, and it just so happens that our light repast qualifies us for Blog Party #36:  Blogger's Choice hosted by Stephanie, the Happy Sorceress of Dispensing Happiness, who is celebrating the third anniversary of Blog Party.  Three years is quite the accomplishment in the bloggosphere, if you ask me, so congrats, Stephanie!

Baked Ricotta with Herbed Olives and California Rose is my choice for a special get together when excellent flavor and little prep is required.  You can make it ahead, too, which means it's even better.  To make it more than an appetizer that two can share, add a salad, and you'll be satisfied.

Baked Ricotta
makes two servings

1 c. whole milk ricotta
2 lg. eggs, separated
1 tsp. dried thyme, or 2 tsp. fresh
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 c. finely grated Parano cheese
pepper & salt to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees F and spray two 8 oz. ramekins with oil.

In a medium sized bowl, combine ricotta, egg yolks, lemon zest, thyme, grated Parano, and seasoning.  In a separate bowl, whip egg whites just until soft peaks form.  Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture carefully, making sure not to deflate the whites.  Divide between the two ramekins and place on a baking sheet, then bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the top.  Let cool and either enjoy warm, or let sit at room temperature to enjoy later.

Sauteed Herbed Olives
serves two with left overs for snacking later -- yum!

1-1/2 c. mixed olives (kalamatas, Mt. Pelion, Mt. Athos, Nafplion, or your favorites)
1/8 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 pieces orange peel, trimmed and cut into several thin strips
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 T fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
Sprinkle of dried red pepper flakes

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the garlic, stirring for 1 minute.  Add the olives and orange peel, stirring until well heated and aromatic.  Stir in the thyme and parsley and turn off the heat to let sit and cool in the skillet.  Cover until ready to serve.

Serve baked ricotta on a large plate and pour olives and seasoned oil over.  Enjoy with a crusty bread toasted with olive oil and garlic.

Pour a well-chilled California Rose and enjoy your evening.

Notes:  Before vacation, I made an appetizer of olives similar to this that I shared with friends on a lovely Friday evening.  For the life of me, I can't find the recipe, but after a Google search for olives & thyme, I did find a recipe at Gourmet Girl which led me to the Baked Ricotta, which is excellent.  I'd had baked feta and goat cheese before, but not ricotta, and we both loved the dish with the olives which were already a favorite.

I made all except the toast before we went for our swim, and it was great to enjoy with no fuss or the usual dinner mess. The olives are excellent with the ricotta.  Don't forget to drizzle the oil over all.

This particular Rose by Menage a Trois from the Folie a Deux Winery is less dry than what I'm used to.  And for those of you who aren't quite sure about a Rose, no, it's not White Zinfandel, and no, it isn't sweet.  This rose is  light, fruity with a pronounced citrus, and is pleasant to sip.  It's crisp and just barely dry.  Was it the best wine to serve with this baked ricotta and olives?  I loved it, but I'm only someone who experiments.  I know I enjoyed my meal, so that works for me!

Chocolate Almond Cheesecake

Three more days until we leave for Italy.  Only three.  Do you have any idea how crazy I am making sure everything is just so?  Perfectly arranged?  Meticulously organized?  I'm a stark raving madwoman. 

I feel like Martha must.

Or not.  I thought I'd be so smart and schedule posts on some of the Italian food I've been making so my blog wouldn't look forlorn while we were gone.  But have I scheduled those posts?  Um...no.  *looks at calendar on iMac and calculates possibilities...twitching...*
Where does the time go?

*regains composure...* I do have a very nice bittersweet chocolate cheesecake for you though.  Remember that luscious Cherry Gelato a few days ago?  Well, this was its accompaniment -- and what a perfect one it was.  The almond extract and cherries in the gelato played perfectly against the dark chocolate and the crunch of almonds.  In case you miss that line, I will repeat it later.  You know.  Just for effect.

The next day, it went perfectly with the mixed berries we had for breakfast, too. 

The recipe is yet again from the April '08 issue of Gourmet magazine which I've cooked my way through as we've prepared for our vacation. Okay, so maybe I do have some things to write about.  If I stay up until dawn's crack each night, I'll be sufficiently exhausted to actually sleep on the 79-hour flight ahead of us).  Pigs will fly, of course, before that happens.

Evidently, this recipe was inspired by a dessert the author enjoyed in a restaurant in Perugia, Italy.  Although we will have to wave out the window of the Eurostar Alta Velocita as we pass Perugia at about 300 km/h on our way to Florence, I can say that I will remember the tang of this dessert.

 
Notes:

• The original recipe, Torta di Cioccolata al Forno con Vaniglia e Nocciola, can be found here.
• I used whole raw almonds in an equal quantity instead of the hazelnuts called for.
• Make sure you use the whole wheat crackers called for.  It seems a bit odd, but they create an excellent crust with a pleasant crunch instead of the sometimes too sweet crust that cheesecakes can have.
• I used a convection setting, and the cheesecake still needed to be in the oven longer than I expected -- the full 90 minutes.  Usually, the convection setting cut down a bit on the cooking time.  Keep an eye on the center and insert a wooden pick to test for doneness.  The crust will crack and drop -- it's expected to.  I'm not one to fuss over a cracked top on my cheesecake, so no biggie.
• I used a standing mixer in the first step to "whisk in cream cheese" with the melted chocolate and butter for the crust.  Even at room temp, the cream cheese wouldn't exactly "whisk" with a normal kitchen whisk.  I had fun thinking about it, though, while I was lifting my Bertha from her throne in my kitchen.
• When the directions mention to "whisk together eggs and sugar...until mixture has a mousse-like consistency" please know this took at least 5 solid minutes of mixing on medium (KA 4).
• This is an interesting cheesecake.  The combination of the bittersweet chocolate, cream cheese, sour cream and nuts provide an intensely tart taste with crunch.  Nice.  Creamy, too.
• The berries are simply turbinado sprinkled over and let to macerate for about 30 minutes.  Simple.
• I'm thinking cherries left to macerate would be lovely over this and that heavenly Cherry Gelato.

Next time...right?  But wait.  I just saw two new gelato recipes...one for pistachio, and the other for a dark chocolate.

Heavens.

Bake & Chat: Crunchy Cheese Bread

One of the things I've learned since starting this blog is that it's possible to actually cook with someone who lives hundreds or thousands of miles from me.  I'm well acquainted with being able to get together with good friends and cook, but it's always been either at their home or mine.  But on the other side of the country?  Who knew?

So when I was first invited to join in on an Internet cooking session, I did have to wonder how that worked, because I'd find out the participants had quite a bit of fun -- sometimes on the phone, but most often in a chat session.  I immediately pictured my keyboard covered with dough and began to wonder if I could find one of those plastic things I see in fast food joints that cover their cash register keyboards.  I am quite the slob when I cook.

And then there's the computer.  Although my Mac is more than portable, it is rather large, and since I keep it upstairs, to participate in one of these long distance cook sessions, I carry it down to the kitchen and park it on the counter right where I cook.  Thank goodness for wireless!  I plug it in, don't have to mess with wires on my keyboard or mouse, sign in to Skype, and get ready for the games to begin.

And that's exactly what happened not too long ago when Breadchick of The Sour Dough, Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, Lis of La Mia Cucina, Sara of i like to cook, Helen of Tartelette, Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness, and Laura Rebecca of Laura Rebecca's Kitchen all took Breadchick up on her offer of sampling cheesebread.  Yes, that would be bread that has cheese oozing out of it, steaming hot from the oven.  Cheesebread that you have to fend off others in the house over so it can actually cool, and sit in one place long enough to have a few photos taken of it.

The recipe can be found at the King Arthur Flour website which is a great resource.  Although the recipe did specify gruyere cheese, I chose extra sharp cheddar and Iberico, which is a white, nutty-flavored cheese.  Let's call this selection being glad to clean out the cheese drawer, which always makes me happy.  And though I'd dreamed of adding jalapenos to this, I didn't have any, so that just means I get to enjoy making this again.  Soon.

Cheese-Stuffed Crusty Loaves require a starter that I'd never used before, which makes this all the more fun.  It's begun the night before and is quite thick, resembling pizza dough, and is somewhat dry.  But it does expand overnight, and is very active, with large bubbles over its surface.

I did use my Kitchen Aid, but the dough is very nice  Smooth, velvety, and extremely easy to work with.  None of that sticky business!  It would be easy to knead this dough by hand and not have your wrists aggravated like mine often are when I use them for this kind of work.

I also used my oven proofing setting.  The last time I made bread, I didn't, and well...my bread took a couple of days to finish its series of rises.  My thinking is, I bought an oven that could do more than just bake, why not use it?  That doesn't mean that when I'm the one in charge, I won't forget to check in on it, and that's sort of what happened for the second rise.  My dough was pretty spongy looking.  Just because I have a nice stove doesn't always mean I use it properly.  It slaps me around regularly!
            

So my cut pieces of dough (I chose to make four small loaves...)were less than perfect, but I didn't hear any complaints about their appearance through mouths stuffed with fresh cheese bread.

I loved this bread because the crunch of the exterior combined with the cheese and the lovely crumb of the bread are so satisfying.  Really one of the most tasty breads I've tried.

And I've got a list of other things to try with it besides the jalapenos.  Grilled onions.  Roasted garlic.  Herbs.  Oh.  My.  Hips.

A huge thanks to Mary (aka Breadchick) for finding the recipe, delivering motivation (I think she had about five other types of bread at various stages in her kitchen that day OMG!) and sustaining the chat.  I've found another old movie buff.  No, Mary's not old.  The movies are.  Thanks to Helen also, who's always there with endless amounts of energy, suggestions and humor.  The rest of the crew was in and out that day, which is the nice part of doing this together.  You get to chat a bit, snark some, do errands, and then enjoy great bread.

Black & White Cheesecake Pops

We've reached the end of another month, and you guessed it:  another Daring Baker challenge.  This challenge month has been special because it marks my first year as a member of that lovely group.  One year of fun, and learning about more than just baking:  a year of having the opportunity to get to know some of the nicest people I've met.  Ever.

As far as the learning goes, the challenges are a springboard for me.  Sometimes a technique is featured about which I don't know as much as I should.  Other times,  an opportunity to focus on something that I know I need to work on presents itself -- even if it may not be a challenge for others.  If there is one thing that I do know about myself with respect to cooking, and baking in particular...no, wait...make that life.  There is always something I can learn.  Always. 

It's called attitude.

So welcome to Daring Baker's Challenge number 12 for me:  Cheesecake Pops, hosted by the great team of Deborah of Taste & Tell, and Elle, from Feeding My Enthusiasms.  The original recipe, which can be found here, was created by Jill O'Connor in her cookbook, Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey.

Cheesecake is my favorite dessert.  Period.  For as long as I can remember, it's been my birthday cake of choice.  Clearly, I know my cheesecake, and since I've tried my hand at quite a few, I'm also familIar with the method often referred to as a bain marie, or water bath.  It can be used both in the oven and on the stove top to surround a dish, often custard, with moisture, cooking it gently.

To create a bain marie, you need two pans:  one large enough to contain a second, with enough room to allow hot water to be poured into the outside pan, surrounding the inside pan about half way up the side.  The size of your pans depends on the size of your oven and the amount of food you are preparing.  To use a bain marie, heat a kettle of water.  The quantity of wanter needed will be dependent on the size of your pans, so it is important to experiment before baking time to find out the quantity of water needed to rise about half way up the side of your cake pan.  On the counter, place the smaller pan in the larger pan and fill the smaller pan with the food you are preparing -- in this case, the cheesecake mixture.  Place both pans on the center rack of a preheated oven.  Push the oven rack most of the way into the oven and then carefully pour the very hot water in the larger pan so as not to splash into the cheesecake mixture.  Slowly push the rack all the way into the oven, being careful to not make "waves" with the hot water. Bake for the required time.

I halved the recipe and my cheesecake cooked at 350 degrees F on a convection setting for 25 minutes.

So what was my particular challenge with this technique?  Well.  Have you ever wondered whether a silicone baking pan would work in a bain marie?  I did.  You're laughing already, right?  I knew I wasn't going to scoop my cheesecake to make the pops.  I wanted to cut squares and diamonds, so needed an easy way to remove the entire cheesecake when finished.  I knew that after cooling, I'd be able to "pop" -- get it?  Pop?  Okay, whatever.  I'd get to pop the cheesecake out of the silicone with no problem.  Plus, my cakepan is square, eliminating waste -- no rounded pieces to mess with!

The other concern with using silicone in general is that it always needs to be on a sturdy surface like a baking pan so that it can be moved easily without dumping the ingredients.  The first time you use silicone, if you haven't thought of this, it's pretty funny.  There's no way you can lift that pan.  You can, however, sort of drag it onto a baking sheet if you have one handy.  How do I know this?  Because I learn certain things the hard way.  Moving right along...Since I'd have the silicone pan in the larger roaster, and was more focused on whether the pan would float or not, I didn't think about removing the pan after it was cooked.  And the water would be scalding hot. 

The silicone cake pan did float at first -- even filled.  But as it cooked, it settled a bit.  Regardless, it wasn't a problem.  The silicone doesn't heat up, so I was able to grab the edges and lift the cooked cheesecake out of the bain marie with no mess and no burns.

Another "challenge" for me this month was thinking about how I'd present my pops.  These cheesecake pops just scream "Kid's Birthday Party!"  All my kids are nearly grown, with the youngest being nearly 16, so a kid's party was out.  And there was no dinner party planned, unfortunately, but we do often have them and I think people would really think these pops are fun -- especially since you can just pick them up and not have to fuss with a plate.  So I enjoyed my planning for that experimenting with squares and diamonds with the theme of a Black & White Ball.  I think if I worked on it more, it could be pretty elegant with all the combinations possible.  I thought of using dragees, but they're not recommended for consumption, so I passed on that one.

 

Here's what I experimented with:

Dark Chocolate (Ghirardelli 60% cacao)

• white non-pareils
• shredded coconut
• shaved white chocolate
• melted white chocolate

White Chocolate (Girardelli)

• chocolate jimmies
• shaved chocolate
• cocoa powder
• melted chocolate

I cut the recipe in half and measured the 9-1/2 x 9-1/2" finished cheesecake so all the pieces would be as similar as possible.  Each square or diamond weighed 2 oz.  I inserted paper sticks into the chilled cheesecake on a flat side for half of the squares, and on the point for the rest before popping the pops into the freezer for about 3-4 hours.

I used the smallest sauce pan possible to melt the chocolate so I'd have enough to dip my square pops into.  After removing them from the dip, I turned the pop to allow the chocolate to begin to harden on the stick before sprinkling non-pareils, or placing the pop into the coconut.

Working with the dark chocolate was not a problem.  I'm fortunate to have chocolate burner on my stove so can leave it directly on the heat, keeping it warm between dips.

Working with the white chocolate was not as easy.  It coated the pops differently, and did not harden as quickly.  Plus, my experimentation with the diamond shaped pops became my greatest challenge.  Two of the sticks broke through the cheesecake and it all crashed into the chocolate.

ARG!  The diamond pops were too heavy to dip into the chocolate with the stick positioned at the point.  I'll have to go back to the drawing board on this one, most likely pouring the chocolate over the pop while resting on a baking rack and then turning to coat the back side.  That means quite a bit more chocolate and a bigger mess.

In retrospect, the pops needed a longer freezing time -- at least for the white chocolate.  As far as the coatings went, the cocoa (which was mixed with icing sugar and sifted before coating the white chocolate bars in it) tastes great, but didn't match my theme.  It wasn't dark enough.  Maybe if I'd put it on the dark chocolate, it would have looked better.  The shaved dark chocolate was the same.  I was going for a truffle effect on both of these coatings, and I just didn't like the way they turned out appearance wise.  Picky picky, right?

Another challenge for me was thinking about how I'd present these at a dinner party, and the jury is still out.  I think they need to be propped in something, and I did try that, but clearly I need to think on it more.  Florist supply shops have blocks of green squishy stuff that I think will be perfect.  It can be easily disguised inside a box, or container and then wrapped or filled with raffia to look festive.

All in all, these were very easy to put together, so if you know how you'd like to decorate them, it's a fun way to entertain your adult guests, too.  I'm already thinking of other options, like, caramel and chocolate and nuts...Mmmmm....

Oh, and by the way, they're great for breakfast on a Sunday morning with coffee while blogging!

Don't forget to check out the other Daring Bakers to see what creative ideas they're featuring with Cheesecake Pops.

Taste & Create: Goat Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Peppers

What a completely exhausting weekend.  Fun, but butt whoopin' exhausting.  It's all my fault.  I should know by now when the alarms go off several days in a row (in my head) that I need to NOT do what I've planned to do.  Especially with Thanksgiving looming in the near distance.  Jeez.

Friday, I was going to have a leisurely time in the kitchen preparing a dish as a part of Taste & Create, a blogging event hosted by Nicole at For the Love of Food.  But I got such a late start, I had to put that fun off until Sunday.  So much for dinner on Friday.  *sigh* I was able to prepare the layers of a cake I was going to take to a dinner party on Saturday.  Then Saturday, I would take care of the latest Daring Baker Challenge.  Finally, I'd frost the cake and be off to the dinner party.  At the crack o' dawn on Sunday, I was going to get up and have some fun with cyber baking buddies on Yahoo Messenger while we cooked.  Uh.....Nope.  Software, Beta versions, PC's vs. Macs...You name it and it all conspired to keep us apart.  So very sad since I was really looking forward to seeing just how gunked up my keyboard would get cooking and IMing.

But  few weeks ago, I discovered ustream.tv, so I figured at least I could broadcast myself while I was cooking and maybe a few buddies could text while they were laughing their butts off over my "show."  More on that some other time.  Suffice it to say it was a lot of fun, but totally the reason I'm tired.  I made some cinnamon rolls, and finally, the feature of this post: Goat Cheese Ravioli with Bell Peppers & Brown Butter, the dish I was supposed to have for dinner Friday.  I was so out of time considering I had to make it, eat it and post about it by the end of today!  Nothing like being seriously late.  It's not the first time, however.

Katie of Other People's Food was matched with me for the Taste & Create event I mentioned above.  If I remember correctly, Katie won the very first blogging event I entered: Hay, Hay, It's Donna Day where we all had to make chocolate mousse.  That was back in April of this year.  Goodness, how time flies!

So for Taste & Create, Katie and I had to peruse each other's archives, choose a dish, cook it, and create a post about it.  All in all, a pretty great idea.  I chose the Ravioli linked above from her archives because I love the combination of the flavors.  Katie's homemade ravioli are so cute perched atop the colorful peppers with just the perfect sprinkle of fresh parmesan. Since I'd never made my own pasta, I thought, "Sure!"  Uh-huh.  Right.  A couple of funny things happened on the way to the completion...

Outside of talking to those people who tuned into my ustream.tv broadcast, and dealing with cinnamon rolls, rolling pasta was, erm...challenging.  I don't have an attachment...SANTA!!!!!!!! so couldn't quite get it thin enough.  How did people do this without all the nifty gadgets that now exist?

I don't want to hear anyone say anything about what this reminds them of.  Like my husbink just did.  This is a FOOD blog.

The consensus from my huzbink and middle son after tasting the completed dish was that the ravioli needed to be cooked longer. (Think chewy...) And last but not least, while I was yammering away on ustream.tv, I guess I picked up my salt container and confused it with the measured amount of salt I'd set aside for the pasta.  Thankfully, it wasn't that much more, but it did cause my pasta to be more salty than we like. *cough -- water!*

Fortunately, I also made a few of the ravioli with won ton wrappers which is what the original recipe called for.  These turned out very nicely flavorwise. *whew*  And they were definitely easier to make since I lacked the pasta experience.

The roasted pepper tomato sauce was excellent.  It would be fabulous on regular pasta.  The richness of the peppers combined with the cheese and fresh herbs (rosemary, chives, oregano, sage, thyme) in the ravioli is quite pleasant.  The bit of chopped nicoise olives and toasted pinones were a very nice touch as well.  (I will confess I added a roasted Green Chili to the pepper mixture.  I couldn't resist, as I love the flavor and heat. And I had one sitting in my veggie bowl just waiting to be used...)  Here's Katie's recipe if you missed it above.

The moral to this story is, don't bite off more than you can chew!  Not a new lesson, is it?  Still, I'm learning that with time and planning, there are excellent recipes to be tried from other's blogs simply because they've tried it themselves and can share their learning.  Another no brainer, Kelly.  D.U.H. 

I think there's a bathtub and some bubbles upstairs with my name on it.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get out of bed tomorrow.  And then the Thanksgiving prep begins....Oh. My. Goodness.

Thanks, Katie, for the recipe!  I will be using the pepper & tomato combo as well as the cheese & herb mix for bruschetta in the near future.  It will be totally scrumptious, don't you think?

And thanks, Nicole, for a fun event.  Expect to see me again!

Macaroni & Cheese: The Ultimate Comfort Food

I grew up eating basic food:  no frills, no hidden ingredients, all good taste and comfort.  My mom's macaroni & cheese was the best.  None of the recipes she made are written anywhere, but I remember them all.  Her macaroni & cheese, or "mac-a-cheese" as we've come to call it, was always made of elbow macaroni pieces -- the large ones.  She'd make a skillet full of white sauce, grate cheddar cheese, layer all three and then pour some milk over it all for good measure.  Once in a while, she'd throw in some canned tomatoes, too, and I loved their tart flavor with the cheese.

Curious person that I am, occasionally, a mac-a-cheese recipe will catch my eye, and I'll give it a try, just to consider that there may be another recipe out there that isn't just about more steps or ingredients.  And it's your lucky day, because I have found two that are pretty good, even if there are more steps, more ingredients, and heck-of-a-lot more calories.  Like we need those, right?

 
I found the first recipe in a magazine last year.  You're thinking, what a shocker, right?  It accompanied an advertisement for Tillamook cheese (which is mysteriously absent in my photo above), which is being run again this year.  "Penne Rigate Macaroni and Cheese baked with Truffle Essence" is what I would call the elegant version of mac-a-cheese.  No question about it.  Pricey, too.  But I had to try it out and see what that smoked cheddar and black truffle oil did to a classic comfort dish.  Evidently, most black truffle contains no black truffle.  Instead, a synthetic flavoring agent is used to give it a flavor thought to be similar to the real thing.  I did make sure I had the real thing.  My bottle's ingredients read:  "extra virgin olive oil, black truffle (tuber melanosporum), natural flavoring."  No artificial anything.  Of course, it set me back $18 for 1.86 oz., too.

More recently, I came across "Mac & Cheese for Grown-ups" in fresh magazine which is affiliated with The Best of fine Cooking magazine.  This recipe caught my eye because it contains four types of cheese, one of which is blue cheese, and I immediately wondered if there could be too much of a good thing.  I don't know how blue cheese can't overpower every other flavor in this dish.  My husband loves Four Cheese Pasta, and Four Cheese Pizza, but this was something all together different.  Not exactly conducive to low fat eating, either.  I guess both recipes at least meet the qualifications of mac-a-cheese and comfort food, though.

Penne Rigate Macaroni and Cheese baked with Truffle Essence

Ingredients
3 T kosher salt
8 oz. penne rigate pasta, dry
1 T black truffle oil
2 T shallots, minced
3 oz. applewood smoked bacon, minced
1 T garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
2 T all purpose flour
1-1/2 c. heavy cream
1 T minced basil
1/4 tsp. minced thyme
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
3 c. white extra sharp cheddar, shredded
1/2 c. pecan quarters
1 c. smoked medium cheddar, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bring 1-gallon water to rapid boil with kosher salt in an 8-qt. pot.  Add pasta to water and stir.  Boil for 5-6 minutes total.  Pasta should be slightly undercooked.  Drain off all water through a colander, sit one minute and toss in a bowl with the black truffle oil.  Reserve.

Combine shallots, bacon, garlic, and olive oil in  4-qt. pot and cook slowly for 10 minutes using low heat.  Add the flour, raise heat to medium and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Temper in the heavy cream and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes on low.  Add in the herbs and seasonings.  Stir in 3 c. of White Cheddar until smooth.  Add in the truffle scented pasta and stir until evenly combined.  Divide into individual shallow baking dishes (welsh rarebits) and top with the pecans and the shredded medium cheddar.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned on top.

Serves 4.

Before...

And after...

Notes:  I made this dish sometime early last spring.  Clearly, I was still in my "yellow stage" with my little camera.  Good thing we learn a bit as we proceed, isn't it?  Moving right along, I used a convection setting, and used yellow sharp cheddar instead of white.  Also, the medium cheddar was apple smoked.  I figured the bacon was, so why not?  And I also omitted the bread crumbs.  I'm not much of a fan of bread crumbs on the top of baked food for some reason.  It never really seems to add very much, and if the addition is about adding color, cheese dishes always brown nicely, so I don't see the point.  This recipe was not bad.  The truffle oil was highly noticeable, and I would have wondered what the flavor was had I not known.  I haven't eaten truffles often enough to be able to adequately describe their flavor.  Even now, it reminds me more of garlic, and I think that must be one of the "natural" flavorings in my bottle of oil.  I wonder if I made the recipe again with garlic oil instead of truffle oil what the difference would be.  The smoked cheddar flavor also stands out in this recipe, but the flavors work well together.  I did not use the pecans called for, although after eating it, know that I would have liked them in this dish.  People enjoyed this dish, but there were no raves.

Luxurious Four-Cheese Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients
kosher salt
3 c. whole milk
4 T unsalted butter
1 med onion, finely diced (about 1 c.)
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce; more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
5 oz. Gruyere, coarsely grated (about 1-3/4 c. lightly packed)
1/2 lb. blue cheese (such as Maytag Blue), crumbled
1 lb. dried penne rigate pasta
1 T finely grated lemon zest
11 oz. Monterey Jack, cut into 1/2-in. dice (2 c.)
1/2 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 T fresh thyme leaves
2-1/2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated (scant 1 c.)
3/4 c. fresh bread crumbs

Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil.

Heat the milk in a small saucepan over med-low heat to just below a simmer.  Remove from the heat and cover to keep hot.  Melt the butter in a med saucepan over med-low heat.  Add the onion and bay leaf.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Gradually whisk in the hot milk, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, whisking frequently, until thickened and smooth.  Season with 1 tsp. salt, the nutmeg, the Tabasco, and pepper to taste.  Remove and discard the bay leaf.  Stir in the Gruyere and blue cheese.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water to al dente, following the package directions.  Drain well and return to the pot.  Toss the lemon zest and half of the Monterey Jack into the pasta while it's still hot; add the cheese sauce and quickly toss to combine.  Stir in the parsley and thyme and transfer half of the pasta to a large (3-qt.) shallow casserole or lasagna pan.  Sprinkle with the remaining Monterey Jack and half of the Parmigiano; top with the remaining pasta.  Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano and the breadcrumbs.  Bake until bubbling and golden, 50 to 60 minutes.  Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

Notes: This obviously was an incredibly rich dish.  I began to have difficulty when it came to adding the last cheese -- the Jack at 11 oz.  Although I estimated that amount in cubes and was prepared to put it in the dish, I ended up only adding half the amount.  The blue cheese stood out the most.  I wasn't surprised.  And although good, I ended up confirming overkill on the cheese in this recipe.  The parmesan wasn't the least bit noticed.  The recipe is huge and would server more than eight in my opinion.  It is so rich, a smaller serving was perfect -- a lot of flavor goes a long way.  Serve it with a good salad and you'll be fine.

Conclusion?  The biggest difference between these two versions of mac-a-cheese is the whole cheese sauce component.  In the second recipe, it's quite the undertaking and I began to wonder if it would all fit in the pan!  It's fun to try a spin on a dish that is an old family favorite, but it just isn't my mom's mac-a-cheese.  These dishes are both worth trying, and each is good enough to consider as something a bit more fancy than usual.  But cut back on the size of the second recipe.  It goes a very long way.  Your arteries will thank you.