Michael Symon's Mac and Cheese Casserole 11.11.11

I think next time I need to read the recipe just a little closer.  Instead of tossing the breadcrumbs with parsley at the end, I ran bread crumbs and parsley through a few pulses of a food processor.  Came out with that slightly unappetizing green colored topping.

Today's recipe Tasted fantastic!  Bacon and nutmeg and the addition of sweet creamy mascarpone cheese certainly makes the taste of this side dish stand out.  But adding the parsley colored bread crumbs took just a bit of the joy from the final product.

But that's just aesthetics, the taste left nothing to be desired, it was absolutely as good as hoped!

In addition to the slight error (again, my fault, the recipe clearly says to toss together, not sure what got into my head to pulse), I made a few slight changes in the recipe.

Michael used a rigatoni tube shaped pasta.  For Mac and Cheese, I like to use a Fusilli shaped spiral pasta.  i think the cheese that gets into the spiral is the perfect balance of cheese and pasta.

I also chose to use a high fiber whole wheat pasta.  After all, what's good for the American Colon is good for the USA!

And I served this as a side dish with a delicious spicy Cajun spiced Blackened Pork Chop!  Perfectly balancing the creamy sweetness of the cheese and the heat of the peppered chop.

Here's what I did...

1 pound Bacon
3 TBS Flour
1 Onion, diced
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
2 cloves Garlic, smashed and minced
1 Quart 1/2 and 1/2
pinch Nutmeg
Bunch of chopped Parsley
1 pound Whole Wheat Fusilli
1 cup grated Gruyere Cheese
1 cup Mascarpone
2 cups bread crumbs

The dish is very very easy... Make the pasta as directed (al dente actually, cook 1 minute under the time recommended)
Preheat oven to 375
Cook bacon, drain and chop.
Add onion and squash to the bacon grease and saute until the onion is translucent.  Add the garlic and mix.
Slowly add the flour to the remaining grease and stir to make a roux.  Keep stirring until it softens and liquefies.
Slowly add the 1/2 & 1/2 while mixing and bring to a simmer.
Add in 1/2 of the Gruyere and nutmeg and stir until all of the cheese has melted.
Add the Mascarpone and continue to mix until melted and incorporated into the cheese
Add the pasta and mix

TOSS  the bread crumbs with the parsley and remaining gruyere and sprinkle over the mixture
Bake for 8 minutes

And ENJOY (highly recommend serving this with a spicy Cajun Blackened Pork Chop!

Carla Hall and Sam Champion's Mac & Cheese 10.4.11

Today is a difficult episode for me to comment on.  I live in the Kansas City area.  We have a tragedy going on right now.  You may have heard that there was a nationwide Amber Alert, centered in Kansas City.  The least of my concern was the ongoing TV coverage of the event.  As I write this, Lisa Irwin is still not home where she should be.  As I sat down to watch yesterday's episode, the first 20 minutes were centered on the ongoing investigation.  Also, another couple of news breaks interrupted or abbreviated the live show.

So, I don't think I saw an entire segment, and certainly not an entire recipe.  BUT... the good folks at ABC have set up a website that made it a bit easier (http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew).  Sadly, I did not find the episode I wanted to see until this morning, but I was able to find the recipe.

The recipe is incredibly easy.  It also makes just about the creamiest, the cheesiest Mac N Cheese I have ever eaten.  It is a stove top recipe, which makes it very easy.  I do miss the contrast of textures from a baked MnC, with a bit of a crunch.  BUT, the ease that this comes together, combined with the incredible taste makes this recipe a real keeper.

And of course... BACON, BACON, BACON, BACON, BACON!

As I am working on this post, I have been listening to the segment.  This is an interesting segment, Sam Champion is NOT a cook.  He freely admits that his schedule keeps him from cooking and that certainly showed in the segment.  While I have enjoyed the food related guests, I think this is a great move from the shows' producers.  Non-cooks are terrific to use as examples of how easy cooking actually is.  It is also a bit of a trick to gently teach cooking techniques without saying you are teaching.

Now, there is a small detail in the recipe.  It is listed as taking 30 minutes or less.  In fact, there is no way to caramelize onions that fast (unless you do a cheat and add brown sugar and butter to the pan, but that makes onions in a caramel sauce... almost the same, but not really).  The caramelized onions show up as an ingredient.  Sorry Carla, I just don't know where to shop where I can find caramelized onions.  they are easy to make, but it takes time.

But that's not that big of a concern.  Just know that the recipe will take about 45 minutes to make the onions.  Multi tasking can get this recipe into the 45 minute time frame and leave plenty of time to work on a main course...

Like this simple Balsamic Chicken Bruschetta open faced sandwich i served along side the Mac N' Cheese.

OH, one final change, Carla made this dish with standard elbow Macaroni.

I used a Rotini, corkscrew type pasta.  In fact, I used a whole wheat pasta.  I like the idea of whole wheat as adding a shade of a health benefit to this very fat filled recipe.  I also personally like the extra chewy texture of whole wheat pasta.  But that's just me.

You can find The Chew website version of the recipe by clicking HERE.  Easy, fast, especially VERY easy and fast if you eliminate the caramelized onions.

Now, I loved the recipe... BUT

I do wish the hosts would have discussed Brick Cheese vs the bags of pre-shredded cheeses.  In my opinion, brick cheese has a deeper taste.  The pre-shredded bags add surface area to the cheese.  More surface area, more oxygen hits the cheese.  more air hits, the faster the cheese losses it's taste.  ALSO, the bagged cheese adds just a touch of wax to keep the cheese from re-clumping.  It's subtle, but the wax does have a taste.  With all of those potential sous chefs, seems like Carla could have assigned and explained what most cooks and all chefs know.

Like I said before, though, it is one heck of a GREAT recipe!

Mario Batali's Spaghettinni with Pesto, Green Beans and Potatoes 9.27.11

Day two of the new daytime experiment.  I read over a lot of the reviews, can not argue with any.  I do love the concept, but I think there are just too many cooks in the pot.  It's early in the show and I am sure adjustments will be made soon.  Rome wasn't built in a day and a high concept show like this will need time to shake out.

My one suggestion would be to highlight a cook each day.  Give them 20 minutes to actually COOK.  If all we are going to get is 5 minute recipes and so little time for commentary from the cook (again, 5 people commenting means the master of the dish does not get enough time to explain).

And, while I am making suggestions...  Did the person printing out the recipe for the official The Chew Website even watch the episode???  You can click HERE to see the "official Recipe".  If you compare the recipe to what was shown on the show (click HERE to see the video clip as it aired (you need to scroll down and pick this recipe from the different clip options))), you will notice a BIG change.  And a little change that was in the video of the show, but not printed in the recipe.

OK, this is a Mario Batali recipe (from his book Molto Mario).

First, the pesto.  Mario got it right!  unless you make your own, you are very likely to get a big oily wet pasta instead of the desired chunky moist spoon-able but not pour-able pesto.  He did mention a change I almost always do.  That is, walnuts in place of pine nuts.  I can get 5 times as much walnuts (by weight) as the same amount of pine nuts for the same cost.  For me, no brainer.  Pine nuts make home made pesto cost INeffective.  Also, be sure to use fresh Basil leaves and resist the temptation to by the much less flavorful dried herbs.  I have a big batch that grows outside during the summer and early fall, as well as three pots that grow in my kitchen.  Again, only way to make this cost effective.

OK, the big change... Mario showed us a one dish meal (excluding the pesto).  The printed version has a separate pan for the Potatoes, separate pan for the pasta, separate pan for the Beans.  I was attracted to the simplicity of the dish.  The pesto can be whipped up in a matter of minutes.  The same pot can start the potatoes, half way through the process, add the pasta, halfway through that (OK, 3/4 of the way), add the beans and you have a one dish meal.

And the change in the show that did not get printed in the recipe, add a bit of potato water to thin out the pesto.  You can see Mario doing this and he does mention it towards the end.  BUT, no mention in the printed recipe.

I did serve this as a side dish with a Chicken Rollatini, stuffed with Cheesy Zucchini.  It made a wonderful side dish.  I can certainly see using this as a main course for a weeknight meal.  It was absolutely delicious.  The creaminess of the Parmesan pesto, the extra nutty flavor of the walnuts coating each ingredient makes this a winner!

Like I said, excellent recipe, MUCH easier than the printed version as mine (and Mario's) is a one dish meal. Best of all, it makes a wonderful change to standard side dishes.

Will be making again!