Recipe: Classic Baked Mac & Cheesy

 I adapted this recipe from Murray’s Classic Mac & Cheese and the Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe from Joy of Cooking.  My version is a little more rustic; I simplified the instructions and techniques and made a few substitution suggestions. I also provided metric conversions for those who use it.

This recipe uses a LOT of cheese, but it makes 8-10 servings. It's delicious and decadent, and I tend to think of it as a celebration food, made for a feast day or a birthday dinner.

Pasta:

• 1 lb / 450g  elbow macaroni (Feel free to substitute anything bite-sized that has nooks and crannies that can trap the cheese sauce. You shouldn’t have to cut the pasta or twirl it around your fork)

Cheeses:

• 6 oz / 170g Gouda
• 10 oz / 285g Cheddar
• 6 oz / 170g Fontina (or Gruyère, Swiss, or Provolone)
• 8 oz / 225g Taleggio, rind removed (or Muenster).

• Or: 30 oz / 850g of your favorite cheese(s).  Steer clear of non-melting cheeses.

Rustic Mornay Sauce:

• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 qt / 950 ml milk
• 8 tbsp / 113g  butter
• 1/2 cup / 65g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Toppings:

• 1 lemon, zested
• 3 tbsp / 42g butter
• 1 cup / 55g panko breadcrumbs
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme (minced) or scant teaspoon dried thyme
• Black pepper (to taste)
• Paprika, optional (either sweet or smoked).

Instructions:

1. Grate all cheeses and combine, and divide the mountain of cheese in half. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F / 175°C.
2. Melt 1 tbsp / 14g of the butter in a pan and saute the onion until it is slightly browned. Add the bay leaf, garlic,  and milk, and heat until milk is hot, but not boiling. Turn off the heat.
3. In a separate saucepan, melt the remaining 6 tbsp / 98 g of butter and slowly add the flour, whisking to combine, and cook for 2 minutes. Ladle in the warm milk mixture into the roux, whisking constantly, until combined and smooth. Discard the bay leaf.
4. Add the nutmeg, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Add half the grated cheese, and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.
5. In a separate pan, cook the macaroni according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Aim for slightly al dente. Drain and place macaroni in a bowl. Add the remaining grated cheeses and toss to combine.
6. Pour the Mornay sauce over the macaroni and toss to combine. 
7. In a small pan, melt 3 tbsp / 42g of butter and add the panko breadcrumbs, thyme, and lemon zest.  Add black pepper and/or paprika, if using.
8. Place the macaroni & cheese mixture into a shallow baking dish (a lasagna pan works well) and top with the breadcrumbs.
9. Bake for 20 minutes and the breadcrumb topping is browned and serve immediately.

Reheating:

• Microwaving works, but the bread crumbs will not be crisp.
• Oven bake again, but it takes a long time to get hot through. Cover with foil for the first half, then remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes.
• Best way: Microwave until warm, then in a small, oven-safe dish, airfry at 350F/175C for about 5-10 minutes (convection should be on).  

Recipe: Maroilles Cheese Tart (Tarte au Maroilles)

When I was researching my grandparents' experiences in WW2, I came across descriptions of this traditional dish from northern France. It sounded so good, I wrote it into the story. I researched recipes, did some conversions, and cobbled together this recipe, which I think is reasonably authentic.

Maroilles is hard to find in the US - I had to order it from a cheese shop in New York City that imports it, and have it overnighted to me (yes, that was expensive, and so we offset the shipping cost by buying a LOT of cheeses, which was a lot of fun, but my arteries are probably not thanking me). I've provided substitution suggestions below (Muenster is probably the closest widely available cheese on this side of the Atlantic).

Prettiest dish I've ever made

Dough Ingredients:

• 2.25 teaspoons or 1 packet of active dry yeast
• 4 fl ounces (120 ml) of milk
• 2.25 cups (280 g) flour
• ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp (60 g) butter
• 2 tsp sugar

Filling Ingredients:

• 10-12 ounces (280-340g) of Maroilles cheese (or a Muenster or maybe Sharp Cheddar. Look for a local pungent, soft-ripened, washed-rind cow's milk cheese.  Any not-too-hard, slightly creamy/funky cheese will be delicious in this tart)
• 8 fl oz  (240 ml) of crème fraîche*
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 generous pinches ground cumin, or 1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.
• Sprinkle of paprika (preferably smoked), optional

1. Leave the milk and butter out until it is room temperature.  The butter should be very soft.

2. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the milk, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Beat the eggs into the milk.

3. Place the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a standard mixing paddle, and make a well in the center. Pour the milk mixture into the well, and mix well.

4. Work butter into the dough. 

5. As soon as ingredients are well combined, switch to a dough hook or knead by hand for 5 minutes. The dough should be sticky and stretchy.

6. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 60 minutes or until doubled in volume.

7. Butter and lightly flour a 10” (25 cm) diameter baking dish, springform pan, or even a cast iron skillet. Ensure the sides of the dish are well buttered/floured.

8. Reserve a ping-pong ball-sized ball of dough (no bigger than 1.5" or 3.75 cm). On a floured surface, roll out the remaining dough until it’s big enough to cover the bottom of the dish.  According to French sources, it should not climb the edges, but should sit flat in the bottom of the dish. Place the ball in the center (it's to prevent the cheese custard from pooling in the center).

9. Let the dough rest another 30 minutes.

10. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).

11. Beat the egg, egg yolk, and creme fraiche together, season with black pepper and cumin or nutmeg.

12. Scrape off the thickest/hardest parts of the rind, and slice the cheese thinly.  Spread nearly all of the cheese on the dough in the tart pan. The remaining cheese should be cut into smaller chunks.

13. Spread the egg mixture over the cheese, and place the remaining cheese chunks on top (it creates a nice texture).

14. Sprinkle with paprika if using.

15. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is bubbly and browned.

Serve with a local craft beer (or cider or wine), and a fresh salad.

Variations: You could try including asparagus, sauteed leeks, or caramelized onions under the cheese. I've also seen suggestions for crushed walnuts.

* Crème fraîche can be hard to find in the US, particularly if you don't live near a major metropolitan area. It's VERY easy to make. Place a pint (470 ml) of heavy cream and 2 tbsp of buttermilk with active cultures into a canning jar and give it a good stir. Screw the lid on, and place somewhere warm for 12-24 hours (aim for about 80F (27C). Inside the oven with the light turned on is a good place to try. Check after 12 hours, and if it's not nice and thick, leave for another 4-12 hours until it's got the consistency of sour cream, then refrigerate. It lasts about a week in the fridge. It can be frozen, but freezing makes it grainy, so it should only be used for cooking after thawing.

Printed Copies Make it Real

    I finished Biscuit a couple of weeks ago.  

    Let me rephrase. I finished a major revision a couple of weeks ago.  It's now in the hands of an editor, and once that's done, I intend to try to find a traditional publisher.   

    In the meantime, I had four copies of the book printed and bound, just as souvenirs for my family and me.  It's not for sale anywhere, nor will it ever be. It's still an unpublished manuscript. And someday, I hope that it will be published for real.

And because this was just for me, it's not just any version, but the version that is the most blue-sky, the most ... mine. If I could have whatever I want, this is what I'd include:

• A nice, large 11-point font, with a wide 1.2 line spacing (the extra space between lines makes it more pleasant to read, but it adds to the page count).
• All 160,000 words of the story, before anyone makes me cut it down by 20k-30k words
• A full-length afterword (all 3K words or so)
• Letter from my grandfather to his commanding officer, written after he immigrated
• Essay written by my grandfather about the day he became a US citizen
• Glossary
• List of foreign phrases and their translations.
• A metric-imperial conversion table.

Anyway, I got my copy, and it makes my heart go pitter-patter.  Almost five years of work went into it, and it's looking good.  It feels great, and I'm proud of it.

First page of chapter 1

Cover design inspiration

It's a bit hefty.

Last printed page

Recipe: Maple Bourbon Ice Cream with Raspberry Ripple

This recipe is pretty special because we made the maple syrup and raspberry jam ourselves from trees/canes in our own yard.

I adapted Max Falkowitz's Maple Ice Cream recipe from Serious Eats, but used my own base recipe and substitutions.  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup real maple syrup (Grade A or B)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp bourbon (optional)
• 1/2 cup (or so) of old-fashioned raspberry jam (preferably seedless). Can substitute store-bought, but look for one that has as few ingredients as possible (ideally just berries, sugar, lemon juice or ascorbic acid. Avoid low sugar varieties as they might freeze too hard).

Custard Instructions:

1. Place cream, milk, yolks, and maple syrup in a saucepan with a cooking thermometer.
2. Stirring frequently/constantly, raise the custard to 175-180F. Remove from heat immediately upon reaching 180. 
3. Chill until very cold (if using a compressor ice cream maker, this step may be omitted or shortened).
4. Place the custard in the ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add bourbon at the end when the ice cream is the consistency of soft-serve.
5. Remove the dasher from the churn and dollop in jam and barely stir. Pack in freezer containers and transfer to the freezer for hardening off.

Substitutions for raspberry jam and other flavors:

• Candied pecans or walnuts
• Broken pieces of ginger snaps
• Peach preserves/jam ripple
• Candied ginger
• Omit the bourbon
• Increase the salt to one full tsp for a salted maple ice cream.