I picked at it, and although the taste was not bad, the gummy texture of the overcooked pasta, the chewy, separated cheese, and the total absorption of what must have been a béchamel sauce at some point in the preparation, ruined the dish. If only all Mac & Cheese could be this well considered.įor instance, some time ago, at a popular Seattle restaurant, I stared with amazement as the server set before me a solid, square brick of congealed cheddar cheese and elbow macaroni. Spieler truly understands this dish, she even includes onion and garlic, both of which are a necessity in my opinion. Yes! It meets purist’s requirements namely, a well-considered medley of cheeses (Cheddar, Jack, Blue, and Parmesan are among the options listed), small pasta with a hole or crevice to capture the sauce, well-flavored béchamel sauce, and breadcrumb topping. Should I mention the Macaroni and Double Asparagus Gratin? I have to stop reading.īut! However wonderful these dishes surely are, the one I am looking for, the one closest to what I consider REAL Macaroni and Cheese is titled, Yankee Doodle Dandy Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Or how about Macaroni and Cheese “Broccolissimo,” with, you guessed it, broccoli, macaroni, and ooey gooey cheese. Hey, I would even put on shoes for the opportunity to eat this dish and me with the feet that beg to be free! In case you want more than one fantastic recipe, however, there are fifty or so versions captured for your eating enjoyment in the excellent little cookbook, appropriately titled, Macaroni And Cheese, by Marlena Spieler.ĭishes that will make your mouth water just reading the recipes, such as, The Contessa’s Rigatoni, with porcini mushrooms, Italian sausage, pecorino, and fontina cheeses, and a pinch of fennel. (If you read to the end of this post, you’ll get to my rendition, which I alluded to in Quintessential Mac & Cheese, Part 1, a review of the best of all the Mac & Cheese I ate one year in Seattle, Portland, and Boston restaurants, complete with photos. Macaroni and Cheese is one of the easiest dishes in the world to prepare and surely one of the most wonderful, which probably accounts for the million-and-one versions that hurried, hungry folks have come up with over the years. If there’s a trick to making a perfect Mac & Cheese, besides top-notch ingredients, it’s the proportion of the sauce to the pasta.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |