Rock Star Mac-N-Cheese

Prior to last night's dinner, I thought I already possessed the best-ever macaroni and cheese recipe: my Mom's Thick-n-Rich Mac-n-Cheese. While that dish is nothing short of delicious, I have found a recipe that trumped it (ugh, just using the word).  I did have the recipe for the ultimate mac-n-cheese in a book on my bookshelf, but had not attempted Anne Burrell's version.  While I am sure to stick with my Thick and Rich Mac-n-Cheese on occasion, I was so impressed with this Rockin' mac-n-cheese that I quickly signed up to bring a side for my son's baseball banquet. I can't wait to sneak this dish onto the table and listen to the chatter. It's just THAT GOOD.

I must have had a paperclip on page 141 of  Anne Burrell's fabulous cookbook: Cook Like a Rockstar since purchasing the book, but it took me four years to actually try. See, my husband went to Amsterdam and brought me back my favorite food souvenir: CHEESE! So I'm going through all these deliciously cheesy recipes to use my gifts... so page 141 was on the list, and I am oh-so-glad!

Aside from the Fontina cheese, I followed the recipe pretty much to a T. Note my Baby Gouda from the Netherlands...

I didn't measure my cheese, but it's suggested to use 2 cups of cheddar, 2 cups of Fontina (or Gouda) and 1 cup of the Parmigiano. I may have used more, and I made certain to reserve a handful to top the macaroni and cheese before baking. 

Aside from the all-important cheese, you'll need:

- bacon (about 6 slices)                               - 1/2 C all-purpose flour

- 3 TBsp unsalted butter                              - 4 C whole milk

- 1 yellow onion, diced                                - 1 pound pasta (shells or short tubes)

- Kosher or sea salt                                      - 1/4 C Dijon mustard

- Tabasco to taste

Alright, let's cook!

Boil your slightly salted water and add the pasta when the water comes to a boil. Cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large pan, crisp up your bacon and remove to a napkin'd-plate, but do NOT discard the bacon grease. I chose to sop up a bit with a paper towel, but I might not next time.  --- Don't forget to crumble your bacon when it has cooled.

In the same pan, add the butter and soften the onion, maybe 5 minutes. Slowly add the flour and stir constantly before adding the milk. Whisk it till it's super creamy. Add the cheeses and the mustard and whatever amount of hot sauce that you prefer. 

Then add in your cooked pasta and the crumbled bacon. Anne Burrell says that you can eat it straight from the pan (and I did taste some and it totally works!) But she also writes that you can make it warm and bubbly in the oven. I chose to make individual bowls and warm in the oven for about 10 minutes. Of course, I topped it with some of the reserved cheese mixture. 

After a few minutes, my individual sides of Rock Star Mac-N-Cheese were  bubbly, ready to eat and fabulously delicious. I served this gem with my Chili's inspired BBQ chicken which I will blog one of these days. 

Enjoy!!!! This is my new go-to Mac-n-Cheese. It's absolutely perfect!

Oh, the meatballs

My Nana made the best meatballs... Funny, Nana was Polish, but she made a mean Italian meatball. I have modified the recipe with spices and cheeses, but I think the key ingredients are the two things I measure: 3/4 C milk and 2 eggs. I attempt to use as close to 1lb of ground beef, but that is not as calculated as my eggs and milk. (And those who know me know I don't measure.... Usually).

You'll need the following: (or a variety of spices you prefer).

- Bread crumbs
- Parmesan cheese (yes, the powder, and mix it with the meat and spices)
- Basil
- Onion salt (I use the Pampered Chef Onion dip)
- Garlic salt
- Sea salt
- Two jars of sauce, or homemade if you prefer

Mix your meat, spices, eggs and milk...

It may not look pretty, but it will become something so tasty!

Then add the breadcrumbs, ensuring you create a consistency thick enough to keep the meatballs together. 1 Cup or slightly more.

Why, you ask, would anyone mix their meatballs in a saucepan????? Clearly because I live in Japan and don't have a dishwasher! The first time I cooked meatballs in my quirky Japanese house, I felt like I'd been a fool for all those dishwasher spoiled years. Why not prep in the pot you're going to cook in????

As you prep a meatball, set aside.  Notice the meatballs are stacked in my meat trays and the milk & egg bowl? (Less dishes, ladies and gentlemen).


Layer the bottom of the pan with sauce. Add your prepared meatballs to the sauce pan, cover with remaining sauce and cook on low for an hour or until done. The gas stove requires much more attention than an electronic stove top.

A huge tip for my Japan residing friends. Do NOT buy the commissary meat to make meatballs. If ever you want to highlight ground beef as your entrée, buy off base.

Meatballs

Enjoy!

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Pho Ga

Pho is a party in ones mouth... You may make it as spicy (using sriacha), sweet (using hoisin) as you wish... or just "settle" for the amazing flavors that come with the broth.  Whatever you choose, the whole chicken broth coupled with the fresh ginger, cinnamon, onion and star anise mixture will make an amazing dish to share with friends.  Don't forget the toppings!

Pho seems daunting, right?  However, it's not as scary, but you do need to get dirty! The big secret is this: the Pho Ga bouillon. 

Here in Yokosuka, bouillon can be purchased in an International Market, such as the basement of More's at Chuo Station. In America, this magic pack can be found for extremely cheap at any Asian market. I use all four cubes in my base.  

Now you must invest a lot of time and care... because you must skin that chicken. Get as much fat off the chicken as you can so your broth is pure.

I thought I took a picture of the items needed, but apparently that photo did not transfer. So, I'll try to visualize with words.

You will need
- a ginger root.  Peel it. Pierce it. Wrap it in foil and    bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 350. 

- Four cinnamon sticks

- Half an onion, sliced and diced

- Rub that chicken with Chinese Five Spice, and add water to cover. Yes, I know that the chicken doesn't look all that hot! But it will! Just wait!

Simmer the chicken on low for an hour +.  Skim the fat while cooking.

When the chicken is done, continue to simmer the broth.  Carve the chicken, set aside, boil your noodles (whatever you prefer... Linguine, angel hair.... It's up to you) and prepare the toppings.

Yah, that chicken looks sad, but just wait...

Decorate your Pho as you see fit... Enjoy!

And that's pho'king good!

Crab Cakes - better than you'll get in a restaurant

When I asked my friend, Kristen, to grab some fresh (or frozen) king crab legs while she was shopping before our seafood party, she asked me if I'd ever used the canned Philips brand. I shook my head and winced. Kristen insisted that it's good, and indeed it might be if you like crab cakes of filler with a hint of crab, but I make mine super fresh... The crab and veggies are the meal. The filler that you get in restaurants, well, that doesn't exist in my dish. The breading you see on the cakes below is simply a dredging of Progresso bread crumbs. The green you see is fresh parsley and crunchy celery. The red? Red peppers and crab, crab, crab! I'm not gonna lead you on, though. Truthfully: It's a lot of work, but totally worth it.

So here's the key:

So the work part. If serving for guests, I'd suggest prepping the night before. Dice up these veggies and store:

- 1/2 red pepper
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 ribs of celery
- 2 cloves garlic

(Increase the amount based on the amount of crab cakes you want. This amount was for 6 cakes).

Still day prior, and here's the work. Boil your king crab (or snow, but snow is saltier) for 4 minutes. I used 32 oz). Remove from boiling water and remove the crab meat. Yes, it's labor intensive. The spikes get you. Crab flies about the kitchen. But if you do this the day prior to your dinner party, you have time to clean your mess and dispose of those smelly shells. (Unless you live in Japan and prep on a night when burnable trash pickup isn't scheduled for the next morning).

Put your crab in a Tupperware and store in the fridge.

Dinner party day has arrived! Now soften (not much, just a tad) those pre-prepped veggies by warming them in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil. Add veggies to bowl of crab. Add 3/4 C mayo, 1 large egg, dash of old bay (be careful if using snow crab, as it has much more salt), 1/2 C seasoned bread crumbs & a nice dollop of grainy mustard.

Mix well, form into cakes and bake for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven, turning midway. Serve with remoulade sauce, which is another post for another day.

Spend the time making these fresh crab cakes and your guests will sing your praises!

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Location:Shioiricho 2-Chōme,Yokosuka,Japan

Potato and Ham Cheddar Cheese Soup

This recipe probably precedes the processed Velveeta chunk cheese that has made cooking creamy, cheesy soups so easy. I say probably because I don't feel like looking up the exact date that Velveeta hit the market. My Mom was making this soup in my childhood and I don't recall ever seeing that in the local grocery store.  But enough about Velveeta as it is not an ingredient in this soup... real cheddar, milk and fresh vegetables give this soup its flavor and creamy goodness.  When I say real cheddar, I mean "grate it yourself." I have found that pre-shredded cheddar, while great in a lot of recipes, doesn't work as well when it's the main ingredient like it is in this soup. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in preservatives and just doesn't blend in the same manner as the hand-shredded block cheese.

Another reason I opt for the block cheese is that shredding the cheese with a hand grater was my job as a child on nights that my Mom cooked this soup.  My Mom was super strict when it came to just about everything, and snacking was one those categories that fell under strict guidelines.  The snack rule meant: we couldn't.  But while grating the cheese, I could take quick little bites from the bowl and my Mom wouldn't know, or at least she didn't say anything.  Grating cheese meant I could eat my favorite treat: cheddar.

My Mom's hand-written recipe & the grated cheddar in the back

 My Mom always said that you could tell how good a recipe was by how messy the pages of the cookbook were.  You might not notice all the mess on the soup page, but you can see that this recipe book has had a good amount of use.  Well-deserved use.  My Mom is an amazing cook.

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter
3 C water
1/2 C flour
4 C milk
4 C shredded cheddar
2 C diced ham
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 C sliced celery
1 C sliced carrot
1/2 C diced onion
salt & pepper & Tabasco to taste


First, slice your veggies (potatoes, celery, carrot, and onion).  Add the 3 C of water to a Dutch oven (large pot) and add the sliced veggies.  Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes and veggies are tender.

While the veggies are simmering, shred that cheddar and prepare your milk and flour.  You'll need everything handy and ready when making the roux because a seconds delay can destroy your roux!

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Gradually add the flour, stirring until smooth. Add the milk and increase the heat to medium. Stir constantly until thick and bubbly. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Check that the potatoes are ready to go, meaning that they are soft and the desired texture for your soup.  If your veggie pot is ready, slowly add your cheese mixture to the Dutch oven with the vegetables.  Stir to combine.  Add ham, hot sauce, salt and pepper.  Keep on low until heated to the desired temperature.  Be careful to not boil or you will ruin the soup.

Serve and enjoy!

Salmon Balls

Yes, I know the name of the recipe causes middle school students (and teacher alike) to snicker, but this was what my Mom called the recipe that she, no doubt, took from a Betty Crocker Family cookbook years before I was born. Salmon Balls.

Salmon Balls

This is a recipe from my childhood, but modified as my mom used the pink canned salmon and had my sister and I  drain the can, then sift through the bones. She used sprinkle dill and  jarred lemon juice. Fresh ingredients weren't an 80's trend. I'm sure that was just "the time."  The first time I was a kitchen assistant to the canned salmon, I was certain that what Mom was about to serve would be an epic fail, but truthfully, her "old school" recipe was pretty delicious.  As I grew in the kitchen, it wasn't hard to imagine how this 80's dish could grow with the times. Fresh ingredients and the packaged salmon transformed this into something you could serve to guests.

What you will need

For the first step, you will need:

Pink Salmon (3)

Bread crumbs (maybe a 1/2 C)

Sour Cream (3 oz)

Egg (1)

Dill sprigs (to your tasting)

Chives or green onion, diced

Lemon (Cut in half and juiced)

Spices of your choosing (garlic powder, onion salt.... whatever you feel compliments salmon)

Mix the above together and form into  balls or patties.  Pour some oil (I only had peanut oil when I made these, but I prefer olive oil) into a pan and brown your balls!  

Making them crispy

Now for the remaining ingredients:

Sour Cream (13 oz, or the remaining container of your 16 oz)

Water (1 Cup)

Chicken bouillon (1 TBsp)

After you have made the salmon balls crispy on both sides, drain balls and wipe your pan clean of oil. Add the ingredients above and bring to a simmer. Add the salmon balls and heat until warm.  Serve with lemon and dill!  Delish!

Putting it together

Dinner is served

Typhoon Chili

We were supposed to be pounded by a super typhoon today, but we just have a bit of rain.  Nevertheless, it's a day for the indoors and with the cooler temperatures, the crock pot emerges.

My son loves my chili.  I concocted my staple recipe off of various vocal sharings: nothing concrete. But I think the salsa might be the secret.  One thing I absolutely love is not letting Gabe know that I'm making chili until he smells the crock pot a'heating.  He is always so happy when he figures out what we're having for dinner.

Aside from the cooked ground beef (1 lb), onion (1/2 C diced) and garlic (1 clove diced - jar is fine), you'll need the following ingredients:

3 cans Chili beans (I use Bush)
2 cans Rotel (or any diced tomatoes)
1 packet Chili season pack (McCormick for me)
1 TBsp Brown sugar,
Dash Tabasco,
2 TBsp mustard,
1 TBspWorcestershire, and
1/4 C salsa

- I don't actually measure anything, so feel free to leave the measuring spoon in the drawer and guess at it. You can always add a bit more as it simmers through the day, so do a taste test after a few hours of heating.

First I brown the meat, onions, and garlic. Drain. A tip for draining the meat - turn off the stove top and move the meat and onion mixture to one side of the pan and place a paper towel on the other side. Tip the pan ever so slightly and the paper towel will soak the grease. This also eliminate pouring grease into your trash can or sink (never do that!)

Line your crock pot with Reynolds Kitchen Slow Cooker Liners for easy clean-up. Then add the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot and cook it on low for 6 - 9 hours.  If you need to accelerate the speed, cook on high for 4 hours.  Serve with cheese, sour cream, cilantro and corn bread.  Yum!