A respectable Mac and Cheese

Wherein Mr Ullman finds a Mac and Cheese worth repeating and learns 

that Mr. Broman's muse favors Miller Lite

A very good supper tonight. I didn't get the grocery store on Saturday so tonight depended on what I had around the house. As things turned out what I had around the house worked out well. What I actually made was the old stand by Mac and Cheese. However, it was a Mac and Cheese with a great deal of thought.

First, the protein. Lentils. I like lentils for a number of reasons-- not the least of which is that they are very single friendly. They are a two for one food. If you need a half a cup you measure out a half a cup. You then add a cup of water, bring to boil, reduce to low, cover and forgot about them for twenty minutes. They very tasty too.

So that being started I went on to other things. My usual Mac and Cheese is boiling a store brought pasta, adding some cheese and baking. Not today.

I took about a quarter of a red onion and sliced it somewhat thin but didn't dice it. Since red onions are layered I broke it apart into circles. I also took some fennel stocks and leafs and chopped them up. Fennel stocks are what celery should have been. The leaf, when fresh, is simply great.

I also cut off about a ¼ of an inch by two inches from my celery root and chopped it up somewhat finely. I put some oil into my stock pot, fired up the burner to medium high and placed the onion, fennel, and celery root into it. I discovered I had about a third of a potato that was on danger money so I chopped it up and added it. I added a dash of parpeka, allspice and and a generous slash cinnamon. I stirred occasionally.

I cooked the above until the onions were translucent (whatever that means). I then added about a pint and a half of water, the noodles, some more allspice just for the hell of it, and let the noodles cook.

Once the noodles were done I drained the stock pot and started a second burner toward medium. I grated some cheese. I returned the noodles and everything else to the stock pot, added the lentils and some of the cheese and tossed. I added the rest of the cheese to the top, sprinkled on some more cinnamon, covered and let it cook for about 10 more minutes

The result? An incredibly tasty supper that is, unlike all of its Mac and Cheese and stir-fry brothers, something going on my repeat list.

Macaroni and Cheese: A dish that is usually only ok when I make it.

Wherein Mr. Ullman cooks a meal that is not on his "A" list and has to take it seriously this time

Mac and Cheese is something that I am usually not going to write about. My Mac and Cheese, like its lowlife (mine anyway) brother known as stir-fry, is not something you should mention in polite company. In my extreme youth I knew a woman that did a damn good casserole. However, my stir-fry and Mac and Cheese are made for the same reason my mother made casseroles: It is hardy, somewhat tasty and, frankly, easy.

The other day I looked into my fridge and discovered very little in the way of supper. All meat and fish was frozen. Mac and Cheese was it for want of anything else.

So not being toasty, worse from drink or tired meant taking this seriously. There were veggies of various types available, one plain and one tasty pasta, garlic of course and various spices. Two types of cheese (actually three).Macaroni and Cheese

First I started the good pasta. It takes 18 minutes to finish so it had to be started first. While I was waiting for the long pasta to cook I finely chopped up two cloves of garlic, two stalks of celery, cilantro and Italian parsley with stems.  Added some apple cider vinegar for some zestiness. I mixed them all together and placed them in a Ziploc bowl and shook vigorously.

By this time the long cooking pasta was long enough along that I added the plain pasta and continued to boil. I sat down and had a beer.

Once the beer was complete I drained the pasta and put it into a mixing bowl. I then added the mixed stuff from the Ziploc bowl and tossed. Since I still had some pine nuts around I added them. I folded in some olive oil mayo I made earlier in the week for some tuna salad. I added two squirts of a mild horseradish sauce.

The two major cheeses were a mass market cheddar and a mass market Swiss. Both are tasty but nothing to write home about. I used my cheese grater to add some cheese to the bowl, tossed, added some more cheese and tossed again. Added a bit of dried Rosemary and a bit of dried Thyme. Put in some pepper oil a friend made for me and tossed again.

I turned the oven to 350 degrees and let it heat up. I put the mixed concoction into my Pyrex, grated some more cheese on top and, after noticing that I had a small bit of goat cheese, crumbed it on top. Put it in the oven and thirty minutes later I had a very tasty supper.

Serve with nothing. However, consider replacing the noodles with a baked potato.

Knives

I recently purchased a ceramic knife. A friend was praising these to heaven and, since I needed a paring knife, went ceramic. I am a believer and this same friend got me a larger ceramic knife for Christmas. These knives are terrificly sharp and keep their edge. Put a tomato on your counter for a day or two until it is soft. A ceramic knife will still go through it like butter and you can get extremely fine slices.