Barack n ' Cheese

Tonight I cooked a dish that I have a long history with. Originally, my dad would cook a simple mac n' cheese casserole, a couple of Kraft boxes of dry pasta and bright orange powder mixed with some butter and milk, and some hot dogs sliced into it. Delicious, simple, comforting. In college, I took it a step further. Into the Kraft boxes would be kielbasa, mushrooms, and onions. I'd "sautee" the veg and sausage, but looking back, I clearly overcrowded the pan and steamed everything to a particular lack of flavor.

As my interest in cooking gained steam in recent years, I still desired the comfort of mac n' cheese, but the visual of the glowing Kraft powder kind of made me think that there must be something real that the fake stuff is based on. Using this recipe, followed to the letter (minus the ham) yielded an authentic if not over-the-top mac-n-cheese. I made it for parties, for relatives, for guests -- all to some pretty nice praise.

So when my wife asked me to make mac n' cheese for her on election night, I looked forward to making this recipe, now that I have c-school behind me. The first thing I changed up was the cheeses. Cheddar and moz stayed, thought I went aged and extra sharp with the cheddar. I replaced jack with gruyere. Gruyere is the basis of mornay sauce, basically the French equivalent of the cheese sauce needed in mac n' cheese. I followed the recipe, this time knowing exactly how to deal with a roux. I didn't measure anything, just tossed stuff in and when it seemed to be too thick, started adjusting.

I did one tray of plain for B, and one with some mix ins. In honor of my dad, I picked up some Nathan's hot dogs, and in honor of college, I caramelized some onions and cooked down some criminis. The final result of my mac n' cheese was good, not great. The cheddar flavor was a bit too sharp, the hot dogs a little bit flacid, and the olive oil I cooked the veg in gave an odd note against the absolute dairy-ness of all that cheese, milk, and butter. My next attempt, though, is going to totally steamroll! Sweet Italian sausage is probably the way to go, with a quick sear then put into the mix in a partially raw state before baking, mmmm...

ADDENDA:
After a yoga class with the HVS, we snickle snacked at the studio's cafe. HVS is undergoing a 3-week vegan cleanse program with a very limited menu, so in solidarity I ordered a porridge dish that is a staple of her new diet. Kitchari is made with lentils, rice, kombu, water, and that's it. Bland as a flat road in Kansas, it had a weird skunky aftertaste that was actually pleasant. I know Ilsa is on the warpath for me to eat simple and bland, I hope this counts!

BREAKFAST: 7:30am, apple, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5

AM WATERING: 9am, quart of water

AM SNACK: 10:15am, homemade oatmeal bar, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 1:15pm, fresh potato knish, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Ate this at Yonnah Shimmel while riding by. Thank Sheba for society supporting institutions like this.

PM SNACK: 5pm, vegan brownie, cup of kitcheri, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 8pm, mac n' cheese caserole, coconut-based vanilla ice cream, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5