Cheese just makes me smile, that is all there is too it. I tried to give up dairy for a few days and after about eight hours I broke down and had some cream cheese. The last time I ate at the Olive Garden (I was on a road trip in the Midwest so it was that or Cracker Barrel) I had the server leave his cheese grater on the table so I could load up my pasta after every few bites. I just love it.
Featured recipe: Macaroni and Cheese (Macaroni and Four Cheeses with Apples and Bacon Breadcrumbs)
So when I was asked to do the macaroni and cheese cook off, Smackdown, for the Organic School Project, I jumped at the chance. Though when I began to try and figure out exactly how I wanted to make it, I realized I have not made many mac and cheeses in my life. I got the basic gist, cheese and pasta, but did not have an old favorite recipe to turn to. Hmmmm.
I was lucky enough to have spent some time in Spain recently where the Boqueria market in Barcelona was the big attraction for me. It is like Disneyworld for chefs and foodies. Everywhere you turn there is Iberico ham hanging there making your mouth water. Great ham of course does not come cheep. I treated myself to a few slices of Iberico priced at $138 per pound then slowly enjoyed it as I wandered through the rest of the market wondering why there are no markets like of the sort at home.
Amongst all of the jamon, beautiful fresh seafood, produce and delectable chocolates were large cases of European cheeses. They reminded me of my favorite cheese shop that I visited with my mom when I was growing up. Rather than a trip to Toys R Us, I begged for a visit to the cheese shop where I could sample and learn about various cheeses.
There are many Spanish cheeses that I love. The Drunken Goat (which is the name of my soon to open restaurant) is on the top of the list along with San Simone which has a great smoky flavor. I decided, however, to try something new from Spain for my mac and cheese that I was told had a nice creamy texture. Many people often use Velveeta, believe it or not, in their mac for it’s creamy texture and stability. I thought Tetilla would be a nice substitute. The name in Spanish actually means “small breast” for its Hershey kiss like shape. For some reason, names like that do not seem to work as well in English. I can not imagine going to the cheese counter and ordering the Small Boob cheese…..just not quite as appealing.
To make a great cheese sauce you need to have various cheeses with different flavor profiles. I went to see my friend Giles at The Great Amercian Cheese Collection here in Chicago. He brings artisan cheeses from around the country to chefs and shops around Chicago. With his always jolly nature and his big white beard, I like to think of him as the Santa of cheeses.
Since I decided to use ham and bacon fat in my dish, I wanted to have some smoky cheeses to bring out the flavors. Giles suggested a smoked swiss and a smoked mozzarella. The swiss had a more intense smoked flavor and the mozzarella would help with the texture. To add a bit of zing I also picked up an 8 year cheddar with a beautiful sharpness to it.
It was time to play with cheese.
There are many ways to make macaroni and cheese….some use egg yolks, some just melt the cheeses with milk. I went the route of making a classic cheese sauce with a béchamel base. Other components to my mac were shredded ham, apples sautéed in bacon fat and garlic and bacon crumbles for a topping. Pretty much all things that I love in one hearty dish.
I would say that making a good mac and cheese is about having fun with a variety of flavors. Try adding different braised and cured meats, using different pasta shapes, and mixing together various cheeses. I am not going to knock on Kraft mac and cheese, because I am sure I ate many boxes during my college days, but making your own mac and cheese is quite satisfying.
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