Grandma's Macaroni & Cheese

 My Grandma passed away two weeks ago and today is her birthday.  She was my most loyal blog reader, and I know she loved being mentioned when I wrote about her Company Chicken recipe last year.  I had to share this recipe as well, because it is by far my very favorite of all the things she cooked for us over the years.

Grandparents are of course supposed to spoil their grandchildren.  And Grandma was the best at spoiling us with food.  I have so many memories of sitting at her kitchen table eating fishy crackers (our term for Goldfish crackers), circus cookies, and nuts and bolts.  Whenever Erin and I spent the night she made this amazing cinnamon toast for breakfast that always tasted so much better than mom’s.  Erin and I finally figured out that reason Grandma’s tasted so much better had something to do with the inch of sugar she piled on top of the toast.  We shared this valuable information with mom but she did not adjust her sugar ratio.

This macaroni and cheese recipe represents the pinnacle of just how much Grandma spoiled us.  I know this is probably going to shock quite a few of you given my love of food, but I was kind of a picky kid.  I never reached Erin’s level of extreme, debilitating pickiness, but I admit I was a little high maintenance.  Bananas are really the only modern hold-over from my long list of dislikes.  But I never had to worry about family gatherings at Grandma’s because without fail, no matter what other meal she had prepared for the masses, I could always expect a glorious pan of her homemade macaroni and cheese on the table for me. 

To be clear- this tradition is not just something that I remember fondly from my childhood.   Right before Christmas this year, my whole family gathered at Grandma and Grandpa’s to watch the Seahawks game.  I was really not expecting to have macaroni and cheese, since I knew we were having lasagna for dinner and some people might think lasagna with a side of mac n’ cheese is too much pasta.  But I was foolish to doubt her, because of course there was a huge pan full of melted cheesy goodness on the table when I walked in.  I am 27 years old, and I still got my special dinner.

While I was home two weekends ago, we had a big family gathering to celebrate Grandma’s life.  We spent hours around the table eating her favorite foods and drinking gimlets while we remembered all of the incredible times our family has had together.  Erin made this recipe and everyone said it tasted just like Grandma’s.  Even though we were all missing Grandma, this dinner reminded me of just how wonderful family dinners can be.  My love of cooking is about a whole lot more than the food that I make.  And I know I have my Grandma and the rest of my family to thank for that.

Here is the recipe.  I've provided a translation below since I realize that not all of you have my extensive experience in deciphering Grandma's handwriting.

 

GRANDMA’S MACARONI & CHEESE
serves 12 

1 pound elbow macaroni
3 cups milk
3 cups cut up cheese (half mild and half sharp cheddar)
1 cup soda cracker crumbs
½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese


Cook macaroni and put in greased 13-9 glass baking dish.  Heat milk and cheese together until the cheese is melted.  Pour mixture over the macaroni- add salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.  Add cracker crumbs.  Bake at 325 degrees 1 hour.

Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, Sage & Hazelnuts

Ok I know the combination of pears and cauliflower sounds a bit odd...but I promise this was delicious!!  Cauliflower is not a vegetable that I typically serve at Thanksgiving, but I was very intrigued by the ingredients in this recipe.  The pears added a perfect crisp texture and a slight sweetness that was delectable.  I heard a rumor that my aunt recently picked around all of the pears in a salad so I don’t think this dish will make my Thanksgiving menu, but it would pair perfectly with other Thanksgiving flavors!  

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I promised a few people that I would post a sample of my Thanksgiving itinerary so I’ve included it below.  Some may mock me for this display of compulsive organization, but it helps me visualize all of the steps to avoid complete chaos.  This is especially important for a dinner that includes so many dishes that need oven space.  The cauliflower would actually be a great addition since it can be done at the last minute on the stove and doesn’t require time in the oven.  In order to free up even more oven space this year I will be cooking my turkey on the grill!  I have very high hopes for the outcome.  

As you think about your turkey plans, I would like to make a case for the benefits of brining.  The salt in brine draws out the blood, cleansing the bird and seasoning the meat down to the bone.  Sugar adds depth of flavor and helps the turkey brown to perfection.  Most grocery stores carry brine mixtures and I usually use those.  Just dissolve the brine in boiling water, cool, and add a bottle of dry white wine.  Then submerge the bird in the liquid for 2-4 days.  Using a very large pot works well.  It also helps if you have two refrigerators since it takes up a bit of space.  Make sure you dry it thoroughly before roasting.

CAULIFLOWER WITH BROWN BUTTER, PEARS, SAGE & HAZELNUTS
Recipe from Fine Cooking
makes 8-10 servings
 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets about 3/4 inch wide
1/2 cup toasted, skinned, chopped hazelnuts
8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives (original recipe called for parsley but I think chives add more flavor)

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter until light brown and bubbly. Add the cauliflower, hazelnuts, and sage. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is browned and crisp-tender, 6 to 7 minutes more.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pear slices and chives. Gently toss to combine and warm the pears. Season to taste with more salt. Serve hot or at room temperature.
   
 

 

Thanksgiving Agenda 2009

11:00	Assemble Stuffing Dress Turkey		Emily & Mom
12:30	Mash Potatoes Prepare Butternut Squash, and pine nut mix		Emily & Mom
2:00	Turkey in Oven	325 Bottom	Emily
3:45	Cranberry Sauce		Emily
4:20	Both Stuffings in Oven (1 hour covered, 10 mins uncovered) Make Biscuit Batter	350 Top	Emily Erin, Lizzy, Aunt Suzi
4:30	Caramelize shallots, add green beans		Emily
4:40	Heat Potatoes Drink a glass of wine at the bar and talk to chef		Emily  Aunt Suzi & Mom
4:50	Turkey out of oven Make Gravy Roast butternut squash (35-35 mins)	425 Bottom 450 Bottom	Emily Mom
5:10	Biscuits in Oven (14-16mins) Sauté pine nuts and garlic for squash	425 Bottom	Erin, Lizzy, Aunt Suzi Emily
5:20	Carve Turkeys  Assemble and Dress Salad		Dad Mom & Emily
5:30	Biscuits, Stuffing, Squash out of Oven Add squash to garlic and pine nuts		Everybody Emily

Butternut Squash- Polenta Gratin

Every October, I wait with bated breath for the Thanksgiving editions of my various magazine subscriptions to arrive.  The beautiful turkeys on the covers send shivers of excitement down my spine, but the recipes I am most eager to pour over are the side dishes.  In the months leading up to Thanksgiving, I keep a running list of side dishes that I think sound interesting.  Then I send the list to my mom and she tells me that it is unreasonable to make twenty side dishes for ten people.  Once I count all of the traditional sides (mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc.) I usually only have room for one experimental dish.  As a result, I have to discard my list of potentially amazing recipes. 

But as I started compiling my list for this year, I had an epiphany!  Why am I only allowed to make side dishes for Thanksgiving?  I should incorporate recipes from my list into meals throughout the fall.  The recipes usually have many flavors that would pair well with simple roasted chicken or seared steak.  Plus, since the side dishes are intended to be served at a big holiday gathering, they are often easy to make ahead of time and then heat up at the last minute.  Plus, my blog gave me the perfect excuse- because if I share my thanksgiving recipes AFTER the big day, they won’t be helpful to anyone this year!  So I will try to post a few more recipes over the next few weeks to fuel everyone’s thanksgiving ideas!  Most of these would also be great additions to a Christmas dinner as well.

This recipe was very easy- I actually prepared the whole meal, went to my volleyball game for an hour, then came home and stuck everything in the oven.  I made roasted leg of lamb and Brussels sprouts to go with the gratin.  The leftovers were also delicious topped with a fried egg for breakfast. 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH- POLENTA GRATIN
adapted from Food & Wine
makes 12 servings
One 1 1/2-pound butternut squash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 quarts plus 2 cups water
2 cups instant polenta (12 ounces)
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)

 Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter a 15-by-10-inch ceramic baking dish. Cut off the bulb end of the squash and halve it lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set the squash halves on a small baking sheet, cut side down, and bake in the lower third of the oven for 30 minutes, or until tender. Scrape the squash flesh into a medium bowl and mash with a fork.
 Meanwhile, peel the squash neck and halve it lengthwise. Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, slice the squash crosswise 1/8 inch thick. Lightly oil 2 large rimmed baking sheets and arrange the squash slices on them. Cover with foil and bake in the upper third of the oven for 12 minutes, or until tender. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°.
 In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and slowly add the polenta, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce the heat to low and whisk until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the mashed squash. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the butter and 1 cup of the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Spread the polenta in the prepared baking dish and arrange the baked squash slices on top in an overlapping pattern.
 Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and scatter them over the gratin. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese over the top and bake in the upper third of the oven for 1 hour, or until bubbling and golden. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Make Ahead The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before baking.
  
ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH GARLIC
makes 4 servings
3 lb boneless leg of lamb
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
juice from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Combine lamb along with other ingredients in a large plastic bag.  Marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours or in the fridge overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Transfer the lamb to a foil covered pan and season with more salt.  Roast for about 45 minutes, until an instant read thermometer registers 125 degrees.  Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Grilled Corn with Spiced Butter

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! I made a last minute decision to fly out to Seattle and go to Chelan which was amazing. It was a short trip but now that I have been there it feels like summer has officially started. My family doesn’t really eat a lot of red meat but we always make burgers for the 4th. Since I make them so infrequently, I am not an expert and I usually adopt a different approach for the meat each year. This year my mom talked me into keeping things simple and not adding anything to the ground beef (in the past I have added egg, onion, garlic, etc.). The result was delicious. I think the key is to handle the meat as little as possible, otherwise it will get tough. Of course, even if you completely mess up the burgers, they will still taste good if you cover them in goat cheese and caramelized onions!
As a side dish I decided to make some grilled corn. The recipe appealed to me because so much of the preparation can be done ahead of time. Our barbeque is pretty small and we have to grill things in shifts, so usually the corn gets cold while we wait for the burgers to cook. The corn in this recipe can be grilled up to a day in advance, then warmed with the spiced butter at the last minute. The original recipe calls for tasso (smoked Cajun pork) but I substituted pancetta because the two grocery stores in Chelan do not tend to carry exotic items. The corn was also very very spicy- I have cut down on the amount of cayenne in my adaptation below but you can adjust according to your preferences.

Grilled Corn with Spiced Butter
recipe from Fine Cooking
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
1 oz. tasso (smoked Cajun pork)(or pancetta), minced (1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. sweet pimentón (smoked paprika)
1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. ground mace
1/4 tsp. dried sage
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
8 medium ears corn, shucked
Kosher salt
In a small bowl, mix the butter, tasso, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, honey, mace, sage, cayenne, and thyme until well combined.  If using pancetta, cook it over medium heat for about 10 minutes until crispy.  Let it cool before adding it to the butter.

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill fire for direct cooking over medium (450°F) heat. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes. (The corn can be grilled 1 day ahead.)

Cut the corn kernels from the cobs. In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. of the tasso butter. Add the corn and toss until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a warm serving bowl, garnish with a dollop of the remaining butter, and serve immediately.

Mandy and her best friend Fudge sleeping in the middle of the kitchen while I was trying to cook dinner

Cousin Watson was wide awake

Navy Blue Kitchen is Back!

Welcome to the summer edition of Navy Blue Kitchen! I apologize for having dropped off the face of the blogging earth for the past few months, but my second semester of law school was a lot busier than the first! I barely had time to feed myself not to mention time to blog about it. And I am sad to admit that most of my meals were not particularly blog-worthy (I rely on cereal way too much). But, I am back for at least the summer and maybe beyond! Although I’ve heard 2L year can be a little busy too…so no guarantees.

For my first return post I figured I had to do something big, so I am chronicling my attempts to make an Ethiopian feast. While I was home visiting my family, my mom hosted a dinner for her book club. They were meeting to discuss Cutting for Stone, a book that takes place in Addis Abba and prominently features amazing descriptions of doro wat and injera. I have been craving Ethiopian food ever since I left the abundance of Ethiopian restaurants in D.C. so my mom and I decided to go for it.

Since most grocery stores do not carry the requisite ingredients for an authentic Ethiopian meal, we called an Ethiopian restaurant in Madrona (Seattle) to ask where they bought groceries. The very helpful woman I spoke with told me that all of the Ethiopian restaurants in Seattle shop at Amy’s Merkato on Cherry Street. Nothing in Amy’s Merkato is labeled but after I told the man working there what I was attempting to make, he quickly gathered all of the supplies I needed. Most importantly, he gave us berbere (a spice blend that is the foundation of many dishes) and nitir kibe (spiced butter). We also bought injera from him because I did not anticipate success in making the spongy bread myself. It requires something similar to a sourdough starter as well as a special oven and I’m sure that any of my attempts would not have even come close to being edible.

We served all of the dishes on the injera (resting on a pizza platter) and ate the meal with our hands. My mom’s book club let me join them even though I was only about half-way through the book at the point. The meal did not taste exactly like those that I have enjoyed at Meskerem and Queen of Sheba (note that you can see my old student Zeima featured on this website), but I was happy with the overall outcome. More importantly, once we gathered the ingredients, the meal came together very easily and I would recommend that anyone else attempt it. I also highly recommend Cutting for Stone!

Doro WatI based my recipe off the suggestions of the man from Amy’s Merkato and from the recipe featured in the Washington Post

1 cup nitir kibe (spiced butter)
8 cups yellow onions, chopped
5 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 cup berbere (you can adjust this amount based on how spicy you want it to be)
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
6 bone-in, skinless chicken legs
6-8 cups of water or chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (I don’t like hard-boiled eggs so I skipped this)

Melt the spiced butter over medium heat in a large pot, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent, about ten minutes. Add garlic and a sprinkle of salt, continue to cook for an additional five minutes. Add the berbere spice mixture and stir once to coat before adding the tomato paste. Add about 1 cup of water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about a half hour.

Add the pieces of chicken to the pan and add just enough water or stock to come about half-way up the pot. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. The longer the mixture simmers, the more delicious it will be. I simmered mine for about 4 hours. The flavors are also improved if you make it a day in advance. Remove the bones from the pan before serving (the meat should have fallen off by this point). Stir in cardamom and eggs and serve over injera.

Gomen (Collard Greens)¼ cup nitir kibe (spiced butter)
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs collard greens, stemmed and cut crosswise into ¼ inch pieces.
Juice of 1 lemon

Melt the spiced butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, about 20-30 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Rinse the collard greens and add to pan with about a cup of water. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and let the collards braise until softened, about 45 minutes. Stir the pan from time to time and add more water as needed. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

Misr Wot (Lentil Stew)1 cup red lentils
¼ cup nitir kibe (spiced butter)
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons berbere
2 small roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
Kosher salt, to taste

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lentils, 1 tablespoon of berbere, tomato, and 4 cups of water to the saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and the lentils are tender, 45-50 minutes. Stir in the remaining berbere and season generously with salt.
Alecha Wot (Cabbage and Potatoes)¼ cup nitir kibe (spiced butter)
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground tumeric
½ head cabbage, cut into ½ inch pieces
4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
Kosher salt, to taste

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spices and stir to coat. Add the cabbage, potatoes, and about a cup of stock. Cover and simmer over low heat until potatoes are soft, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and serve.

Ethiopian Salad
½ jalapeno, thinly sliced
½ cup red onion
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
Kosher salt, to taste
Mix ingredients together in a bowl. This is best made the day before so flavors have time to mingle.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

I’ve been making quite a lot of recipes inspired by restaurants lately. I guess that will end next week when I leave Seattle and go back to my real life as a broke student. The restaurant reviews will become a lot more sporadic... Although I have gotten some groupons for Boston that I am excited to use (especially the Elephant Walk- I haven’t been there since college but I remember it was delicious).

Anyways, while I still have good restaurant fodder I will tell you about Harvest Vine, a Basque restaurant in Madison Park (one of my favorite neighborhoods in Seattle). I highly recommend it both for the atmosphere and the food. The menu is small plates but it is obviously very different from the typical tapas fare since it is specifically from the Basque region- the menu had nothing fried and not as many potatoes dishes. My favorite was the lamb marinated in saffron honey and served with confit of cherry tomatoes. There were also some pretty delicious desserts. For one of our appetizers we got and Ensalada Lando- heirloom tomatoes with olive oil, sherry vinegar, and garlic. I ended up making a version of this for my mom and me after a long day of driving. We wanted to have a light dinner so we got heirloom tomatoes from the market and had the salad with some greens, fresh bread, and the cheeses that were left over from the baby shower. The tomatoes were really good and extremely simple and open to variations (cheese sprinkled over the top?). Obviously in a dish with such simple ingredients the quality of each is very important (ripe tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, etc.). We only had a tiny bit of garlic so I minced some red onion to sprinkle over the tomatoes as well. Use the leftover olive oil on the plate to dip bread in.


Heirloom Tomatoes with Olive Oil and Garlic
Serves 2-3
Adapted from Harvest Vine- all of the measurements are approximate
3 heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
~2 tablespoons olive oil
~2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon red onion, minced
2 teaspoons basil (or other herbs), minced
Arrange the tomatoes on a plate and drizzle with the olive oil and sherry. Sprinkle with garlic, onions, and basil.

Grilled Zucchini with Chive (or scallion) Oil

I wanted to share this recipe not only because it is a simple and tasty summer dish, but also as a way to introduce and recommend one of my favorite cooking magazines. I know that not everyone enjoys reading recipes quite as much as I do but all the people that I have shared this magazine with have liked it a lot- regardless of their interest in cooking. It comes out every two months and it has a very seasonal focus. The recipes are unique and different but very accessible. They also have a recurring section called “cooking without recipes” where they introduce a simple method (this month it was potato salad) and then offer endless ingredient combinations for you to experiment with. I don’t like creamy saladed things so I usually hate potato salad, but one of the variations they came up with was artichoke, black olive, and mint potato salad with a lemon vinaigrette that I actually might try!

This issue also included an article about zucchini (my favorite summer vegetable) where I found the recipe for grilled zucchini with chive oil. I have been grilling quite a bit of zucchini this summer and I am by no means sick of it. But this recipe intriugued me because of its simplicity. The walnut oil adds amazing depth of flavor and the recipe suggests using left over chive oil to drizzle on fish, lamb, eggs, etc. Unfortunately when I was shopping for ingredients yesterday, I couldn’t find chives at the market in Chelan. I had scallions at home so I used that instead. It was delicious but I would still like to try it with chives as well.

Grilled Zucchini with Chive Oil
Recipe from Fine Cooking
Makes 4 servings

About 6 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons walnut oil

1 lb. small zucchini (3-4) cut on a sharp angle into 1/2- inch thick ovals

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Put all but 1 tablespoon of the chives in a blender or food processor. Begin to blend while slowly pouring 1/3 cup of the walnut oil through the feed hole of the blender lid. Continue to blend for 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula. Blend for another minute. Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour to let the flavors infuse.

Strain the oil through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing the purréed chives with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to extract any remaining oil. (I skipped the straining and just used the oil with all of the scallion pieces in it. I think this way would make for a prettier presentation but I’m sure they both taste delicious and the other way is easier.)

In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the remaining 2 tablespoons of walnut oil and season with salt and pepper. Set the zucchini ovals at an angle on a medium-high grill and cook until the zucchini has developed rich brown grill marks, about 3 minutes. Turn the zucchini with tongs and cook until the other sides brown as well and the zucchini is tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small serving dish or platter. Drizzle with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the chive oil over the zucchini and sprinkle with the reserved 1 tablespoon of chives.