Mac and Cheese: A Revelation

I've said it once, I'll say it again. I am a HUGE fan of mac and cheese. I consider myself to be an aficionado of the stuff. There are two menu items that I have taken upon myself to sample anytime I am at a restaurant that serves them. The Chili Relleno and mac and cheese. Both items are fickle in their own respects and I have set out on a journey to find the greatest of each and tell the world about them. Today is all about mac and cheese but just as a side note, the best two Chili Rellenos can be found for a reasonable price at Chuy's (most anywhere in Texas) and for a not so reasonable price at Mesa Grill (I've tried the rellenos at the Mesa in Las Vegas and New York and that damn Bobby Flay is quite consistent).

(I know this next paragraph looks ominous but there are pictures later on, I promise.)

My love for the cheesy creation has grown over the years. Most people list mashed potatoes as their comfort food, the thing they could just eat and eat with no end in site. Well for me, mac and cheese fills that spot. I guess the development of my connoisseurship of mac and cheese was synonymous with my matured taste in fine cheeses. I'd have to say this was developed in the summer of 09 when I was studying abroad in England with Jessica and a few fraternity brothers. I took Jessica to Paris for a weekend getaway and we dined at the Michelin Star rated Le Cinq, at The Four Season's Hotel. This was the best meal I've ever eaten. It included the greatest fois gras I've ever put in my mouth, which in turn made it the best single food item I've ever had. But the revelation came at the cheese course. They wheeled out a large glass windowed cart that I was to make my selections from. Now, Jessica hates cheese. When the waiter opened the door to the cart, she about passed out from the pungent odor that seeped from depths of it, but she was revived when he brought around the after dinner sweets cart and loaded up a to-go box with all sorts of french confections. I'm getting off topic I know but this truly was an experience that I would have made an incredibly long post about, had I been blogging at that time. Anyways..I had already sampled a few finer cheeses before. My parents are big fans of Central Market and their cheese selections. But this experience really got me into cheese. Once you have had the finest cheeses France has to offer, Velveeta and Kraft singles just don't do it anymore.

So, on to the main event. The best mac and cheeses I've had to date or listed as follows. Sorry Dad but I have to say it, my absolute favorite is McCormick and Schmick's. It is of the andouille variety and the taste of truffle oil comes right to the forefront. Bob's comes in a very close second, followed shortly thereafter by Winewood's (check it out if you're in Grapevine, dad's newest place). And finally, Nolita House in New York. This one may have made the list on the sole fact that this place was my haven while living in New York City. Just to get a bit off topic again, I was walking down Houston St. one day around 11:00 am and heard the sweetest sound since arriving in the city. It was the beautifully lazy sound of a couple fiddles, a banjo, a mandolin, and an upright base creeping from an open window of a second floor bar. I walked upstairs to find a PACKED little bar/restaurant type set up that is so typical of NYC establishments. I sat down at the bar, ordered a Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout and was absolutely filled with a feeling of home. The bar maid handed me a menu and as we began to talk she informed me that every Saturday and Sunday they have a "Boozy Bluegrass Brunch". As 3 of my favorite words were placed side-by-side and decoded in the same order in my brain, I realized I would be frequenting this place over my next 4 months in the city. The crowd that visited Nolita House on Saturday and Sunday mornings was a young crowd (20's) who were there to relieve there mid-morning hangovers with menu items such as green eggs and ham, shrimp and grits, and vanilla brandy french toast. The management at this fine establishment was so kind as to grant each patron with a free mimosa or bloody marry with the purchase of an entree. No doubt, my favorite place in NYC.

Along my quest to find the best mac and cheese there is, I decided to perfect a recipe of my own. Unfortunately none of my favorite mac and cheeses are in Waco, so I am forced to make my own.

I start with a classic bechamel sauce (hot milk whisked into a roux) and then add cheese to it. I went with a trifecta of predominately Gruyere, because of its mild flavor, and Extra Sharp Cheddar because it is a good basic cheese. Then I added a decent amount of crumbled Stilton (a blue cheese) to give it a depth of flavor.

I like to have some sort of meat in my mac and cheese. Crumbled bacon works great but so does smoked sausage. I just so happened to have some left over jalapeno smoked venison links, so I went with that.

I didn't get too fancy with the pasta, just went with a classic elbow macaroni.

Now for the absolute key step in any paramount mac and cheese preparation. Spoon your mac and cheese into individual ramekins or gratin dishes. I like to dust the top with a small amount of ancho chili powder and then top with bread crumbs. You can certainly experiment with bread crumbs. I went with prepared Italian bread crumbs because I just happened to have them on hand, but I recommend making your own with sliced bread and herbs. Bake the mac off in the oven until they get bubbly and the top crisps up. In my opinion the crisp top and sides of a baked mac and cheese really make a difference.

There are so many ways to experiment with mac and cheese. If I had some truffle oil that would have definitely gone into it and tomatoes go great with mac and cheese.

So that's that. I tried to get this off before football started but was unsuccessful. Therefore, I come to an abrupt end.