August 29, 2007

Here’s another recipe that people want. And yes, I’m going to eventually have a sidebar that will link to the recipe pages. Or I’ll put them on the artworkshops.com website. I’ll take care of that this winter when I have a minute.

This recipe and the tomato salad recipe are the two most loved starters that I do. This Mac ‘n Cheese is inspired by both Thomas Keller and Dave. Just a tin of caviar and you would have been in the finals, Dave.

This feeds about 20.

Boil water with smoked sea salt and olive oil. Put in 80 rigatoni and boil for 7 minutes. Shock that in an ice bath with smoked sea salt in it.

Next you make the cognac cream sauce.

Take a cup of cognac and put it under high flame. You want to reduce by half.

Dice an onion (medium) and put in 3 T minced garlic in a hot pan with olive oil.
Deglaze with good Amontillado. Next put in the by now flaming cognac and follow immediately with 1 cup cream.

Stir. Add Mexican Oregano and tarragon (fresh.) Let this reduce by 1/4. Slice in one fresh French Summer or if you got it Winter Truffle. Reduce until reduced by 1/2.

Next take a oven safe individual dish, we use these boats, and put in a T of mascarpone, put in 4 rigatoni, then slice more truffles on top of the pasta. Add grated Fontal or Fontina and then add grated Parmesan reggiano. Next put on some Italian season bread crumbs (crumbs, oregano dried, basil dried, and sea salt.) Top this off with the cream sauce and put in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 mins until the edges turn brown and it is bubbling.

Take out and eat.

I’ll put the brioche recipe up next.

BTW, the cookie recipe, the chocolate chip, is up here somewhere. And don’t forget to add more chips than you think should be added and I use Callebaut 55%.

4 Responses to “Recipe: Mac ‘n Cheese”

  1. I already put that up somewhere. I have got to get to an index.

    I no longer have Grandma’s recipe. Nor do I have Grandpa’s whole wheat zeppole recipe. I loved them.

    I do have my father’s vegetarian pizza rustica somewhere or else Johnny or Randy have it.

    Do you have any of these?

  2. Anonymous

    Me no have. I heard your mom made a great pizza rustica, the was grandma made it, but that was in the 70’s. I’m not familiar with grandpa’s wheat zeppole recipe. The closest I remember was a big bowl of coffee with bread pieces in it at breakfast during their card games. -cm