cheese, glorious cheese!

for those of you who don't know me very well, you should know i love cheese. and by "love" i mean if possible, i would eat as much as i could every single day. now, i have my share of delusions, but fortunately, thinking i still have a fast metabolism isn't one of them. good thing, too, because one day i would wake up and wonder how the fudge i had "somehow" turned into a sphere.

anyway, because i actually have a grip on reality in this one aspect of my life, i limit how much cheese i eat - probably with one meal every few days or so. ok ok, so sometimes it's more often than that; after all i've never met a cheese platter i didn't like. *sigh* being "over-30"... never mind lines, wrinkles, and grey hairs (btw, i found a couple the other day. i pulled them out - grey hairs, i mean, not lines or wrinkles - but i have a baaad feeling that solution just isn't going to scale.), it's the FOOD you have to give up that really sucks. *sniffles*

self pity aside, one of my favorite ways to consume cheese is via mac & cheese. over the years, i've tried lots and lots of recipes. and when i say "lots" i mean LOTS. oh the hardships i've endured. the pain.... the suffering... if you only knew. (NOT) i've decided after all this experimenting that a really sharp cheddar truly is the best when it comes to mac & cheese. and believe me, i've given it a serious go; i'm an equal opportunity lover when it comes to cheese - sizes, colors, shapes. if you're cheese, i already love you.

below is my favorite recipe, developed over the years. i'm not going to pretend it's low fat or anything, so don't go eating this every night and then wonder why YOU'RE turning into a sphere. all that aside, this is a great dish to make for a weeknight dinner, because it's fast and easy to make. i like to serve this with steamed broccoli on the side. after all, why not try to squeeze in a little healthy, right? deeeeelish!


Caroline's Favorite Macaroni & Cheese

3 cups small elbow macaroni
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
6 tbsps unsalted butter
4 tbsps flour
1 cup whole milk
2 cups chicken stock (substitute vegetable stock for vegetarian version)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 green onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

salt and white pepper to taste

Melt 2 tbsp butter and in a small bowl mix into fresh breadcrumbs. Set aside. Bring a pot of salted water to boil in a medium saucepan. Cook pasta until al dente and drain. In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion is softened and turns translucent. Then add flour and whisk until mixture turns golden, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and then broth. Continue to whisk and bring roux to boil. Add green onions and whisk until they turn bright green, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add cheese; stir until melted.

Preheat broiler. Stir in macaroni to cheese sauce and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper then spoon into 4 individual gratin dishes. Sprinkle crumbs on top and broil until crumbs are golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately; be careful, dishes will be HOT! Serves 4.