French Onion "Soup" Mac and Cheese

Recipe courtesy Brett Greenberg, New York, NY
This recipe will be served at Friday's as one of their new side dishes.


Topping:
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Bechamel Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces Gruyere, grated
3 ounces mozzarella grated

French Onion "Soup":
2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon (or nonstick spray)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 large white onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry sherry
2 cups beef stock
8 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
1 pound pasta, cooked al dente (elbow macaroni, ziti, or fusilli work well)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Topping: Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and set aside.

Bechamel Sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and stir to combine. Stir constantly, for about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium and whisk in the milk or half-and-half, adding a little at a time and cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Lower heat, season with the salt and pepper and add Gruyere and mozzarella cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Set aside.

French Onion "Soup:" Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add onions, cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove cover, add garlic and honey, and continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Remove pot from heat and add sherry. Return to heat and stir to remove browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce sherry by half, then add stock and thyme and cook until almost all liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat.

Grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole with the last tablespoon of butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Combine cooked pasta with onion "soup" mixture and bechamel sauce, and stir well to combine. Transfer pasta to baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumb/Parmesan topping.

Bake until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Not Your Ordinary Mac N Cheese J Alexander's - close to the recipe

6 cups chicken stock
2 cubes chicken base
2 cups (8 ounces) Cavatappi (also called cellentani or double elbows, is macaroni formed in a spiral tube shape with ridges)
3 tablespoons Pomace Olive Oil
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
3 tablespoons butter -- divided plus extra for greasing pan
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half and half
3 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked pressed and sliced in small bite size pieces (reserve the fat)
1/2 onion -- minced and sauteed in bacon fat
2 cloves of garlic pressed and sauteed with onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Cholula
2 1/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2c Panko

Bring 6 cups chicken stock and 1 1/1 cubes chicken base to rolling boil in medium saucepan. Add macaroni and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and put in large bowl, toss with Pomace Olive Oil and lemon. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream. Stir in onion, bay leaf, sugar and Tabasco. Simmer gently, stirring often, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bacon and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf. Stir in macaroni. Pour half of mixture into greased, deep 1 1/2-quart baking dish (or 3-4 ramekins) and sprinkle with half of remaining cheese. Top with remaining macaroni and remaining cheese. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 cube chicken base in small skillet over medium heat. Add panko and toss to coat. Sprinkle buttered panko and Reggiano Cheese over top of macaroni. Bake at 350: F. until panko is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Fried Mac N Cheese Balls ala Cheesecake Factory

FRIED MACARONI AND CHEESE BALLS 1 pound Cavatappi (also called cellentani or double elbows, is macaroni formed in a spiral tube shape with ridges) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk, warmed, plus 2 tablespoons for egg wash 1 pound grated White Sharp Cheddar 1 pound grated smoked Gouda Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs 3 cups Panko Vegetable oil, for frying Marinara or Alfredo sauce, to serve Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the butter and stir it with a whisk. Cook for 2 minutes. Whisk the warmed milk into the flour mixture, working out any lumps. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the cheeses, and stir until melted and smooth; season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese sauce into macaroni. Pour the mac and cheese into a shallow pan and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. Shape the cold mac and cheese into meatball-sized balls and place them onto a waxed paper-lined tray. Freeze the balls overnight. Beat the eggs and 2 tablespoons milk together to form an egg wash and pour it into a shallow bowl. Put the bread crumbs into another shallow bowl. Remove the mac and cheese balls from the freezer. Dip the frozen balls into the egg wash then into the Panko. Put the balls back into the freezer until you are ready to fry. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry the mac and cheese balls until they are golden brown and center is hot, about 5 minutes. Serve hot with your favorite marinara or Alfredo sauce or combination of both for dipping. Makes about 2 dz 2-inch balls.

Chocolate Pasta

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift the flour with the cocoa powder, and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the eggs and vanilla extract, and mix to a smooth dough.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface until 1/8 inch. With a pastry wheel cut the dough into strips 3/4 inch wide and about 7 inches long. (If you have a pasta machine, you can use it to roll the dough out into the ribbons.)

Cook the pasta in unsalted, boiling water for 3 minutes.

Dessert Lasagna

12 pieces lasagne
4 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar, divided
8 kiwis, peeled
4 cups strawberries, washed and trimmed, 8 reserved forgarnishing
4 cups blackberries, washed
1/2 cup toasted, sliced almonds
Mint sprigs to garnish

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse, drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese and ½ cup sugar. Set aside.

In the food processor, puree 4 kiwis with 2 tablespoons sugar. Transfer the puree to a bowl and set it aside. Rinse the processor bowl.

In the processor, puree half the strawberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. Strain the puree into a bowl and set it aside. Rinse the processor bowl.

In the processor, puree half the blackberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. Strain the puree and set it aside.

Slice the kiwis into ¼-inch thick rounds. Slice the strawberries into 1/8-inch thick pieces. Slice the blackberries in half.

Reserve 1/4 cup of each of the purees to use as a garnish when serving.

To assemble the lasagne, first cover the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch glass baking pan with 3 pieces of pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the ricotta on top and spread it evenly. Pour the kiwi puree over the cheese and arrange the kiwi slices on the puree. Lay on 3 more pieces of pasta and cover with 1/2 the remaining cheese. Pour the strawberry puree over the cheese and sprinkle with sliced strawberries. Lay on 3 more pieces of pasta and cover with the remaining cheese. Pour the blackberries puree over the cheese and sprinkle with blackberries. Top with a final layer of pasta. Cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, sprinkle the lasagne with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and with the toasted almonds. Cut into 8 rectangles and use a spatula to set the pieces on dessert plates. Decorate the plates with dots of reserved purees. Garnish each piece of lasagne with a strawberry and a sprig of mint.

Kasha Varnishkes - Kasha with Bow Ties

This is part of my Russian Jewish heritage.


Ingredients
1 cup kasha buckwheat groats, medium granulation
1 egg, well beaten
2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat or vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken stock or use canned
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup pasta bow ties

Instructions
In a small bowl, mix the kasha with the beaten egg. Be sure all the grains are covered with egg. Place a medium non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the kasha to the pan and, using a wooden fork, flatten it out a bit, stirring and moving it about the pan until the egg dries and the grains have mostly separated. Set aside.

Place a pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta bow ties. (Do not cook them yet.) In a 4-quart heavy stove-top covered casserole, heat the chicken fat or oil and saute the onions until clear. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the salt and pepper and the reserved kasha. Stir a bit and cover. Cook over low heat, stirring now and then, until the kasha is tender, about 10 minutes. If it is not done to your taste, cook for a few more minutes. In the meantime, boil the pasta just until tender. Drain well and stir into the kasha. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings

Noodle Kugel

* 3 eggs
* 1/4 cup melted margarine or butter
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/2 lb. wide noodles
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 1/4 cup almonds
* 1/2 cup chopped apples

Beat the eggs thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, sugar and cinnamon beat until thoroughly blended. Cook the noodles and rinse them in cold water. Do not drain them too thoroughly. Put the noodles into the egg mixture and stir until the noodles are coated with the mixture. Let them sit in the refrigerator for about 15-30 minutes, so the noodles absorb some of the egg mixture. Stir again.

Put about half of the egg-noodle mixture into a casserole dish. Put the raisins, almonds and apples on top. Put the remaining egg-noodle mixture on top of that. Bake for about 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees, until the egg part is firm and the noodles on top are crispy. Can be served warm or cold.

Jamie Oliver's Pesto Sauce

1/2 clove of garlic chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
3 handfuls of fresh basil
Handful of pine nuts
Handful of fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil

Pound garlic with a pinch of salt and the basil leaves in a pestle and mortar, or pulse in a food processor. Add pine nuts and pound again. Put into a bowl and add half of parmesan. Stir in gently and add olive oil. Season to taste, then add some of the remaining cheese and more olive oil. Repeat until desired consistency. If you want you may add a squeeze of fresh lemon to add a little "twang" Try it with or without and see which you prefer.

Tuna Pasta Salad - a Tanya Original

This is a recipe I made up and my mother and I love to make together. It has proven time and again to be a hit at gatherings... even for people not so into tuna the flavor is wonderful and so so easy.


1 Bx of multi-colored pasta (spirals, shells or any other fun shape)
2 cans of tuna (we use bumble bee solid white albacore in spring water, the normal sized ones)
1 jar of Marie's Creamy Italian Garlic Dressing
1 cup sweet baby peas and/or corn

1. Cook the pasta until just done. You don't want it al dente as it will be too hard and you don't want it overly mushy as it won't hold up to being tossed . Drain and set aside to cool, add a little olive oil to prevent from sticking while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
   
2. Drain the tuna completely, we like tuna so 2 cans is perfect and not overly fishy. Use a fork and break up the tuna in the can, you don't want to mash it, but you also don't want overly large chunks.
3. In a large bowl add 1 can of tuna, 1/2 of the dressing, 1/2 of the peas. Add the entire contents of the drained pasta on top and then top off with remaining 1/2's of the tuna, dressing and peas.
   
4. Fold the ingredients together using a spatula. You want to be careful not to break up the pasta or veggies.
   
5. Cover and cool in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be made no more than 2 days in advance. The pasta and tuna will only incorporate more of the yumminess from the dressing. But anymore than 2 days it goes kinda soggy.

Enjoy!

Holly's Alfredo Sauce

1/2 Tblsp Garlic Puree
1/2 lb Butter
1 quart heavy whipping cream
4 oz milk.
1/2 lb Parmesan cheese
2 oz Fontina cheese
1/2 teasp. salt
1 teasp. black pepper.

Brown garlic puree, then add butter until melted. Add whipping cream and milk.

(it is best to use fresh cheese and grate it before you start cooking the sauce. I've only perfected this with fresh cheese, the already grated does not melt as well and the sauce ends up clumpy.)

Add Parmesan cheese and Fontina cheese a little bit at a time, allowing cheese to melt, along with the salt and pepper.

Stir on med-high until thickens. Turn off heat and continue to stir.

Makes about 8 cups.