WWBBD: Hammy Figure Skaters & Mac n Cheese for Grown-ups

Sincerest apologies for the blogging delay. Things (mostly house hunting) have been busy. And exhausting. Good lord finding a house is a pain that just won't quit. On top of costing amounts of money I haven't handled since I last played Monopoly, checking out houses often leaves Tony and I without time to make a proper meal.

Thank the Almighty for DVR. And for Food Network, which helps us unwind from a long day of property scouting as well as providing ideas for quick and easy meals.

It also provides some seriously campy entertainment. My new culinary guilty pleasure is without a doubt the latest in celeb-tv-food making:

Holy camp, Batman! WWBBM is a 30-minute can of ham. Mr. Boitano is a tad on the fey side at times and his show is about as cheese-tastic as...well, men's figure skating, but he does make some mean eats.

Case in point: Brian Boitano's Cheese Cart Mac n Cheese. It's the adult version of the boxed stuff, complete with toasted bread crumbs. SERIOUS YUM.

Great news! The kind folks over at innBooklyn decided to share some delectable and eco-friendly picnic gear and treats with yours truly. Tony and I get to try out some compostable picnic wear by Wasara whilst chowing down on pickled cauliflower, beets, and peppers. I've not actually had the opportunity to eat any of these, so if you have some recipe ideas for how to enjoy them, feel free to share!

I'm hoping to have some good news (and a second attempt at vegan Mac n Cheese, 'cause I just can't get enough of the stuff) by week's end. And I swear I will get that give away up on the boards. It's good to pass that kind of karma along, right?

Holla...

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Cheese Cart Mac and Cheese

(Recipe courtesy Brian Boitano and the Food Network)

Ingredients:
1 pound orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk, at room temperature
1/4 pound Asiago cheese, shredded
1/4 pound fontina cheese, shredded
1/4 pound Gouda cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Salt

Crunchy Garlic Bread Crumb Topping:

1/4 cup butter

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups fresh bread crumbs, toasted*
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes.
   
   
2. While the pasta is cooking, in a saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk in the flour and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk and whisk well to get rid of all the lumps. Bring to a simmer. Stir in cheeses and season with white pepper and salt, to taste. Drain the pasta from the water and return it back to the pot. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir to combine.
   
   
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the parsley, bread crumbs, and Parmesan. Mix until the bread crumbs are completely coated with butter mixture.
   
   
4. Serve the mac and cheese in small bowls topped with the garlic bread crumbs.

Cook's Note:

If you can't find fresh bread crumbs then cut about a quarter of a loaf of crusty Italian bread into small cubes. Add the cubes in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Put the bread crumbs onto a sheet pan and toast in a preheated 375 degree F oven until lightly brown and toasted, about 8 minutes.