Truffled Mac and Cheese; Broccoli with Pecorino Romano

Today's recipes come from a couple of Food Network stars -- Mario Batali and Ina Garten. Unlike most people, I don't know them from their TV shows.

I don't get that channel.

I know them by the old fashioned way -- their cookbooks. Of course, I consider Batali's to be my go to sources for a wide array of recipes. But I've only dabbled with Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten's creations. This one, however, caught by eye.

It turned out well, even with the substitution of soy milk instead for whole milk. I didn't have gruyere and sharp cheddar, either. So I used some left over Emmenthaler, pepper jack, and a few babybels instead.

Truffled Mac and Cheese (by Ina Garten)

-1 tablespoons unsalted butter

-Good olive oil

-1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced 1/2-inch

-1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced 1/2-inch

-Kosher salt

-1/2 pound pasta such as cavatappi

-1.5 ounces white truffle butter, such as D'Artagnan

-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

-1/2 quart whole milk, scalded

-6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (2 cups)

-4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (1.5 cups)

-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg   

-1 garlic clove, chopped

-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

-3/4 cup fresh white bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan, add the mushrooms, and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are tender; Add the sherry and continue to saute for a few more minutes, until the sherry is absorbed. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente. Drain well.

Meanwhile, melt the truffle butter in a large (4-quart) saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the white sauce is thickened and creamy. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1/2 tsp salt, the pepper, and nutmeg.

Combine the pasta, sauce, and mushrooms in a large bowl and pour them into a 10 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish.

Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until they're minced. Add the bread crumbs and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown. Serve hot.

Broccoli with Pecorino Romano (by Mario Batali, Molto Gusto)

-kosher salt

-1 large bunch broccoli ( about 1 1/2 pounds)

-1/2 cup coarsely grated pecorino romano cheese

-2 tablespoons warm water

-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-Maldon salt or other flaky sea salt and fresh coarse ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt; Cut off the thick broccoli stalks, and cut the broccoli into 1-inch florets with about 1 inch of the tender stalks; Reserve the stalks for another use; Add the broccoli to the boiling water and blanch until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes; do not overcook; Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking; drain well and pat dry; Put the pecorino in a large bowl and whisk in the warm water; Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the oil to make a loose emulsion; Add the broccoli and toss to coat; Season with Maldon salt, if necessary, and with pepper; Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

La Stracciatella

We refer to it as "sick soup." Though unappetizing in name, this is one of those soups that Italian American tradition says will help you recover from a wide array of ailments.

Possibly. At the very least, it provides a nourishing, tasty meal while one recovers from the misery of a cold. At that, the psychological benefits are immense.

According to Malpezzi and Clements, the authors of Italian American Folkore, la stracciatella was indeed commonly known in immigrant communities as a "soup of documented therapeutic and recuperative virtues." Originally, it was made with a whole chicken - head, feet and all - which was boiled with aromatics and served with egg and cheese. I use Mario Batali's version as a starting point, which uses inexpensive chicken parts instead.

His "brown chicken stock," I think, is one of the best simple stock recipes out there. Double the ingredients for a larger batch and freeze for later.

La Stracciatella 
(Recipe by Mario Batali)

-6 cups chicken stock, recipe follows
-3 eggs
-3 tablespoons semolina
-3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano
-1 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped
-Pinch nutmeg
-Salt and pepper

Measure out 1 of the 6 cups chicken stock and refrigerate so that it is cold; In a large stock pot, bring the remaining 5 cups of chicken stock to a boil; In a large bowl, combine the cold broth, eggs, semolina, cheese, parsley and nutmeg and whisk until well blended; Whisk the mixture into the boiling stock and reduce heat to low; Continue to whisk for 3 to 4 minutes; Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and divide evenly among 6 warmed soup bowls; Serve immediately, topped with more grated cheese if desired.

Brown Chicken Stock:
-2 tablespoons EV olive oil
-3 1/2 pounds chicken wings, backs, and bones
-2 carrots, coarsely chopped
-2 onions, coarsely chopped
-2 leeks, coarsely chopped
-2 tablespoons tomato paste
-1 tablespoon black peppercorns
-1 bunch parsley stems

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over high heat until smoking; Add chicken parts and brown; Remove the chicken and reserve; Add the carrots, onions, leeks to the pot and cook until soft and browned; Return the chicken to the pot and add 3 quarts of water, the tomato paste, peppercorns, and parsley; Stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge the browned chicken and vegetables bits from the bottom of the pan; Bring almost to a boil, then reduce heat and cook at a low simmer, about 2 hours, occasionally skimming excess fat. Remove from heat, strain; Cool then refrigerate stock in small containers for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.

Asparagus Soup

It happened again. At this time of year - especially if we've just had our first run of warm spring days - I head to the market and buy the first asparagus of the year.

I know. I know. I know. It's from Mexico. I should wait until the local stuff comes in a few weeks from now... But each year, I just can't seem to wait.

I decided to start off this season with a really simple recipe...plenty of time to get fancy when the local crop comes in.

Asparagus Soup
-1 or 2 bunches of asparagus, rinsed, trimmed, chopped, tips and woody stems reserved
-4 cups low sodium chicken broth
-1 cup water
-1 tbsp EVOO
-1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
-1 garlic clove, minced
-Pinch crushed red pepper
-Coarse salt
-1 cup baby spinach
-1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, more to taste
-Cream or soy milk, optional

Bring stock and water to a boil; place reserved woody ends into stock and simmer to infuse stock with asparagus flavor for 20 minutes; remove stems with strainer and discard; Add tips to the pot and blanch for 1 minute; Remove with strainer and put immediately into an ice bath - to be used at end as garnish; In another pot, cook onions and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes; Add stock to pot with onions and garlic; Add chopped asparagus; Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes; Remove from heat and add spinach; puree with an immersion blender until smooth; add cheese; add salt to taste.

Serve garnished with asparagus tips and cheese; For cream of asparagus soup, stir in small amount of cream or soy milk before serving and heat through

Cheese Enchiladas with New Mexico Style Red Chile and Fried Egg

K promises me that she is not Italian. I don't really believe her.

Right about now, she is gallivanting around northern New Mexico with her folks, who are out in Jicarilla Apache lands teaching school for a semester.

I myself have not been back to the Land of Enchantment since grad school. But if and when I go, I can pretty much guarantee that I'll spend the whole time in restaurants... green and red chile at every meal... breakfast, lunch, and dinner... No exceptions.

Not K. Every time that I call, they are in the midst of preparing pasta alla puttanesca or risotto alla milanese or some other dish straight out of the Mediterranean.

Not Italian??? Come on.

So to make up for the lack of chile consumption out west, I decided to make a batch of enchiladas here in the east. I make an attempt at New Mexico style red pod chile every once in a while, but still don't have a perfect technique. Here's the latest try.

New Mexico Style Red Chile Sauce

-12 New Mexico Red Chile Pods (or other pods depending on accessibility)

-36 oz. water or chicken stock

-½ tsp. salt

-2 cloves garlic, minced  

-½ tsp. oregano

-2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

-2 Tbsp. unbleached flour

Roast pods in 200 degree oven for 5 minutes or until fragrant; Remove stems and seeds from chile pods. Rinse; Place chile pods in a saucepan and pour water to cover pods. Bring to a boil. Cover. Simmer over low heat 20 minutes. Drain and discard water; Place pods in a food processor or blender with ¼ - ½ of the chicken stock. Add salt, garlic and oregano. Process or blend pods until smooth; In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add flour and stir until golden brown, making a roux. Remove from heat; Add blended chile to roux and stir until any lumps dissolve; Return to heat and slowly combine the rest of the stock with chile to achieve a tomato sauce consistency; Simmer 10 minutes. Makes approximately 20 oz.

Option: Add more water and/or low sodium broth for thinner consistency. For thicker sauce use 24 to 30 oz. of stock instead of 36 oz.

Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce

I get it. Recipes are just out there. They are in books, in newspapers, on television shows, and on food blogs. They get passed from person to person, kind of like how great grandmother's recipe for slow-cooked tomato sauce is now your own.

But sometimes it seems like recipes are stolen.

I pulled this recipe off of some food blog. The blogger gave full credit to the blog where she found it. I'm fine with that. I take stuff from other people's blogs all of the time, tweak it, and post it with my alterations. No problem.

But this particular blog was one of those sterile, graphic-designed, professional-looking ones with all of the social media bells and whistles and absolutely no personality whatsoever. It is the kind of blog where you cal tell that the person is really doing it to pocket some revenue from advertisements... And on this blog, there were plenty of ads.

Taking a recipe for your own personal use is one thing... but using it to pull in a pay check is another.

Well enough of that. Here's the rant-inducing recipe... It's not even a Mediterranean one, so why am I even getting worked up?

Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce
(ORIGINAL recipe from www.recipegirl.com)

-2 (7-ounce) packages udon noodles
-1/4 cup peanut butter
-2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
-2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
-2 tablespoons rice vinegar
-1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
-1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
-1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
-1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 cup cooked broccoli florets or bok choy
-1 cup shredded carrot
-1 cup baby spinach

Cook udon noodles according to package instructions; In a large saucepan combine peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, cornstarch, and chili flakes, cook over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes until combined; stir in carrot and broccoli or bok choy and cook for 1 minute; turn off heat and add spinach’ combine until spinach is wilted and serve.