KO for Jen!



Ali and Quinn on the virtual tennis court

THE MENU

Classic Bellinis

Small Bites:

—Marcona Almonds
—House-Marinated Olives
—Humboldt Fog
—Parmigiano with Fig Jam
—Smoked Salmon with Creme Fraiche, Chives, and Lemon Zest
—Navarra White Asparagus and Piquillo Peppers with Tuna Aoli
—Pizza with Gruyere, Caramelized Onions, and Thyme
Plus: Smoked Gouda and Danish Blue Cheese brought over by our friends Jen and Levy (on a cool Brooklyn plate that we got to keep).


The Main Event:

—Spinach and Arugula Salad with Oranges, Almonds, and Red Onion
—Custardy Mac & Cheese

My macaroni & cheese recipe is based on, believe it or not, "President Reagan's Favorite Macaroni & Cheese" from my elementary-school PTA cookbook. I doubled the recipe (because hey, you can never have too much mac & cheese); added chives for color and a hint of oniony-ness; replaced one cup of cheddar with blue cheese for more flavor and one cup of ricotta for a lighter texture; and increased the proportion of egg and milk for maximum custardy goodness. Oh, and I topped the whole thing off with Panko—Japanese bread crumbs—for a nice crunchy crust. I'm proud to say this was truly a bipartisan effort.


CUSTARDY MACARONI & CHEESE

1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked to al dente
4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Maytag Blue cheese
1/2 cup minced chives
2 teaspoons salt
A few grinds black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 eggs
3 cups milk
panko

Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. Combine eggs, milk, ricotta, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large measuring cup, whisking until well blended. Mix cooked pasta with cheddar, blue cheese, and chives in the baking dish. Add milk mixture, stirring to combine. Top with panko and bake about 45 minutes, until set. Let sit for ten minutes before serving.


Categories: Main Dishes, Pasta

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