Friday, October 18, 2013

Under the Bed

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be married. I never had that crazy bride gene.  I did not have a Wedding Binder with glitter and ribbons (I have one now though... minus the glitter and ribbons. The one I have is just white), I did not picture my wedding dress train being held by birds or my cake being 5 feet tall. Like I said, as a hopeless romantic, I just wanted to be married and spend my life with someone.

For a while, I pictured myself being married to Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys. I was 9 years old and in love! I had posters of him all over my bedroom walls and the moment my parents told me we were going to a Backstreet Boys concert, my heart skipped a beat. The day of the concert, I wore my best burgundy, corduroy overalls (that really is what I was wearing! I remember that day so vividly) and thought that Nick Carter would see me in the crowd, our eyes would cross, suddenly the world would stop for us and we would be in love! Of course, that did not happen. My taste has since changed drastically improved.



Burgandy Corduroy Overalls

 
Because I wanted to BE married, when I was about 16 or 17 years old, I had started to buy things that I liked that I had no use for then. I thought I could use everything when I were to have my own house with my husband (even though there were still no signs of a potential hubby-to-be). I would buy things like candle holders, drinking glasses, bed throws and kitchen utensils and store them all under my bed. My family would often joke that I would need to buy another bed or elevate the one I had so I would have more "under the bed" space to store my things.
 
Sure enough, by the time Mr. A and I purchased our home, my "under the bed" (just one; no extra bed was required) had reached its maximum capacity. Everything was strategically placed and looked like a perfectly filled wall of Tetris blocks.
 
If everything I just said did not make me sound crazy enough, here's something else. I even had two "Sophie la Girafe" baby chew toys under my bed! For the record though (and to make myself look less crazy), I purchased the chew toys when Mr. A and I were already engaged (hence, knew we wanted kids) and they were at a clearance price! Tania, The Prep Mom!
 
Sophie la Girafe
 

Because Sophie la Girafe is for children, I thought I would share with you all an adult twist of a childhood favorite recipe: Mac & Cheese! This recipe is my version of the one served at the restaurant "Les Enfants Terribles."

 


Grown up Mac & Cheese
yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk (preferably 2%)
- 2 cups (1/2 pound) semi-hard shredded cheeses such as Emmental, aged Gouda and aged Cheddar. The choice of cheeses really depends on your taste.
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. In a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente; drain well.

3. Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour until a paste forms (a roux). Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until thickened.
4. Remove from heat, stir in the mixed shredded cheeses until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Add the macaroni to the hot cheese sauce and stir to coat.
6. Transfer to a ceramic, glass or cast iron dish (or individual mini dishes)and sprinkle on the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 4 minutes, until richly browned. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Note: If you want to be extra indulgent, fry some bacon (cut into thin strips) and add to the cheese sauce-macaroni mixture before baking.

Make ahead: The cheese sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly before adding the macaroni.
 
                                                                                        photo by Macheesmo

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