Here at the O'Clair Inaugural Dinner, good food was had by all. My Baracaroni and Cheese was a success, my angel biscuits could not have risen higher, and Cousin Al's Obamatini was the perfect cocktail for the event. We also enjoyed a beautiful healthy spinach salad that Eden made, some roasted asparagus, roast chicken with pan juices, and Carmela's yummy walnut bread for desert. We had a lot of fresh raw vegetables for appetizers, so I could pretend this was a heart and figure-friendly meal. My husband put aside our political differences and enjoyed the party atmosphere. I wonder if it is hard for our children growing up in this blended family of ours. It is certainly not easy for Dennis.
I enjoyed making these corsages at work and only wish I had thought to make them soon enough to send one to my friend Sue Ann so she could wear it tomorrow in Texas. I love the little picture of our President Elect in there, and the blue star garland makes it festive.
Like many things, my blogging has fallen by the wayside since I went back to work. My husband and children have adjusted well to the changes and I continue to wade through the day rushing to get home, a bit disconnected and out of balance with our lives. There are things about my job that I really like, and I am in an environment that stimulates my creativity - then I come home and have no time to create. I was lucky to have all those years at home, and my perception of time seems to be changing.
So, for those of you that have been emailing me asking for this recipe - here it is:
Baracaroni and Cheese
Start by grating your cheese.
I used 8 ounces of
Guyere and 16 ounces of white cheddar.Boil one pound of pasta al dente in salted water, then rinse well with cold water. I use Barilla Pipettes. I love the macaroni shape, they don't get mushy, and the little ridges let the sauce cling.
In a skillet, brown some chunks of ham. I use a ham steak cut into cubes large enough that Dennis can push them around his plate in disgust before picking them out. Yesterday, while I was making this, Dennis stated that if not for our very different feelings about ham, he and I would have the perfect marraige.
So why do I put ham in Baracaroni and Cheese? Because no matter what my in-laws believe, and no matter what you may have read on the internet, President Obama is not a Muslim, so if he stopped by for dinner, I could feed him pork. Also, ham and cheese is yummy. And just a reminder, you should not believe everything you read online. You do not have to boycott Target. It is not a French company and the Veterans of the great war will not be harmed if you shop there. Now on to the making of the Baracaroni and cheese...
In a sauce pan, melt 4 Tablespoons of Butter. add 4 Tablespoons of flour and stir to make a nice roux. Let it bubble up a little so the flour cooks, and while constantly stirring add 4 1/2 cups of milk. Whisk this together while singing "Little Pink Houses." By the end of the song, the sauce should be coming up to a boil. Keep whisking while you sing the "Oh ah Oh ah Oh hoe hoe Oh Hoe!" part a few times. By the time you get to that part, the sauce should be nice and thick. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a good amount of freshly grated black pepper, a nice amount of freshly grated nutmeg. I used a lot of nutmeg. Then add the Grated Cheese.
Dump your cooked macaroni and ham chunks into the sauce pot and stir well. Pour this into a butter
ed casserole dish. Slice the crusts off of 6 - 8 pieces of Rye bread, and tear the bread into crumbs. Melt few tablespoons of butter in a frying pan and add the bread crumbs. Dump into this mixture 1/2 cup of grated Parmesean, Romano or Locatelli cheese and toss well.
Spread bread crumbs over the macaroni and cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until all goey and brown and toasty and delicious.
This makes enough to easily serve 35 skinny people, or 12 people who are willing to toss all concerns about fat and cholesterol to the wind!
Here is a shot of Cousin Carmela, modeling her Inaugural corsage and as she brings the macaroni to the table.
I am sure glad my children are old enough that they will remember tomorrow's festivities. They will both be watching the event in school. I will be listening on Eden's old fashioned transistor radio at my desk at work, where... gasp..sputter..shudder in disbelief, I don't have a computer and there is no internet access.
