Flat-Out Fabulous Macaroni and Cheese

Given that I have diabetes, macaroni and cheese isn't on my list of dishes to make. I love it--who doesn't--but like pizza it's the poster dish for all I shouldn't eat. But in August my neighbors decided to have a potluck alley party and I was in need of a dish that adults and kids would love. What better than mac 'n cheese?

Because I'm not an old hand with a favorite dish, I consulted various people in my circle and was told that Chef Flor Franco had made a stunning one recently. She's a good friend so I texted her, asking what her key ingredients were. Her answer? Heavy whipping cream, sharp white cheddar and manchego cheese. Oh, and bacon.

I was with her up till the bacon. I love bacon but I felt it was just one ingredient too many for what I wanted to do, especially if kids were going to eat it. After all, they were likely fans of the blue box. I went shopping for ingredients and found that heavy whipping cream--at least at Trader Joe's was ridiculously expensive. Since most people use milk, I compromised with half and half.

Then there was the actual how-to. You'd be surprised at how many techniques there are for making mac 'n cheese. I know, your mom or grandma's is the best, but I have to say there are a lot of contenders out there. I was drawn to two approaches: Alton Brown and Martha Stewart. It was easy enough to sort out the basics and create my own version using the best of what I found. A little less cooking of the pasta here, the spice combo there, tempering eggs, panko topping. 

Well, it all came together in a bubbling, rich, creamy casserole with a crusty top and lots of flavor. And, friends, I had very little left over to take home. I'll remember it fondly when I munch on a green salad.

Macaroni and Cheese

(printable recipe)

Serves 12 to 16

1 pound elbow macaroni

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

6 cups half and half

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup yellow onion, finely diced

1 bay leaf

2 large eggs, beaten

12 ounces sharp white cheddar, shredded

12 ounces manchego cheese, shredded

Topping

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish and set aside.

Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions. (The pasta will finish cooking while it bakes.) Transfer to a colander, rinse under cold water, and drain well. Set aside while making the sauce.

While the pasta is cooking, in another pot, melt the butter. When it bubbles, whisk in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Stir in half and half, salt, nutmeg, ground pepper, cayenne pepper, onion, and bay leaf. Temper in the eggs by stirring in a little of the milk mixture to the eggs and then adding that mixture to the sauce. Slowly stir in ¾ of the cheese. Whisk constantly until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves.

Stir the macaroni into the sauce. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Mix together the remaining cheeses and sprinkle evenly over the mixture. 

Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter for the topping in a sauté pan and add the panko crumbs. Stir until coated. Top the cheese-covered macaroni with the bread crumbs.

Bake for 45 minutes uncovered or until brown on top. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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Suzie's Farm Hosting Inaugural Dia de los Muertos Celebration at The Grove

My neighborhood in Tierrasanta is transforming itself into a Vincent Price playground of ghosts and pumpkins, skeletons, and rattling chains. Faux and real spider webs drape from trees, and it won't be long until little goblins and superheroes and princesses will begin ringing doorbells for a sugar fix.

But this time of year isn't limited to Halloween. If you want a true celebration of the dead, you've got to give yourself over to Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. It's a special time in Mexico to remember loved ones who have passed and Americans are now embracing it, too.

Suzie's Farm will be hosting a family-friendly Dia de los Muertos party on Nov. 2 from 6 to 10 p.m. at their new two-acre outdoor event space, The Grove. Proceeds will benefit non-profit organizations Kitchen Commandos (which teaches families healthy cooking skills) and The Front Burner Fund (which provides funds to supplement health costs and emergency medical needs for "back of the house" restaurant staff).

So, what will you find at Suzie's Farm that evening? Chef Flor Franco of Indulge Contemporary Catering has lined up chefs including Javier Plascencia (Mision 19), Isabel Cruz (Barrio Star), Andrew Spurgin, Maylin Chavez, and others who will provide tastings inspired by traditional Mexican dishes like mole, sopes, and chile rellenos. There will also be craft cocktails and beverages from Alchemy Cultural Fare and live music from Jazz 88.3's Latin Grooves. And, scads of people like you in costume! Yes, they'd love everyone to dress up!

Tickets are $75 for adults (including two drink tickets), $55 for adults (no drinks), and $25 for children 12 and under. You can purchase tickets on their website.

Suzie's Farm is located at 2570 Sunset Ave. in San Diego, just 13 miles south of downtown San Diego.

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Sabina Bandera's La Guerrerense

I knew my recent overnight trip through Ensenada to Guadalupe Valley with carloads of friends would be charmed after reading this sweet bit of graffiti posted on a tired building as we entered the city: Besos con sabor a no te vayas (Flavored kisses, don't leave) credited to the Ensenada Poetry Society. With our first stop, our caravan enjoyed the sweetest kisses a port town can provide--its seafood--at what at first seemed like a nondescript street cart on the corner of Alvarado and Lopez Mateos called Mariscos La Guerrerense. Don't be fooled and certainly don't be put off by the fact that it's a street cart. The food served here would be equally at home in a white tablecloth establishment--but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun to eat.

Sabina Bandera and Flor Franco enjoying slices of octopus.

My friend chef Flor Franco led us to this surprisingly well-known little eatery now operated by Eduardo Obiedo and his wife, Sabina Bandera, a petite woman with what has to be the most captivating smile in Baja.

Started in 1960 by Eduardo's parents, Alberto Oviedo and Celia Carranza, La Guerrerense is now run by this second generation, despite the fact that as a young woman, Bandera, from a farm in solidly terra firma Guerrero, was a seafood novice. But over the years Bandera, also affectionately known as La Guerita, has become a seafood genius, embracing everything from sea snails and mussels to sea urchins and octopus. She's given name to a business that has chefs and food lovers from around the world clamoring for her simple, yet powerfully flavored fresh seafood dishes. Anthony Bourdain raves about her. There's a promotional photo of the beaming Bandera with Brian Malarkey in front of the cart. And there's always a swarm of customers waiting to be handed a plate of fresh fish on a fried corn tortilla, over which they'll drizzle one of Bandera's many salsas (which you can purchase jars of for about $5 apiece; stay tuned--she's trying to get them into Whole Foods).

There are some 14 types of ceviche available on the black banner menu draped above the back of the cart--made of fish, shrimp, octopus, clams, mussels, sea snails, sea cucumbers, fish pate...

This list goes on and on but no matter what you order, what you get is a perfect balance of sweet seafood, acid, and heat. You can also order more seafood to be sliced on top.

Sliced clam and scallops topped with rich avocado are about to get drenched by one of La Guerrerense's 16 sauces. 

I'm a pretty adventurous eater but I admit to having had some reservations about trying sea snail, above. But being a good sport paid off. These slices of sea snail have the texture and umami of a rich shitake mushroom. Definitely a must try.

Or, you can order anything in a shell, like this black clam ceviche below a dollop of fresh avocado.

Surrounding the cart are boxes of avocados and glowing orange habanero chiles. I can't imagine how much they go through in the course of a day. At the front of the cart is a stack of salsa jars sporting beautifully styled labels and irresistible organic sauces.

Indeed, selecting salsas can be the most time consuming part of the experience. On the day I was there, the sauce of choice by far seemed to be the Chilitos de mi Jardin, peanut halves bathed in a lively chile-infused oil. Not only does the salsa have a spicy crunch that complements the seafood, it looks dreamy on whatever you put it on. I bought a jar, along with the creamy orange Chilito Diablito, which is as fiery as it sounds--but will be perfect used sparingly on tacos or other dishes and added to other sauces to pump up the heat with habanero flavor.

This seafood mix above has everything you want from a seafood cart just blocks away from a sprawling port. Everything is fresh and clean tasting with beautiful textures and a nice bite from the salsas.

One of the staff is preparing a plate of sliced octopus for our group to taste. First, it gets a dousing of lime juice, then a drizzle of hot sauce.

As if this weren't enough, you also get serenaded during your meal by this charming guitarist.

Bandera could charge a lot more than the $5 or so per tostada, but don't come here because it's a bargain. Come if you worship creatively prepared fresh seafood. La Guerrerense is open daily from 10 or 10:30 a.m. until she runs out of food at around 4 or 5 p.m. Look for the large flag pole by the port at Av. Alvarado and then turn left and go down two blocks.


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What is Jewish Food? Find Out at 3rd Annual Jewish Food Festival

Around San Diego, we're big on Mexican food, Japanese food, Chinese, and French. We pretty much go around the world in terms of cuisine. Well, this Sunday, it's time to celebrate Jewish food at the 3rd Annual Jewish Food Festival, hosted by Temple Adat Shalom in Poway.

Running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the event will feature Jewish and Mediterranean foods (everything from bagels and lox, herring, and kugel to knishes, chopped liver, blintzes, and falafel), live music, kids activities, a Food Festival cookbook--bound or CD-- and, chef demos. These, you won't want to miss:

Noon: Ron Oliver of The Marine Room will prepare House-Cured Salmon with Matzoh Brei Blini.

1 p.m.: Flor Franco of Indulge Catering will prepare Moroccan Grilled Fish Brochettes.

2 p.m.: Matt Gordon of Urban Solace and Solace and the Moonlight Lounge will prepare Chicken Liver Mousse, Quick Cured Pickles, and Homemade Matzoh.

3 p.m.: Amanda Baumgarten, soon to be executive chef at Brian Malarkey's Herringbone will make, well, something to be announced later...

4 p.m.: Sara Ploczynski, professor and restaurant consultant, will prepare Tahini-Pistachio Butter Cookies.

There will also be an assortment of noshes from D.Z. Akins, Milton's, and City Deli, and many other vendors. To buy these tastes requires a purchased "nosh card." The details for getting the card are on the event website. The best value is the $54 JFF Family Pack, which includes six paid admissions, $60 in JFF Nosh Cards, and six bonus food credits.

Temple Adat Shalom is located at 15905 Poway Road, across from Sprouts. See you there!

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