oh my, I MUST rave about this one dish dinner....

[mike_c]

It doesn't get much simpler than this-- one pot baked macaroni and cheese, and a nice white wine. I was going to make a salad, but didn't really need one. The mac and cheese recipe is the one from Anna Thomas' first version of The Vegetarian Epicure, one of the first cookbooks I bought, 30 years ago. I posted a copy of the recipe, more or less, here http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=236&topic_id=14913&mesg_id=15465

I made a half recipe-- I live alone-- all in one oven-safe 2 1/2 qt pot (which left PLENTY for leftovers-- I only ate about a third of it for dinner). Cooked the pasta first and grated the cheeses, then made the bechamel-- warmed the milk in the microwave-- and added the cheese while the pasta sat in the strainer. Used COPIOUS amounts of fresh black pepper. Stirred in the pasta to mix well, topped with fresh sourdough bread crumbs, then put the pot o' cheesy goodness into the oven for 25 minutes. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my Calphalon hard anodized pots?-- cook pasta, make bechamel, convert to cheese sauce, add macaroni, then bake, all in the same pot.

Popped open a bottle of 2003 Toasted Head chardonnay, which I'm finishing now. Oh that's so good! The amazing thing about this dinner is that it's so simple-- like I said, I didn't even bother with the salad-- yet deeply satisfying. Got a cat on my lap as I type this, and Billy Bragg on the stereo. Life is good.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Oh, my.......

It does sound perfect. Cozy. Yummy. I'm not even hungry, and now I'm hungry.

Parenthetically, the new Wilco album - "Kicking Television: Live In Chicago" - is just great.

Not as good as your mac and cheese, but maybe almost, hmmmm?

[mike_c]

2. I haven't heard it-- that sounds like an endorsement!

Now it's on my list-- I hadn't heard that it was out. Thanks!

[Shakespeare]

3. That sounds so good I could weep.

It's gloomy and rainy here in Santa Rosa, and that sounds like the PERFECT comfort food. For me. For lunch. Right NOW.

[mike_c]

4. yep, the same here, and guess what I'm going to warm up for lunch....

:9

[Shakespeare]

5. Oh, sure, torture me.

I'll be having whatever I can get the fastest that'll keep me from getting completely soaked. Prolly a french dip from Arby's (I know, it's awful. Feel sorry for me).