Lobster Mac and Cheese – Only Looks Hard

Every once in a while I post a video that makes a recipe look way harder than it is, and this “simple” lobster macaroni and cheese is one such dish. The problem has to do with the fact that for this kind of recipe, we’re preparing each of the main components simultaneously.    

While you finish your cheese sauce, you cook your pasta; in between stirs you cut up your lobster, and make your breadcrumbs. Nothing technically difficult, but since I decided to film the steps in the order I did them (instead of prepping things ahead and filming each component start to finish), this does look kind of daunting. It’s not.

You can actually prep these ahead, and bake before that romantic, possibly Valentine’s, dinner. You probably want to take them out and let them warm up for 30 minutes before before baking. By the way, only bake these until the tops are browned, and the inside is just hot. If you leave them in past that point, you’re risking the cheese breaking, and things will get greasy.

As far as the lobster goes, tails are pretty easy to find, and one 5 or 6-ounce tail per person is plenty with the rich, cheesy macaroni. Of course, you’ll want to check to make sure your sweetheart isn’t allergic to shellfish, because that would be a little awkward. Otherwise, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:

2 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 lobster tails (5-6 oz each)

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups cold milk

cayenne to taste

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

pinch ground nutmeg

few drops Worcestershire sauce

4 ounces grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 1 generous packed cup)

1 ounce grated Gruyere cheese (about 1/3 cup)

1 generous cup elbow macaroni (1 cup, plus a tablespoon or so)

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

*Note: Like I said in video, make sure your mac and cheese mixture is wet and saucy in the pan, otherwise it might get dry when it bakes. Don’t be afraid to add a splash of the pasta water to loosen things up.

For the crumbs:

3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter, or enough to moisten
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano 

 - Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until browned

Onion Soup and Something for the Slow Cooker People

I’m not sure where you live, but for the sake of this post let’s assume the weather is terrible. With that in mind, I thought I’d repost our two French onion soup recipes, as well as this link to an article by Vanessa Greaves, on using a slow cooker to make caramelized onions.

I have a small, but passionate group of viewers that regularly submit food wishes for slow cooker recipes, but for whatever reason I can never seem to make it happen. To very nominally make up for that, I’d hope you check her post out, and maybe give it a try. If you do, you can use them in either of these great soup recipes. Just click on the title, and away you go. Enjoy!

	French Onion Soup Don't let the bad photography fool you; this is one great soup recipe.
	American French Onion Soup I show how to use an oven to caramelize the onions, instead of the traditional stove top. You know, in case you don't have a slow cooker.

Fresh Raspberry Sauce – Easy and Effective

As promised, here’s the fresh raspberry sauce we served with our recently posted chocolate decadence cake. While originally intended to be a companion video for that dessert, this stuff is so beautiful and delicious, you and your Valentine may not even need the cake.

Like I mentioned in the video, this will absolutely work even if you use frozen raspberries, but nothing compares to the flavor of the sauce if you can somehow find and use fresh raspberries.

Of course, that’s only half the battle, because the real key, besides the fresh fruit, is not overcooking the sauce.  We don’t want to boil and reduce this mixture. We’re not trying to make a thick heavy syrup, but instead a light, fresh, and vibrant pool of raspberry goodness.

This was perfect with our chocolate decadence, but would be equally as effective with pretty much any quality, store-bought dessert; in particular cheesecake, or vanilla ice cream. I’ve checked with the legal team, and even if you put this on something from the market, you’re still allowed to technically call your dessert "homemade."

By the way, if this gorgeous sauce doesn’t help you seduce the object of your desire this Valentine’s Day, don’t be too upset, as it probably wasn’t meant to be. So good luck, and I hope you give this fresh raspberry sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 Cups Fresh Raspberry Sauce:

4 half-pint baskets of fresh raspberries (1.5 pounds), rinsed, drained

2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1/4 cup sugar, or more to taste

*0 to 4 tablespoons water, depending on desired thickness

*Depending what you’re going to serve the sauce with, you may want to add some water before cooking the berries. If you want something a little thicker, to serve over ice cream for example, then don’t add any water. On the other hand, if you want and lighter texture like I did, toss in a few tablespoons of water before heading to the stove. Be careful; we’re not boiling and reducing the sauce, so we can’t cook out excess liquid.

Chocolate Decadence - The Eighties Most Iconic Dessert

This “flourless” chocolate cake was all the rage in the 1980’s, and looking back, it all makes sense. As I vaguely remember, the decade celebrated decadent overindulgence, and this dessert is that, and more. By modern standards, this cake is ridiculously rich. In fact, some of you may find it too intense, but most true chocolate fiends will be in heaven.

This was invented by chef Narsai David, in Berkeley, California, and while close to the original, I bumped up the ingredient amounts a bit, so we can use a standard 9-inch pan.  Also, he doesn’t use cayenne. By the way, if you don’t use the same chocolate I did (milk, white, etc.), I can’t tell you what will happen, because I don’t know.

I dusted the buttered pan with flour, because that’s how Mr. David does it, but my sources in the pastry world tell me that cocoa may be a better choice, since it won’t leave a light film. Doesn’t bother me, but I have to write something for these posts. 

Be careful not to overcook this. It goes for a relatively short time in a hot oven, so while mine took about 14 minutes, you should start checking around 13. The top will be just barely set, with a jiggle below the surface. If it’s really soupy, then leave it another minute and check again.

This is best served very cold. It’s easier to cut, and I enjoy the texture more than at room temp. As I mentioned, stay tuned for the raspberry sauce video, which I’ll post on Friday. That will give you plenty of time to practice both for Valentine’s Day. I hope you give this a try soon.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for one 9-inch cake pan (this is extremely rich cake, so you can easily get 12 to 16 servings):

18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (62% cacao)

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon flour

5 large eggs, room temp, or slightly warm for best results

tiny pinch of cayenne and salt

- serve with ice-cold fresh raspberry sauce

* Bake at 425 F. for probably 12-15 minutes depending on the oven, until just barely set, with a jiggle below the surface. The cake will firm up as it cools.

TIP: If you want to remove your cake from the pan for presentation, just set it in a pan of hot water for a minute, and it will pop right out. 

Beef and Barley Stew – Cold Enough for You?

We’re currently right in the middle of stew season, and this beautiful bowl of beef and barley would be perfect for your next super-storm. 

Nope, we can’t do anything about our crazy weather, at least according to a handful of climate scientists employed by the oil industry, but what we can do something about, is what we’re going to eat while we watch the snow pile up.

When it comes to stick-to-your-ribs stews, it doesn’t get any better than shank.  There’s so much gelatin-producing connective tissue, that it makes an especially satisfying sauce for your meat and grain. 

Speaking of grain; I use something called “naked barley,” which I thought was just a catchy name for polished, or “pearl barley," but apparently it’s actually a rare variety where the hull comes off naturally during harvesting. I still say it’s a clever marketing ploy, but no matter which barley you choose, you’re still going to just cook it until tender.

By the way, with recipes like this be sure to have some extra broth or stock on hand, in case your stew gets too thick at the end. And yes, you can add extra liquid and easily turn this into a stellar soup. If you can find some fresh horseradish root, I highly recommend trying my snowy garnish. It really adds a nice, little sharp counterpoint to the sticky stew. I hope you give it a try soon.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for four servings:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds beef shank (2 thick slices), seasoned generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
2/3 cup diced celery
2/3 cup diced carrots

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 cup pearl or naked barley

salt to taste (if it tastes bland, you need more salt)

freshly grated horseradish root

- Cook beef shank until tender, then remove, and cook the barley in the stewing liquid until tender. Heat beef in cooked barley. That's it.

Seattle Wins Super Bowl XLIX! The Bones Were Right!

You saw it. I saw it. The whole world saw it. The Seattle Seahawks had Super Bowl XLIX won. All they had to do was give the ball to the best running back in football, and it was over. Two yards, a cloud of dust, and they’re the champs.

But, inexplicably, a pass was called, and defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory. It will undoubtedly go down as the dumbest, most ridiculous, and perplexing coaching decision in the history of sports. So, why did it happen?

Did the Patriots have compromising photos of Pete Carroll, and use them to blackmail him into throwing the game? Or, maybe he's crazy? Is he crazy? Or, did New England somehow tamper with the chicken bones I used? Hey, I wouldn’t put it past them. Unfortunately, we may never know for sure, but what we do know is this; the bones were right, again.