Winter Soul Food: Macaroni and Cheese

From Denny: Mac 'n' Cheese is a family favorite all year 'round here in south Louisiana and throughout America. These days chefs create their own versions from a wonderful assortment of cheeses. Since President Obama was elected the national spotlight has been on the city of Chicago. This chef and his restaurant are located in The Windy City.

Chef Chiakulas was one of those precocious kids who liked to cook at an early age. By the age of 10 years old he opened his first "restaurant" serving cheese sandwiches and hotdogs to his brothers for a price: 10 cents! Now that he's all grown up he specializes in comfort food with grown-up taste and clever artistic touches to tantalize the most picky or discriminating diner.

Mity Nice Grill - Lettuce Entertain You
Water Tower Place (Mezzanine Level)- between 1st and 2nd floors.
835 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
312-335-4745

Mac and Jack is served at Mity Nice Grill for $9.95 at lunch and $11.95 at dinner.



Mac and Jack

From: Chef John Chiakulas of Mity Nice Grill, Chicago

Serves: 4 restaurant side dish servings - which is more like serving 6 to 8 at home.

INGREDIENTS

For sauce:

• 5 ounces grated white Cheddar cheese
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/3 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/3 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese

For baked macaroni:

• 2 1/2 cups of Mac and Jack sauce
• 2 1/2 cups cooked pipette (fancy macaroni)
• 2 pinches of kosher salt and pepper
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 tablespoons seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 pinches chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

For sauce:

Bring all the ingredients to a boil, whisking until the cheeses are completely melted and well mixed. Do not reduce. Strain out the chili flakes. Set aside.

For macaroni:

Heat the sauce in a skillet until boiling.

Heat the cooked pasta in boiling water for 15 seconds, drain and add to the sauce.

Add the salt and pepper while tossing to combine.

Pour about 1/4 of the pasta into 2 separate bowls and top each with a 1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Add the remaining pasta, splitting between the two bowls and top with ¾ cup of shredded Jack cheese each.

Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs over each one and place under the salamander or broiler.

Cook until golden brown, adding a pinch of chopped parsley to each bowl before serving.

*** Thanks for visiting and Bon Appetit!

Video and Recipes: Lobster Grits Polenta, Turkey Andouille Sausage Grits Casserole

From Denny: In the South grits (polenta to the uninitiated) are popular food around the clock. They are satisfying on the tummy, easy and quick to make, real crowd pleasers in the form of a casserole and chock full of calcium. Now if we could just change the name to something more pleasing to the ear like "polenta." :)

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Lobster cheese grits

From: Barbara Smith, author of "B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style." She specializes in reducing calories of favorite Southern food without sacrificing the flavor.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3.5 cup seafood broth or stock, or bottled clam juice
• 0.75 cup old-fashioned stone-ground grits
• 0.25 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 0.5 cup Fontina cheese, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon, or ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 cup cooked diced lobster
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
• Chopped scallions, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, bring the seafood broth to a boil and slowly stir in the grits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 12 to 14 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Stir in butter, paprika, cheese, tarragon and lobster. Continue cooking until cheese is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped scallions.

Note: For thicker grits, decrease the amount of liquid; for thinner grits, increase the amount of liquid.

Turkey Andouille sausage and cheese grits casserole

From: Barbara Smith, author of "B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style"

Serves: 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

• 0.5 pound cooked crumbled turkey Andouille sausage
• 3 cup low-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup uncooked quick grits
• 1.5 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoon butter, plus more for greasing pan
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Hot pepper sauce to taste, optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the inside of a 2-quart casserole or 8-inch square baking dish, or coat with non-stick cooking spray.

In large saucepan, heat chicken broth and salt to boiling over high heat. Slowly stir in grits and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove pan from heat; stir in 1 cup of the cheese and the butter, stirring until melted. Set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the eggs, sausage, parsley and hot sauce, if using. Pour the grits mixture into the prepared casserole and spread evenly.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining ½ cup of cheese. Continue baking until the center is slightly puffed and set (when a knife comes out clean or it springs back when lightly pressed), and top is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

*** Thanks for visiting, everyone, have a great weekend and come back often!

Recipe: Chocolate Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Image by RIPizzo via Flickr

From Denny: Here is an unusual recipe using chocolate in a pudding! What a delightful site: best-chocolate-recipes.

It's well known often the best cooks for centuries have been the African-Americans of the American Deep South. Sadly, this wonderful tradition of soul cooking was born out of slavery. The best of those tragic times endures, coming down to us through history. What endures is their sense of innovation, trying unusual combinations and perfecting those recipes for home cooking, becoming family favorites.

Part of what Louisiana is known for is the French tradition of using up leftovers as good ingredients for the next dish. Leftover cornbread is usually just reheated or pan-fried in a little butter (clarified butter at our house for cholesterol reasons). But this is certainly a new and wonderful twist! And with chocolate! Does life get any better? :) Enjoy!

This Chocolate Cornbread Pudding is served with Whiskey Sauce.

Tip: For a healthier, and lighter pudding, use two cups of milk instead of half and half.

Ingredients:

4 beaten eggs

1 cup of brown sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

6 pieces day-old cornbread cut into cubes

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Mix all ingredients together, but save 2/3 cup of chocolate chips. Allow mixture to sit for half an hour until the liquid has softened the cornbread. Pour into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle the remainder of the chocolate chips on top. Bake until firm. Check after about 40 minutes.

Whiskey Sauce

½ cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 well beaten egg

1 ½ cups heavy cream

¼ cup whisky, or more as desired

Melt butter and sugar in saucepan over low heat. Stir often. Add one beaten egg. Stir. Remove from heat and cool. Add whisky and cream. Beat until light. Chill for one hour before serving.

Serve chocolate cornbread pudding recipe soul food warm or cold, with sauce. Enjoy.

Recipe: Chocolate Cornbread Pudding

Image by RIPizzo via Flickr

From Denny: Here is an unusual recipe using chocolate in a pudding! What a delightful site: best-chocolate-recipes.

It's well known often the best cooks for centuries have been the African-Americans of the American Deep South. Sadly, this wonderful tradition of soul cooking was born out of slavery. The best of those tragic times endures, coming down to us through history. What endures is their sense of innovation, trying unusual combinations and perfecting those recipes for home cooking, becoming family favorites.

This Chocolate Cornbread Pudding is served with Whiskey Sauce.

Tip: For a healthier, and lighter pudding, use two cups of milk instead of half and half.

Ingredients:

4 beaten eggs

1 cup of brown sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

6 pieces day-old cornbread cut into cubes

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Mix all ingredients together, but save 2/3 cup of chocolate chips. Allow mixture to sit for half an hour until the liquid has softened the cornbread. Pour into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle the remainder of the chocolate chips on top. Bake until firm. Check after about 40 minutes.

Whiskey Sauce

½ cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 well beaten egg

1 ½ cups heavy cream

¼ cup whisky, or more as desired

Melt butter and sugar in saucepan over low heat. Stir often. Add one beaten egg. Stir. Remove from heat and cool. Add whisky and cream. Beat until light. Chill for one hour before serving.

Serve chocolate cornbread pudding recipe soul food warm or cold, with sauce. Enjoy.