Recipe: Nutty Home - Style Mac & Cheese

One of the most beloved, universal comfort foods out there is none other than a glorious bowl of Mac & Cheese. With so many different variations to choose from, it can be hard to find that one perfect recipe that stands out with diverse flavours, a balanced blend of different cheeses, but above all else the one recipe that just hits the spot each time you take in a bite of the macaroni smothered in stringy cheese goodness.

That is why today I will be sharing with you all an award winning Mac & Cheese recipe that has proven to be a favourite among foodies and critics alike. Alexandra Feswick, Chef de Cuisine at the Drake Hotel in Toronto, emerged victorious in one of Canada's highest profile culinary comfort food battles, Dairy Farmers of Canada's (DFC) Grate Canadian Cheese Cook-Off. Earlier this month, four top chefs from across Canada took the stage in an attempt to create the ultimate Mac & Cheese using Canadian cheeses, pasta, and a little creativity.

Through an esteemed judging panel, Chef Feswick's "Nutty Home-Style Mac & Cheese" recipe was declared victorious. This truly unique Canadian macaroni & cheese experience starts with combining the distinctive nostalgia of home-styled comfort classics such as cheddar, sage and mushrooms, and memorably finishes by pairing them with the luxurious flavours of hazelnuts,  blue cheese, and Jerusalem artichokes. Now you will be able to make her award winning recipe to be enjoyed at the comfort of your very own home.

Souce: www.newswire.ca

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RECIPE

Preparation Time: 45 Minutes

Cooking Time: Approx 48 Minutes

Baking Time: 40 Minutes

Yield 6 Servings

Source: www.dairygoodness.ca

Ingredients:

1 lb (500 g) Jerusalem artichokes, divided
2 tsp (10 mL) vegetable oil
1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) salt
3 cups (750 mL) 2% milk,  divided
1 1⁄2cups (375 mL) 35% whipping cream, divided
1 pkg (150 g) Beech mushrooms, trimmed and separated (about 2 cups/500 mL)
1⁄4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter
3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour
1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) each ground nutmeg and black pepper
1 lb (500 g) cavatelli pasta    
1 1⁄2 cups (375 mL) shredded Canadian 7-year-old Cheddar cheese
1 1⁄2 cups (375mL) shredded Niagara Gold cheese
2/3 cups (150 mL) crumbled Blue d’Elizabeth cheese
1cup (250 mL) shredded Alpindon cheese

Toppings:

1 cup (250 mL) panko breadcrumbs, toasted
1⁄2 cup (125 mL) toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup (60 mL) chiffonade or finely chopped parsley
3 tbsp (45 mL) finely shredded Alpindon cheese
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped sage
1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) salt

All the ingredients you will need!

The blend of cheeses!

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 375°F (160°C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2.    In medium bowl, toss half of the whole, unpeeled Jerusalem artichokes with oil and salt. Place on prepared baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes or until artichokes are soft, easily poked with fork. Place roasted artichokes in blender with 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) of milk and 1⁄2cup (125 mL) of cream; blend on high until smooth. Set aside.

3.    In medium saucepan, combine remaining milk and cream, heat over medium heat until bubbles start to form around the edge of the saucepan and steaming about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.    

4.    Meanwhile, dice remaining Jerusalem artichokes into 1⁄2-inch (1 cm) pieces. Add to heated milk and cream mixture and cook over low heat until soft when poked with a fork, about 20 minutes. Strain Jerusalem artichokes and reserve milk and cream mixture. Return milk and cream mixture into saucepan; add mushrooms and cook on low heat until mushrooms soften, about 3 minutes. Strain mushrooms and reserve milk and cream mixture.

5.    In a clean medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in flour until fully incorporated. Stirring constantly with wooden spoon, cook for 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in reserved milk and cream mixture, nutmeg and pepper. Simmer on low heat, constantly stirring until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes.

6.    In large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and spread on parchment lined baking sheet; set aside. Preheat oven to high broil.

7.    Remove sauce from heat and whisk in oneat a time the Cheddar, Niagara Gold and Blued’ Elizabeth cheeses (the sauce will be thick and stringy with melted cheese). Stir in reserved Jerusalem artichoke puree.

8.    In large pot, mix together sauce, pasta and reserved Jerusalem artichokes and mushrooms until well combined. Transfer into a 13x9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish and sprinkle with Alpindon cheese. Broil on middle rack, until bubbly and top is crispy,  about 5 minutes.

9.    Toppings: In small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, nuts, parsley, Alpindon cheese, sage, and    salt. Sprinkle over hot pasta in dish. Serve and enjoy!

Chef Tip: Combining the pasta with the cheese sauce while they’re both hot helps guarantee a moist and creamy mac and cheese.

Dinner for 6 is served!

Cactus Club Café

As much familiarity its name carries out west, I had not previously heard about the Cactus Club Café.  Finding it downtown Toronto was easy, though.  I could not have possibly missed that gargantuan signage hovering the north side of the First Canadian Place.

As I entered what I observed as an adult-contemporary-meets-millennial-inspired space, I was quickly greeted by the hostess. She motioned to the elevator that would eventually transport me to the rooftop.  My thoughts, thus far? Elevator? Rooftop? Fancy.

The elevator doors parted to unveil the roof terrace, and I was welcomed by the open sky and the sunshine beaming down on me. Sunlight is certainly the truest form of lighting that food photographers favour.  Well played, Cactus.

The restaurant name lends itself to its décor, but not quite in the most literal sense.  I do not remember actually seeing the arid environment inhabitant anywhere.  With a name like it, I envisioned hints of cactus green and shades of desert brown scattered throughout the area.  The place fulfilled that imagery.

Much like the rugged exterior associated with cacti, I felt as though the ambience also had a masculine undertone. I spotted television screens, which were simultaneously airing whichever sports game for that season.  If that is not your thing, do not fret – it is not like a whiskey-scented leather couch in your face kind of feel.  The bright pops of colour in the accents (like the throw pillows), helped neutralize that.  Strings of lights were also strewn across the roof to romanticize the vibe.

Viscerally soaking in the environment and layout some more, Cactus Club fundamentally follows the sameness of any lounge.  There is a bar (in the middle), booths surrounding the perimeter, and tables throughout.  Of course, there was music to match – think along the lines of “Ain’t Nobody” redux with some Drake thrown in there. I quite enjoyed the music.  Really, who would not after two glasses of their scrumptious sangria?

Some minutes into the lunch, the restaurant staff decided to put the retractable roof back to use.  The November air was brisk and there was a bit of a chill, so the blankets and heaters scattered all over the area proved to be practical.

The server relayed that we could have specific dishes or alternatively, that they could bring out samples of the menu.  We opted for the latter.  After all, the Chef should know best.

Much to our hungry stomachs’ delight, the servers presented us with a couple of dishes for each of the three courses (as laid out below).

{Starters}

Ravioli + Prawn Trio - butternut squash and mascaropone ravioli, truffle butter sauce, sauteed jumbo prawns, pine nuts. Cost - $14.50.

Tuna Stack - ocean wise albacore, citrus tamari vinaigrette, nori, sesame, avocado, micro cilantro, wonton chips. Cost - $16

To begin the meal, we ate the appetizer edition of the Ravioli + Prawn Trio as well as the Tuna Stack.  I am not one for raw fish, so heaps of that dish went to my plus one’s belly.  I may not have appreciated the texture of the tuna, but I was certainly pleased with the presentation.  It was so delicate, for a second I thought I was participating in high tea with my pinky up.  It was my friend’s second favourite dish.  I enjoyed the butternut squash and truffle butter flavours of the ravioli, but it was like watching a trailer to an upcoming movie – I wanted more than just a taste!  It was teetering that amuse-bouche definition.

{Mains}

Duck Confit - braised lentils, double smoked bacon, soy - truffle vinaigrette, baby frisee salad. Cost - $26

Sablefish - shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, peking duck broth, fingerling potatoes. Cost - $34.

The next portion was probably our favourite part of the meal.  We liked both of these dishes.  Favourite dish of the day – mine was the Duck Confit, while my friend’s was the Sablefish.  The duck dish stood out to me, not particularly because of the duck itself but more so the lentils.  I never would have thought lentils would speak to me as much as it did in that dish.  Other highlight – the fish was incredibly tender.  Probably unconventional, but if I could have paired the fish with the lentils, all would have been right with the world.  I did not care for the soup base for the fish.  I prefer a heartier, creamier soup, and viscosity was lost on this one.  Plus points were given out for the asparagus, which happens to be one of my favourite vegetables.

{Dessert}

Key Lime Pie - freshly squeezed key limes, graham cracker crust, hand whipped cream. Cost - $8.25.

Velvet Underground - warm caramel foam, crunchy sponge toffee, velvety chocolate mousse. Cost - $6.

As for the sweeter side of things, I enjoyed the key lime pie more than I did with the shooter dessert.  My friend and I were of the same opinion on this.  There is just more to savour on the pie, and the shooter was too strong for someone who regularly observes a caffeine-free diet.

{Drinks}

Signature Sangria - fresh strawberries and raspberries, zinfandel, apricot brandy, sprite and a splash of bellini. Cost - $10.50.

My friend and I had the same drink throughout this brunch.  You guessed it.  The Sangria.  It was so thrillingly delicious.  As soon as I had the first sip (gulp?), the experience pointedly reminded me of this drink from another restaurant/lounge type spot, which had been my sole go-to previously.  Not anymore.  Hands down, the fruity drink lover in me proclaimed this a fave for the long-run.

Overall, I had a wonderful time. The food was tasty – though I cannot say I would necessarily go back for the unconvincing price point.  The atmosphere, however – made it a suitable go-to for a lounge-y, sexy weekend brunch.  But hey, maybe it’s the Sangria talking.  Again, well played, Cactus.

Pedestrian Pat

Lick Your Plate!

For home cooks of all skill levels, the Lick Your Plate cookbook is a must have for anyone looking to brush up on their culinary expertise and add some new delicious recipes to their arsenal. The fun loving authors of Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat are sisters and provide us with 160 easy to follow recipes from appetizers, to soups, fish, meats, brunch, desserts and so much more!

My favourite part of this cookbook is going through the pages upon pages of vibrant, colourful pictures of the food itself so you will know exactly what you will be cooking (and hopefully exactly what your finished dish should turn out to look like). If you're not going to take my word on this, Lick Your Plate has also been highly praised by celebrities within and outside of the food industry such as Jon Bon Jovi, Chris Hadfield, Gail Simmons, Jason Alexander, Chef Michael Smith, and Meghan Markle. This cookbook is a must have on everyone's bookshelf at home and as the title suggests, after you go through a few of their delectable recipes, you will no doubt find yourself licking your plate.