Macaroni and Cheese

Why is it, I wonder, that the two newspapers I have been reading recently have both prominently featured macaroni and cheese in the past week? Granted, there is a new book that was published in November 2005 by Marlena Spieler called Macaroni and Cheese (book promotion anyone?). The book received a mention in the NYT article, but not in the Bergen County Record . Hmm. Interesting also that these two newspapers are printed and distributed within like 25 miles of each other . . . just sayin’ (and no, I didn’t see the Record article until AFTER I had allowed my subscription to lapse).

All that to say, I chose to try the variation mentioned at chocolateandzucchini.com earlier this week instead. I was too lazy to drive 10 minutes to Whole Foods to look for Comte, so I used Gruyere (which they had at Kilroy’s Wonder Market on my way to preschool pickup). I omitted the baby spinach and nutmeg for the kids, and they absolutely loved it, as did I with the added extras!


Tips for cooking pasta (and why was I in my 30s before I learned these?)
1. Fill a large pot with water no more than 3/4 full.
2. Bring the water to a boil with the lid on the pan.
3. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add the desired amount of pasta to the water, along with some salt.
4. Stir the pasta with a wooden spoon to keep it from sticking together.
5. Set the timer to the minimum amount of time written on the box.
6. Do NOT put the lid back on the pan.
7. Give the pasta a good stir every couple of minutes.
8. When the timer goes off, drain the pasta into a large colander in your empty sink. (Test the pasta if you're unsure about its doneness)
9. Shake the colander to get rid of most excess water, and return pasta to pan to continue as your recipe dictates or pour into a warm serving bowl.
10. Eat and enjoy - al dente!