Decadent Mac n’ Cheese

As part of the modern update for our Midwestern potluck, my test kitchen crew and I decided we absolutely had to take on Mac n’ Cheese. Of course there are a million recipes for it out there, but hey, why not one more. In my opinion, this is where it’s at anyway. Mascarpone and good gruyère… mmmm… The funny part is, that when we tested the update for Decadent Mac n’ Cheese we originally added lobster meat for the dramatic and fancy update ingredient. Though it was good, as we sat around eating and generally enjoying the dish, we all agreed that the lobster was an example of just more, not better. Lobster is so special and delicious (and expensive, particularly when not on the East Coast) that you should probably just save it to be eaten plainish, à la my Lobster Rolls or Lobster Salad with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette. That’s not to say it wasn’t good, we just felt that we didn’t get that much bang for the extra bucks. So, if you’re trying to be extra decadent, feel free to add in a few tails of chopped meat, but in the expert opinion of Susan and Katie, it … Continue reading

Homemade Mint Jello Salad

In May I had the distinct privilege of taking a trip to Chicago to visit two of my favorite Midwestern ladies, Katie and Susan. They also happen to be two of the people I cook with most often, even though we don’t live in the same state. I arrived on a cold and rainy Chicago day and as we pulled away from Midway airport we started brainstorming possible itineraries for a dismal Chicago day. Susan mentioned that her mother recently purchased a vintage jello mold for her from a garage sale for the low low price of $2.00 and she hadn’t yet been able to use her new tool. “Say no more,” I said. The idea for a gussied up Midwestern Potluck was born, and of course, the crown jewel was to be this Homemade Mint Jello Salad.We began to reminisce about Midwestern potlucks and laughed at the difficulty of explaining to outsiders why Jello concoctions go on the regular salad and entrée table and not with the desserts. Don’t let the fruit cocktail or even a little whipped cream fool you. Jello is definitely a salad. We decided on a menu of updated Midwestern specialties. The mission was to … Continue reading