Presidential Mac and Cheese.

Macaroni and cheese has been around longer than 1937 when the Kraft Company put it inside a small blue and yellow box.  Traveling back in time to Italy again, remember, those Romans invented meatloaf, with two versions of the origin.

13^th Century Neapolitan cooks were using a recipe called “de lasanis”, sounds a lot like lasagna and for good reason.  Fermented dough sheets were cut into two inch strips, boiled in water, drained and tossed with grated Parmesan cheese.  Whole sheets were also used as a layer between other layers of cheeses and spices, an early version of lasagna.

However, Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, Mary Randolph, is credited for making the American version of macaroni and cheese.  After visiting Italy, Jefferson brought back a pasta making machine, and a recipe for a pasta dish, using Parmesan cheese.  His daughter changed the recipe and substituted Cheddar, as Parmesan wasn’t readily available in Virginia.  Jefferson was fascinated with Italy’s culture and cuisine, and named his home Monticello (pronounced Mont-eh-chello (like the musical instrument – Cello).  Its translation is “hillock” or “little mountain; in 1888, founding residents of Monticello, Utah (there are 16 Monticello towns in the USA) adopted the name for their town, but its pronunciation is Mon-ti-sel-o.  What can I say, Americans are hooked on phonics!

Why do we love macaroni and cheese so much?  It goes back to basic needs for nurturing and comfort.  The taste, smell, texture allows our brain to remember memories long past of being held, comforted, protected.  Then again, put a load of chilies or hot sauce in macaroni and cheese to kickstart memories of wild times that felt just as good as the comforting ones.

Basic recipe for macaroni and cheese typically uses one cheese, but my recipes usually aren’t typical.  Depending on how creative I feel like being, it could be 2-3-4, even 5 cheeses; made in a pot on the stovetop, or baked in the oven for a slight browning and crisping on top.  No matter how many cheeses used, it always begins with the making of a roux (fat plus flour), adding milk to create béchamel sauce (white sauce), then the mixing in and melting of the cheese(s). 

The recipe I’m going to be giving is for the stovetop, but can always be spread into a baking dish for getting that browned, crispy topping.  I named this version of my mac n' cheese "Heart Attack Mac n' Cheese" for a very good reason; anyone who tried it said, "Eat this mac n' cheese every day, and you'll end up having a heart attack!"  I used a friend as a guinea pig, who shared some with her son; she asked if there was any way she could get more.  I considered that request a great complement in itself, so of course gave her another container full.  By the way, I break a rule on making the roux by not using equal parts fat with flour, but once you taste this, forgiveness is easily given.  One more thing, as I'm making the sauce I'm also cooking up the elbow macaroni; that way it all comes together piping hot and fresh.

Ready for a heart attack?

Heart Attack Mac n' Cheese

Ingredients:

16 Tbsp. salted butter

1 cup flour

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. fine sea salt

1 tsp paprika

4 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

2 cups shredded, extra sharp Cheddar cheese

6 cups cooked large elbow macaroni

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, melt the butter on medium-high heat (make sure to watch and not let burn or brown); begin whisking in the flour until well incorporated.  Continue whisking for five minutes as the roux begins to turn a golden color.  Add in the black pepper, sea salt, paprika, heavy cream and milk; bring to a boil. 

Immediately add in the Monterey Jack cheese and begin whisking until smooth; add in the goat cheese, whisk until smooth; repeat with the Cheddar cheese, but one cup at a time.

If you took my advice and cooked the macaroni while making the sauce, drain it, but put it back into the pot it was cooked in.  Once you begin adding the cheese sauce, the heat from the pot will keep it from clotting around the drained pasta.

 

Mix it all together gently; you don't want to smash or break apart the macaroni.  Now serve it up and enjoy; and we found out that even eaten cold, it was delectable!  Servings?  Good question and I'm going to estimate 12 to 16.  While I could only eat a half cup before going into "this is so good!!!" shock, Roy was able to eat a whole cup full and still want more.

Mary Cokenour

The Six Weeks of Farmers/Vendors Markets (Monticello, UT)

Tis the season, the harvesting season and the Monticello Farmers/Vendors Markets are in full swing once again.  The first market was on Saturday, September 1^st, and will repeat for five more Saturdays from 10am to 1pm.  Neither rain, sun nor more rain deterred vendors from selling their wares at Veterans Memorial Park.

Lupe Simpson and husband, Billy featured homemade salsa from her business, Moab Salsa.  With recipes from her grandmother, Lupe uses locally sourced vegetables which helps, not just the local economy, but local farmers as well.  Her salsas are fresh made by fire roasting and peeling tomatoes, onions, tomatillos, and chiles; then mixing in herbs and spices for a tasteful combination.  Heats available are: mild, medium, hot, fire breathing, granny green (green salsa), and Moab sauce (sweet and spicy).  Whether as a dip for chips, topping for beef, chicken, fish or pork, or mixing into a casserole or one pan meal; the freshness of this salsa comes out true!

Small business owners Mandy Hoggard-Woodard and Jennifer Acox have teamed up together to offer the best of PS Petals and Sweet, Tupperware and Kitcheneez.  Mandy’s roses are large, lush, delightfully scented and beautiful; and can be ordered in any color, or a mixture of colors.  Need a special order, just get it to Mandy two weeks before needed, and she can seal the deal.

 

Jennifer is our local Tupperware distributor and buyers of this product can swear by it.  I’ve got Tupperware that I still use, and it was purchased during the 1980s!  Jennifer has all the newest colors, styles and uses available; order by catalog, or better yet, throw a Tupperware party!  But wait, we’re not done with the kitchen yet; Jennifer also offers products from Kitcheneez.  Cake and bread mixes, seasoning packets for meal creation and much more.  If you can’t get to the market, go to the Kitcheneez website (https://kitcheneez.com/), place your order, but make sure to put down Jennifer Acox’s name as your distributor when checking out.  Not only will she get credit for your order, but you’ll get a 5% discount!

Jasmine Anenberg, botanist for Canyon Country Discovery Center, featured “Back to School” sale items.  Microscopes for the budding scientist, or botanist like Jasmine; Kids telescopes and spotting scopes for star or wildlife watching; and 3D Chalk Making kits for sidewalk artists.  All items are 50% off, but teachers, simply show your school ID, and get a whopping 60% off!

Last, but definitely not least, Pam’s Jams; Pam Hanson, Operations Director at Canyon Country Discovery Center, is also a home gardener selling freshly harvested veggies, and homemade jams and jellies.  Ain’t nothing better than fresh from the tree or vine!

The Farmers/Vendors Market will be happening for five more weeks; this is a call out to all home based business owners, home gardeners, farmers or vendors in general.  Bring your own tables, tents and chairs, but most of all bring all your wares!

For more information, go to the Market’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2142005322724434/

Mary Cokenour

The Granary Doing the Dukes Proud.

The Granary Bar and Grill

-located at The Grist Mill Inn-

64 South 300 East

Monticello, UT, 84535

Phone: (435) 587-2597

Website: http://www.thegristmillinn.com/granary-bar-grill/

Hours of Operation:

Sunday – Thursday; 5pm-10pm

Friday and Saturday; 5pm – 1am

The Dukes of Hazzard that is, referring to The Boar’s Nest, local watering hole of Hazzard County and owned by the Dukes’ nemesis, Boss Hogg.  However, the Granary Bar and Grill is located within The Grist Mill Inn, and owned by Monticello residents Ben and Crystal Breedlove.

The concept behind The Granary is 1920s Speakeasy, and there is a long history behind the term “speakeasy”.  1823 England, a “speak softly shop” or “smuggler’s house” referred to an illicit liquor shop; 1880s the word popped up in Pennsylvania to refer to unlicensed saloons.  It was the 1920s and Prohibition Era that most Americans relate speakeasies to.  Al Capone’s Chicago establishments; New York City’s 21 Club, and other popular haunts of the rich and infamous.  Watching “The Untouchables” with leader Elliot Ness, on television; tommy guns blazing during car chases, kegs of booze being smashed apart with axes, flapper girls doing the Charleston and sultry ladies singing the blues.  These were the speakeasies and metropolitan cities immortalized by the news media and Hollywood.

The Breedloves’ speakeasy concept, however, is based upon the southern backwater, small towns with stills hidden in swampy areas, gators for guard dogs, and a sheriff named Bubba.  It was the federal government crackdowns into these areas that helped create one of America’s favorite sports…NASCAR!  Drivers loaded down with cases of bottled moonshine, and kegs of hooch, maneuvered the back country roads at racing speeds to outrun the law.  After Prohibition was appealed, the drivers found themselves easing into stock car races; the need for speed being their new addiction.

Ben, why a speakeasy?  “We love the era and the hidden doors and rooms inside the Grist Mill call out for this idea.  The flour mill is a perfect disguise for a distillery and yes, we will be selling moonshine!”  Phase 1 of the plan has been completed, the bar (including karaoke area) and restaurant.  Phase 2 is the installation of a professional kitchen and a gift shop through which guests will enter the bar through one of the previously mentioned secret doors.

In 1920s speakeasies, “finger foods” were served; easy to walk around with and needed to soak up the alcohol in the system.  Very necessary for when the secret signal was given that the cops were about to raid the joint.  While The Granary has a two page Booze Menu, it’s the two page Food Menu that was more interesting to this foodie.

Local Patrons enjoying the offerings of The Granary Bar and Grill include Monticello's own Cindi Holyoak (hubby Michael was too shy to want a photo taken), Luke Lessner, and Jason Phillips of Canyon Country Discovery Center.

Luke Lessner

Ben and Crystal Breedlove with patron, Jason Phillips

Cindi Holyoak

There’s more to choose from than just finger foods, so be prepared to sit a spell and eat while enjoying a cocktail or icy cold brewski.  For a starter, we chose the Chicken Strips; 3 strips of hand cut chicken breast, deep fried with a coating of crispy, light panko (Japanese bread crumbs used for tempura).  These long strips were perfectly cooked, tender and moist, and the panko gave a delightful crunch to this appetizer.  House made sauces available are ranch, bbq, chipotle, buffalo, ketchup and that Utah favorite, fry sauce.

Main course was burgers, the Triple Bacon Bypass for myself; bacon combined with 6-ounces of  80/20 ground beef (sourced from Kanab Custom Meats, UT) bacon strips adorning the well cooked meat and a spicy chipotle bacon mayo slathered on the bun.  Hubby chose the Bacon Blue Mountain Burger which was highly recommended by my co-worker Jason Phillips, who had been dining at the bar.  This burger was topped with a mound of sautéed onions, caramelized mushrooms and melted bleu cheese.  Both burgers came with a side of red fries, red skinned potatoes lightly fried and seasoned with salt and cracked black pepper.

Dessert was a to die for Bread Pudding with a vanilla hard sauce; soft French bread is used; the sauce is cooked down with a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and, depending on the chef’s mood, either brandy or rum.  This is no ordinary bread pudding, it is a slice of decadence on a plate.  Next time we’re ordering this first; life is short, eat dessert first!

…and let’s meet the chef of The Granary, Robert Lundell, but you can call him Rob.  Formerly of Harmon’s Station Park Cooking School, he was involved in recipe development with many originating via a “mother sauce”.  Sauces were originally invented to cover up the awful taste of rancid meats, but now they are used to enhance the flavors of many dishes, including desserts.  It’s no wonder the vanilla hard sauce on the bread pudding was so amazingly delicious!

The Granary Bar and Grill had its grand opening on Friday, August 31^st; while the Breedloves are now working on Phase 2, we wish them good luck in all their endeavors.

Mary Cokenour

Virgin Limeade