I'm Back -- sort of

I missed this blog! And thank you to those who've been waiting patiently (and not so patiently) for me to update. Well, I'm all moved in, but not unpacked. I do have the kitchen in working order. As soon as I figure out some storage options for the things with plugs, I'll be good to go!

Anyhoo, here is the last blog-worthy meal I prepared in the old joint. I was so inspired by Giada De Laurentiis' Artichoke Gratinata one weekend, I made it that day. I paired it with the best non-cornmeal-fried fish I'd ever made. Here's how I did it:

Lots of garlic. For real. You need it for the both dishes.

Warm your olive oil and sauté the garlic until fragrant. Add the artichoke hearts, parsley, salt and pepper.

Don't forget the red pepper flakes! Spicy is good.

The recipe calls for the artichokes to brown on the edges, which should take about three minutes. A. I had a wimpy stove and B. I wanted more color. Here's my attempt:

Moving on. Throw in some chicken broth and Marsala. I love any recipe with liquor. Aah. The bargain that is Trader Joe's chicken broth.

Now cook all of this juiciness down for a bit.

The recipe calls for transferring to a baking dish. The beauty of my All-Clad Petite Braiser is that it's stove-top and oven ready. You're also supposed to melt some butter and make some bread crumbs. Enter my frozen homemade bread crumbs. I try to always have some on hand.

Toss with some Parmesan cheese and sprinkle on top of the artichokes. Bake until golden.

Giada paired this with cod, so I thought I'd give that a try too. She rocked hers with Lima beans, yuck. My love for anything garlic, capers and kalamata olives goes deep. Why not slide all of that goodness on some fish?

I grabbed a nonstick skillet and added some olive oil.

I seasoned the cod very simply -- Greek seasoning, black pepper and a touch of kosher salt.

Now, I know this makes me suspect, but I love well-done fish. I know the rule says that if it flakes, it's overcooked. My rule is: if it doesn't flake, keep cooking! Anyway, look at that gorgeous color. I browned it this well on one side.

Remove the fish from the pan and get thee to some foil and make a pouch for the fish. Let the fish rest while you prepare the adornment. Here's the fish after resting. See? It wasn't dry.

Using the fishy nonstick skillet, add a little olive oil and sauté the garlic until fragrant. Throw in the olives, capers, a little butter, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Place this on top of the fish, reseal the pouch and get thee to a barely warm oven (225 degrees or maybe I used 300. I can't remember.) Here's what you'll have when it's done. I'm looking at the monitor doing my food dance because I have to admit it looks good. Plate and eat, Baby!

Tools of the trade:

• Shun Chef's Knife
• Totally Bamboo Butcher Block
• All-Clad Petite Braiser
• All-Clad 10" Nonstick Skillet
• OXO Wooden Turner

Grown & Sexy Mac & Cheese

I had the pleasure of staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina Del-Rey in December. My first night at the hotel, I spotted the $19.00 mac and cheese on the menu. Y'all know I couldn't pass this up! Truffles, (I can't remember if they were black or white) white cheese, penne ... how could this be bad?

I have to admit that I was disappointed. I loved the truffles. It was the first time I'd ever had them and they are amazing. I get the hype. I found the mac and cheese underneath bland and soupy. I am of the persuasion that believes macaroni and cheese should be sliced to be served. Creamy mac and cheese need not apply. But like all foodies, I try to expand my horizons. I could deal with creamy if the sauce is properly thickened and flavorful. This was not. I was glad I had the experience, but this would not be something I'd try again, or so I thought.

A few weeks ago, Ina Garten made grown up mac and cheese. She served it as the main course along with a simple green salad. For those who watch her show, you know that there was promise in this recipe. I was convinced that I wanted to make my own version of grown folk's mac and cheese.

I modified the recipe: I omitted the bacon, used penne instead of macaroni. My cheeses were Gruyere, white cheddar, fontina and Parmesan cheese. I worked all of this out in Miracle, my food processor.

I had 2% milk in the house (I never have whole milk.) To make up for the missing fat, I used a mix of 2% and half and half. Look, if you are going to make grown folks mac and cheese, please don't try to make it low fat. I seasoned it with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and fresh nutmeg. Heat this, but don't let it boil.

Make your roux using flour and butter.

Add the hot dairy mixture and heat until thickened and smooth.

Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Once the cheese has melted, add cooked pasta and stir well.

Divide the mixture between two small gratin dishes. I'm using metal ones here. Trial and error has taught me to back the temp down 50 degrees.

Get all of that cheesy goodness into the dishes.

Now for the bread crumbs, which were one of my favorite parts of the dish. You know I keep frozen French bread in my freezer. I took out a few cubes and tossed them into Miracle. I added extra-virgin olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Take everything for a spin and you'll have bread crumbs that will beat anything you can get from the grocery store by a country mile!

Sprinkle these generously on top of the mac and cheese.

Bake and try to keep your mind on something else while this cooks. It will be hard. I used the time to clean the kitchen and thank God for the ability to cook.

So now the dish is now hot and bubbly. The bread crumbs have browned and are crispy. You now have grown folks mac and cheese. What makes it grown and sexy? Truffle. This is the point where you deliver the knock-out blow. Don't waste this on just anybody -- use your powers for good and not for evil.

Sidebar: Truffles are insanely expensive. I am not insanely rich, so I needed a budget-friendly way to achieve my desired results. The answer? Truffle oil! I checked World Market; I went to Sur La Table. Both were out! I called our gourmet grocery store and the oil was $40 for white and $30 for black.

Dejected, I decided I would check the kitchen store in my neighborhood for a new spatula to soothe my hurt feelings. The mac and cheese would have to wait. While checking out, I asked if they carried truffle oil. They did and it was reasonably priced! It was on and poppin' now. I know truffle oil is controversial, but I couldn't resist. If you're opposed to the oil and can't afford truffles, try truffle salt. (I'm treating myself to some real soon.)

Back to the recipe. Just before serving, sprinkle a mere few drops onto the dish. Wow, wow and wow! The complex, earthy aroma of truffle makes this already great dish exceptional. There's nothing more to say.

Tools of the trade:

• KitchenAid Food Processor
• All-Clad 2-Qt Saucepan
• All-Clad 2.5-Qt Casserole
• All-Clad Oval Bakers