Mac N Cheese is my ultimate comfort food. There’s nothing like pasta slathered in rich cream that makes all worldly troubles go away (temporarily at least), until that sinking feeling at the end of the meal when you realize you ate enough calories for a week. Anyway…we all have those days, so for that, here’s my recipe of a “grown-up” mac n cheese (no Velveeta for this one!).
Sautee 2 Tbsp of chopped garlic in a Tbsp of olive oil, along with half a stick of butterAdd about one cup of crab meat, cook for about 5 minutes, set asideUsing the same pot, add a cup of half and half, bring to scalding, then add two Tbsp of flourAs it starts getting thick, add a cup of Parmesan cheese, allow to mix well then add nutmeg and cinnamon, and the usual salt and pepperAdd crab then pasta
I am using conchiglie pasta for this one. I like that it’s hollow so it can scoop up some sauce and crab. I always add the pasta to the sauce because I really hate “under sauced” Mac n Cheese.
Put in baking dish and eat with hands. Just kidding!
This is a very small serving, just so you know. I used up half a bag of pasta. I can eat all this in one sitting so I have to take it easy. Obviously, if you will be having company or running a triathlon tomorrow, feel free to double the size…
I love road trips. But I totally hate driving. Quite a conundrum…Lucky for me, D doesn’t mind driving. We’ve taken long road trips and I am always the ideal driving companion. I navigate well and keep up a steady stream of patter and even do carpool karaoke. I’ve been doing that waaaaay before James Corden made it a thing.
Unfortunately, for this particular trip, I would have to go at it solo because D was going to drive his little toy sportscar. That leaves me to lug everything else, including Beans and the dogs on a 250+ mile road trip to the Hill Country. I say solo because Beans is my complete opposite. He sleeps as soon as he sits down. So much for conversations, let alone karaoke! Are all teenagers like this? I don’t remember sleeping this much when I was his age. Although I really felt like I was a case of unmedicated ADHD back then, so I guess it’s not a fair comparison.
Anyway, I prepared well. Mapped out my route, downloaded my favorite music and had it all arranged in one playlist, meticulously calculated my caffeine so as to keep me awake but not enable too many restroom stops. I needed to get this done and fast. And boy, I sure did! Got it done in a little less than 4 hours despite some traffic snags in Austin. The only thing that made this less of a success was that a small stone hit the G’s windshield and so it made a crack. The sound scared the crap out of me. After the fright came the rage on how much that little stone would cost to fix the wind shield. Fortunately, D told me we had the add-on wind shield and ding insurance. Let’s just he really knows about the quality of my driving so he totally prepared for it…
D joined me a few hours later and we decided to celebrate my little mile “stone”. We went to Lincoln Street Wine Market. They offer wine and food pairing. Unlike most wine bars, they actually do not have a bar. Instead, they have little private rooms and sitting areas, hence more elegant and intimate. They also have a patio, covered in grapevines, which feature live performances.
Soooo many wines to choose from, both local and imported. I got a Reisling from Germany and D had a Petite-Syrah from Napa called Writer’s Bloc.It was paired with cheese: Manchego and St. Andre Triple CreamHome-made Margherita Focaccia with some fruitsHere’s the singing cowboy under the thick grapevines.
What a satisfying way to end my solo road-trip! Back at home, I listened to music in the hammock and thought about my life. I thought about all of my life’s battles, big and small. I choose my battles wisely now because I really don’t have that much time and energy anymore. I am glad I finally slayed my weird driving peeve. I still don’t like it, but I now know that I can do it, if absolutely needed.
I looked up, and above me is this splendor.
The world is huge. Both beautiful and terrifying. I have the choice to make it either way.
