martha's mac and cheese is absolutely the best baked mac n cheese, and worth the effort. i learned it from smitten kitchen awhile back and thus ended any interest in other baked mac n cheese recipes. it's good even cold out of the fridge. it has good flavor of course, but also the right ratios. too many baked macs seem all delicious...and then you bake it and it comes out nothing but bland plain greased macaroni with a plastic-ized layer of cheese on top. my main addition is always adding some dried mustard to the sauce. and i sometimes use panko instead of the bread too, just because i always have it on hand.
also totally with you on the toppings for dips! i will add sumac and everything bagel seasoning to the list of delicious toppings. i like to use a plate or a dish (like a pasta bowl) with a lot of surface area so there's good dip-to-topping ratios for everyone.
bless you and craig traveling on fourth of july weekend and apartment hunting. as always, best of luck and safe travels!
I am with you on most of your tips on Martha’s Mac. The only take I have is that the torn white bread with the butter as a topping to the mac is a really nice textural and flavor touch that I like about the original recipe, as well as Deb Perelman’s rendition of the same. I have made the recipe with panko, and I missed the torn white bread, even though using only 6 slices of “good white bread” from a loaf is somewhat annoying because then you have the rest of the loaf around, and it isn’t exactly a pantry staple for me.
When I read “had to whack it really hard in the morning” I was like....writing that line into your newsletter HAD to be a bet! 😆
And lastly, that dip looks and sounds amazing. I think I’ll make it for my family’s good old fashioned Minnesota family 4th of July potluck.
martha's mac and cheese is absolutely the best baked mac n cheese, and worth the effort. i learned it from smitten kitchen awhile back and thus ended any interest in other baked mac n cheese recipes. it's good even cold out of the fridge. it has good flavor of course, but also the right ratios. too many baked macs seem all delicious...and then you bake it and it comes out nothing but bland plain greased macaroni with a plastic-ized layer of cheese on top. my main addition is always adding some dried mustard to the sauce. and i sometimes use panko instead of the bread too, just because i always have it on hand.
also totally with you on the toppings for dips! i will add sumac and everything bagel seasoning to the list of delicious toppings. i like to use a plate or a dish (like a pasta bowl) with a lot of surface area so there's good dip-to-topping ratios for everyone.
bless you and craig traveling on fourth of july weekend and apartment hunting. as always, best of luck and safe travels!
A few musings in response--
I am with you on most of your tips on Martha’s Mac. The only take I have is that the torn white bread with the butter as a topping to the mac is a really nice textural and flavor touch that I like about the original recipe, as well as Deb Perelman’s rendition of the same. I have made the recipe with panko, and I missed the torn white bread, even though using only 6 slices of “good white bread” from a loaf is somewhat annoying because then you have the rest of the loaf around, and it isn’t exactly a pantry staple for me.
When I read “had to whack it really hard in the morning” I was like....writing that line into your newsletter HAD to be a bet! 😆
And lastly, that dip looks and sounds amazing. I think I’ll make it for my family’s good old fashioned Minnesota family 4th of July potluck.
Best of luck in Brooklyn on the hunt!