Final Four Fifty-Fifty

It's Final Four Weekend with a lot of excitement surrounding these games. Who will be dishing-up the winning basket. We'll see. 

Need a perfect one-pot dish that everyone will enjoy gameday? Here's a new spin on a classic, dressed up a bit for grown-up flavor. Everyone likes macaroni and cheese. Cheddar is the common cheese of choice, but I like using Gruyere as well, to put a bit of bite in my baked mac; using the fifty-fifty cheese ratio. But feel free to use chef's poetic license and use more or less Cheddar if you like.

Cheddar & Gruyere Macaroni and Cheese 

by Chef George Hirsch | Makes 6 servings

2 Tablespoons Butter
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon hot sauce
pinch fresh grated nutmeg
2 cups half & half
3/4 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 pounds uncooked elbow, shells, or other small pasta

Melt Butter in a large soup pot or saucepan. Add onion, and garlic, nutmeg and sauté for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the broth, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the hot sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Stir in the half & half and heat to a simmer. Slowly add the Cheddar, Gruyere, and Parmesan cheeses, stirring until they melt and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the cooked pasta. Place in a serving dish and eat immediately or sprinkle with Mac Topping, and bake five minutes in a 350 degree oven. 

For the Mac Topping

4 Tablespoons butter, melted
6 Tablespoons bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon each fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Put your own spin on this one pot dish by adding a variety of ingredients such as:

Vegetables: peas, broccoli, or muchrooms

Meats: prosciutto, smoked baked ham, or pulled pork

Seafood: crab, lobster, or shrimp

image, © GingerBlossom | istock

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Since the early 1900s, Americans proclaimed corned beef and cabbage to be their favorite Irish dish, even though it really never had graced dinner tables in Ireland. Since then, Americans have embraced it as the meal of choice for St. Patrick's Day, March 17th. Corned beef got its name before refrigeration, when meat was preserved using coarse grains of salt, called 'corn'. Today, beef is corned with spices strictly for flavor, not for preservation, so the meat must be refrigerated. Whether you're a wee bit Irish or not, boost your luck by celebrating St. Patrick's Day with friends and a feast. 

Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

New Years Eve, Cotechino Con Lenticchie

In Italy, people welcome the New Year by tossing old things out of their windows to make room for the new and bring luck into their lives in the upcoming year. In regards to food traditions, Italians cook up a dish called Cotechino Con Lenticchie, pork sausage served over lentils. This dish is eaten during the New Year because of the presence of a rich and robust pork sausage with lentils in the dish. Cotechino sausage is a symbol of abundance because it is rich in fat; while the coin-shaped lentils symbolize money. 

I love it served with a steamy dish of gnocchi and sautéed garlicky greens, another symbol of prosperity. 

Cotechino Con Lenticchie: Pork Sausage Served over Lentils

by George Hirsch | Makes six servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com

If you can't find cotechino, a high quality fresh pork sausage flavored with nutmeg, and pepper a good hearty italian style sausage will suffice. 

1 pound cotechino, pork sausage
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 large carrot, chopped
1 bay leaf
8 whole black peppercorns
1 sprig fresh thyme 
1 pound dry green lentils
4 cups chicken broth
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped 

Pierce the cotechino with a fork in several places. 

Pre heat a large pot and add olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, carrot, 1 bay leaf, peppercorns and thyme. Simmer vegetables for two minutes and add cotechino, cook two minutes and add lentils, cover with 4 cups broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 45 to 50 minutes or until lentils are soft. Add additional water if necessary. 

Remove the bay leaf and discard. Spoon the lentils into a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil and slice rounds of the cotechino over the top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve. 

George’s Homemade kitchen Christmas Pick 5

inspirations are opportunities to try something new...

Taste-fully giving gifts and warming recipes for entertaining this holiday!

Enjoy my Bologna Inspired  Tortellini Basil Soup with warm Biscuits and a crisp Fennel & Green Bean Salad.

Genovese Style

Pesto Genovese, so it is called in Nortern Italy; which is traditionally served with the addition of boiled sliced potatoes in the dish.

Pesto is not only for pasta, you can combine it with mayo for a great dressing or spread. Pesto is also tasty when topped on grilled poultry and grilled seafood. Dab a little pesto on crusty sliced ciabatta for an app. The key tip when making pesto is to use the very best quality extra virgin olive oil you have and don't be shy with the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. My Pesto Recipe. I've added chick peas and boiled Yukon potatoes to pesto this recipe (in image) for a bit of summer variety.