pretty by the bay

Everyone knows that pregnant ladies have cravings. Most assume those cravings are for strange combinations (i.e. pickles and ice cream), but honestly, it’s not been that way for me. My cravings arise when someone talks about a specific food, or I see a specific food in a TV commercial or Food Network show, and then I cannot. stop. thinking about that food. It consumes me, and it takes every ounce of self control not to leap off the couch (or out of my office chair) and immediately leave the house to find and consume said food. Most recent cravings have included donuts (I literally dreamt about the Maple Glazed Bacon Apple donut at Dynamo Donut and knew that had to happen this weekend), salami, chocolate milk, barbecue potato chips, Pretzel M&Ms and Trader Joe’s Dried Fruit Bars. None of these foods were part of my pre-pregnancy diet, so it’s pretty interesting to see how differently my hormones interact with my taste buds.

And as for today’s recipe, it, too was born from a craving that started more than a week ago when I joined my friend Melissa for a Saturday brunch. Melissa is a great source of information on SF restaurants, and we got to talking about Blue Plate, a place known for amped-up comfort food. When Melissa started to describe the restaurant’s signature macaroni and cheese, my craving was instantaneous. Apparently it’s made with Drunken Goat cheese (a semisoft Spanish variety that’s been soaked in red wine) and topped with buttery breadcrumbs. I’ve never dined at Blue Plate, and while this conversation was certainly enough to get my hiney over there, I thought it would be more satisfying to make a similar dish at home. A Google search found that the recipe is available online – but if you look closely at said recipe, it is most definitely NOT scaled down to make four portions. Fourteen cups of liquid to make a cheese sauce for 1 pound pf pasta?! Not only does that seem way too liquidy, it also appears that it would wash out the flavor of the cheese, which – after all – is the main reason we eat mac and cheese. I used the Blue Plate recipe as a general guide, but searched a few other mac and cheese recipes to find alternate proportions for my roux and cheese sauce. The end result:

Utterly fantastic, if I do say so myself. If you’ve never had Drunken Goat cheese, the flavor is so subtle and wonderful. Neither the wine nor the goat’s milk flavor is too overpowering; it’s lightly nutty and slightly sharp, providing a perfect contrast to the tangy white cheddar that’s also included here. Even those who think they hate goat cheese (ahem – Mom) might find that this variety is much more appealing than soft and creamy variations. I’ve seen Drunken Goat in a variety of supermarkets and cheese shops in San Francisco; it’s likely you’ll find it near you, but if you can’t, you could try to substitute any semisoft goat cheese.

Both Corey and I agreed that this was a near-perfect execution of “fancy” mac and cheese. High quality cheese made it luxurious, but it didn’t go over the top (as some restaurants tend to do) with the addition of lobster, truffle oil, or other fanciful ingredients. I have no idea how it compares to the real Blue Plate version, but I’m willing to bet it’s almost as delicious – if not more so!

Beth’s Drunken Goat Mac and Cheese – inspired by Blue Plate

serves 4 to 6

2 c elbow macaroni

1.5 c whole milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 shallot, diced

5 oz shredded drunken goat cheese

4 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp dried mustard

dash of Tabasco or other hot sauce

dash of Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c plain breadcrumbs

1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 8×8″ baking dish with cooking spray.

Fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt (to taste) and the macaroni. Cook 6 to 7 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, begin the cheese sauce. Heat the milk in a small saucepan set over low heat; you want it to be warm, but not bubbling or scalded. (Note: to save time, I heated mine in the microwave using a glass measuring cup. It was perfect in 2 minutes on 50 percent power, but you have to watch it closely to make sure it doesn’t scald.) As the milk heats, melt the butter in another saucepan set over medium low heat. Add the shallot and cook for a minute or two, then add the flour. Whisk the flour, butter and shallot for about 2 minutes or until the mixture is golden and smells slightly nutty. Slowly pour in the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Continue to whisk over medium low heat until the sauce begins to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. When thick, remove from heat and whisk in the mustard, tabasco, worcestershire, and black pepper, followed by the cheddar and drunken goat cheeses. Continue to whisk until smooth. Combine the cheese sauce with the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the breadcrumb topping begins to brown. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes if you prefer a crunchy topping.