Baked Mac & Cheese

While still only halfway through the work day, Simon announced that he had bought this cheese at a local gourmet food shop (snobs, snobs, snobs). It was called Tintern, and is an aged cheddar cheese made by Welsh monks that is stuck all over with chives and shallots.

While 1/2 pound of pasta (we used gemelli) is cooking, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. When it's smooth, whisk in:

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp mustard powder

and move around for a few minutes. Then add:

3 c. milk

1/2 c. onion, diced

some paprika

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Then, have your beloved boyfriend

dice up tons of cheese (the chive-filled, and some sharp cheddar); 12 oz. total:

(and do not forget to sample it)

And add 8 ounces to the milk mixture. Mix in the cooked pasta, throw it in a dish, and top it with the rest of the cheese.

And bake at 350 degrees for half an hour; add bread crumbs. We thought it would be more solid, and afterwards I felt as if I were being dragged down by an inordinate amount of mass, but....it was pretty good.

Mac & Cheese

And now for something I've never made for myself. I steamed some:

scallions

cherry tomatoes

mushrooms

with the intention of making them part o' the macaroni. But then, when I had cooked up some pasta and added:

~1 oz Gruyere cheese (thanks to Dani)

butter

salt

oregano

basil

It seemed far more appealing to keep the vegetables apart, to be enjoyed in their own delicious goodness.

It wasn't the same as a feels-like-home goodness, but rather a subtle pasta and cheese taste that was filling and delicious.

Bean let Sergei keep a lookout.