So I decided to make my own yogurt on Friday, if only to see if I could. Previously, I thought making your own yogurt was a mildly ridiculous and dangerous thing, what with the dairy and the bacteria and the chance of explosive diarrhea. I also though you needed special equipment that was expensive and bulky, y'know those yogurt incubators with the little jars that looked so science fiction-y. But alas, making your own yogurt is really easy, and cheap! All you need is milk and, to start, some natural plain yogurt, the kind that is only bacteria beasties and milk. In Calgary you can find Bles Wold and Vital Green Farms yogurt at any health food store or Co-Op, but not at Safeway, I checked. I followed this recipe, only I let it sit for 8 hours instead of 6 to make it a tad thicker. The results are...tangy... I'm not used to plain yogurt, being a devoted devourer of Activia for the past few years, but homemade is surprisingly good, a little honey for a sweetener and I think I've jumped onto the homemade yogurt ship.
Since I made my own yogurt and was going to visit a health food store anyways (in my caseSunnyside market) I made some granola too, just to round out the hippy-ness of the day. I used this recipe from David Lebovitz, who adapted it from Nigella Lawson. This recipe has floated all around the food blogosphere and has been tweaked and adapted a gazillion times, but it is generally thought to be the best, so who am I to argue? I forgot the sesame seeds and oil though, but it still turned out nice and tasty. Next time, I'm going to try and replace some of the syrup with blueberry maple syrup. It might just turn the whole concoction blue or it might be berrylicious.
Oh and to compensate for the sheer healthiness of Friday, last night I made mac & cheese, but not just any mac & cheese, but Martha's (yes, that Martha) Creamiest Mac and Cheese. This recipe has earned the nick name "Crack & Cheese", and is regarded by the many in the food blogosphere as the best mac & cheese recipe ever. This was the good shit...really...
Don't let my crappy photography skills deter you, it's really really good. Here's the recipe with my adaptations in parenthesis...
Serves 12 (yeah, we have a ton of leftovers in the freezer now)
6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
(I used 5 slices of slightly stale wonderbread, worked just fine)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
(sea salt, kosher salt, it's all up to opinion)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
(i used pre-ground cause that's all I had, also I'm too cheap to buy fresh nutmeg and a grater...althought that would be a great christmas gift *ahem*)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
(Don't have any cayenne, so I used red pepper flakes)
4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar
(I used 2 1/2 cups of marbled cheddar and 2 cups of my new crush...roasted garlic havarti)
2 cups grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups grated pecorino Romano
(Gruyere all the way!)
1 pound elbow macaroni
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish (I used my 5-quart dutch oven, cause I don't own a casserole dish); set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes. (this took me closer to 20min, I'm not sure why...)
4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère ; set the cheese sauce aside. (I kinda eyeballed the cheese quantities and just threw in approximative handfuls)
5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère, and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve. (we didn't wait 5min...)
After the Mac and Cheese, I sat on the floor and drank wine while crafting. Some will tell you not to drink and craft, I say nay, it just makes the whole experience more inspiring, it also makes dealing with hot glue burns alot easier. The hangover is due to the late night visit to the pub for a birthday party. It has been a long time since I've been this hung over, I needed a nap just to minimize the headache to a manageable level and I got up late...uhg...
Check out the new header! I'll change it up when I get tired of it or when I take some better pictures, but until then, what do you think?
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