poblano macaroni and cheese {cooking from the homesick texan}

i grew up in

a waspy neighborhood

too rude?

perhaps i should say

well heeled

cotillion on tuesday

types

how we landed there

i 

do 

not 

know

a

bronx bred
italian family

moving in

must have been quite the shocker

a very dark man

(my father)

doing his own landscaping

seemed to be

equally disturbing

i tell you this

so you'd understand

it wasn't until my thirteenth year

that i discovered macaroni and cheese

while babysitting

mrs. ran me through the schedule

bath, bedtime

no tv

no prank calls

and for dinner?
i queried

pointing to

a little blue box on the counter

she said

the girls love macaroni and cheese

...out it came

in my not so soft voice

lilting to a question

is that what is in the box?

to which

i got the look

it made me feel

unamerican

it. is. true.

i didn't know

macaroni and cheese

came in a blue box

to me

macaroni

was a big plate of pasta

meatballs and sausage

cheese came in wheels, grated tableside

i think she felt sorry for me

fast forward more than 30 years

in of which

i have eaten 

many a mac n' cheese

boxed 

from scratch

scroxed

none being

a healthy eat

this one

however

uses

the fresh bite of citrus and cilantro

combined with the warmth

of 

poblano and cayenne

to cut through the dull sludge

of

gobs of  gooey dairy

which most macaroni and cheese recipes

hide behind

thus

wrapping this fabulous meal

in the illusion

of 

spa food

  *This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef

  poblano macaroni and cheese

8 servings

(printable recipe)

2 poblano chiles

8 oz (2 cups) elbow macaroni

2 Tbs unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic--minced

2 Tbs all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 tsp mustard powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp lime zest

1/2 cup cilantro--chopped

salt and black pepper to taste

4 cups (12 oz) grated white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cojita cheese--for serving

roast the poblano chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side.  place chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tightly, and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes.  take the chiles out of the bag and rub off the skin. remove stem and seeds and chop the chiles into 1" long pieces

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta.  cook according to your package's directions and then drain the pasta.  (you want the pasta to be cooked but not mushy; i cook my pasta 5 minutes.)

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  grease a large baking dish or cast iron skillet, and pour the drained pasta into the dish.

in a pot (you can use the pot the pasta cooked in or you can do this while the pasta boils), on low heat melt the butter. add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. whisk in the flour and cook until a light brown, toasty paste is formed, about 1 minute.  whisk in the milk and stir until it's thickened a bit but still fluid, about 1 to 2 minutes. remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro and chopped poblano chiles. adjust seasonings and add salt and black pepper.

slowly add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it's melted and well combined into the sauce.  (if the sauce has cooled too much and the cheese won't melt, return the pot to low heat on the stove.  if, however, the sauce gets too thick, like a custard, you can then thin it by stirring in milk, a teaspoon at a time.)  pour sauce over pasta and top with the remaining half of the cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling. sprinkle with cojita cheese, and serve immediately.

austin-style black beans {cooking from The Homesick Texan}

mention austin, texas 

and my heart skips a beat

soulful-gritty musicians

artists, farmers, chefs

gathering to share

amazing food

freshly harvested

properly spiced 

my vision of austin?

accidentally hip

here is the rub

i have never been there

NEVER

i thought i was once

but 

i was sorely mistaken

imagine my joy

upon receiving my assignment
as part of 

the

 i was to make
austin style black beans

at last
my first
legitimate
 taste of austin

no surprise
just as i imagine 
toothsome
darkly rich
edged in spice
and
a bit
smoky

i know this
because i was there
i have pictures to prove it

austin style black beans

 (printable recipe)

 from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain

1 lb. dried black beans

1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
½ c. cilantro, divided
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbs. tomato paste
¼ c. lime juice
salt, to taste

rinse and sort through beans, discarding any stones or shriveled beans.  place beans in a large pot and cover with 1 inch of water. bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.

drain and rinse the beans in a colander in the sink.

return the empty pot to the stove and on medium-low heat, warm the vegetable oil.  add onions and carrots to pot and cook until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

return beans to the pot along with the chipotles and half of the cilantro. cover with 2″ water, bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 1½ hours.

after 1½  hours, add remaining cilantro, cumin, tomato paste, and lime juice. taste and add salt.   cook uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until beans are tender all the way through (will vary depending on the freshness of your beans). when done, smash a few beans against the side of the pot with a spoon to thicken, if you wish. stir the pot and serve. 

  *This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef