A Moon Made of Cheese

  Beer and Cheddar Soup Adapted from Food and Wine Ingredients 1 package of Applewood smoked bacon (thick sliced preferred) 1 celery rib, finely chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 large jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 2 large garlic gloves, minced 1 12 oz. bottle of lager of pilsner 2 1/4 c. chicken broth 4 tablespoons butter 1/4 c. flour 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 pound sharp cheddar 4 oz. smoked cheese (I used Gouda because it's what TJ's had on hand, not the greatest melter though so I would suggest a cheddar if you can find it) salt and pepper to taste big ol' hunks of bread Method  In a soup pot, cook the bacon on a medium-high heat until the fat is rendered out and the bacon is nice and crispy. Transfer the bacon to some paper towels with a slotted spoon and keep that yummy fat in the pan. Cook the onion, celery, jalapenos, and thyme until the veg is nice and soft and brown. Add ha...

Refrigerator Hash serves 1-2 based on hangry level (a good rule is 2 eggs per person, just add additional eggs if needed) Ingredients 2 eggs leftover meat and veg (in this case, fried sausages and onions) butter (you could go the E.V.O.O. route but eggs just scream for butter in my humble opinion) shredded cheddar cheese salt and pepper to taste Method Crack and whisk your eggs until frothy. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.  Preheat non-stick pan with butter. Reheat your leftovers, and fry until brown and crispy. Pour eggs evenly over ingredients in the pan. Stir slightly for a few seconds then stop.  Wait for the bottom of the eggs to become golden brown and delicious. Flip eggs (honestly this turned into a hash instead of an omelette because the flip did not go as planned. THAT'S FINE! You can flip the eggs in chunks.) While the other side is browning, sprinkle a generous amount of cheddar over the eggs.  Once the eggs are bro...

      Baked Spinach and Ricotta Rigatoni Adapted from Food and Wine Ingredients: 1 pound rigatoni 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained 2 cups (~1 pound) of whole milk ricotta cheese 1 1/2 cups (~6 ounces) grated fontina cheese 5 tablespoons Romano cheese 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg salt and pepper to taste  Optional Additions: handful of basil leaves, 2 tablespoons garlic, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Method: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and oil a large baking dish/casserole. Cook pasta according to package instructions in salted boiling water. Place the drained spinach, ricotta, Romano, nutmeg, salt, pepper (and additional mix-ins if using) into a blender and pulse into blended. Stir in Fontina. Stir cheese sauce mixture into cooked pasta. Pour into greased casserole dish. Top with extra Romano (Fontina too if you have it) and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 15-20 ...

Olive Oil Orange Muffins Adapted from Camille Styles Ingredients 1 1/3 cup AP flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3/4 cup milk 3 tablespoons orange juice 1 tablespoon orange zest 3 tablespoons honey Method  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line muffin tin. In a large bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda). In a smaller bowl whisk together wet ingredients (eggs, olive oil, milk, orange juice, orange zest, and honey).   Pour wet ingredients on top of dry, and stir gently until mixture comes together. Be careful not to over mix--some dry patches and lumps are ok and will bake out. Pour into prepared muffin tin and bake 15-20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Good morning starshine! What better way to start the day than with these bright and citrus-laden muffins! These muffins couldn't be simple...

Mmmm ..let's see a close up shall we? Wow is it hot in here or is that just me? Anyways.. Smoked Cheddar Poutine Ingredients:   Cheese curds (about a handful per person) Frozen french fries (or make your own if you want to be an overachiever) 3 tablespoons flour 3 tablespoons butter 2 cups beef broth  1 tablespoon rice vinegar salt and pepper to taste  Method: Set your cheese curds out until they reach room temperature. Read the directions on your french fry package and bake as directed (I used Alexia Organic which cooked for around 25 minutes at 450 degrees F. Make a roux. Melt butter over a medium-high heat until bubbly. Add flour and cook while stirring for about a minutes. The paste should be thin enough to stir, but not too thin. Think homemade library glue. Adjust butter/flour accordingly. Add beef broth while whisking constantly to avoid lumps.  Season gravy with salt and pepper. Add vinegar. Set aside. Retrieve frenc...