Recipe #19 - Spicy & Soupy Mac & Cheese

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, and it comes in a virtually unlimited number of versions. This one is done on a stovetop, as opposed to the many variations which are baked in an oven. They're all good!

12 oz. dried elbow macaroni or other pasta

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. white flour
3 cups low-fat milk
1/2 cup half & half
1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tbsp. "altered" Essence, recipe follows

Bring a large saucepan full of salted water to a full boil. Add the pasta and boil until al dente, according to package directions. Drain in a colander, drizzle with canola oil and toss to prevent sticking.

Put the pan back on the burner over medium heat, add the butter and heat until melted. Add the flour and whisk until a smooth roux is formed. Add the milk and whisk until a thickened sauce results. Add the half & half and continue whisking until the sauce is bubbling and hot. Add the grated cheeses and take the heat to low. Add the cooked macaroni and stir to mix well. Add the essence and stir. At this point, you can adjust seasonings and texture. If you want it spicier, add some pepper or cayenne. If you want it soupier, add some more lowfat milk.

ALTERED ESSENCE

Full disclosure: We lifted the recipe for Essence from the legendary Emeril Lagasse of Food Network fame. We wanted to have some of this stuff around all the time, but decided to alter the recipe to cut back on the salt content. So this recipe is identical to Emeril's with the exception of half the salt.

2.5 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. dried crushed oregano
1 Tbsp. dried crushed thyme

Put all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Keep this condiment in your pantry for use any time.

Recipe #18 - Weekend Veggie Scramble

Just about everyone enjoys a special breakfast or brunch on a weekend morning. But what if blowing ten or twelve bucks a head doesn't fit into the family budget? Not to worry. One cool solution is to put together a scramble with mostly veggie ingredients you have on hand.

Accordingly, this recipe is extremely adaptable and reflects what we had in the kitchen on a recent Saturday morning. Go ahead and experiment with different combinations of things. The one thing that's consistent is the fact that what we're dealing with here is basically scrambled eggs with stuff added for color and flavor.

And don't limit dishes like this to morning only. Breakfast-for-dinner can be fun and delicious!

Makes four servings.

1/2 red onion, peeled, halved & sliced thinly
2 small red new potatoes, scrubbed and diced
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 small bunch broccoli, florets cut into small bite-size pieces
1 small zucchini, trimmed and diced
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lb. baby spinach leaves, stemmed and washed

8 whole eggs
3 Tbsp. low-fat milk
Salt & pepper

4 thick slices sourdough bread
Salted butter, room temperature

In a large saute pan, melt the butter. When it's hot, add the onions and saute for about a minute. Then add all the other vegetables except the tomatoes and spinach, and stir-fry for about five minutes until crisp-tender. Add the cherry tomatoes and spinach and toss until the spinach is completely wilted.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the milk until well scrambled. Add to the veggies in the pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Add salt and pepper (or any other herbs or spices you like) and cook the eggs, turning with a wide spatula, until set.

Toast the sourdough bread and spread it with butter. Serve the scramble on wide plates alongside toast. Enjoy!

In Praise of Great Films - The movies of an actor who never appeared in a non-great film

Fourth in a series.

It's likely most people aren't familiar with the name of the actor John Cazale. After all, he only appeared in five feature films in his career before an untimely death of bone cancer in 1978.

But here's the thing: Every movie he ever starred in was nominated for a "Best Picture" Academy Award. How many actors in the history of cinema can lay claim to the fact that every film they were ever in was an Oscar nominee for Best Picture? Answer: none.

Cazale's movie career began when he was cast as the weak brother Fredo Corleone in the classic Francis Ford Coppola film The Godfather in 1972, which won Best Picture and is considered to be one of the greatest motion pictures of all time.

Two years later he appeared in two more Coppola pictures, The Conversation and The Godfather Part II, both of which were nominated for Best Picture (the latter won).

The following year, Cazale starred in Dog Day Afternoon as the ill-fated Sal, a bank robber who was partnered up with the great Al Pacino, a longtime friend of Cazale's. Dog Day would go on to earn six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

That makes him four-for-four, and his final film was the 1978 Best Picture Oscar winner The Deer Hunter. Cazale was reportedly dying of bone cancer while shooting the movie, and he passed away shortly after filming was completed. His early demise cemented his unique stature as the only actor in history who never appeared in a feature film that wasn't nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. If he had survived for years beyond 1978, Cazale would have likely made many more films, and the odds of him acting in one which wasn't a Best Picture nominee would've been quite high.

His career was what it was. An amazing run for a short-lived career and a short-lived life. Thirty years after his passing, we can only honor his great work and his remarkable footprint on cinema's history.

Recipe #17 - Fish Taco Feast

If you're feeding a crowd, a make-your-own-taco feast is a good way to go. For just us, it's almost always fish as the primary protein filling, but at times we find ourselves feeding a lot of folks with different tastes and diets (not to mention varying tolerances for seafood). In those instances, we offer up spicy shredded chicken, taco-spiced ground beef, even chipotle-marinated fried tofu.

Some of our favorite things to have with fish tacos are homemade guacamole, black beans, Mexican rice, lime-chipotle sour cream and different types (and heat) of salsas. But the possibilities are endless.

Keep in mind that although this particular recipe uses ahi tuna, that's merely a reflection of what we used the last time we fixed this dish (which happens to be, um, last night). Feel free to substitute halibut, tilapia, salmon, shrimp, cod, snapper, or whatever you like. It's all good...

Makes four servings.

8 small taco size flour tortillas

1 lb. sushi-grade fresh & wild ahi tuna
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Chile powder
Salt & pepper

1.5 cups grated cheddar or Mexican cheese
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
8 fresh lime wedges

Take a large piece of aluminum foil and spray lightly with no-stick spray. Put the tortillas on the foil, splatter lightly with a couple teaspoons of water and enclose the foil tightly. Place the package in a preheated 250-degree oven to warm tortillas while you prepare the tacos.

Place the tuna on a platter and brush with some olive oil. Sprinkle with chile powder, salt and pepper. Turn the fish over and treat the other side the same way.

Preheat the grill and when it's hot, add the tuna. Depending on the thickness of the fish and the heat of the grill you'll probably only want to sear the fish for a minute or two per side. You want the middle of the tuna to be red and rare. Remove the tuna from the grill and allow to "rest" on a platter for a few minutes.

Slice the tuna thinly and set up a "taco station" where you have your warm tortillas, fish, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, lime wedges, and all other extras such as salsas, guacamole, sour cream, etc.

Then stand back and let the feasting begin. Obviously, cold beer (Mexican or otherwise) goes great with a taco feast, or also a cool, crisp and dry white wine to balance out the spicy flavors.

Recipe #16 - Emerald Risotto

A while back we published a recipe for mushroom risotto, which is a rich, earthy take on the risotto theme. Here is another version, making liberal use of fresh green vegetables. The result is a light dish with a vibrant emerald color.

Serves four.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 green onions, cleaned and sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1/2 lb. broccoli, florets only, cut into small pieces
1/2 lb. asparagus, sliced thinly on the diagonal
4 oz. frozen peas

2 Tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley
1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil

1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups rich vegetable stock, heated
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper

In a wok or large saucepan, heat the oil and add the green onions, diced onions, celery and garlic. Cook while stirring for about one to two minutes. Do not brown.

Add the arborio rice and stir fry for another minute. Add the white wine and keep stirring over high heat until the wine is absorbed into the rice. Add the stock, a half-cup at a time, stirring all the while as it's absorbed into the rice.

Meanwhile steam the broccoli and asparagus until crisp-tender and drain. Cook the peas until heated through and drain.

When the rice has absorbed the stock and is tender, add the herbs, cream and parmesan. Lower heat and stir until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the risotto.

In keeping with the "emerald" look, you could serve this with a piece of pesto-marinated fish and a green salad with homemade green goddess dressing.