Funky Cabbage Flowers - Lumaconi al Forno con Cavolfiore

If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you are probably aware of just how much of a cheese head I am.  In fact I have never met a cheese that I didn't like.

Then again, there are 2 cheeses that I do not consider to be cheeses.  One is the so called "American Cheese".  While I will admit that it does have it's uses in some, though very few, culinary pursuits, I find the fact that it is often labeled as "Processed Cheese Food Product" to be extremely disturbing.  The other is the Brunost/Mesost/Mysuostur/Myseost (Brown cheese), usually sold under the red Ski Queen label as Gjetost.  (yay-toast)  This is a "whey cheese", like ricotta. Unlike ricotta, however, this whey is cooked down until all the milk proteins caramelize.  It's similar to what happens when you cook sweetened condensed milk to make dulce de leche.  This gives it a really sweet flavor and a texture kind of like cold peanut butter.  Eww!  Sorry, this "cheese" does not speak to my Scandinavian roots. Nope, not a bit.

Bring on the funk!

It's true, I like my cheeses funky.  The funkier the better.  Seriously.  Good cheese should take you to Funky Town, otherwise you are wasting your time.  Look at Parmigiano-Reggiano.  There is a reason people refer to it as stinky cheese.  YET, it is of such paramount importance in SO many dishes that it has been dubbed the "Undisputed King of Cheeses".  Then there is Brie, the Queen.  Somewhat more subtle, but she don't smell like roses either.  There is definitely a slight ammonia odor to Brie and to a larger extent Camembert.  Roquefort....  Really goes without saying.  Limburger?  I actually LIKE Limburger, 1950's cartoon tropes aside, spread on Rye with Brown Mustard and Onion.  YUM! 

Needless to say, I was all kinds of excited when I saw Food & Wine's Taleggio and Cauliflower Mac & Cheese.  I am all about Cauliflower; especially in pasta dishes.  I have to admit that it smells funny when you are boiling or steaming it, but the flavor is always so delicate.  Taleggio is the same way, it's a pungent smelling cheese with a decidedly delicate flavor.  It's a washed rind cheese made from autumn and winter milk, after the cows have been brought down from the high pastures in the mountains.  Think of it as an Italian version of Brie or Camembert, in a way.  As it ages, it becomes softer on the inside, to the point of becoming gooey.  I was intrigued with the idea of this funky couple gettin' down with some baked pasta.  Taleggio is an EXCELLENT melting cheese.

Besides, I can always use another excuse to eat Taleggio, aside from consuming it with fresh peaches.  LOL

Taleggio & Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

(adapted from Food & Wine)
1 Cauliflower, cut into florets
1 TB Butter
3 Tb Olive Oil
1 large Shallot, finely chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tsp Rosemary, minced
Black Pepper
4 oz White Wine
12 oz Heavy Cream
6 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
8 oz Taleggio, remove rind and cube
1 lb Lumaconi or Conchiglioni (go with the shells)
4 Tb Panko

Preheat the oven to 450F degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, break down the cauliflower into 1 inch florets.

Remove the rind from the Taleggio.

Cut into 1/2 inch chunks.

Cook the Cauliflower in the boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Move to cold water to stop cooking, then drain and let dry slightly.

Melt Butter with Olive oil in a large saute pan.

Add the Shallot and saute for 3 minutes.

Add Garlic & Rosemary, sauteing for 1-2 minutes more.
Add Cauliflower and cook for about 8 minutes, until it begins to brown.

Add White wine and cook until evaporated.

Remove the pan from the flame and add the Heavy Cream along with 4 oz of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, then stir to combine.

Add the chunks of Taleggio and stir. (The sauce will thicken as the Taleggio melts and pulls everything together)

Let the sauce cool while you boil the pasta.

Drain well.

Return to the pot.

Pour the unctuous Cauliflower & Taleggio sauce over the pasta.

Toss to coat well.

Spoon 1/2 of the pasta to a 13x9 inch baking dish and sprinkle with 2 TB of the Panko.

Spoon the remaining pasta over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 2 TB Panko.

Top with the remaining 2 TB Panko and 2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake for 15-20 minutes (until it begins to bubble and brown)

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

MMMMMM  Creamy, Crunchy, Cheesy, Cauliflowery goodness.  Smellin' kinda funky, but tasting divine!

How funky is your Mac & Cheese?

Mangia!!
~~

Arthropod Abomination - Truffled Lobster Shells & Cheese

Some consider this an affront to nature, going so far as to call it an "abomination".

Personally, I am still not sure how I feel about it. I may just chalk this up to a "guilty pleasure" and hide in the coat closet the next time I make it. (cause then I won't have to share) ;)

I am talking about lobster, or rather, what usually gets passed off as lobster in a lot of restaurants. That would be the Squat Lobster, also known as Langostino but NOT to be confused with Langostine, Norway Lobster or Scampi. (for more information on this little riddle, see Confounding Crustacean Conspiracy Causes Conundrum)

The reason for my guilt is not because I was passing off Squat lobster as "Lobster", it's more of what dish I put it in. I have Italian sensibilities when it comes to Seafood and Cheese. Thus the two are not usually ingredients I tend to combine, but I was watching Royal Pains (FUNNY show) several weeks ago, and there was this food cart serving Lobster Macaroni & Cheese. At first I thought it sounded gross but the more and more I contemplated it, the more I felt that I should at least TRY it. After all it really couldn't be all THAT bad, right?

This is when I decided on the Langostino, since I would not want to go out and spend the money on a real Maine Lobster that has been shipped clear across the United States only to find out that my initial misgivings were correct. So the pseudo-lobster it was, just to test the waters, as it were. I was pleasantly surprised by the finished product. I may need to rethink this whole cheese & seafood thing.

I think the mild cheese helped, for it really is more of a Macaroni & Cream sauce. Danish Fontina is a very mild cheese; pleasantly nutty, but most importantly, smooth melting. I decided to drag out one of my more precious ingredients and anoint the whole thing with a drizzle of Italian Black Truffle oil -- Decadence in a bottle, I tell ya. Normally I would use a Penne or Cavitappi but I figured since it was a seafood dish, that shells might be more in keeping with the spirit.

Truffled Lobster Shells and Cheese

4 oz Unsalted Butter
1 Shallot, minced fine
1 Cup Heavy Cream
6 oz Mascarpone
4 oz Crème Fraîche
1 tsp Tobasco
3 TB Seafood Stock
3 TB Cognac
12 oz Danish Fontina
16 oz Medium Shells
12 oz Langostino (Previously Cooked)
Black Truffle oil
1 oz Grana Padano, shredded; divided
Panko

Shred all your cheese, so you will be ready.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan.

When the foaming subsides, add the shallot and saute until soft.

Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. (you will want to switch to a whisk at this point)

Add Mascarpone and stir until melted and smooth.

Whisk in the Crème Fraîche and bring back to a simmer again.

Add the Tobasco, the Cognac and the Seafood Stock.

Drop your pasta into salted boiling water and cook for 1/2 the time listed on the package. (in the shells case, only 4-5 minutes.)

Then begin adding the shredded Fontina, a little at a time, whisking until completely melted before adding the next handful.

When melted and smooth, add 1/4 tsp Black Pepper (Normally I prefer White Pepper instead, but I was out)

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Add the Langostino...

Then the cheese sauce, and toss it all together to coat the shells well.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while assembling the dish.
Divide the pasta between 6 - 12 oz au gratin dishes (or simply pour the whole mass into a 9x13 baking dish)

Drizzle each one with a little Black Truffle oil. (Black Truffle needs some heat to reach full flavor)

Use 1/2 of the Grana Padano and divide it amongst the ramekins.

Sprinkle an even coat of Panko over this.

Then divide the remaining Grana Padano between the dishes.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 minutes before serving.

mmmm Creamy Truffled "Lobster" goodness.

I wonder if I should tell them that it wasn't shrimp? Nah!

Mangia!!
~~