Wednesday, February 2, 2011

walking in a winter wonderland (bottle message thirteen)

dear my beloved one,

today is FREEZING!!! winter has come once again to austin, coldest day yet! the power is out at your place and i pray you stay warm and cozy while i work. this year already has been an interesting one at best, and i am very grateful to be with you.

here is a picture of a winter you might dream of, which for the record, will probably never happen in austin texas. but one can dream.


this past weekend we visited my family after your taping with do512 and i made the worst food i have ever made in my entire life. and you ate it like a champ. although you covered up the grossness with lots of peppers and olives, i feel like i should master the classic mac and cheese. so i found this recipe online and i am going to cook it for you tonight:


Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.


sound delicious? i think so.. although i might have to make it for my group and try it out on them tonight. i don't want you to have to taste another experiment of mine any time soon.

you have a busy weekend ahead of you with three shows. i'll be traveling to bryan, tx to hang out till you get there on saturday. we'll see what happens on superbowl sunday. maybe it'll even snow in austin beforehand and then you'll finally have a completed life. i will leave you with this video, not-so-coincidentally titled either, by one of my favorite artists (besides you):



te amo my love.








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