Green Eggs and Ham

I did not make Green Eggs and Ham. Not in my kitchen, not in my house. Not outside, or sitting with a mouse. No, I did not make the Green Eggs and Ham - but I did  eat them up, yum. Even though I didn't make it, I wanted to share my favorite breakfast spot, The Fly Trap Diner in friendly, fashionable Ferndale, Michigan. It's a funky little place, that probably seats less than 40 people, including the counter, but the food is all fresh and prepared in an ecclectic style. I first went there two years ago with my friend Melissa and her daughter Jenna and it was love at first bite. The green eggs and ham are really an egg scramble with pesto and cheese, three pieces of grilled ham (hmmmm ham, almost as good as bacon) and some fried herbed potatoes. It also comes with a side of toast and their sourdough bread is to die for. And good coffee, how could I forget that?  They also have a dish called the Cowboy Curtis, a little salute that any Pee-Wee Herman fan will get. Ah, now you know why I like the place. It exudes kitsch right down to it's retro salt and pepper shakers (mostly vintage and mis-matched) and the music is always good, usually late 70s early 80s underground, punk, ska type stuff. Now you are saying to yourself, that sounds like your house Joan. And yes, I will say in response, I feel very much at home there.

The Recipe:

There is no recipe, why are you even looking down here?!
Note: if you go on the weekend, be prepared to wait in line ( and do wait, it is worth it). They were featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives a few years back.

Not My Mother's Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is truly the ultimate comfort food. It has made quite a comeback in recent years and even has become "gourmet" for the foodie set. I have to say that I am not all that comfortable with lobster in my mac and cheese, but that's just me. But it clearly is now retro chic. Anyway, my family lore has it that my mother always made the very traditional, from scratch, Mueller's recipe with cheddar cheese, milk, flour, butter and ground mustard. I say this is lore, because as the youngest of six, all she ever made for dinner when I was growing up were reservations. So once my older sister taught me that 1950s method I stuck with it for many years. Then, about two years ago, my BFF Anne introduced me to Martha Stewart's Perfect Macaroni and Cheese (Martha's name, not mine). This revolutionized my take on the traditional. Martha uses about six pounds of white cheeses (Swiss, Gruyere, pecorino Romano to name a few), milk, flour, butter, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper so it has a bit of kick. She also includes a breadcrumb topping. Liking this, but needing to simplify and economize, I have now created mine own version, greatly reducing the cost of cheese (I use Trader Joe's Cheddar and Gruyere Melange or sometimes white cheddar and Gruyere separately or sometimes whatever white cheese I happen to have on hand) and I skip the bread crumbs. I also leave out the cayenne because my Julia child thought it too spicy. So, it is the same, but completely different. If you like Martha's take, Google it. If you want a simple, inexpensive any night of the week version of the ultimate comfort food, try mine.

This seems to me to be the kind of thing Richie Cunningham's mother (aka Mrs C.) would have made on "Happy Days." Especially since I sometimes use Wisconsin white cheddar and the show was set in Milwaukee, although it could have been anywhere wholesomevlle 1955. And, it's good any night of the week (Sunday, Monday, mac and cheese, Tuesday, Wednesday, mac and cheese....rockin all week with you). Before they jumped the shark and Joanie loved Chachi, you could just imagine the Fonz bellying up to the dinette in the Cunningham kitchen to enjoy a plate of Mrs. C's mac and cheese. This show was quite possibly my favorite spin-off from "Love, American Style". Come to think of it, it may have been the only one. Ayyy.

The Recipe:

3 tblsp butter or margerine
2 3/4 cups of milk
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated cheese (Gruyere and white cheddar)
12 oz pasta (elbows, shells, penne or whatever you have on hand)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. While the pasta is cooking, in a small (3/4 - 1 qt) saucepan heat the milk on medium heat. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook while whisking for one minute. Slowly pour the hot milk into the flour/butter mix while continuing to whisk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly until the mix becomes thick and bubbly. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Then add all but about 1/4 cup of the cheese, stirring until melted. Pour the cooked and drained pasta into a 1 1/2 - 2 quart casserole and add the cheese mixture, stirring well. Then add the remaining 1/4 c of cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes. Serves 4.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie is a staple at our house. This recipe was originally cut out of the Detroit Free Press 15 or 20 years ago and was based on the pot pie they used to make at the Hudson's Department Store restaurant. As any Detroiter  knows, Hudson's has been gone for many years, and has had three incarnations since then (Dayton's, Marshall Fields and now Macy's) so I have no idea if they still make it. But I do, at least once a month, or whenever we have rotisserie chicken, the next day with the leftovers. This recipe just has a top crust. I use the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets. I have tried other puff pastry, including Trader Joe's, but have found the PF to be the best. You will also need four individual casserole dishes (1-2 cup capacity). Mine are Pyrex and are so old, I don't even know where they came from, but I suspect they were the result of a late-night Home Shopping Club purchase in the 1980's.

I call this the "Ghost and Mr. Chicken" pot pie in honor of the unsung actor of his generation - Don (or should I say Donald?) Knotts. A true comic genius, and not just for his work on the Andy Griffith Show and the aforementioned film, but also let's not forget The Reluctant Astronaut, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, all of the Apple Dumpling Gang movies, The Shakiest Gun in the West and the pinnacle of his career (at least for me) Scooby Doo. Just hearing Scooby say "Don Knotts" makes me chuckle. Now, some of you are like "hey, what about Three's Company?" and I will say that once Norman Fell was gone, I no longer watched that show. But, for you Mr. Furley fans, this one's for you too.

The Recipe::

1 sheet frozen puff pastry. thawed
3 tbs butter (or margarine - I go back and forth)
1/4 c flour
2 c chicken broth (fat free works great)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked
1/2 c frozen peas and carrots, thawed
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

In a medium skillet, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for one minute, whisking. Add the broth, whisking until smooth. Heat to a boil and cook until thickened (about 2 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, add the chicken and the peas and carrots. Divide evenly among the casseroles. Cut the pastry sheet into quarters, make 2 one-inch slits in each piece, and place on top of each casserole. Bake for 20 or until pastry is puffed and golden (like the Oscar statue that Don Knotts never received).

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