I set the alarm on Saturday! Why? Well, I have a conflict of interest in this morning's schedule. I made a 9:00 AM appointment to get my hair cut, before I realized this is the day the Water Department guy is supposed to come back and run a new wire for my meter, so they can read it outside. He can show up anytime between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM, BTW.
But, after sitting, stuck on my ass last weekend, waiting 12 1/2 hours for the furnace repair guy, I am a little less inclined to worry about tradesmen and their schedules. So, after some coffee and Blog posting, I shaved and showered. I still had some time before leaving for the barber, so I swept the kitchen floor and cleaned the counters (again). Then, I put a cover on the table and took everything out from under the sink (so the guy can work, unimpeded).
There was still no sign of the guy at 8:50 AM, so I left for the barber. I was back by 9:25 AM and still no sign of him (no card in the door saying, "I was here" or anything). So, instead of pulling in, I cut down the alley to the quarter car wash and hosed the Volvo off. I was back home and drying off the car windows in less than 20 minutes.
Then, I started the macaroni and cheese. I cooked a pound of elbow macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente (about seven minutes). Then I drained it, tossed it with two tablespoons of butter and set it aside.
Next, I put four cups of whole milk into a big saucepan. To the milk, I added a small, peeled onion, studded with two whole cloves. Next I added a bay leaf, three sprigs of fresh thyme, four cloves of peeled garlic and a teaspoon of dry mustard. I warmed it up over medium low heat until the milk started to steam (about 10 minutes). Then I removed it from the heat to let the flavors infuse while I made the roux.
I put two tablespoons of butter in a pot (the same one I cooked the pasta in) over medium heat and added two tablespoons of flour. I cooked it, whisking constantly for two or three minutes (don't let the roux color!) Then I strained in the infused milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. I cooked that for another five minutes or so, still whisking, until the sauce was thick.
I removed the sauce from the heat and added in one cup of mild cheddar and 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. I stirred that until it was smooth. I tasted it and adjusted the seasoning (needed more salt and a lot of ground pepper).
I buttered the sides of a tin-foil baking pan (I only have one casserole dish and I used it for the baked beans) and put the macaroni in it. I poured the sauce over the macaroni and added one cup of sharp cheddar chunks and mixed it together. I topped that with another cup of the mild cheddar cheese and another 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
I varied the recipe at this point by also topping it with a handful of Italian bread crumbs. Then I put it in the oven, preheated to 350 degrees F. I set the timer for 25 minutes and then will check on it. You want the top golden and crusty.
It was 10:45 AM and still no sign of the Water Department guy, so I washed all the pots and pans. The timer went off, but I decided the macaroni and cheese needed another five minutes. Then, I pulled it out and set it on top the stove to cool.
The Water Department guy showed up at 11:00 AM. He pulled out the old wire from out in the back yard and threaded in a new one. He had that wired to the meter in less than five minutes. Then he went back outside to run it around the house to the remote read site. Before he walked out, he pointed at the cooling mac & cheese and said, "Whatever that is, it smells fantastic!" I told him it was macaroni and cheese for this afternoon's barbecue. He said he was stopping at Kroger after work for some steaks and was going to grille tomorrow. Spring is definitely in the air!
He knocked on the door to tell me he was leaving at 11:30 and that everything is working again. We wished each other well with our respective barbecues and he took off. I put everything back under the sink.
Now, it's onto the ribs! I cut the rack in half and then ripped off the white membrane on the bone side, as best as I could. I put them on a half sheet tray and baptized them with a cup of bourbon, followed by a cup of apple juice.
Then I added the dry rub, which I made with some salt, fresh ground black pepper, a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, two tablespoons of grille seasoning (I use Montreal Steak Seasoning, myself) and four large cloves of garlic, finely minced. I have the ribs meat side up and I massaged the dry rub into the meat. Then I put the tray into the oven, which was preheated to 250 degrees F. (low and slow, baby!) I'll let them go for about three hours, and then add in the baked beans and macaroni and cheese to warm them.
So, it's now just after noon and time to get the appetizer ready: marinated, grilled shrimp. I had thawed a pound of 25-30 shrimp, so I took off the shells and de-veined them. Then I made a simple marinade by combining 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of dry white wine, one tablespoon of dry, minced onions, 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper. I put that all in a zip-lock bag and shook it up, and then added the shrimp. I put the bag in the fridge to marinate (2-4 hours). I put 10 wood skewers in water (so they don't catch fire when we grille the shrimp).
Okay, I'm tired now. So, I vacuumed the living room rug, washed the kitchen floor and then went to watch TV and (hopefully) take a nap while it dried.
I did doze off, because the stove timer woke me up at 2:30 PM. I went and transferred the beans and the macaroni and cheese from the fridge to the oven. It smells pretty good in here, BTW.
I did a quick check of all the rooms to make sure they meet inspection. I picked up a few new Caley hairs from the living room and sprayed the bathroom sink with window cleaner and dried it with a paper towel. I lit the candle in the living room and the one in the bath, then I went outside to light the charcoal.
I was trying to get it to light with used printer paper (plain old newspaper works best, but I don't have any) when Jake and Carla arrived. The second try with paper just fizzled out when Carla suggested the glossy ad paper, sprayed with cooking oil. Bingo!
Jake was taking a look at my computer (it's been running very slow since there was an automatic Microsoft update during the night last week). Carla decided she wanted to make deviled eggs and asked if I had any hardboiled eggs (I always do!)
She got busy with that while I ran two wet wood skewers through five pieces of the marinated shrimp and then repeated until I had the whole pound skewered. (Why two? They are much easier to control when you flip them.) I took them out and, after spreading the charcoal, cleaning the grates and oiling them, I put them on the fire. I cooked them until pink (maybe two-three minutes per side).
I put them on a platter and took them inside. I offered them around after trying one (not bad, but no big whoop, either!) I asked Carla about her deviled eggs (didn't see them) and she said she had Jake taste test them and they ended up too salty. I assumed she threw them away.
I took the ribs out of the oven and the barbeque sauce I had prepared earlier (one full bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce mixed with 1/4 cup of bourbon) and went back to the grill. Now, you've already cooked them, all you are trying to do it get a coating of caramelized sauce on them. So, be patient, baste them a lot and if they start to burn, move them to a cooler part of the grille for a bit.
When I had them where I wanted them, I put them on another platter and took them in the house. The table was set, I pulled out the beans and macaroni and cheese and we helped ourselves, buffet style.
My review? The ribs were fantastic. The beer baked beans were pretty damn good, too. But, I thought the macaroni and cheese suffered from being warmed back up. They tasted good, but were a bit dry. Note to self: Next time you are faced with this, make 1 1/2 times the sauce to allow for the reheat (I'm just guessing, here).
After eating way too much (just speaking about myself, now) we cleared the table and Jake got out the Scrabble game. Whereupon, I had my head handed to me! Yes, the famed technical, short story, poetry and Blog writer barely broke 100 points!!! Jake won but Carla kicked my butt, too!
After that humiliation, they packed up and left (around 7:00 PM). I went in and watched the Saturday morning cooking showed I'd taped.
Around 10:00 PM, I started thinking about a snack (maybe some cold baked beans?) and went out to the fridge. There I found Carla's deviled eggs! So, I tried one: yes, a little salty, but I like salty. Other than that, they were excellent (I wish I knew what she put in them. Was that a fine diced scallion?) I woofed down five of them and covered the rest with cling wrap to eat tomorrow. Then I went to bed.
I got back up around 2:00 AM to go to the bathroom, so I slipped on my robe, opened the garage door and dragged the grill inside. Then I went back to bed.