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What shares the menu with roasted rack of lamb in Merlot-mint demi-glace, potato-crusted sea bass with an orange reduction sauce, or braised pork belly with foie gras and kumquats at upscale Orange County restaurants? Think simple. Think back to childhood. Think macaroni and cheese. Perhaps you associate it with that iconic blue box that was first introduced to consumers in 1937. But these days, chefs are sending macaroni and cheese out of their kitchens in updated ways. It’s a return to basics – but with a twist. At least two chefs in Orange County embellish their recipes with truffles. Another boosts the dish with sautéed Maine lobster. Yet another adds duck confit. And the cheese – well, it’s not just cheddar anymore. Chefs are creating new textures and flavors using more exotic cheeses – a creamy, mild Taleggio or a nutty Gruyere. Macaroni and cheese became a staple in many American households during World War II, about two years after Kraft, the makers of Velveeta, introduced its boxed dinner to the market. “During World War II, when many items were rationed to aid the war effort, careful shoppers purchased 50 million boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese because they could get two boxes with one food ration stamp,” says Joyce Hodel, Kraft’s associate director of corporate affairs. While it’s no doubt a classic American comfort food, it’s only been in recent years that it’s begun appearing on the menus of high-end destination restaurants. And it’s there because diners demanded it, says Chef Michael Backouris, who teaches American cuisine at the Art Institute of California-Orange County’s International Culinary School. “We were getting away from the true idea of letting the food speak for itself,” says Backouris, who worked as the chef at two Orange County restaurants, including The Hobbit in Orange. “Customers are comfortable with something they recognize. If it brings back a two-second memory of home, then they are more likely to try yours.” That doesn’t mean its first appearance on upscale restaurant menus didn’t cause a stir. Bill Bracken, executive chef at the Palm Terrace Restaurant at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach remembers the initial reaction to his truffle macaroni and cheese: “People thought, ‘You’re crazy. You can’t put that on a restaurant menu.’” Now, it’s a favorite among frequent diners there. The inspiration for his recipe? An article he read about Taleggio, a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese from Italy’s Lombardy region. It’s creamy, mild and tangy. And as it ages, it softens to the consistency of Brie and takes on even more tang than a Camembert. Bracken combines Taleggio – but only a certain brand (“The cheese itself makes the difference”) – in a cream sauce infused with aromatics such as thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns. The big challenge, says Bracken, is achieving the right consistency in the sauce to keep the pasta curls from sticking together. Reduce the cream sauce too much, and it becomes clumpy and sticky. If the sauce isn’t reduced enough, it’s runny. John Garcia, who became chef de cuisine at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel several months ago and promptly added his Truffle Mac and Cheese to the menu at Restaurant 162’, pairs two types of aged cheddar. He melts a sharp white from Wisconsin and a yellow variety from California into a béchamel (a milk-based sauce thickened with flour and butter or other fat) and flavors it with garlic, shallots, thyme and bay leaves. Once he adds the macaroni, he finishes the dish with shaved Oregon black truffles (when they’re in season), and white truffle oil. Garcia says the “earthy, distinctive” flavors of truffles and “good cheese” mold well together. As for Backouris, he’s elevated the basic mac and cheese recipe by adding duck breast and confit, black and white truffles, and eucalyptus honey and pine nuts. The tricks, he says, are not overcooking the pasta, making sure there are no lumps in the sauce (it’s important to stir the cheese with a whisk and keep the sauce below 185 degrees) and topping it with a generous helping of cheese. It’s the simplicity of the basic dish – pasta and cheese – that makes it such a versatile palette for experimentation, say Tom Shields, executive chef and owner of Spark Woodfire Grill in Huntington Beach. In his recipe, he uses four cheeses – Gruyere, cheddar, Asiago and Parmesan – that he melts into a cream sauce. Gruyere melts well and carries a mellow nuttiness, while the cheddar gives the dish a yellow, golden color and a little sharpness. The result is a rich, creamy dish. And the topper: sautéed Maine lobster. All four chefs grew up eating macaroni and cheese. Garcia’s mother made it on special occasions. In the Bracken home, Velveeta and Longhorn Colby Cheddar served as the main ingredients. And Backouris loved Kraft Food’s boxed recipe. “I’ll still eat a bowl of it,” he says. “No problem.” –Bryce Alderton is a Mission Viejo-based freelance journalist and a chef. |
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