N.R. Brown – Feast at Famine's Table

For our “Going Away” party for my nephew (he’s been visiting for a month), a request was made for mac and cheese, and boy oh boy, did my eyes light up! I knew exactly what to make:
Over the Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese
AKA
OMG, Someone Call 911 RIGHT NOW Mac N’ Cheeeeeeeeeeeese!

So this little artery-clogging treasure came from my sister…who makes this exactly 3 times a year (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter). Any more than that and…well, the consequences would be dire, indeed. I have changed nary a word on this recipe, and I follow it to the letter. I do have one hint, though, use a deep pan if you like gooey, sticky mac and cheese. If you like yours a little more brown, use a casserole dish. (I prefer gooey, my sister prefers brown, so it really is a matter of taste.)

BTW, I tried to take a picture, but the horde (shout out to my World of Warcraft buddies) descended and gobbled it up so quick there as nothing left behind but bones.  See…

Over-the-Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Muenster cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta , cut into small cubes
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart casserole.

Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.

In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.

Bake until it’s bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

So this weekend at Balticon, I unveiled a little surprise I’d been working on to celebrate my story appearing in ChiZine this month: Maman Brigtte’s Sacred 21 Pepper Rum.

It is said that when being ridden by Maman Brigitte, (a hard drinking, hard talking woman) one will develop a taste for this fiery infusion. It is also said, that those accused of pretending to host this very powerful spirit are tested in a very specific and painful way…hot pepper juice is spread on sensitive body parts.

Let’s just say I’ve never felt the need to pretend to be ridden by her…but if you’d like to take a taste of the powerful drink she prefers you can make your own like I did. Granted, I only used jalapeno peppers…and I did not use 21…but still it was likened to drinking pepper spray.

I think Brigitte would be proud.

MAMAN BRIGETTE’S
SACRED 21 PEPPER RUM
Ingredients:
1 bottle of cheap rum
21 of the hottest little peppers you can find

Directions:
Pour a little rum to keep you company.
Push 21 peppers (stem and all) into the bottle of rum.
Replace the cap on the rum, tightly, and let it sit for 7 days in a cool place.
It will start to take on a red tint, that is a warning, not an invitation folks.

Oh, and for Loa’s sake, don’t rub your eyes until you have washed your hands multiple times with soap and hot water!