Good 34º cloudy dark morning.
Yesterday the rain came and went, but it stayed very dark and gloomy.
Today 44 years ago was my first date with Jerry. He treated me to steak and lobster dinner. We totally enjoyed the evening and each other. Instant love. From that day on we were always together.
Talk about taking comfort food to a whole new level. This recipe combines two tried-and-true favorites: chili and macaroni and cheese. The result is one beefy, cheesy, casserole that's good till the very last bite. Oh, and did I mention it's got a crispy topping?
Chili Mac & Cheese Casserole
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chili with beans
- 1 cup French-fried onions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray
2. In a large pot, cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.
3. In the same pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour, mustard, salt, and pepper; mix well. Gradually add milk and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups cheese and continue stirring until melted. Remove from heat and stir in macaroni. Spoon mixture into baking dish.
4. Pour chili evenly over macaroni and cheese, and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle French-fried onions over top.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and golden.
This is interesting...
Bread was central to the formation of early human societies and is, in all its various forms, the most widely consumed food in the world. Sourdough is the oldest and most original form of leavened bread, used by Ancient Egyptian civilizations as early as 4000 B.C. This fact has been proven by wall paintings and the analyses of desiccated bread loves.
Fast forwarding to more modern times, the introduction of commercial yeasts in the nineteenth century seriously undermined sourdough, because they enabled other breads to rise and be made faster and with more consistency. Also, more restrictive labor laws introduced in the early 1900s made the production of foodstuffs less sustainable.
In America, San Francisco has been a sourdough bread mecca since it became an America city. During the gold rush days in California, master bakers from France came to the San Francisco area and discovered that demand for sourdough bread was beyond their wildest expectations. Boudin Bakery, the oldest continuing business of any type in San Francisco, has used the same “mother dough”, or sourdough starter, since 1849.
I have always loved Boudin's breads! Their bakery/cafe is at Pier 39 and a favorite place of Jerry and I.
Historically this date......
1919 – Oregon places a 1 cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax.
1932 – Adolf Hitler obtains German citizenship by naturalization, which allows him to run in the 1932 election for Reichspräsident.
1964 – Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston, Ali took the title.
1991 – Gulf War: An Iraqi scud missile hits an American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killing 28 U.S. Army Reservists from Pennsylvania.
.........Rest in peace soldiers. God Bless you.
And births this date include...
1913 – Jim Backus, American actor (d. 1989)
1929 – Christopher George, American actor (d. 1983)
1938 – Diane Baker, American actress
1943 – George Harrison, English singer and guitarist, member of The Beatles (d. 2001)
1971 – Sean Astin, American actor
Later for dinner I had Schwans Shrimp Spring Rolls with Thai sweet chili sauce and some ranch dip.... and some of those pickled mushrooms from Costco..
All I know. Nuff said. Happy Sunday. Ciao.
xo Sue Mom Bobo
Each year on February 25th people across the nation have a bowl and spoon ready to be filled with clam chowder as they prepare to participate in National Clam Chowder Day. Or if you are in Boston (as they say "Bass-ten") and/or you like Boston Chowder, you pronounce it Bass-ten Chow-da!)
A clam chowder in its simplest form is a soup or stew containing clams or fish. The most common type of chowder includes milk or cream as well as potatoes, though the Manhattan clam chowder has tomatoes.
The origin of the word “chowder” is up for a little bit of debate. The French word for cauldron is “chaudiere”. The English word “jowter” means fish peddler. Both are on the hook for possible origins.
In chowder, along with the clams, it is common to find diced potatoes, onions (often sautéed with pork or bacon drippings) and celery.
Following is a list of the basic clam chowder variants:
- New England clam chowder
- Manhattan clam chowder
- Rhode Island clam chowder
- Delaware clam chowder
- New Jersey clam chowder
- Hatteras clam chowder
- Minorcan clam chowder
- Long Island clam chowder
- Puget Sound clam chowder
HOW TO OBSERVE
To celebrate National Clam Chowder Day, enjoy one of the following mouth-watering clam chowder recipes:
