Perfectly Seasoned
The podcast about all things culinary.
Perfectly Seasoned
S3 E41 Truffled Mac & Cheese - Ina Garten
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Hello and welcome to Perfectly Seasoned, the podcast about all things culinary. I'm your personal chef, Greg Strom, and today on Perfectly Seasoned, decadent, luxurious, savory, and nutty, these are all adjectives that describe the ultimate comfort food. What is it? Stay tuned. Hello everyone, and today on Perfectly Seasoned, we'll be discussing truffled macaroni and cheese. Ah, this dish actually evolved from a recipe that was found in La Guide Coulinaire from 1903 by Auguste Escoffier. And of course, if you are a foodie, you probably know that he was what we consider to be the father of modern French cuisine. And back then the recipe was called macaroni creme gratin au truff. It sounds so much sexier than truffle mac and cheese. But it was made with macaroni, heavy cream, gruere cheese, and fresh truffles. And it evolved over the years to what you know for traditional French gratin dishes. And the modern reinterpretations, which have been over the past 20 years or so, have kept the dish alive and very popular in restaurants and extremely popular in home kitchens. And today's recipe is not any different from the original Escoffier recipe, basically, which it just includes which is going to be on my website, thesilversh.net. And today I am very, very happy to join in the studio or on the phone Cynthia Tosh, our resident Somalier, and her husband, Brian Tosh. And he is an avid foodie and home cook, as I as as well as Cynthia. And I want to say welcome to you, Brian. Thank you very much. Before we uh start, I have to ask, as I do everyone, did you follow this recipe exactly as written and instructed?
SPEAKER_00Well, Brian says if there's one thing he can do is follow a recipe. And I'm always impressed at how well he does.
SPEAKER_03Okay, good. Uh and in case you're wondering why I always ask that question, it's because when you are trying a recipe, especially especially with multiple people trying it, you need a good base. And if you don't follow the recipe and something goes wrong, you won't know what went wrong unless you do follow the recipe. So that's the reason that I ask that. So it's not that I'm trying to put a I'm not trying to put you in the cloakroom because you didn't follow directions. So uh well, let's start with you, Brian, since you were the one who made the recipe. What what are your thoughts about this recipe?
SPEAKER_02Well, I actually was more in an assistant role on this particular cook. But I I thought I was happy with how everything turned out on it. Cynthia, I mean you were sort of the one driving across the case.
SPEAKER_00He's so modest. Yeah. No, we we actually make we actually make mac and cheese quite a bit at home. In fact, we're gonna like put it on our smoker most of the time and can accept the two flavor when he's smoking things out on Prager in the summertime. This was a bit different than, you know, obviously adding that flavor profile to the mac and cheese. This is you know, the key to my heart basically is truffles and cheese. So and Ina, I mean he's just the culinary what's not celestial, right? So we did follow the recipe. He's usually the chopper, so he chops the mushrooms and dices them up and gets everything ready, and he's the keeper of the flour because he's the baker in the family, so he'll portion out all of that for me, and then I'm the scientist kind of putting it all together in the kitchen.
SPEAKER_03Wow. So it's definitely a group effort. And now that you've let it out of the bag that he's a baker, I have some recipes for you to try for next season.
SPEAKER_02We'd be happy to uh make an attempt.
SPEAKER_03So uh well, I have to say, I uh when I did this recipe for the first time, uh I was just a little bit skeptical because the flavor just came from of the truffle just came from the truffle oil. And then but and then the other mushrooms that you used, I thought, well, that's not really gonna taste like but it did. I thought the truffle oil worked very well. I I'd be I'd probably be in the poorhouse if I decided to make it all with real truffles. But I I I wouldn't be adverse. Well, I wouldn't be adverse to scraping some black truffle over the top before I served it, but I understand the reasoning for you not using them in the actual recipe uh rather than just using the the oil, which I'm fine with as long as as long as it's a good truffle oil. And actually, I like the white truffle oil better.
SPEAKER_00And I do too. I do too. I'll put that on my popcorn sometimes, actually.
SPEAKER_03Oh my gosh, I never thought of that. I'll have to try that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I'll have to try.
SPEAKER_00Mix in just the tiniest bit and then some parmesan on top if you want, and it's like gold. I might make some tonight. That sounds great.
SPEAKER_03Well, it does sound great. I might have to do that. So as far as was there anything in in the recipe that you thought you might want to change to make to change it up a little bit, make it more something in your taste, or something that might bump the flavor.
SPEAKER_00So I we have a mushroom guy at the farmer's market, Sal. Shout out to Sal. He's wonderful. Him and his wife run, you know, the the the mushroom farm and and he they sell them. And he has such a beautiful array of mushrooms. Brian and I try to always make that our first stop, but we gotta be early because he sells out so fast. But he does hen of the woods or lion's mane, which are our personal favorite because they're so meaty and rich, and they really work so well with cooking. I also really love the oyster mushrooms. So I might I might do more of a mix or a medley with those flavors next time.
SPEAKER_03Well, I I was kind of in the same uh thought process because we have a guy at our farmer's market who doesn't have a guy. Oh, our guy, he actually has a mushroom farm and he has these little, he builds these little uh individual huts for different the different mushrooms, I guess. So and they're all he he grows them all. And one of my favorites, Tim and I's favorites, is the lion's mane in some particular is very good. So uh myself, I would like to also experiment with the other mushrooms, different mushrooms. My thought is the only reason that you should use those types of mushrooms is because if you are you if you are not used to cooking with m that many uh mushrooms, these are very generic and very they're just very innocuous, and people are much more familiar with them. So, but now that I've done this recipe, I like your like yourself will try it with these other exotic mushrooms and see what happens.
SPEAKER_00Well, you make a good point that those are mushrooms you find in the grocery store, but then she says three ounces of white truffle butter. You know, but Ina always sneaks in somehow, doesn't she? Storebot is fine. Yeah, you can't fly in truffles from Italy yourself, you can buy them at the store.
SPEAKER_03You know, well, I I will say, I will say, I have a vendor that you've you've heard of it, uh D'Artagnan. Uh you know D'Artagnan. D'Artagnan, yes. Yes. Um that's where I buy my truffle butter. I also buy my veal demiglass, veal and duck demiglass there, because that it's oh yeah. But there they they have their truffle butter is really very good and very affordable, too, by the way. Uh everybody thought it was going to be so expensive, but it's not. It really isn't. It's not nearly as extra expensive as a truffle. So anything anything less than that is a is is a bargain. But yeah, the truffle butter is I that's definitely the key. Man, that was that was some now. What did you serve with it, wine-wise? Wow, this is a perfect time to go into wine o'clock.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, let's just get into wine o'clock. So obviously, Brian has gotten much more into wine since getting since marrying me. So I expose him to many different varieties. And I know not maybe your personal favorite, but you know mine is Chardonnay. Brian also loves Chardonnay. But I'm going to tell you, I'm going to tell you, and Brian can chime in, you chime in, babe, whatever, if you have something to say about this. But my favorite Chardonnay is Murceau. And I think you, if you've not had a Merceau, or if your listeners have not had a Merceau, I think that it is a fabulous example of Chardonnay because it barely resembles the Chardonnay that most people think that they hate. Because why people normally dislike it or say they don't is they're thinking about the California heavily oaked, buttery popcorn style that dominated in the 80s and 90s, like slabby vanilla balm, low acidity, and that trains nearly a whole generation to say, I don't like Chardonnay. But Merceau is almost the opposite. The oak is more integrated, it's not dominant, it's still Asian French oak, but the goal is more for texture and not to be a lumber yard, basically. It's really clean in style, it leaves with flintiness, hazelnut, almonds. It's great for people that are suspicious of Chardonnay. It has that creamy mouthfeel, but it's really nice, has a really nice acidity.
SPEAKER_03Who are you talking about being suspicious about Chardonnay? Who? Who? Who could that be? Well, I would definitely silver shaft.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03Well, you know, Cynthia, you know, I'm nothing if I'm not adventurous. So there would be uh I'm up for trying anything, any, any Chardonnay, because I know you're you're trying to you're trying to convince me.
SPEAKER_00I'm I'm practically trying to put down your throat over the phone. I know. Now, Brian, did you like Chardonnay as much when we first met? I can't remember now because you drink it with me so often.
SPEAKER_02Well, I have to be honest, before meeting you, my taste in wine was very limited. So I don't know if I could have d differentiated Chardonnay from several other white wines at that time. So No, I really didn't have a strong opinion because I hadn't formed any opinion of Chardonnay at that point.
SPEAKER_00So fair enough, fair enough. But now he'll share that.
SPEAKER_03Honestly, I wish I would have had that experience the first time I ever tried, you know, that because I am a victim of the 1980s.
SPEAKER_00Right. Many people are. That is just there's so many places you can get Chardonnay that really throw that really show the true variety and and all that it can be. You know, when people and this is a controversial statement, people love Rombauer. They they love that heavy, heavy, heavy oak, and that's that can be fine, and that's great. And and it's a well-made wine and it's wonderful. But a lot of times, and I'm not talking about that producer, but a lot of times people can hide flaws in wine by putting a heavy oak balm on top of it, because then you really can't taste any quote unquote flaw in the wine because it's covered up with vanilla. But when you have when you have a white burgundy and they have just a touch of oak, or you're getting a Chardonnay from Santa Barbara and it's mostly stainless steel, you know, you're really getting what Chardonnay can really be. It's like the chameleon of grapes, I feel it can be whatever the winemaker wants it to be, and it can be so refreshing and so wonderful. But for you, Greg, if Chardonnay is not your vibe and you want a red, you can absolutely have a red with truffle mac and cheese. And for that, I recommend a Nebbiolo or a village level barillo from Piedmont because what are they known for? Truffles. You know, truffles are from the same region, Piedmont, where the world's most prized white truffles are found. And then you get that signature tar, rose, dried cherry, earthy woodsy undercurrent. That's gonna go really well with the mushrooms, but you're still gonna have the nice acidity and firm tannins to keep every bite kind of interesting. So you can get a longer nebbiolo, which is much more affordable than a virollo. But if you're gonna go big and you're having white truffles and this mac and cheese, you might as well have a virolo with it as well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, the the cost of the wine next to the truffles is a pittance compared to an expensive dinner, but it's delicious. Yeah. Well, I I will tell you that uh I served the Alberino from Spain. And it really I I've told you before, and I I'll say it again, we're we're on a Spanish kick right now. We have been for maybe the past six, seven months, basically because of what you had explained to us earlier in the season about something. So we started and then we've gotten hooked on it. But the Chardonnay, I am hellbent to actually find one that I like. I honestly am. I'm not I'm not just trying to be flip about Chardonnay. I am honestly trying to find a Chardonnay that I will like because I there's no reason not to.
SPEAKER_00It would be a great honor, and I'm hoping that Brian and I can get down to Florida with Miles, with the the baby, and we can come to go to your wine shop with you, and I'll pick out three or four, and we'll just do a Chardonnay flight at your house. Okay, and it would be an honor to take you through my favorite chardonnay. So we can wait and do that together. That would be so fun.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Well, first of all, thank you for bringing up uh my his name is gonna be Miles. Is that correct? His name is Miles.
SPEAKER_00It's gonna be Miles on air. Yes, out in the world now.
SPEAKER_03So so Cynthia and Brian are expecting their first child in September. We're all we're just absolutely over the moon for you guys.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much. He's gonna have a great palate.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Yeah, that's definitely for sure. So listen, thanks, you know, Brian. And I'm serious about next season. I'm gonna be sending you some some uh recipes for baking because I'm starting to add dessert to to the to the main course for next season. So that'll that'll be some fun things.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Well, that's more of my area of expertise.
SPEAKER_03Okay for certain. So yeah.
SPEAKER_00Cakes, cheesecakes, muffins, brownies, you name it. He's I have he can whip it up and do really well.
SPEAKER_03I have a I have a double chocolate cheesecake with an Oreo crust that will knock your socks off. Oh okay.
SPEAKER_00Maybe send that over tonight and we can whip that tonight. That sounds great.
SPEAKER_03Actually, I'll send the recipe right after we get done speaking this afternoon. So if you guys have any questions about today's recipe, or if you would like to be a guest home cook like Brian's gonna be next season, please email me at info at the silverchef.net. And I want to thank Cynthia and Brian, and congratulations again, you guys.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03And you can listen to Perfectly Seasoned on my website, thesilverchef.net, my Facebook page, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is your personal chef, Greg Strom, thanking you for joining me today on Perfectly Seasoned. And remember to eat fresh, may the fork be with you, and may all your days be perfectly seasoned.