Truly the Best and Easiest Mac n Cheese Recipe on the Planet. It's A Little Crazy!

                                                   
                                                    The Best and Easiest Baked Mac N Cheese


OK. As I have said before there is almost nothing I love more than a great Mac N Cheese. I mean I am a little obsessed. I admit it. And there are as many Mac N Cheese recipes out there as there are wannabe rock stars and movie stars in New York and Hollywood combined. I have been all over the country and I can tell you that there are a lot of recipes and good ones at that out there. But replicating that really good restaurant chef quality experience at home, that's the trick. It's a lot of work right?

Now everyone has their own version of Mac N Cheese which they remember, make or buy. I think everyone conjours up different visions of what Mac n Cheese looks like for them and how they envision the best Mac n Cheese. Regardless of your preference it all comes down four principles of Mac n Cheese I believe. Those four principles are creamy, crusty, tangy, cheesy. In probably conjours up an image like this...

I mean doesn't that look good? My viewpoint is I want Mac and I don't want to have to wait for it. But what to do if you don't have time and you don't want to use the "Box"?

My family was never a big Mac n Cheese family. I learned to love it from going to my relatives. My Aunt Lucille made what I thought was the best Mac n Cheese is the world. She would make it for big family gatherings at her house. It was a classic old school southern baked version with plenty of cheese a creamy sauce and lots of eggs. My Aunt Martha made one I believe and also my Aunt Doris. But my Mother and Grandmother were never big on it. When we had it I think it mostly came out of a box and was just a snack for lunch or something. In retrospect that was odd given they made a lot of noodle dishes but that was really never one of them.

However, I think my real love for Mac n Cheese began in college. The Dining hall at James Madison University or D-Hall as we referred to it put out some really incredible food. One of the dishes that made it's way often into the steam table on the buffet was a Mac N Cheese like none I had ever had. So creamy and yet so substantial I fell in love with it. And I indulged in it as often as they would have it on the menu board. Usually served on Fridays when they also served fried fish it was a staple of my roommate's and mine freshman year.

Since then moving back to Charleston, one would see Mac N Cheese everywhere. I mean it's the South, we consider it a vegetable! However, it was not until I moved to New York City that the dish became somewhat of a culinary show piece in the dining scene. Comfort food became a "thing" here in New York in the late 1990's. It was a genre of food that while plebeian in it's truest form, somehow captured the culinary imagination of New Yorkers. You know it created that  feeling of "Oh look I'm eating a little bit of the small town homey goodness and look, this country style simplicity has come to the big city and makes me feel better! Yay!".  In other words it was a fad. Well fads come and go but the restaurant Mac N Cheese NYC love affair has endured.

Now I love restaurant style Mac n Cheese. One of the hall marks of  a restaurant style Mac n Cheese is that it is almost always freshly made. No gloppy luke warm squares cut out of a chaffing dish and stood up like wall paper paste on your plate.

So as I have looked for a home version I have always thought it must be one that can be served right away and fresh. I mean if you are gong to serve Mac n Cheese make it the meal and serve it with a salad and be done. I mean...Yum!

The other thing about a home version I think is that it should be easy. So many have you make a white sauce. fold in cheese, boil pasta on and on and on.  Now I have a version on the blog for stove top Mac N Cheese. It uses one pot and is very easy. But it is not the Mac n Cheese of my dreams, all crusted with cheese hot from the oven browned and bubbling. It's awesome, but I wanted more.

So this is how I came up with this recipe. One day I was looking around for a recipe for zucchini casserole and came across my cousin's squash casserole recipe that used cottage cheese and milk and eggs to basically make a custard.

Then I remembered a recipe I had read in the New York Times that had talked about using Cottage Cheese as a binder in Mac N Cheese. In the article they also talked about not having to boil the pasta. Well that made sense given I know now that you don't have to boil Lasagna Noodles. They cook right in the sauce. So this became interesting.

 The one pot Mac n Cheese used milk to cook the pasta in and make it creamy. What if you did that in the oven. Well I tried it and it worked. I mean it really worked.

So here is the recipe based partly on the New York Times article and partly on my cousins squash casserole recipe and partly on my one pot Mac n Cheese recipe. It is so close to perfect I don't know what else to say. And it's easy!

So give it a try and enjoy, Ya'll

Forrest's Best Ever Easy Mac N Cheese

1 cup full fat Cottage Cheese
2 cups whole milk
6 oz of marscapone cheese
1 teaspoons Coleman's Dry Mustard Powder
1 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper or Hungarian Hot Paprika
1 lb and 3 oz freshly grated Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 pound of Elbow Pasta noodles dry
2 tablespoons butter

Method:

In a blender mix the first 7 ingredients till smooth
In a large bowl mix 3/4 of the Cheddar cheese
along with the milk mixture add in the Parmesan cheese and dry noodles
mix well
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Pour contents of mixing bowl into a medium ( 9x9) baking dish (or divide among several small crocks)
or medium iron skillet
Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins

Uncover, top with remaining cheese and dot with the butter and bake another thirty minutes till bubbling! 

Let sit for a few minutes and then enjoy Ya'll! 

Tricks of the Trade for Entertaining Groups: Oven "Smoked" BBQ Pork Butt for Easy Summer Entertaining

People are always asking me when I host a group of thirty people or so for a party in NYC, "how can you cook all this food?" or "It must have taken you hours to do all this!!" The truth is a well done dinner party for more than 4 takes some planning but is actually not all that hard when you keep several rules of thumb in mind.

The first rule for easy summer entertaining is keep it simple. Over the years I have cooked for a lot of groups. And I have to say that unless they are paying you to make lots of different foods, simple is better. Let me tell you why. First is the "This is overwhelming and driving me crazy rule". That is the more you have to make to make  the crazier you will make yourself. No better lesson than the one I learned from Stuart and Mine's first underground dinner for On the Plate. Indeed, we planned a 5 course meal, cooked too much food even with all of our collective chefing experience drove ourselves nuts. All because we perceived that value was based on volume and not on quality. In show business you learn always leave them wanting more. In cooking while you want to satisfy, you don't want people overwhelmed. So fix a meal just like you would for 4 people but amp up the volume. A protein and 2 sides. Maybe bread and that's it.

The second rule actually drives the first. It is the "No one is going to appreciate all the crazy it took you to make the dinner cause they are only here to eat and have fun... but mostly have fun!" How many times does someone throw a dinner party and get stressed out over the food prep and presentation and serving. Just relax. The rule of a good party is gathering good people providing good food and or drinks and letting them ENJOY themselves and your company. People want to eat but mostly they want to relax and have a good time. And most importantly if you are stressed you are not going to have a good time. And remember at the end of the day...it's all about you having a good time too.

The "Why" is the third rule "People like to eat but, they especially like to eat good food done well and not necessarily the Smorgasbord of the Universe that they never expected you to cook." I remember a party I threw years ago when I made so many different items. It was not expected and it was not appreciated. Well, that's not totally true. It was appreciated but not as much as I thought it should have been given the effort I put into it! But that was the problem. I did not follow rules one and two and then got into trouble. And then got upset. Really all my fault!
Delicious is where it is at. Pick three things and prepare them in appropriate volume. Make sure they are delicious and your job is done. Room temperature foods or foods that are easily prepared in advance and are put out warm to be shared are your friends, and they help you to follow rule numbers one and two.

The last rule is "Make a list". Being organized is the other factor that can make entertaining easier. No one knew this better than my Mother. She is the most list savvy person I know. Even her lists have lists. But boy is she on top of her life! Always has been. This was never more true than when she entertained. Years ago my father's job required that they throw parties. I can remember helping. Now these were not summer casual BBQ's but full on 1970's style house work parties. You know shrimp cocktail to Steak Diane with all the trimmings all done on a buffet table and served up with a full bar. My brother an I would help my Grandmother and Mother all day and sometime days before shopping, prepping, peeling, cleaning, and organizing. It was fun but the most fun was getting to stay up for the parties! But it all started with those lists of to do's and they made everything easier.

So following these simple rules you can tackle the most difficult group entertaining tasks. Remember for outdoor entertaining keep it simple and fresh, keep it less but delicious and make a list to organize and to do ahead everything you can so you can enjoy the party too. Oh and have fun, lets not forget that! Because isn't that why we entertain to start with!

So here's an easy recipe for a crowd. It's done in the oven, it's done before the party starts, it's casual and easy for people to help themselves. It is as all American as can be and will make people think you worked really hard. But it's as easy and 1,2,3. SO Enjoy Ya'll.

Oven "Smoked" Pork Butt BBQ with Sesame Seed Buns, Pickles and BBQ Sauce
serves 30

Take 16 pounds of  pork shoulder bone in

Mix together
1 1/2 cups yellow mustard
1/4 cup garlic powder
3 teaspoons liquid smoke
1/4 cup salt
1/4/ cup pepper
1/4 cup water

Slather all over the pork shoulder and place in the fridge for at least three hours to overnight

Preset oven to 220 degrees

Place shoulder in roasting pan fat pad side up and cover with tin foil

Roast overnight for 12 hours ( easy while you sleep cooking start at 8pm done by 8am with your coffee)

Remove from the oven and cool, reserve drippings

Remove the fat pad. Shred pork and remove bones, skim fat off the drippings and use about 2 cups to moisten the pork

Mix well with the drippings and place in a oven proof pot with a lid

Before serving mix in 1 cup BBQ sauce of choice ( can be store bought) and heat in the oven till warmed through at 300 about 1/2 hour or so.

Serve with more sauce, sliced dill pickles and sesame seed buns.

Boy aren't you impressive!

Enjoy the compliments.

Breakfast Pot Pie a New Twist on Biscuits and Gravy

So my first entry about some of the exciting and fun foods that I saw and tasted in San Diego will start with this dish Breakfast Pot Pie. And why not, it's the first meal of the day so it's just seems fitting to start with it.

Now I LOVE biscuits and gravy. And as many who have had mine will tell you, I make a mean version. However, while in San Diego my friends Tom and George with whom I was staying took me out to one of their favorite places for breakfast and brunch. Snooze, the place is called, and is an interesting concept restaurant based in Denver that focuses on only Breakfast and Brunch foods and drinks served in a casual, yet very cool environment. We went twice to this place and each time we did it was packed and the wait was at least 40 minutes. I mean that's a buzz and success that most places ( including the not very busy one's surrounding Snooze) want to have.

Now let's be clear these people did not reinvent the wheel when it comes to breakfast foods, and in fact while the menu is interesting it does not step much out of the box in terms of foods that one would traditionally expect to find on a menu like this. It's more the manner in which the dishes are presented or the way that flavors are layered to give the overall dish a really great flavor effect. I mean let's face it there are only so many ways to fix eggs and pancakes but what you put on them or in them can take them from "Ordinary" to "Eggtraordinary", sorry couldn't resist that!

So to this dish. Now I have a real love for creamy delicious gravy based foods. Nope not apologizing! So when I saw this on the menu I knew I had to try it. Basically it's a portion of hash browned potatoes with a puff pasty raft tilted on it covered in a cream gravy flavored with sausage and rosemary and bits of carrots, celery, leeks and onion floating in it, topped with a sunny side up egg. Yum!

So while this seems and looks kinda complicated it is so not and if you want to impress your friends and family one morning with a breakfast or brunch dish that is different and delish this would be one to try. So here's the recipe as nearly as I can figure it. Enjoy ya'll!

Breakfast Pot Pie ala Snooze in San Diego

First thing you need is the gravy (makes about four cups)

For the Sausage Gravy:

Heat up 1 quart whole milk 

2 cloves minced garlic
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped (discarding leaves)
2 celery stalks (chopped)
1 sprig of rosemary (finely chopped)
1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage (browned and drained)
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
½ c parmesan cheese (grated)
½ c all purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste 

Melt butter in a large heavy bottomed pot (Dutch oven or stock pot) over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, and rosemary and sauté until vegetables soften (about 10 min.). Stir in flour and continue to cook until the flour is well incorporated. At this point, stir in the cooked sausage, milk and parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer (stirring occasionally) until the gravy thickens (about 10-15 min.). Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

For the Hash Browned Potatoes: 

Saute an onion in a good amount of oil and add 1 bag thawed shredded hash brown potatoes to the pan stir and cook then let the bottom brown to golden. Using a ring mold cut the potatoes into circles and using a spatula place on the plate.

For the Pastry: 

1 Sheet puff pastry rolled out to 1/4 of inch and then cut into 4 by 6 inch squares brush with egg wash place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees till puffed and slightly browned. 

To assemble: 

Place a scoop or shaped round of hash browns on the plate, cook eggs sunny side up and place a pasty puff on each plate divide the gravy and top with the egg and garnish with a little paprika, Enjoy Ya'll! 

New American Cooking, Smokey Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Horseradish and Sour Cream

OK. So Thanksgiving is over. But the holidays are just beginning and if you are like me you are getting ready to find a way to perk up those dinners you might be having for friends and or your family which celebrate the season.

There are all the usual suspects to be found on my Thanksgiving dinner table. The turkey, dressing (aka Stuffing), you know all the regulars, but I have an aversion to one of the mainstays of the holiday table. The sweet potato! Well, that is till this year. You may well ask why do I not enjoy the potato of sweet with it's brilliant orange color and deep sweet flavor. Eh...who knows but I guess it has to do with liking regular potatoes so much I can't imagine sweet potatoes taking their place. But as I said this year was different.

Now the sweet potato is probably one of the earliest indigenous foods that the Pilgrims took over from the Indians when they landed in the New World. Sweet potatoes were a mainstay in the Indian diet all over South, Central and North America but it would have been one of the crops that the settlers saw and tasted along with corn that they saw themselves also planting. So needless to say in the early part of the culinary history of our country the sweet potato was pretty common. Sweet potatoes are not Yams and should not be confused with them. Yams were brought to this country by Christopher Columbus to his credit, and are from Africa. It was not until the rise of the white potato that Americans crossed over into eating the sweet potato as an afterthought. Mostly popular in the American South sweet potatoes graced the tables of my family my whole life. And I never really liked them. "Healthy", "Good for You", were all phrases attached to this vegetable's name. ( tell a kid that and it's never a good thing) And for me the worse part was... they were sweet. And while I like a little dessert now and then, I have already discussed how I would rather eat a bag of doritos over a gallon of ice cream, so I definitely did not enjoy the sweet flavor aspect at all.

As an adult I have come to appreciate the sweet potato for it's place in the culinary pantheon, but I still would rather eat creamy salty buttery white mashed potatoes any day! Also while I do enjoy a traditional preparation of the sweet potato as a casserole, it is cloyingly sweet and seems to almost be a dessert. However, this Thanksgiving it was requested that I make sweet mashed potatoes. So I did. However, I decided to try them the way I have prepared white mashed potatoes before, that is with savory ingredients. And I have to say... I not only liked them, I loved them! I used sour cream as the dairy element and I used Horseradish as the flavor choice. I also used a touch of my favorite secret ingredient liquid smoke as a background flavor and a touch of honey to compliment the sweet in the sweet potatoes. They came out really well and were a huge hit during the meal. In fact two people took them home with them. So here's the recipe. maybe you can mix it up a bit this season and find a little savory in your sweet.

Smokey Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Horseradish and Sour Cream

3 pounds of sweet potatoes washed peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 jar prepared horseradish (more or less depending on the potency and your taste)
1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon black pepper
4 drops to start with of liquid smoke add more after you taste the potatoes, it should be a background flavor so keep that in mind or it will end up tasting like charcoal!

Boil the sweet potatoes in highly salted water till they pierce easily with a fork about 25 mins.
Drain well and rinse again with warm water to drain off some of the excess starch
Mash roughly
Add sour cream
Mash into the potatoes
Stir in the Horseradish and the honey and season well to taste, you might want to add more salt and pepper. Add in the liquid smoke and taste, add more to your liking if necessary! Enjoy!

Football Snack Time, Sausage Balls and the RNC 2012

OK it's college Football season and the weekend after the Republican National Convention this year I found myself in Chicago and was blessed to behold the rigor and forethought that people put into their celebrating their team's efforts starting out the season! I mean we are talking adults and whole families made up in colored costumes and even makeup putting on a show in support of their favorite teams.

Now I am not a football fan by any stretch of the imagination. I like watching the occasional game, if it is on in the bar and I will always watch the Superbowl and party down. But tailgating with my favorite university team wasn't something I did in college let alone now. Like Bruce sings "Glory Days", some folks need to just let it go! But OK, I get excited over a biscuit recipe or an eating experience, so I give it to others to be passionate about "the game"! Why not, to each his or her own. It's what makes the world an interesting place.

This year right before I got to the weekend in Chicago where I was attending a wedding, I was sent to Tampa, Florida for the RNC. Well not exactly, a big corporate client of ours was hosting a big pavilion down there and the caterer they had hired was not really up to the task, so down we went to lend a hand and keep their events running smoothly. Well, it did not take long for these New Yorkers to conflict with the local Tampa chefs and managers from this catering company. Long story made short we saved these poor people from being eaten by their tough NYC corporate customers. but it was not easy. During the week we had to deal with staff not coming, food not coming, entire orders being missed, or parts of orders coming and we having to cover the rest.

This post is born out of that senario. One day there was to be a cocktail party, but the caterer did not send Hors D-ouevres for the cocktail reception. So off to the store we went and rustled up some HD's. Well there were several suggestions but mine was sort of cheeky and made a big hit. Years before when I lived with 2 roommates ( Christopher and CT) one of them made this dish as a snack. Well I actually think it was a meal but I digress. It's an old southern recipe that when we made it made the client so happy. They were sausage balls. Now not fancy although we made them really small and they looked like an elegant HD at a NYC party. And we called them "Saucisson" or French for Sausage! But what they were made out of had us in the back howling. Ready, OK they were Bisquick, a Bob Evans sausage roll, and cheddar cheese. Mushed together in equal parts and wet with a bit of water they were rolled into tiny little balls which puffed up to double the size when baked quickly. Served with a dijon dipping sauce they were a hit!

So I thought why not represent for game time what was good enough for the Republican National Convention! Sausage balls! So if you want to delight your friends watching football make these and think of me cause I probably won't be there, unless it's the Superbowl! Enjoy Ya'll!

Saucisson or Southern Sausage Ball Game Day Nibbles ( of course you could make them anytime)

2 cups Bisquick Baking Mix
16 oz or shredded cheddar cheese can be pre-shredded but works better if you do it yourself
1 Roll Sausage fresh or frozen thawed
2 tablespoons water

Heat oven to 375
In a bowl combine well all ingredients using your hands (wash them)
Add more water if too dry but don't make it really wet.
Place in the fridge for two hours
Remove from the fridge and roll into marble sized balls
Place on a non stick baking sheet
When you have the first pan done bake for 7 to 10 mins. or until puffed and golden
Remove and let cool slightly before you remove them from the baking sheet.
Serve warm with the dipping sauce.


Dipping sauce

1/2 cup Dijon
1/2 cup mayo
1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon water

Place in mixing bowl and whip together serve with the Sausage Balls Enjoy!

Sweet Corn Pesto Pasta (Italy and the American South collide!)

One of the great joys of growing up in the South and in a Southern family was that no matter where we might have been geographically,  my father made sure that several activities were a part of us where ever we would go. These included Church going, gardening, and an evening meal together. Because of that we also had several food items nearly always present with us. For instance tomatoes were grown in the house gardens, which we always built when we moved in. Those along with squash and zucchini and a few other random veggies. Summer time always meant tomato and onion sandwiches with mayo and black pepper, corn on the cob, and weeding! I can also remember visiting my uncle's garden where corn came right out of the field and onto the table. It was so tasty.  As a family we enjoyed our corn in a lot of ways during the year in our family from fresh to the creamed stuff in a can. But  to this day sweet summer corn was one of those things that really reminds me of family eating  that only came around in the summer time.

The other part of this pasta story ( which has nothing to do with corn)  is that I am wary of making pasta dishes in general. Yes wary!  Partly because I live in New York City, where one can access amazing or at least really good pasta very easily. And partly that one of my best friends in the entire world Angelo Musco is from Italy. And if you know an Italian, you know how picky they are about their pasta. You see several years ago I met Angelo through a dancer friend of mine here in New York. Well we hit it off quite well and he was voted the new best friend of 2002. And here we are 10 years later and he is still a major influence in my life and one of the most driven, intensely talented people I have ever met. That and one of the most willing to share his view of life and world, especially of food! And when I score with a dish, I get raves from him! You can see his work at his web page if you are interested at,  AngeloMusco.com. It is stark and rich, physical and spiritual, dark and vibrant  full of contrast and ultimately very fully human, which is what speaks to me.

Well Angelo has cooked and exposed my palette to a variety of amazing pasta dishes in the last 10 years. There was mushroom pastas, lemon pasta, spicy red sauces and white sauces, oil sauces even bacon sauces. There were noodles thin and noodles fat and wide. Let's just say it's been an education. But regardless of the sauce or pasta type, they were all super yummy! Which brings me to my issue. If I make pasta for this particular friend it either has to be really good or it has to be something he would never cook! So when I did the bow tie pasta with sundried tomato and black pepper cream sauce entry which you can see at http://cookforrestcook.blogspot.com/2012/02/bow-tie-pasta-with-bacon-sundried.html  I knew I had a winner cause Angelo would never cook this. And it got rave reviews!

So after hearing about a corn based sauce for pasta I was really intrigued. I mean something as Southern as corn in a sauce for pasta could potentially be an awesome thing. So I did a little research and found that this idea for a corn pesto was already out there. Not a lot of recipes but enough to make me think, well maybe I should try this. In fact one of the reasons I tried it was that people compared it to carbonara but a lighter summer version. So I did try it and let me tell you the results were nothing short of delicious. The corn cooks into an amazing sauce which you would swear has cream in it but it is really just the sweet fresh corn pureed down into a silken starchy sauce. So without further adieu I give you Sweet Corn Pasta Pesto. Enjoy ya'll.

   Corn Pesto and Bacon Pasta


  what you need:

• 4 slices thick bacon, cut into lardons
• 4 cups fresh corn kernels from about 6 ears
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 pound taglietelle, fettucini, or other pasta ( I think bow tie would work well too)
• 3/4 cup slivered basil leaves

            Method:

• 1.   In a large skillet, cook the bacon pieces over medium-low heat until chewy and beginning to crisp and the fat has rendered into the pan, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

        Add the corn and garlic to the skillet and toss to coat in the fat. Add a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook until the corn is just tender, about 5 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of corn, then scrape the rest into a food processor. Add the pine nuts and Parmesan and pulse to combine. Add the olive oil with the machine running and blend until almost smooth. Add some of the cooking water right before the pasta finishes cooking and pulse to smooth it.

        In the meantime, bring a pot of salty water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before draining.
  2.    In a large skillet, combine the cooked pasta, corn pesto, reserved corn, most of the basil, and 3/4 of the bacon. Over low heat, toss to combine, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water until the sauce comes together and coats all the noodles. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3.    Divide the pasta among bowls and top with remaining basil, bacon, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and pepper if desired. Serve immediately. It's really good!

Fork and Knife BBQ Baby Back Ribs So Easy You Won't Believe It!

Ok it's summer and everyone wants to grill grill grill! Well that's what the food industrial complex would have you believe. But sometimes we don't have time to grill or space or even ...a grill. So how can I provide really great bbq to myself and my friends without a grill, well follow this and here we go!

So folks I live in New York City and I live in a nice building. We even had a bbq grill built in on our roof, But there are 420 apartments in my building. So you can imagine that finding time to make food in that space is a little tough and gaining access to the rooftop is not always a sure thing. I mean I don't mind sharing (after all I am from the Sesame Street generation) but sometimes you just want to do it when you want to do it and not wait to share the grill. So this summer I decided that making the most amazing Ribs is the goal I would have, and making them in my apartment was the caveat to that statement.

Now as many of you know I love the food at the Hillstone restaurants, some called Houston's Restaurant in some cities. Houston's BBQ "fork and knife" ribs are probably the best ribs I have ever eaten in a restaurant that does not specialize in BBQ. But I happen to know they cook their ribs via a process using a alto-shaam oven so that would not work for me. Cause I don't own one! What that process does however is cook the meat at 225 degrees for 4 to 6 hours and then at 150 degrees holding for about 8 hours total cooking time. The process is such that it breaks down the collagen in the meat to the point where they are "fork and Knife" tender. Well if you have been reading the blog you will have known that I discovered a shortcut for breaking down the collagen in meat when I made the Short Ribs Recipe earlier in the blog ( See the post ).

So what to do, well lets just use that process which will accomplish the same thing as the alto-shaam and is super easy and clean up is a breeze! HERE'S HOW!

                                  Hillstone's Fork and Knife Ribs

Forrest's Super Easy Best Ever Baby Back BBQ Ribs! ( In three easy steps)

Step one: Take 2 racks of baby back ribs for 3 to 4 people or more (depending on how much they eat). Carefully with a small knife remove the membrane on the back of the ribs or get your butcher to do this.  On wax paper season with garlic powder and black pepper, let sit at room temp for 30 mins. Then place ribs in a deep pan or large tupperware mix the following ingredients for a brine and pour over the ribs till they are covered)

2 cups prune juice
1 cup Hickory ( must be hickory ) BBQ sauce (Kraft makes a good one or if you can get Cattleman's Kansas City brand use it!!!)
1 cup water or more to make sure they are covered by the brine.

Cover and place in the fridge for 8 hours or better yet over night

Step Two: Carefully remove ribs from the brine and place each rack on a large piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Brush generously with additional hickory flavored BBQ sauce until nicely coated. Seal ribs in the foil and place on a baking sheet.

Step Three: Place in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours. Remove from the foil carefully as ribs will be fall apart tender. Then slather with more sauce. Serve immediately!

Or to make ahead just cool the ribs down completely after baking don't unwrap them, and hold in the fridge. When ready, slather them with sauce and re-warm them uncovered in a 250 degree oven until heated through about 45 mins. to one hour. This will also make the sauce that much more thick and sticky ( This is what I like to do when i have time to prepare ahead!) The ribs can be made up to 3 days before and held in the fridge and just reheated when you want to serve them. Slather with extra sauce and serve.

'The Cooking" a recipe for living in the "NOW"

Sometimes you remember doing things that, at the time, when you were perhaps young and unexperienced, were life changing. Or were relevant to your relationship with a person, place or time. Marking it, as it were, with a stamp of memory. A mark so strong that even when it is pointed out to you later in life, that it was perhaps, "different than you remember it", you still hold onto the memory as truth. It has become your truth at least, and thus the will be way you remember a place a time a person or even a meal, forever.

Nostalgia is a funny thing in that way. It colors things with that rosy fuzzy hue and patina that makes the common and ordinary somehow sweet and magical. I think we do that as humans because we live so little in our present. Maybe because right now is scary, and real, and it demands we pay attention. We would rather bask in the glow of yester-year , or even dream about a magical tomorrow. Leaving today for dross and not realizing that the only time that is ever really ours and real to us is our Now. Not our yesterday or a tomorrow which may never come.

People who face life changing adversity, sickness or trauma know that "the Now" is real. It forces them to confront the Now and the HOW and the WHY in a way many of us thankfully may never have to until the end when all is done and life and time grow silent. But we live in the meanwhile. We often live in blissful ignorance of the beauty of our immediate NOW. It can be paralyzing a little, this looking back. I have oft thought that perhaps the story of Lot's wife in the Bible had another meaning. One which teaches us that life is meant to be lived looking forward, marching now. Not looking behind us at a yesterday which exists only in our memories and when focused on can stop our forward motion with it's soothing and yet paralyzing charm. Turning us into a pillar of salt as it were. Motionless and unable to go forward.

Am I saying that I think that Nostalgia is bad or silly. Absolutely not! Why what would life be without the basking in the afterglow of so many wonderful moments we have lived in and loved in. I am only saying that we should be careful not to let it get in the way of enjoying and being present in our NOW.

For the  Now can be a scary and difficult place to be even in the common life. That is one without high drama ( war, disease, pestilence). Just the everyday stresses of money, family, relationships, work etc. But even the common stresses of life and the everyday wear and tear can take a toll on our souls and with good measure push us into the space where dreaming or looking behind us is preferable to dealing with the problems of today. But we have to live in the NOW. no choice about it. Even if we long for tomorrow or yesterday the only way to get their is by going through the Now and the day upon us.

It's one of the reasons I like "The Cooking". Cooking can be an immersive experience which pushes us toward what will be another wonderful experience, "The Eating"! For it is done in the moment. And done with wonderful ingredients in the kitchen, and with people and fellowship around the table. The Cooking/Eating experience is one which we will repeat and enjoy and be present to all of our lives. I wish always to be able to prepare meals whether simple or complex and to enjoy them with people I love or whom I have just met and hope to love! That to me is living.

So if you find yourself overwhelmed in your life and there is too much on your plate. Resolve to find a way to take a moment and savor what life has brought you, bitter or sweet. And live in the moment. Live "it", whatever "it" is. If you have to rest do so fine. But don't "look Back" and get caught up on the yesterday, or get dreamy about tomorrow ignoring where you are.

My father had a great saying about those times when life was overwhelming and you thought you could go on, or move forward. He told a story about a Prince, who led his troops into battle. Struck down in the fray he was removed from the field by his men. When asked if he would withdraw from the battle he waved them off and declared, "I will lie here and bleed awhile, but then I will rise and fight again!". So let it be with us.

An Old School Charleston Seafood Dish

When I was younger, well about the of 1979 to be exact, my Mother took us on a beach trip to Florida. On our way back she decided that we were going to stop in Charleston  look around, have dinner, then drive on and visit our relatives in Columbia.

We found ourselves rolling into Charleston about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. We did some sight seeing and then, as my Mom wanted to go to dinner at an old established landmark restaurant called Perdita's, we drove down to where the place was located behind the old customs house on a narrow street.

It was very early. Probably 5pm and we saw from the sign that they were just about to open for dinner. We checked inside with the hostess and two things became clear. One, we were going to be the only people in the place that early. And Two, we would have to dress up to eat there as Coat and tie were required. So without any hesitation my Mom told us to dig out our shirts and ties and jackets from the luggage and we changed right there in the parking lot. My brother and I were not amused but got over it as soon as we entered the restaurant.

Now Perdita's was an old place. Dimly lit it had dark wood accents and dark wallpaper, velvet curtains and velvet seats. Crisp white table clothes greeted us as did a battalion of veteran ( aka. elderly) black servers in vests and starchy white shirts with bow ties. We ordered and had a full meal including appetizers, salads and delicious seafood dishes crafted in the old school Charleston style. I was resistant to the changing in the car, but was glad to have had the meal. It was good.

A few years later Perdita's closed it's doors a victim of time and changing tastes. Carolina's a new Charleston style reataurant opened several years later in the same space. They preserved the back dining room of the original restaurant calling it the "Perdita's Room". You can still get the dish that was most famous at Perdita's, the Fruit de Mer. And again it's a winner.

The chef there serves if up very nicely. ( seen here in a photo from Carolina's)

So I have collected information on how to make this dish which Chef Bacon at Carolina's describes as a Portuguese Bouillabaisse with seared seafood. The secret is in the sauce so once you have that just add in seafood you like. The recipe calls for Salmon and Scallops and Shrimp but you could vary that to your taste. It takes a little time but actually is very easy to prepare. The hardest thing is cleaning the mussels!  So enjoy cooking up a little SC. history Ya'll.

Seafood Fruit de Mer alla Perdita's of Charleston

For the Sauce

Start with  8 cups chicken stock held warm. Then saute in butter 4 car­rots, 2 large onions, 2 cups celery, 1 large bulb of fennel, add 1 star anise and 5 sprigs of thyme. When all the vegetables are cooked down and soft, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup vermouth and 1/2 cup of white wine. Reduce this down by half and add all of the chicken stock and boil. Add 1/4 cup of whiskey and about ½ cup of tomato paste  and boil to reduce by 1/3. Then add 3 tablespoons grated garlic and 3 pounds of Prince Edward Island mussels which have been scrubbed and cook until they open up.

For the Dish

4 Salmon Filets

8 large scallops

8 large shrimp

After the thyme mussel broth is prepared hold warm, and just before serving stir in 1/4 cup chopped parsley. 

Heat a saute pan till very hot. Add a little vegetable oil and then sear scallops, shrimp and salmon separately. Hold warm. When ready to serve compile the dish with the pre-cooked finger­ling potatoes cut long ways in half. Garnish with the celery heart leaves and chopped chives.­ Serve it with warm buttery garlic bread for dipping. So good!

Super Southern One Stop Easy Mac N Cheese

It's not a super surprising thing for me to admit I suppose, but making great Mac n Cheese is something of an obsession of mine. I mean, I love Mac n Cheese like something a little crazy. I am obsessed with finding the best and making the best. I have my favorite restaurant versions here in NYC. For example, I think the Mac n Cheese at 44Xth or Forty Four and Tenth, on tenth ave and 44th street in Manhattan is one of the best mac N Cheeses in the city. My friend Fred Tessler of the Denver Tessler's thinks that French Roast on sixth Ave in the village has the best Mac n Cheese. And other's have their opionions. In my travels across the country I think the best Mac N Cheese I have had are the homemade varieties which crafted with love and caring are beyond what a restaurant can produce. Growing up in a big old southern family I can remember big casseroles of bubbling Mac N Cheese served up on family holiday feast tables, and on lazy Sunday afternoons for "supper". Baked Mac N Cheese seems to be the favorite of many. And there are as many methods and disputes as to what method delivers the best product as there are cooks. Should there be a white sauce base or no sauce base? What should be the topper or no topper? What kinds of cheese are best and what noodles are preferable are all discussion points people have about making Mac!

Everyone has their own version of Mac N Cheese which they remember, make or buy. I think everyone conjours up different visions of what Mac n Cheese looks like for them and how they envision the best Mac n Cheese. Regardless of your preference it all comes down four principles of Mac n Cheese I believe. Those four principles are creamy, crusty, tangy, cheesy. In probably conjours up an image like this...

I mean doesn't that look good? My view point is I want Mac and I don't want to have to wait for it. But what to do if you don't have time and you don't want to use the "Box"?

Well here's an easy way to get there. I sort of changed this to a 2 pot method of cooking from the original "one Pot" version. I was told about this cooking method by a friend I thought it sounded to good to be true but upon looking around online a found that the concept of a "One Pot" Mac n Cheese was definitely out there already. But like most things I wanted to put my own spin on it.  It's sort of gives you the feel of the baked Mac but the ease of doing it all in one pot. So here's this week's recipe. Super Easy Cheesy Mac N Cheese. Enjoy Ya'll.

Forrest's "Best Ever" Super Easy Cheesy Mac N Cheese!! ( Make this tonight it's so good and easy!)
Makes 8 to 10 servings

4 cups large elbow macaroni, uncooked (about 1 lb)
4 1/2 cups low fat milk
3 Teaspoons mustard powder
4 teaspoons salt
4 Tbsp butter
3 tsp garlic powder
dash of nutmeg
1 1/2 cup grated Yellow Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Cotswold Cheese
Plus 1/2 cup grated Yellow Cheddar for the top
Salt and black pepper to taste


Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water to rinse off the excess starch and soften the noodles. Let drain.   In a large sauce pan, add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and garlic powder.  On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. You will need to stir the macaroni to keep them from sticking together. Do not leave the pot unattended as milk will come to a boil very quickly and boil over.

Once the pasta and milk come to a high simmer, turn down  the heat to low. Stir frequently. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk is almost absorbed but still wet and creamy. If macaroni is not cooked fully, keep adding more milk until macaroni is fully cooked.

When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. Stir the cheese evenly into the macaroni.  Turn off heat. Place lid on top of pan and cover for about 5 minutes and stir to mix well.


Place the hot contents in a oven to table serving bowl or individual baking dishes which can be placed under a broiler. Cover with the remaining cheddar and place under the broiler till the top in browned and beautiful and crunchy. Serve immediately. 

Shrimp and Grits and Greens or When Southern Foods Collide!!

Shrimp and Grits is apparently very popular. Not only is the recipe one which more people have searched out and read on my blog but it is one that attracts more hits from search engines on the web to my Blog! And I have also been told that folks want more grits recipes on here. So I thought why not, lets do it up right!

Now as most of you know when I started the On the Plate supper club with my business partner Stuart we held our first event and it was well attended by about 32 people. That is not bad for a first effort. And while it was not the most successful event it was a success and people really enjoyed the meal. It was a little too much food perhaps and it was way over our heads to produce at the time. But for a first effort it was really great and we learned a lot.
The Menu was a collection of very simple dishes all of which were southern themed. There was pimento cheese appetizer, a BLT,Green goddess salad, short ribs and of course a version of Shrimp and Grits with a dessert at the end.

Now this version of Shrimp and Grits which we served at our first salon was inspired by a recipe that came from a fellow student in undergrad school at James Madison University. It is slap your Mama good! My friend Kim was a slightly older woman who had been married and had divorced her husband and returned to school to make a better life for herself. She had me and some friends over for dinner one night and being that we were all poor students it was so nice to have someone cooking for you. She made this amazing dish which she called Grit's and Greens. It was basically something she had grown up with as a girl in rural southern Virginia. A collage of grits peppered with collard greens which would cook directly in the grits and some meat, usually a breakfast sausage roll crumbled up cooked and thrown in to add protein. It was a big plate of yummy mess.

Well later on I took the idea and said why not do this with shrimp and grits. It seemed a no brainer. So for our first dinner with On the Plate I decided to serve this as a second course. It was an easier version of the dish than trying to make a sauce and the grits separately and it seemed a perfect way to serve this dish but streamline it for service. I had recently visited The Redhead in NYC. and had the Shrimp and Grits which was very good, so I felt inspired to come up with something different.

It came out so well. I think it may be because I put so much butter and cream in it but ah..who cares. This is a really wonderful dish the kinda thing you want to serve only a small portion of because it is rich but very satisfiying! It makes a great first course to a meal or a main in colder weather! Enjoy ya'll!!

Shrimp and Grits and Greens

2 cups chicken stock
1 cups milk
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of grits
1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 pound of cooked shrimp peeled no tails
2 1/2 cups finely chopped collard greens stems removed just the leaves
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon chopped parsley

Bring the stock and milk and cream to a boil and slowly add the grits in a steady stream whisking constantly.
Simmer and cook till creamy add more milk if too thick.
Add the cheese and the butter then stir in the greens.
Allow greens to cook in the grits on low heat for about 10 mins.
the taste and season if necessary.
Add the shrimp right before you serve and allow to heat through about 1 min. then divide between 4 to 6 portions depending on the desired serving size.
Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve, YUM!!!

Spoonbread Casserole, a Birthday Tradition and an Old Virginia Inn

When I was in middle school my Father took a job that moved us to the Washington DC. northern Virginia area. Reston/Mclean/Vienna to be exact. This was the heart of the sububan belt of towns which over time has become one of the wealthiest enclaves in the United States. It rivals any area in bucolic beauty and certainly held many historical and natural points of interest as well. Nestled on the banks of the Potomac river many of the towns in NOVA as it is called had water front land tracts or urban river front developments which gave the area a diverse feel and mix of rural farmland gone suburban as well as old river town gone ritzy!

Mclean virginia was a cross roads that grew into a town. Near it was a place called 7 Corners. It was literally a place where 7 small country bumpkin roads had come together to form what became a major intersection. Before the development there had been farmland there. And it was not uncommon in the eighties to see a major housing development sitting right next to a horse farm or large country estate.

So it was not surprising that in the middle of all the building and development, strip malls and parking lots, there was a historical farm site and Inn, Evans Farm Inn. The origins of which dated back to the revolutionary war period. It was a large several acre farm which had on it a "working" historical farm and Inn, which over time became a theme restaurant and tourist dinning destination or sorts. It was also a favorite of locals who wanted to have an authentic historical experience and dinning opportunity.

The menu at the Evans Farm Inn included colonial versions of such foods as Lamb, Shepherds Pie, Roast Duckling with orange sauce and the revelation which I first had there....Spoonbread! In fact the Spoonbread was famous. All the foods were served family style at Evans Farm Inn, which also gave it a certain Cache. Girl servers called relish girls, dressed in period clothing, would move from table to table serving a variety of side dishes to the diners. One of these side  dishes was the famous Spoonbread. It was served out of a large ceramic baking pot which was carried by the girls and spooned out onto your plate. When I first had this I was smitten. I have in the past spoken if my silent love of cream corn. Yes the corn born of a can and swimming in a sea of creamy goodness. Well this was like a bready version of that canned delight. So thus began my love affair with Spoonbread, which I went on the eat wherever there was colonial dinner offerings. Of course these offerings were few and far between given that colonial dinning is sort of limited to places like Williamsburg. And lets face it, how often does one get to go there.

Thus it was years later at a friend's home that I came in contact with something which while it was not exact, was an amazing replication of the taste and texture of the bread of spoon I had enjoyed so many years before. Let me explain.

My dear friends John and Mike have a lovely home in a little town 45 mins outside of New York in Pompton Plains New Jersey. It is a family home that they inherited and have made into a really lovely nest for themselves and the fortunate few who are invited to share it on occasion. It so happens that Mike's birthday happens to be on Thanksgiving Day. So as you can imagine his birthday gets a little overshadowed by the national feast day of days. As a remedy to this John and Mike started a tradition which is one of my favorite invites of the year. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving they host something called "Thanksgiving After Thanksgiving". It is in short a recreation of the T-day meal all over again, and they go all out! However, it's not just the meal, it's also the setting.

Picture this, a 1905 Sears Roebuck Victorian, which for those of you who don't know was the first pre fab home made in the US. and shipped and assembled on site where you wanted it. It is a big old Victorian House which when you pass through the front door makes you feel like you've entered a home which has been trapped in a time warp. Or at least that people have been living there since 1930. Why, because when they moved in they happened to inherit the furniture from I think 3 different relatives at the same time. So there are pieces which have been in the families since forever and together they create a wonderful collage of family history and comfort. Also they have recreated the wallpaper and paint from the 1930's or before and have decorated with lots of family heirlooms.  It is a warm home and a welcoming one.

So that is the setting for the dinner, but the dining table is the other piece of this. Up to 26 people I think have attending this meal. And they accommodate everyone at one long table. Covered in white lace table clothes and sparkling with glassware from the turn of the last century, this is a table to behold.
And while all of this may be impressive lets just remember the most important piece, and that is the wonderful cast of family and friends who gather to celebrate together and the time they get to spend together in this lovely environment.

So what has all of this to do with Spoonbread you may ask. WELL...

The first year I attended this there were all the usual suspects on the menu. There was turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, old school green bean casserole even crescent rolls. But there was something I was unfamiliar with. Corn Casserole. It was yellow and baked and when I put it in my mouth I was transferred back in time to that first meal at Evans Farm Inn. It was Spoonbread and it was good. I immediately asked how it was made. And Mike told me it was the simplest thing ever, and the secret was nothing more than...Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. Little did I know that it is a national favorite recipe and is used everywhere. Where was my Mom and Grandma when this information was being given out I wondered!! In any event it is GOOD! And the easiest way I have found to replicate that Spoonbread feeling! So enjoy Ya'll.


So I give you my take on this classic home recipe. Everyone has their version and this is mine to get to that Spoonbread nirvana!

Evan's Farm Inn style Spoonbread Recipe made in a Jiffy! 
(Sorry! I couldn't resist) serves 8 to 10 as a side dish

This really could not be easier you will need:

22 oz of frozen corn thawed and cooked for 5 mins in the microwave then cooled
2 cans Cream Style Corn
2 sticks of butter melted
1 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cartons of 8 oz sour cream
2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Mix
1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese (optional)
4 eggs scrambled up

Method:

Grease a baking dish with butter or cooking spray
Mix everything together until you have a smooth batter.

Bake at 400 for 45 mins
As it cools it will deflate a bit.
Let cool 15 mins before serving.
Enjoy!

Shrimp and Grits the Charleston Signature Dish

I have to say that the most requested thing that people ask me to cook for them in New York City is Shrimp and Grits. It is funny to me in a way. I don't mean funny "HA HA", but funny strange.! It is strange to me that New Yorkers seem to have a love affair and a fascination with Shrimp and Grits in such a major way. I mean I get the fascination with all things southern and even the evil grin that comes from talking about Paula Dean. But truly aside from fried chicken I can not think of a food item that is more iconic to Yankees up here than Shrimp and Grits. Ok that being said, there are not that many restaurants in NYC that even serve it. The Redhead in the east village does a nice job, but the portion is so small compared to what I am used to in Charleston  and is a little bit of a put off.  I would have to say in fact that, in New York I have yet to have really good Shrimp and Grits in a restaurant, unless you count the ones I had at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola after I gave the Chef my recipe. (Which by the way I hear has been changed since. But at least my recipe was on a New York city menu for a hot second!) Thank you Marc and Tim!

No offense Redhead but for all ya'll in NYC in particular, you should just learn to make this dish at home. It's not hard. And that's exactly where the dish came from. It is a low country shrimpers breakfast. It use to consist of basically shrimp cooked in a butter sauce and placed on top of a bowl full of grits. Very simple, clean, tasty. It was the breakfast that the shrimper's would have when they set out in the mornings for the day. This culinary tradition is carried on today the the Wreck Restaurant on Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant SC. serving up down home breakfasts including Breakfast Shrimp and grits. So as this dish evolved it has come to include all sorts of other ingredients like pork fat products and other savory add in ingredients. But that original version which is so simple, is still very good.

My version of Shrimp and Grits comes from a variety of places. My Grandmother and Mother have made this dish based on a recipe from the "Charleston Receipts", a cookbook of Charlestonian cookery which was first published in 1930. It's subsequent versions still include the recipe for "Breakfast Shrimp and Hominy" the name in the original 30's version or Breakfast Shrimp and Grits in the 1976 revision. My version also calls upon my experiences in dining out in Charleston over the years and having tried a variety of different chefs take on the dish. Everytime I go home I have to have this dish at least one time while I am home. It's sort of a tradition with me.

There are just about as many Shrimp and Grits recipes out there are there are cooks. I think that's the beautiful thing about this dish. You start somewhere and before you know it you have developed your own unique version of this dish.  And that's the joy of cooking at home, you are the chef, you call the shots! So that being said for me the taste of this dish is all in the sauce. It's the glue. And there are two primary ingredients my Grandmother and Mother used to make this dish that gives it the flavor from the old school recipes. One is Seafood seasoning, that's right Old Bay. The other is Ketchup. Yes Ketchup. All the flavors that it has already make it willing and easy base for the rest of the sauce. A little strange perhaps but such are the secrets of home cooks. They also make it easier than making shrimp stock and adding all sorts of herbs. Not that that is bad but why when this base sauce is so easy and so good.

So here in the thick of Martis Gras I give you this celebration of the southern table. Give it a try at home, and tinker with it after you have made it per recipe the first time. Make it yours and people will be asking for you to make it again and again. Enjoy Ya'll!

Forrest's Famous Shrimp, Sausage and Smokey Grits ( 4 servings)

Grits

3 cups of whole milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/4 cup stone ground Grits ( don't use instant)
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded smoked gouda and white cheddar cheese mixed half and half
4 tablespoons butter

Bring liquids to a boil add salt
Add grits slowly using a whisk to stir in making sure that they do not clump
Reduce heat to simmer
Stir till it starts to thicken a bit.
Cook 20 to 25 mins or per package instructions
When done add butter, pepper and cheese stir till melted and mixed well.
Hold Warm.

Shrimp and Sausage Sauce

1 lb wild caught shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound Andouille sausage cut up in small pieces
3 strips smoked uncured bacon ( not apple smoked)
1/2 green bell pepper finely diced
1/2 red pepper finely diced
1/2 onion finely diced
1/4 cup finely diced up celery
1 teaspoon finely minced or jarred garlic
1 tablespoon Old bay Seasoning
2 good dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup of Water to thin sauce
2 Tablespoon heavy cream
dash or two of tabasco
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 green onions chopped ( held in reserved for garnish)

Method

In a heavy skillet cook bacon, remove and reserve grease in the pan add 1 tablespoon butter.
Add Shrimp and 1 sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of the Old Bay, cook 2 to 3 mins till done remove from the pan hold on the side.
Add sausage  and the bacon and brown then add all vegetables.
Saute till soft but not overly brown about 5 to 7 mins.
Add rest of Old Bay and W sauce and garlic and Ketchup and hot sauce. Cook till incorporated.
Add  lemon juice  and the cream and about 3 tablespoons of the water.
Add shrimp and warm through.
Add parsley. if sauce is too thick add water a tablespoon at a time to thin.

To serve

Divide the grits between 4 bowls ( flat bottomed pasta bowls work well)
Top with the Shrimp in a circle
Then spoon sauce over the shrimp and grits filling in the spaces between in the shrimp.
Garnish with the green onions.
See wasn't that easy!
Pretty and tastes good too!!
Enjoy!