Maple-baked Ham with Macaroni and Cheese, and Beans with Cashews

Raul finally has a day off and, after cleaning out the fridge, he happily settles into the kitchen. "We need a larger kitchen," he asserts. "I want all the pans to hang on a wall. Emptying them out of the stove every time I bake something is becoming tedious. Besides it would look great." The perfect marriage of décor and efficiency is one of Raul's goals in life.

"What's for dinner?" asks Drew as fabulous fragrant smells begin to waft out of the kitchen.

"Mac n' cheese and ham. We're going old school today."

Raul boils an entire ham for 30 minutes in four cups of water and a quarter cup of vingear, with a quartered onion, 10 cloves and a bay leaf. This takes out the fat and salt creating a blank canvas. "It becomes a regular 1950s ham instead of a preservative-laden tasting piece of meat," explains Raul. He lets it cool in the broth so that it doesn't become dry. When cooled he scores the ham and drizzles it with maple syrup (courtesy of Drew's Mom who gets it at her summer home up north, this maple syrup is the real deal and tastes incredible) before baking at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

It bakes at the same time as the mac n' cheese which Raul makes using the 1946 Fannie Farmer' Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese recipe from food.com.

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) packages macaroni

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded good quality

1/2 cup breadcrumbs, buttered

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside.

In a large saucepan melt butter.

Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.

Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly.

Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).

Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.

Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Turn off heat.

Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce.

Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

(You can also freeze this recipe in zip-lock bags for later use - once you have mixed the macaroni along with the cheese sauce allow to cool to room temperature before adding to your freezer - I generally pull it out the night before and allow macaroni and cheese to reach room temperature; I then add the macaroni and cheese to a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and then bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling.)

Raul follows the directions exactly except that, to accommodate the ham, he bakes the mac n' cheese for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

The ham is not as tender as the Filipino Ham but it is sweeter and has a hammier flavour. "Delicious," raves Drew. "And the beans steamed and then garnished with cashews somehow really complements the mac n' cheese." 

"I think the real syrup makes the difference," says Raul. "We must remember to thank your mom."

Pumpkin Ravioli

Raul gets ambitious after watching too much Lidia and decides to make pumpkin ravioli. "There are four kinds of sauces," he muses. "A cream sauce."

"Too rich with pumpkin," pipes in Drew.

"Tomato sauce which just isn't my favourite."

"Does tomato go with pumpkin?"

"Or butter and sage."

"That gets my vote," notes Drew. "But what is the fourth?"

"I forget," shrugs Raul. "My search ended with butter and sage."

Raul takes some frozen cooked pumpkin from the freezer and thaws it. He blends the pumpkin with cream cheese in the mini-food processor and then adds grated Parmesan cheese to thicken and add flavour. The resultant filling has a vivid orange colour and is packed with simple goodness.

He reluctantly admits to cheating slightly by not making the pasta from scratch. Instead he uses wonton wrappers that were purchased on a whim at T&T. Lidia will forgive him if she ever finds out.

A spoonful of filling goes on each individual wrapper and is then folded over and pressed tightly together so that it is completely sealed. The resulting raviolis go into a large pot of boiling water where they remain until they start to float, and then for five minutes more.

In a frying pan he melts butter and just as it begins to brown he adds a large helping of sage. The raviolis are drained, tossed in the butter and sage, and placed in bowls for serving. The crowning touch is a liberal sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

"These are amazing," raves Drew. "Sweet and savoury."

"And buttery," notes Raul. "I wonder what the fourth sauce was."

Chicken and Bacon on Pumpkin Penne

For some reason the day is a rush and Raul has to churn out a dinner quickly. Fortunately there is Jamaican pumpkin left and Raul purées it and stirs it into a Bechamel sauce.

The result is a beautiful bright colour and the taste is just as vivid. For protein, Raul broils a chicken breast. And for flavour: some crispy bacon strips.

A hearty and healthy meal exploding with taste in a matter of minutes. "The only real time it took was in boiling the pasta," says Raul. "And isn't that pumpkin versatile? A great investment. And there is a little bit left . . ."

Leek and Mushroom Lasagna

It is a grey day with more than a hint of autumn. Raul had ventured out the day before to explore the markets at Broadview and Gerrard and returned home not only enthused but also in possession of a huge bunch of leeks and a package of flawless brown mushrooms. Never having cooked with leeks before he decides to adapt a favourite comfort food to include them. "I'm not a fan of lasagna with tomato sauce," he notes. "All those years working at the convention hall, I just served and ate way too much of it."

Drew says nothing of the fact that lasagna made with white sauces have never appealed to him and in fact have quite often been left uneaten when served. He trusts Raul's culinary skills and waits to see what the results are.

Raul chops two large leeks and a pound of mushrooms before softening the former and browning, further, the latter, in an iron skillet and a bit of vegetable oil. Eight lasagna noodles are softened as well in a bowl of warm water. He makes a

Bechamel/Alfredo Sauce:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons sale
1 teaspoon white pepper
4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk in the parmesan cheese.

Raul layers the noodles with the leeks, mushrooms, noodles and sauce in a shallow glass baking pan. He then covers it thickly with a cup of grated mozzarella cheese. The lasagna bakes at 350 degrees for half an hour covered in foil and then 15 minutes more to brown. It cools, not for long, and is served. 

Drew is amazed. "It must be all the cheese but this is delicious," he raves.

"Perhaps I'll try one with tomato sauce some time," says Raul. "Perhaps."

Pumpkin Alfredo Penne with Chicken

Drew's Mom goes to bed while R&D head out to cover a theatre opening. It is a late night and they are all up at 5am in order to get Drew's Mom to her flight on time. After seeing her off (and a brief nap) R&D are famished. Raul contemplates the contents of the fridge and tries to ascertain what they feel like eating. Something that provides energy for sure. "How about an alfredo pasta?" suggests Raul.

"Sounds delicious," pipes up Drew who is completely distracted by the computer screen as he works on the theatre review. "With pulled pork?"

"No," says Raul. "Too spicy and we're too sleepy. But I have an idea . . ."

He mixes two tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of butter in an enamel lined cast iron saucepan and cooks them into a roux. He adds a cup of hot milk, whisking constantly, to make a bechamel sauce. Salt and pepper are added and then he stirs in four tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. He brings the bechamel to a boil to thicken before adding a cup of mashed pumpkin (left over from last night's dinner). For colour and vitamins he adds a half cup of frozen peas and slices of last night's leftover bbq'ed chicken. The resulting concoction is mixed with cooked penne pasta and sprinkled with more Parmesan. 

"This is amazing," enthuses Drew. "Classico Alfredo with pumpkin? It's such a unique and subtle flavour, just what I needed when suffering from a lack of sleep but have to concentrate."

"Oh it's just a basic bechamel sauce whipped up from scratch," beams Raul. He must remember to break a sweat next time.

Grilled Garlic Chicken on Penne Alfredo with Peas and Bacon

"This does not go on the blog," says Raul. "I used Alfredo sauce from Classico. From a jar."

"Just the sauce from the jar?" prompts Drew.

"Well no," admits Raul. "I simmered it with the leftover roasted garlic from the spaghetti squash that you didn't take enough time to pry out. And I added crispy bacon for flavour and peas for colour and vitamins. And put Parmesan cheese on top."

"And the chicken?" asks Drew. "What did you rub it with?"

"I used paprika," says Raul, "and some of that Dean Jacob's Spicy Garlic that your mother gave us." Drew's mom had found the adjustable grinder line of Dean Jacob's spices for her summer home where her spice choices are limited as she is far from her massive spice drawer. The Spicy Garlic was her favourite but the grinder clogged from moisture and she ultimately found it frustrating. Raul took the grinder apart, cleaned it and, aside from occasional maintenance, it is now working fine. Drew is puzzled when he tries to google a webpage for Dean Jacob's spices - there are lots of places offering them for sale but not a site for the manufacturer. Or at least that he can find.

"And isn't one of the points of this blog to describe how you, oh so valiantly and stylishly, turn ordinary and inexpensive foodstuffs into gourmet meals that are delicious, nutritious and cheap?" reminds Drew. "All while being hampered by a rather small kitchen, the dog underfoot and my interference?"

Raul shrugs and tastes the final result while Drew rebelliously takes a photo. "It's very garlicky," says Raul. "But delicious. The bacon makes it a little salty."

"And bottled sauces are always a little salty," notes Drew. "How hard is it to make an Alfredo sauce from scratch?"

"Not at all," says Raul as the wheels begin to turn in his head. "It's just a Bechamel sauce."

Drew smiles, sensing a new blog entry in the future and returns to eating.

Spaghetti Squash, Chicken and Coleslaw with Guyanese Chow Mein Noodles

There is still more spaghetti squash to be consumed so Raul decides, uncharacteristically, to improvise. He dry rubs two chicken breasts with paprika, Greek oregano, garlic powder, black pepper and salt, and sets them aside. He chops some green onions and carrots, and thaws a handful of frozen chopped vegetables. The chow mein noodles, imported from Guyana, are from the Danforth Variety & Fruit Market and are infused with turmeric for extra oomph. The noodles are boiled and stir-fried with the vegetables while the chicken breasts grill on the bbq. A dash of Nuku Cham (misspelled or mistranslated on the bottle R&D use - it is actually called Nuoc Cham) Vietnamese Salad Sauce in the stir fry, a handful of spaghetti squash for calorie light bulk and a sprinkling of Drew's sister's leftover coleslaw to add some vivid colour and the base is ready for the chicken. Raul chops the chicken into bite-sized pieces and layers on top.

"I wanted to play with different temperatures," says Raul of the way the cool squash and crunchy coleslaw contrast with the hot chow mein which is tasty and bursting with subtle flavour.

"Hmmm," says Drew. "A different explanation from my lukewarm spaghetti squash . . ."

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Garlic, Basil and Pasta

Drew runs to Food Basics to pick up some basics and notices a precarious pile of delicious looking spaghetti squash. This particular Basics always has acorn and butternut squash but very rarely the spaghetti variety. On impulse he picks one out and adds it to the basics. Raul has spent all day continuing to perfect his oatmeal cookies - Drew, and the dog, would argue that they are already perfect but he is a perfectionist - so Drew decides to cook dinner. How difficult can spaghetti squash be?

Drew pre-heats the oven to 375 degrees and slice two stigmatic slices into the top of the squash to vent the steam and prevent a potential explosion. A thin layer of oil in a glass baking dish keeps the squash from sticking and into the oven it goes. He has soaked the garlic baker (wrapping in tin foil is just as effective but the moist clay does give the cloves an extra softness) for an hour in a dish of water. He slices the head off a clove of garlic and, being careful to pick out any sizable bits of the top portion and use them as well, puts a large chunk of butter on top of the flat surface created. The lid goes on and the garlic joins the squash in the oven where they both bake for an hour. The house fills with a sweet odour but Raul insists it is leftover from the cookies.

At the one hour mark Drew puts water on to boil for the spaghettini. It will be ready in 15 minutes which should be time to assemble the other ingredients. The squash appears soft and ready so Drew slices it in half and begins picking out the seeds. That is his fatal error. Pulling out the seeds is tedious and not an accurate process. Separating the strands is no more fun, however he perseveres and fills a bowl with strands of squash. A slab of butter, the roasted garlic and some black pepper is added and all stirred together. He drains and adds the spaghettini.

Fresh basil leaves - about a loosely packed cup's worth - from the balcony are added, tossed until they begin to wilt and then plated. A sprinkling of Parmesan cheese is the finishing touch. Raul eats his entire bowl and his only complaint is that, "the timing was off. It took so long to separate the squash strands that my meal was only lukewarm." Heading into the kitchen he discovers the source of the problem. "You fed me pulp! There is tons of squash left here." Turns out that Drew could have scooped out all the centre and then crumbled the remains into spaghetti-like strands. Raul takes over and comes up with a mountain of perfectly formed filaments.

"Well we can have squash again tomorrow," enthuses Drew. "It was delicious and the roasted garlic was sweet and tasty."

"And I'll look after the timing," suggests Raul. "Have a cookie."

BBQ Pork Loin with Green Pea Pesto Shells

The night before Raul sets a pork loin from the packed freezer out to thaw. Early the next morning Raul rubs the loin with Chinese Five Spice, garlic powder, paprika and pepper. It marinates all day. Come bbq time Raul is trying to decide on vegetable accompaniments and, as there is a massive amount of basil on the balcony, "What do you think of pesto?"

"Sounds delicious," says Drew.

"What kind of pasta? Penne? Shells?"

"Or fusilli," suggests Drew. "Something with lots of surfaces for the pesto to cling to."

"Linguine it is," announces Raul. "Damn. We don't seem to have any linguine."

"That's bizarre," says Drew smugly. "There is an entire cupboard full of pasta of every shape, size and variety known to man. There's even some coloured outer space pasta left from last Halloween. Let's compromise on shells." The vegetable question has yet to be addressed but Drew has a brilliant idea. "How about frozen peas and corn mixed into the pesto?"

"Corn?"

"Corn. Don't you like corn?"

"Yes but the colours will be off," explains Raul. "We do also eat with our eyes."

Peas alone it is.

Raul picks a huge handful - about a cup when packed - of basil. After washing thoroughly and patting dry he puts it into the mini-processor. He adds a half cup of cashews, a teaspoon of chopped garlic, a dribble of olive oil, two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and - in a stroke of brilliance to rival the original suggestion - a half cup of frozen peas. All is blended into a vividly green paste. He tosses the pasta shells with the pesto and spoons the results onto plates beside the bbq'ed pork. It is indeed a visual feast.

"Eat now," warns Raul. "The peas were cold so the pesto and pasta are already lukewarm. Next time I'll thaw them first. I still want them raw for all the nutrients."

Lukewarm maybe but bursting with flavour. "The last pork loin was sort of sweet," remarks Drew, "but this one has a simple spicy taste that enhances the meat and balances perfectly with the rich pesto. My eyes and taste buds are delighted!"

Huevos Fagiole

For the second day in a row it is out of bed and to work without thought of food beyond coffee as fuel. Drew finishes his review writing first and realizes he is starving while Raul is still buried in literally thousands of photos that must be sorted, sifted and processed. "It's way past time for breakfast," says Raul just after noon has rolled by. "What do you feel like having?"

"I'll make something," volunteers Drew. "How about Huevos Fagiole?

"What?" says Raul, skeptically raising an eyebrow.

"There is Fagiole sauce left in the fridge," Drew thinks out loud. "I'll put it over pasta and poach an egg on top."

"Not too spicy," says Raul absently. "And the avocados are a perfect ripeness."

Drew heats the sauce to a slow boil while the pasta cooks at a fast boil. And the avocados do slice nicely with a squirt of lime juice keeping them from turning brown. Because the eggs, pasta and avocado will all be bland Drew does sneak some fresh grated black pepper into the Fagiole sauce as it heats. When the pasta is almost done he creates two little indents in the boiling sauce and ladles in the eggs, puts on the lid and crosses his fingers. He strains the pasta and divides it between the serving plates before grating on a heaping helping of Parmagiano-Reggiano (and a little more black pepper). One egg, for no discernible reason beyond a desire to be aggravating, poaches at twice the speed of the other so it is plated and served. The second egg, though taking longer, is more visually appealing.

"Just what I needed," raves Raul. "I can't believe you boiled pasta."

"And poached eggs perfectly despite Julia Child saying it is difficult," says Drew between mouthfuls. "Get back to work."

Fusilli with Pesto

After a day of leftovers - partly because of the heat but mainly because of the lethargy brought on by the heat - it is time for a real meal. But what to have? "There are still empanadas," says Drew.

Raul, who is sweaty and recovering from road rage after being in the un-airconditioned car for five hours, is not enthused. "Too heavy. I want something light."

Drew offers to put together a salad but yesterday's burgers were sided with a salad, and it would mean a trip to Food Basics for some basics. Inspiration strikes when, sitting on the balcony enjoying the slight breeze with the dog baking happily in a patch of sun, Drew remarks, "I can't believe how large the basil leaves are."

"Pesto!" exclaims Raul.

Into the mini-Cuisinart goes 10 of the largest basil leaves from the balcony garden. Raul adds garlic paste, a handful of cashews, ground Parmesan and black pepper. A push of a button and it is pureed. He adds olive oil until the mixture is the consistency he wants. "We don't have enough penne," he complains.

"Shall I run to Basics?" offers Drew.

"It's too hot," says Raul, wiping his brow. "Don't leave the air conditioning. And it's not on sale this week."

"What about fusilli?" asks Drew. "The pesto will stick to the curlicues."

"We only have whole wheat fusilli," complains Raul. "But the sauce will cling to it." Raul has a preference for traditional pasta but has been converted to enjoying brown rice beyond its purported health benefits. "And I'll put on lots of Parmigiano-Reggiano."

The pasta is stirred into the pesto and ladled into bowls. It is delicious but, "It doesn't taste very basil-ish," says Raul. "Maybe because it was picked mid-day. I'll have to research the best time to harvest."

"Or maybe it's just a mild basil," ponders Drew. "It is Genovese basil. Is that mild?"

"I will find out," says Raul. "As soon as I finish eating."

Pasta Fagiole

Pasta fagiole is Raul's favourite comfort food. It has now become one of Drew's favourites. The tomatoes are simmered, as per Julia Child's admonishment, for at least an hour and a half to achieve the height of flavour. The romano beans grow soft and tasty thanks to the garlic, onions and a dash of chili peppers and cinnamon. This batch is made, again on Julia's advice, using pork belly instead of bacon. The result is sweeter, subtler and less salty than when using the smoked version. Raul is not sure at first, but decides he likes it even though it is tampering with family tradition.

"The beans really benefit from the pork fat," says Raul. "It really permeates. I read in a Portuguese recipe book that beans should always be made with pork belly or pork fat. They just complement each other. Beans absorb fat and cholesterol, even when you've eaten them, but in this case it's just for flavour."

The new $1 hard-cheese grater works just fine and when chopped parsley from the balcony garden is sprinkled on top the lunch is complete. And comforting.

BBQ'ed Pork Filet on Thai noodles and broccoli slaw

After a lunch of homemade pesto linguine the grey day, and full stomach, drives Drew to a nap. When he awakens, the usual late Saturday afternoon dialogue begins. "What are you thinking for dinner?" says Raul casually.

Drew doesn't believe for a moment that Raul is being passive-aggressive, he is just trying to make Drew feel included in the culinary decisions. "I don't know, what do you have in mind?"

"I don't have anything in mind but there is pork marinating . . ."

The pork filet had been purchased on sale, Raul's Portuguese background is inexplicably more frugal than Drew's Scottish one, at No Frills because meat should never cost more than $1.99 a pound. Raul took the large cryovac packaged slab of meat and using a filet knife removed the silver skin - to avoid bitterness when cooking - and fat. He then cut the foot-long results in half to create portions for two which were then frozen.

After thawing the pork, Raul marinates it for four hours in a mixture of soya sauce, hoi sin, brown sugar, garlic and chili pepper. Sealing the filet in a airtight Ziploc bag means a small amount of marinade can infuse the meat completely.

In a mason jar Raul combines lime juice, olive oil, brown sugar, garlic paste, fish sauce and chili flakes. He adds the broccoli slaw (99 cents at Sobeys for a package he used a third of), shakes it vigorously and lets it sit while the pork is being bbq'ed for about 10 minutes. The pork is sliced against the grain in slivers and placed as the top layer over a bed of broad rice noodles (snapped into four inch segments before cooking to provide ease of eating) crowned with the now dressed broccoli slaw. The results are garnished with chopped coriander, mint, parsley and basil from the balcony garden, and cashews.