Confessions of a cheeseaholic...

I have a love affair with cheese. To me, cheese is the best thing that nature + man can produce for us to eat.

Alone, with bread and olive oil, as part of a charcuterie or antipasti, on soup, with garlic, as a spread, on burgers, tacos, sandwiches, with figs or pears or apples or strawberries, with any kind of nut, as fondue...hell, I'd eat cheese anywhere, anytime. If you're having me over, and there's a cheese appetizer or dish of any sort, mama's going to eat all of it.

I like them hard, soft, semi-soft, creamy, moldy, stinky, bumpy, and everywhere in between. If I were to die and had a last supper request, that would be a plate of the best cheeses from around the world, sliced pears, Sonoma sourdough bread, baked garlic, spiced nuts, fig spread and arugula, all with a bottle of crisp Sauvignon blanc. That's my last supper and I would die a happy woman.

I think this will be my new recipe to try for next party:
Roasted baby pears with herbed goat cheese (note the bacon wrap)
Courtesy of my boy, Tyler Florence, whom I used to have a crush on and almost attempted to get him to come over for a Food 911 alert, but then he got chubby and married and I no longer found him useful. However, I feel he's a great chef on my fave channel that always delivers with his recipes.

My other fave...Giada de laurentiis. It's kind of annoying how damn cute she is but I love her cooking...it reminds me of my Mom's cooking and it looks delicious and mostly easy. Although I get distracted by the fact that her arms are very tiny compared to her head/body when watching her many shows, I enjoy the food. This is what I'll be trying this weekend for March Madness:
Pizzettes with caramelized onions, goat cheese and prosciutto (might use a different cheese to mix it up)...

Holy hell, it looks good. The little pizza thin wafer things look so yummy and it's totally easy!

I found a great recipe online yesterday from the infamous Martha Stewart. I watch her daughter's show more than her own cause she bugs, but I do love her style and recipes. I wish I could've been given .4% of the creativity and perfectionism she has, but oh well. I'd rather be personable. Here is what they call the $40 mac n cheese (cause of how much the damn thing's going to cost you) which I have to have:

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole 6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces 5 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese 1 pound elbow macaroni
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.
5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

Doesn't that sound good? I'm on a budget right now, so this will be referred in our home as "payday mac n cheese".