Just a quick announcement today – Garrett and I are still excited as can be about the new book project we’re working on, so we’ve gone ahead and created both a Facebook and Twitter account for Melt: the Art of Macaroni and Cheese. Check them out:

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We’ll be posting photos, details on book progress, and just generally fun information on macaroni and cheese. Please, feel free to share these on Twitter and Facebook. Thanks!!

Permalink | Posted in Books, Macaroni and Cheese on Oct/Mon/2011
Post tags: book, book news, cookbook, macaroni and cheese, melt
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

I’ve dabbled in cheese here on The Culinary Life, though I’ve never given it my full attention. Lately, though, my attention has turned to artisan cheeses and the huge variety of tastes and textures that milk can take on when manipulated by a master of dairy fermentation. Sure, I’m no Kirstin Jackson, but I’ve developed a love of soft, creamy cheeses that rivals my adoration for fine chocolates.

Eating cheese on its own is wonderful, but I’m a person who likes to take it a step further and ask, “What else can you do with this?” So while I still adore a well put together cheese plate, lately I’ve been thinking of ways to cook with artisan cheese. Purists might balk at the idea of heating these little works of art and mixing them with other ingredients, but from what I’ve learned over the past few years, artisan cheeses are ideal for cooking — especially when it comes to making macaroni and cheese recipes. ... Read the rest of La Tur Macaroni and Cheese with Nectarines and Fig Jam on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in American, Cheese, Gluten Free, Macaroni and Cheese on Aug/Wed/2011
Post tags: black pepper, cheese, fig jam, Gluten Free, heavy cream, la tur, macaroni and cheese, nectarines, pasta
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

Protein-rich salads are the perfect meal for summer. When the weather’s warm and the sun shines for 16 hours a day, sometimes you just want a light meal. But summer is also a time of activity, which means your body needs a healthy dose of protein to keep you going. When you’re looking for a power pack of energy-rich foods, but don’t want a heavy meal and CERTAINLY don’t want to flip on the stoce, what’s a girl (or boy) to do?

This salad is light and rich, all at the same time. It’s got the protein you need without the heaviness, and you don’t need a bit of heat to prepare it. Can you think of a better summer meal?

... Read the rest of Sweet Summer Black Bean Salad on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in American, Gluten Free, Salads, Travel on Aug/Wed/2011
Post tags: agave nectar, balsamic vinegar, black beans, black pepper, corn, cumin, curry powder, olive oil, parsley, salad, turmeric
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

World, I’d like to introduce you to my dear friend, croissant bread pudding. But first, a few words on life.

Last Sunday, I had a birthday. I won’t share how many years I’ve seen float by from my seat on the river bank of time, but I will tell you this: I had the stark realization that my life has changed an awful lot over the past seven months, more than it’s changed in any short period prior. Nearly everything I knew a year ago is completely different now. Living situation, marital status, career track, you name it. Basically, life as I knew it for the preceding six years has completely failed to exist. ... Read the rest of Seize the Day: Croissant Bread Pudding on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in American, Baking, Breakfast, European, Recipes on Jun/Mon/2011
Post tags: Baking, bread pudding, breakfast, brown sugar, cinnamon, croissants, dessert, egg yolk, eggs, half and half, milk, nutmeg, rum, sour cream, sweets, vanilla
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

When I spent the first part of this year in outer Cape Cod, it became woefully apparent that I was lacking in the skills necessary to cook seafood. Sure, I cook with fish, but shellfish were completely new to me, since I grew up in a family that didn’t know a mussel from a meerkat. I was getting tired of preparing my old tried and true favorite recipes, and decided it was time to explore the nether-regions of my out-of-comfort zone.

Part of the problem was that I generally prefer to eat my shellfish raw, which, obviously, requires no cooking. Whenever I received a bag full of sweetly sensual Wellfleet Oysters, I’d sit over the sink for hours with my trusty oyster knife (and a kevlar oyster mitt… yikes) and suck them down, one after the other. Easy – no real skill required other than knowing how to shuck an oyster!

When it came to cooking with shellfish, I started in the shallow end; my first attempt was Oysters Rockefeller. It was a smashing success, and I exhausted that recipe over the following few weeks. There were a few nights I made myself terribly ill from consuming more butter than any human being should in one sitting – but how can you stop eating something so insanely delectable as hot buttered and breaded oysters that had been in the water just hours before? ... Read the rest of Goan Clams on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in American, Seafood, Soup on Jun/Thu/2011
Post tags: cape cod, cilantro, clams, coconut milk, coriander, cumin, indian cuisine, lemon juice, olive oil, onion, paprika, pepper, soup
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

What is it about a soft chunk of penuche fudge that captivates the taste buds? Sure, it’s sugary-sweet, and that means it will always be popular on some level; but there’s just something about a freshly-made penuche fudge recipe that makes me curl my toes and bite my lip.

I’m a huge fudge fan, so maybe it was destined to be love at first bite. I love my chocolate straight-up and unfettered by any sort of distracting cake or cookie – at Christmas, I’m always found camped out in front of the fudge plate, making short work of my grandma’s family recipe. After a particularly traumatic pumpkin fudge incident, I limited myself to chocolate fudge and didn’t pay much attention to anything but the richest, deepest, darkest varieties as they crosses my culinary path. Blonde fudge? Eh. Caramel fudge? Nah. Peanut butter fudge? Blah.

Penuche? What’s that? ... Read the rest of Penuche Recipe with Walnuts or Pecans on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in American, Baking, Desserts, Gluten Free on Jun/Fri/2011
Post tags: Baking, brown sugar, butter, candy, fudge, milk, nuts, penuche, sweets
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.