Recipes for Sundance - Park City, Utah - Mac 'n Cheese

I am glad to be writing of more comfort food in relation to the Sundance Festival this time. I just found out that someone I have desperately wanted to see perform is playing at Sundance this year. Josh Groban. I have tried to make it to his concerts and either fate is always against me and I can't get tickets, or the stars are all un-aligned against me and I can't go even if I could get tickets. So, I imagine this time, especially at Sundance, there is no chance I could get to the show, even if we weren't in hibernation at home. But, just knowing that I am missing it again... well, I needed some comfort.

So, for your consuming pleasure and tribute to Sundance and *sigh* me missing a Josh Groban concert - AGAIN - here is a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese from Butcher's Chop House in Park City. This recipe also came from Food Network and their original recipe can be viewed here as well as below. Frankly, as delicious as their versions sounds, I just didn't have everything on hand (and I just didn't have the time last night to go through all these motions).

Oh, and though I did get really lucky and blessed and get to see them in concert a few years ago, since it will never be enough, I have to confess that I am somewhat broken hearted about not making it to Park City this time since U2 was in attendance Saturday night for the premiere of their 3D concert. I really just can't bear to go into any more detail about U2 so, you'll have to read more about that here. I'm going to go eat some more Mac 'n Cheese now and console myself. I'm glad I will be making my entry for Sugar High Friday later today so I can wallow in that as well!

Below is my offering, which, I am glad to say I am eating for lunch today and thoroughly enjoyed last night. The changes I made to the original, again, we're necesscarily intentional, more out of necessity, and it was still delicious. Although Deb over at Smitten Kitchen has another recipe for Mac 'n Cheese as well, I offer this one because it is your taste of Park City. Deb's version looks like it is probably simpler and more traditional. Since Park City tends to lean more on the gourmet side, it probably explains the difference. Anyway, the changes I made are noted below. More Park City to come...


The Recipe:


Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe courtesy Butcher's Chop House and Bar
Show: $40 a Day
Episode: Park City, UT

1 pound penne pasta
6 1/2 cups milk
1 onion wedge, studded with cloves (I skipped this as I am trying not to eat too much onion and am out of whole cloves)
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 ounces unsalted butter
1/8 cup diced white onion (I used shallots for a milder flavor)
1/8 cup small-diced carrot
4 ounces all-purpose flour
1 pound extra-sharp white Cheddar, shredded (recommended: Cabot)
4 ounces yellow Cheddar, shredded
Salt and white pepper
Ground nutmeg (*sigh* I am also out of whole nutmeg...and since I think the preground stuff is now a waste of time I also left this out)

Bread Crumb Topping, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside. While pasta is cooking, in a heavy, medium saucepan, combine the milk, clove-studded onion, thyme, and bay leaf over medium heat. In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrot and saute until tender. Add the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it's thickened and smooth. Strain this milk mixture into a heat-proof bowl. Stir in the shredded cheeses and mix until melted. Season, to taste, with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the pasta and mix well. Pour the macaroni and cheese into a baking pan and top it with the Bread Crumb Topping. Bake the macaroni and cheese until it is warmed through. Serve immediately.

Bread Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese (I used parmesan because it was what I had)
1/2 cup Japanese bread crumbs (panko)
1 tablespoon assorted chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, and basil (I skipped it - pretty much out of laziness - sorry! It was great without it though)

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Sundance Film Festival - Food Finds from Park City - Onion Rings

Each year the fabulous famous flock (nice alliteration, huh?) of stars travels into Utah winter to look good and watch movies at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. I've lived in Utah for 10 years now...and never gone to the festival. In part because I'm not really an indie film fan and in much larger part because I'm not a fan of crowds. I am, however, a fan of Park City. I love going up there and shopping and more so, eating. Park City has more gourmet restaurants per capita than Salt Lake City does, though I wouldn't completely agree with their advertising campaign that "friends don't let friends eat in Salt Lake City." There are good restaurants in the valley as well as the mountains. That said, it is just really fun to travel up to the resort town and always feels like a special occassion.

So, since the 2008 Sundance Film Festival got underway on Thursday, Jan 17th and will go til the 27th, I thought I would share some recipes that I have found from Park City. Though, sadly, I won't be making this one to share any pictures, I will post the recipe because they are fabulous. The only reason I am not making them myself is because I can't eat onions or bleu cheese while nursing the baby. That doesn't mean that you should miss out though. I do have a couple other recipes I plan to make in the next few days as well though, so stay tuned!

The recipe comes from a restaurant called "Zoom" which is actually a Sundance property (owned by Robert Redford himself). The dish was featured a while back on Rachel Ray's $40 A Day on Food Network and looked phenominal. I'm not normally a big, thick, onion ring fan, but the combination of spice and the bleu cheese caught my eye and tastebuds on this one.

So, want to party like a movie star in Park City. Try this one out.

Spicy Buffalo Onion Rings and Blue Cheese Dip
Recipe courtesy Zoom
Show: $40 a Day
Episode: Park City, UT

Vegetable oil, for frying

4 eggs

5 cups 2 percent milk

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix (recommended: Paul Prudhomme's)

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon white pepper

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 2/3 teaspoons salt

3 extra-large yellow onions

Blue Cheese Dip, recipe follows

1 carrot, sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

Fill a large heavy saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of cooking oil and heat over medium-high heat.

The oil temperature should be at 350 degrees F when you start frying.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs and milk; then add the flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly with a hand-held mixer. Strain the mixture to remove any lumps. Add more milk if you want a thinner crust. In a small bowl, mix the Cajun spice mix, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, dry mustard, and salt. Add this spice mixture to the batter. Cut the onions into thick slabs, dunk them in the batter, and fry them, in batches, in the oil until golden brown.

Serve the onion rings with the Blue Cheese Dip, sliced carrot, and celery.

Blue Cheese Dip:

2 cups sour cream

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups blue cheese

1 tablespoon minced serrano chile peppers

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the sauce in a side bowl for dipping.