MadCookery

One of my fondest food memories of family gatherings when I was younger was my Grandmothers macaroni salad. I don’t know how she made it, but it has always been the macaroni salad up against I compare all others, and all of them have always fell short. A few years ago I set out to discover her recipe, and after I discovered that no member of the family could duplicate it, I set out to do so by trial and error. After many unsuccessful attempts I finally found a combination of ingredients that closely matched the rich flavor I remember, and then I set out to add my own changes. For the last two years I have made and remade macaroni salad seeking the best recipe I could find, and finally I found a combination of ingredients that I really enjoy. After all my changes it no longer tastes just like the macaroni salad I remember, but it adds a slight twist on an old classic and brings layers of flavor to what is often a very one dimensional dish. This recipe adds heavy whipping cream and whipped mayonnaise for a more creamy sauce, and a small amount of Miracle Whip and Dijon Mustard for a more rounded flavor. The addition of Red Freseno Pepper and Vidalia Onion to the traditional celery adds a slight sweetness and crunch, and a subtle complexity to what is often a simple tasting dish.

Ingredients

• 16oz of elbow macaroni, cooked just past Al Dente in well salted water and cool
• 8 Eggs, hard boil and cool
• 30oz of Olive Oil Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Miracle Whip
• 3 Tbls Dijon Mustard
• 1/8 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• The juice of 1/2 a lemon, fresh squeezed
• 2 Small Red Fresno Peppers, seeded and finally diced
• 1 Small Vidalia Onion (any sweet onion can be substituted), finely diced
• 2 Large Stalks Celery, finely diced
• 1 tbls sugar
• 1 pinch garlic powder
• Salt and White Pepper to Taste
• Hungarian Sweet Paprika
• 3 tbls fresh tarragon, minced

Instructions:

1. Mix the Olive Oil Mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, Dijon Mustard, Heavy Whipping Cream and Lemon Juice and whip with a standing or hand-held mixer on high for 5 minutes until it becomes creamy and shiny on the surface.
2. Whisk in the sugar, garlic powder, and tarragon
3. Whisk in salt and white pepper to taste
4. Slice 3 of the hard boiled eggs and reserve
5. Dice the remaining 5 eggs into medium sized pieces
6. Stir together the Elbow Macaroni, diced eggs, diced Freseno Peppers, diced Vidalia Onion, and celery
7. Stir in the sauce until the Macaroni and vegetables are well coated
8. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with Sweet Paprika
9. Top with the reserved sliced eggs and complete with another sprinkle of Sweet Paprika
10. Let set 2-4 hours, covered in a refrigerator before serving

If all the sauce is added too early then the dish will dry out and lose its creamy texture. So, if making the day before, add just enough of the sauce to coat the macaroni and vegetables (about 1/4 of the total) and reserve the rest. Cover and refrigerate. Mixing the rest of the sauce, add the sliced eggs, and Paprika 2-4 hours before serving.

There are two dishes that I love to make with fresh corn: creamed corn and southwestern style corn. As spring is here and fresh corn is started to show at the market I decided to try combining the two. Its not an overall original dish, but with its subtle heat juxtaposed with the sweetness of the fresh corn, it is incredible as a side or a main course.

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of corn
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 small red pepper
• 1 medium Anaheim pepper
• 1/8 cup cream
• 1 tbls butter
• 2 tsp Chipotle powder
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper powder
• 1 tbls olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Steps:

1.  roast the red and Anaheim pepper, seed, remove roasted skins, and dice
2. remove kernels and milk from the ears of corn
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat until hot
4. Saute diced onions until translucent
5. Either finely mince or press garlic and add to pan
6. Cook until you can just start to smell the garlic, about 30 seconds. Do not let garlic burn
7. Add corn and corn milk and stir well
8. Add Chipotle and Cayenne pepper powder
9. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often
10. Add diced roasted red and Anaheim peppers
11. Stir in butter and stir until melted
12. Add cream, stir well and let cook on medium until cream reduced and mixture is thick (about 10 minutes)
13. Salt and pepper to taste

Serve immediately