That’s the equivalent of a glass of Tang instead of fresh-squeezed orange juice.

If your palate demands a gourmet version of mac and cheese, Cucina Fresca is ready to fill your freezer with four different varieties:

Read the full review, and start stocking the freezer.

It includes suggested toppings and mix-ins to make your mac and cheese even more gourmet.

 
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To make mac and cheese from scratch, there’s no better demonstrator than the buoyant and charming Marcus Samuelsson, one of America’s most popular chefs.

Chef Samuelsson grew up in Sweden. There he had meat balls with noodles, but didn’t discover macaroni and cheese until he moved to the U.S.

“You learn a dish, and then you want to do your own take,” says Samuesson. He tweaked the recipe into a hearty entrée: creamy, crispy and crunchy. “This is not a side dish, this is a meal by itself,” says the chef.

Samuelsson’s take on mac and cheese includes red onion, white Cheddar, Parmesan and toasted bread crumbs, a dish seasoned with garlic and marjoram. And bacon: “It just adds something to this dish that makes it smokier, a little bit saltier, a really nice flavor.”

MORE MAC & CHEESE

 
MORE MARCUS SAMUELSSON

We recently read Marcus Samuelsson’s memoir, Yes, Chef.

It’s an inspirational book for anyone who aspires to cook professionally and for foodies who admire the work of fine chefs. For those who are early in their careers in any industry, it’s packed with many teaching moments about hard work and a can-do attitude.

Get your copy.

They’re available nationwide in the frozen vegetables aisle of supermarkets. These baby soy beans are not only delicious; they’re rich in vitamins and minerals. In fact, edamame are the only vegetable that offers a complete protein profile, equal to both meat and eggs in its protein content. A bonus: They’re inexpensive.

And they’re a fun snack: Veggie-averse kids and grown ups will enjoy squeezing them from pod to mouth. They can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. (We warm them in the microwave.)

In addition to snacking, add edamame to casseroles, salads, stir-frys and soups. Make a healthy dip. Garnish: Garnish just about any savory food, from baked or mashed potatoes to steaks and chops.

Pick up edamame the next time you’re at the market. You can find edamame frozen in the pod, frozen shelled and dry roasted, in conventional and organic varieties.

And check out:

Edamame are traditionally served with coarse salt. But you can garnish them as you like. Some of our favorites:

Find more of our favorite veggies and recipes.

Delicious beer mustard from Ringhand. Photo
by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

The computer-printed label had only the ingredients,* a sketch of two steins of beer and, in tiny print in one corner, the words:

Ringhand’s Beer Mustard
Evansville, WI 53636
608-882-5819

There’s no website. An Internet search produced a bare-bones Facebook page with one photo, one post and a map highlighting the company’s location in Evansville, Wisconsin, some 24 miles south of Madison. No one has been searching for Ringhand Beer Mustard in Google.

More search yielded little except this description from Something Special From Wisconsin, the trade organization that provided the red sticker:

Homemade Beer Mustard, using Wisconsin produced beer and mustard (1/2 ingredients) blended to a tangy sweet-sour flavor.

Why were we so gung-ho to get the scoop about Ringhand’s Beer Mustard?

Because it’s delicious! Of all the mustards we try, it stands out. Instead of the typical one-two punch of prepared mustard, there’s a subtle layering of flavors. You don’t even notice the horseradish, but it adds something special.

And at $3.00 per 12-ounce bottle, we’ll be ordering cases of it as affordable yet special holiday gifts.

There’s one more note about Ringhand Beer Mustard: The artisan mustard maker is Wisconsin State Assembly Representative Janis Ringhand, a former mayor of Evansville mayor (population 5,012).

This grandmother of four worked for 17 years as a bookkeeper for family-owned Ringhand Meats—where presumably, the products were enjoyed with lots of mustard.

To get yours, call 608.882.5819 or email janis.a.ringhand@gmail.com.

MORE ABOUT MUSTARD

Mustard trivia: The squeeze bottle was in 1957 by Plochman’s of Illinois, which has been making mustard since 1852.

Here’s everything you need to know about mustard, including the many different types of mustard.

*Ingredients: water, vinegar, mustard seeds, salt, turmeric, horseradish, spices, beer, sugar.

Think of pesto, and it evokes different recipe ideas. You can use this versatile sauce and condiment—a blend of basil,* olive oil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese—for:

 
So how about pesto and cheese?

Some cheese makers add pesto to their curds to produce beauties such as the bright green Gouda, Basiron Pesto, and Pesto Jack, a yellow cheese with flecks of chopped basil. You can also find fresh goat cheese logs with pesto.

It’s easy to make your own pesto cheese spread.

Pesto mixed with soft goat cheese. Photo courtesy Vermont Creamery.

APPETIZER OR CHEESE COURSE

You can cut slices from a goat cheese log, such as in the photo at left, and turn it into an individual serving. For a cheese course, serve it with a side of crostini or toasted, sliced baguette. For a salad and cheese course, serve it atop a bed of greens.

Instead of the topping of gremolata (choppped parsley andother green herbs, lemon zest and garlic) shown in the photo, pour pesto over the cheese.
Make your own pesto with this easy recipe.

Here’s the history of pesto.

Our favorite pesto sauces.