Happy Independance Day!

Forth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Swimming, fireworks, hand turned ice cream, badminton and backyard cookouts. All my favorite things rolled into one day!

I thought I would write about Edna Lewis and post her macaroni and cheese recipe, seems very American! 
                                                   
Miss Lewis is by far one of my favorite all time Chef's. Sadly I discovered her after her death in an article written about her in Saveur magazine. I rushed to buy one of her cookbook's, how I miss bookstores, and devoured it front to back. She was my newly found idol with all of her fantastic pickling recipes and delicious cakes, I kept thinking who is this woman? The more I read the more I discovered how dedicated to the art of cooking she was by following simple values, seasonal, fresh, purity of ingredients, taste and authenticity.

                                                    
Just a tidbit of information........

Edna Lewis born April 13, 1916 and died February 13, 2006 , was a well know authority of country cooking of Virginia. Born and raised in north central Virginia. She came of age in the 1920's on a nearly self sufficient farm, that had been grated to her grandfather, a freed slave, grew its own crops, raised and slaughtered its own animals and preserved its own food.

1986 — Named Who’s Who in American Cooking by Cook’s Magazine

1990 — Lifetime Achievement Award, International Association of Culinary Professionals

1995 — James Beard Living Legend Award (their first such award.)

1999 — Named Grande Dame by Les Dames d’Escoffier, an international organization of female culinary professionals.

1999 — Lifetime Achievement Award from Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA) (their first such award.)

2002 — Barbara Tropp President's Award, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs

2003 — Inducted into the KitchenAid Cookbook Hall of Fame (James Beard)

2004 — The Gift of Southern Cooking nominated for James Beard Award and IACP Award

2009 — African American Trailblazers in Virginia honoree at the Library of Virginia (in Richmond

Macaroni and Cheese

8 ounces of elbow macaroni
salt
1 1/4 C extra sharp cheddar cheese cut into 1/2 in cubes2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 freshly ground nutmeg
2/3 C sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 C grated onion
1 1/2 C half-and-half
1 1/2 heavy cream
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
6 ounces grated extra sharp cheese

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain wee, transfer to a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix in the cubed cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Put the flour, salt, dry mustard, black pepper, cayenne pepper and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl, stir to blend. Add the sour cream, followed by the eggs and stir with a whisk until well blended.

Whisk in onion, half-and-half, heavy cream, and Worcestershire sauce until blended. Pout this custard sauce over the macaroni and cubed cheese and stir to blend. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the surface.

Bake in a preheated oven until the custard is set around the edges but still a bit loose in the center, about 30-40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes to allow custard to thicken.

Enjoy the day!

 

XOXO,

Cher