Creamy and comforting macaroni and cheese

There's not much that can top the absolute comfort of macaroni and cheese. Here is my basic recipe that you can use as a springboard for an endless amount of creativity.

What you'll need:

• Noodles: macaroni, shells, orechiette - your favorite shape that holds sauce
• Cheese: cheddar, American, Swiss, provolone - as long as it's a combination of cheeses that melt well
• Milk
• Cream cheese
• Onions, finely chopped
• Flour
• Butter
• Bread crumbs
• Ground nutmeg
• Freshly ground pepper and kosher or sea salt

I'm using whole grain medium shells, extra sharp cheddar, and American cheese. Use whatever combination of cheese you have. I also finely chop half an onion. You don't need a lot, and you can certainly leave it out, but I like the sweetness the onion imparts to the cheese sauce.

To start, put a pot of water on to boil. When it comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. Cook until al dente. In the mean time, heat up a frying pan with a few tablespoons of butter and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions, and let them cook on medium heat until soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper.

When the onions are soft, sprinkle them with a few tablespoons of flour, and allow them to cook for another minute, stirring constantly. This is what they'll look like with the flour cooked in:

Time to add the milk. The amount of milk, of course, depends on how much you're making. However much you're making, start with less milk. It's easier to thin out the sauce than to make it thicker. So add the milk, turn up the heat, and stir constantly. The sauce should thicken up quickly. If it seems too thick, add a little more milk. I like to have a sauce about the consistency of a pancake batter.

Once the sauce is thickened, turn down the heat to low, and season with salt and pepper. If you have ground nutmeg or some fresh nutmeg to grate, add a little to the sauce. If you'd like a little heat in the background, add a pinch of cayenne as well. When you have the sauce tasting the way you like, it's time to add the cheese. Lots of cheese. If you think you're adding too much cheese, believe me, you're not. I also like to add some cream cheese for a little extra creaminess and tang. Stir it all in until it's melted, then add the cooked pasta to the pan.

Mix it all together until the pasta is happily bathed in the cheese sauce. You definitely want to make sure you have an abundant amount of the cheese sauce to coat the pasta, so it's still creamy after baking. Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish.

For the topping, I like to use buttered bread crumbs. Simply melt a couple tablespoons of butter, and mix in your favorite bread crumbs. Seasoned panko bread crumbs provide a wonderful crunch to contrast the velvety smooth texture of the mac and cheese. Sprinkle evenly across the top, then bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until the top is browned and bubbly.

Before.

After.

You will want to dive right in, but try to let it cool a bit before serving. I like it served on top of some mixed greens dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Now that you know how to make the basic cheese sauce, go crazy! Throw in some chicken and sun-dried tomatoes or steak and crumbled bleu cheese. Or maybe some ham and asparagus or bacon and peas. Add a tin of tuna or salmon. Whatever you've got can make this recipe even more amazing and satisfying.

Make what you like, and like what you make!

Simple side dish: green beans with garlic

This is so simple and so good, especially when the locally grown green beans are in season. All you need are some nice-looking fresh green beans, lots of sliced garlic, olive oil, butter, salt and pepper.

Prep the green beans by rinsing them and cutting off the stem end. I like to keep the beans their original length, but you can certainly cut them into smaller pieces. You also need to slice the garlic. Whenever I prep garlic this way, I am reminded of the scene in Goodfella's where Paul Sorvino is in the prison kitchen making paper thin slices of garlic using a razor blade. You don't need to slice the garlic so thinly for this dish unless you really want to recreate that scene.

Start by putting a large pot of water on high heat to boil. When the water comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and the green beans. The green beans will take only a few minutes depending on how soft you like them. In the mean time, add the sliced garlic and equal amounts of butter and extra virgin olive oil to a cold pan.

Turn the heat to medium and let the garlic cook for a few minutes. Starting in a cold pan will allow the garlic to flavor the oil and butter as it heats up. You want the garlic to cook softly, even to lightly brown, but be careful not to let it burn.

If the garlic is ready before the beans, take the pan off the heat. When the beans are ready, drain them and toss them directly into the frying pan. Season with kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and toss all together to coat every green bean.

Green beans and garlic are a perfect complement to each other. Everyone loves these beans. I could make them for every meal.