Off to get cheese but found Ginger

Ginger St. James shows her bandaged finger

There's not a lot to do while waiting for a computer to crunch through a bunch of numbers. I decided today I would make macaroni and cheese for dinner. Only the cheese I have is that cheap cheese that you get at the local grocery store. If you're going to use that cheese you might as well just make a box of Kraft dinner.

I've been a bit obsessed these last few weeks into making food from scratch (more or less). Common food that you can get in a frozen food section of your local grocery store or in today's case, from a box.

Living near Kensington means living near Global Cheese and Cheese Magic two really great places to get real cheese. The cheese with the real fattening flavours not that processed cheese that has plastics added to it to make it go further or last longer. It just seems wrong. Kind of like having a chocolate bar that tastes waxy. We'll save the chocolate bar blurb for another blog entry.


Ginger and Teddy

And so, with the computer on auto I ventured out in the afternoon to get some cheese. Maybe even take some photos. I was walking past Sneaky Dees at College and Bathurst and noticed, after doing a double take, that some one inside was smiling at me.

It was Ginger, who normally, I associate as someone who lives in Hamilton. She shows up at the occasional derby bout to sing the National Anthem. If you have not heard her sing you should see if you can get out and hear her. She may be petite but she's got a big voice.

I joined her and Teddy for a few minutes, chatted, then continued on my way to the cheese store.


Global Cheese in Kensington Market

I bought about $15 dollars of Hollandia and Smoked Hunter (currently my favourite cheese these days), went back home and started cooking and Macaroni and Cheese. What follows is the recipe I used.


Macaroni and Cheese in a casserole dish

Macaroni and Cheese

ingredients

• 2 cups of macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 cups Hollandia cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Smoked Hunter cheese, shredded
• 1 branch of broccoli, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped

directions

1. cook macaroni
2. melt butter in a separate pot.
3. stir in flour (butter and flour will begin to clump)
4. stir in milk and whipping cream
5. while stirring, melt in cheese
6. add macaroni, broccoli, onions and cheese mixture into large casserole dish
7. mix
8. put into oven at 350° F for 20 minutes

I ended up eating about half the dish and had to lie down. It's quite filling.