[Recipe] The "Full Mountie (Always Gets Her Man)" Breakfast Burger

When I started law school, one of my professors told me about a little school tradition: trying a cuisine from a different country every Friday night, AKA the most fun and delicious way to get to know a new city and new friends.  The tradition proved a bit too ambitious for me those years ago, but I've always loved the spirit of it.  So much so that I have now grafted that foodie adventure spirit into, of all things, my cooking rotation.

Specifically, burgers.

We are going Around the World in 80 Burgers.  And also engaging in 50 Shades of Gluttony (Because Burgers Are the Perfect American Food).

Our first venture is to Canada, our neighbor to the North and, therefore, home of the King in the North, Jon Snow Justin Trudeau.  And also the origin of most of the world's supply of maple syrup—in fact, the Canadian province of Quebec is itself responsible for 70% of the world's output, and Canadian exports of maple syrup in 2016 totaled C$487 million (approximately US$360 million).

I love using maple syrup in my cooking.  I don't often eat pancakes or waffles (I know, a travesty), but I still keep maple syrup on hand at all times because I think it adds such a nice, subtle touch of sweetness that also feels strangely full-bodied.  I sometimes add a teaspoon or tablespoon to marinade, and it's, of course, amazing with bacon.  (Check out the recipe for one of my favorite savory-sweet desserts, chive pancake cupcakes with mascarpone maple bacon icing, here.)

The "Full Mountie (Always Gets Her Man)" Breakfast Burger
an original recipe by tammiest
Recipe makes 4 burgers

Ingredients
Maple Sriracha Aioli:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1-1/2 tablespoons Sriracha

Burgers:
4 hamburger buns with sesame seeds
3/4 pound lean ground beef (93% or 95% lean)
3/4 pound ground chuck (if you prefer something a little less fatty, you can use 80% lean ground beef instead)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced in half

4 slices Muenster cheese (or any other cheese you prefer)

4 eggs, cooked over-easy
1 avocado, thinly sliced

Optional: 
Thinly sliced red onion
* Note:  If you want something that will cut a bit more into all the other flavors, add the onion.

Public Service Announcement - Avocados
I love the avocado in this burger.  And, if we're being honest, on all things and all. the. time.  And I'm not the only one: just do a quick Google search for the words "avocado shortage," and you'll see a long string of articles detailing the decline in supply (and the corresponding increase in price).

It turns out there's something else rising: the number of "avocado-related" injuries (or, not so affectionately, "avocado hand").  And I have to say, even though I consider myself a good home cook, there have been times that I've had quite a bit of trouble with my avocados—the pits just sometimes don't want to come out very easily, either because I didn't aim my knife very well or deeply enough into the center or because the avocado isn't quite ripe enough for the pit to come out cleanly.  I've also actually freaked out vicariously while sitting at the counter of a diner and watching one of the line cooks cut open and de-pit what seemed to me an endless string of avocados in the palm of his hand in rapid succession.  It made me very nervous.  Maybe it's me.

But here's my pro (or really amateur) tip: if anything I just wrote resonates with you and you also want to avoid "avocado hand," try out an avocado 3-in-1 slicer.  I have this one from OXO Good Grips.

It is so easy to use and clean up.  And, more importantly, for less than $10, I'm now comfortable making all the homemade guacamole and avocado toast I want.

Directions
1.  In a medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, maple syrup, and Sriracha until smooth.

2.  Using your hands, gently mix the beef blend with the paprika, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.  Divide and form into 4 patties.  Cover and set aside.

3.  Heat a skillet on medium heat, then cook the slices of bacon for roughly 7 minutes, or until the fat has been rendered.  Remove the bacon from the pan to a paper towel and blot thoroughly.

4.  Reserve about 2 teaspoons of the bacon fat to cook the burgers, 2 at a time for about 2 minutes on each side (for medium rare).

5.  In a non-stick skillet, cook your eggs one at a time in a splash of canola or olive oil (alternatively, you can also wait until you are done cooking your burgers and use the remaining bacon fat to cook the eggs).  Let the oil heat up before cracking the egg into the skillet.  There is no need to flip, but cook to your liking—if you like it to be nice and yolky, you'll likely need only 3—4 minutes.


6.  Either set your oven to broil on high heat or preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Brush the hamburger buns with melted unsalted butter and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.

If you have set your oven to preheat, place the buns in the oven and bake about 5 minutes before removing from the oven and placing a piece of cheese on one half of each set of buns (top or bottom doesn't matter), then place back in the oven for an additional 4 minutes.

If you have set your oven to broil, place the buns in the oven for about 3 minutes before removing and adding the cheese for an additional 2 minutes.  In either case, you can fold pieces of the cheese over or break them off and place them in the middle of the bun so that the melted cheese doesn't fall on to the sheet and start burning.

7.  Assemble the burgers: spread the maple Sriracha aioli on the bun without cheese.  On the bottom bun, stack the avocado and, if you've opted to include them, onion rings.  Then add the burger.  Top it with the fried egg, two half slices of bacon, and the top bun.

A post shared by the_tammiest (@the_tammiest) on Jun 30, 2017 at 6:36am PDT

[Travel] [Restaurant Review] [Recipe] Early Morning Muir Woods + Breakfast and Millionaire's Bacon

I admit—too often, my first thought for travel is that it's expensive and far away and I'll need to make sure my passport is up to date.  But that's definitely not true—I'm lucky enough to live in the U.S., and there are amazingly beautiful things to see (and delicious things to eat) right here, in every state in the union.

One of the many stunning things you can see in California are the redwoods forests.  There are so many parks at which you can do so, including the Redwood National and State Parks (consisting of four parks), the Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and the Humboldt Redwoods State Park, but perhaps the easiest one to get to is the Muir Woods National Monument.  The Muir Woods are just a little over 16 miles outside San Francisco proper (though it will likely take you 45 minutes or so to get there by car) and feature easy boardwalk loops as well as proper hiking trails.  You'll want to arrive early in the morning, if possible, to beat the crowds—there isn't a lot of parking available—although the Internet lets me know that eventually the Muir Woods will move toward a reservation system—keep an eye on that over the next couple of years, as you'll need to plan ahead a bit more than we had to in the near future.

These steps lead to adventure and stunning views and photo ops.

Under the canopy of the redwoods, you feel so small.  Can you even spot me in this shot?  I think if you could zoom in, you'd see I wasn't even looking at the camera here—was just looking up in awe.

I didn't get a chance to take a proper hike this trip (my friend and I were squeezing this visit in the morning of my flight back to the East Coast), but there was plenty of beauty just along the boardwalk.  Don't underestimate, though, just how cold it can be in the middle of the forest—walking will warm you up, but you'll definitely need long sleeves, and a sweater or a light jacket are probably smart.

We took a healthy number of photos and read our fair share of informational placards.  It took a little over an hour for a pair of New Yorkers (meaning only that we walk quickly) to do the longest boardwalk loop—the park, I think, recommends you take 2 hours to do that same loop.

Before (or after) your morning hike, drive a little over a mile to Kitchen Sunnyside for a delicious, hearty breakfast.

Kitchen Sunnyside
31 Sunnyside Ave., Suite 1
Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 326-5159

They've got tons of delicious options both sweet and savory (plus lots of vegetarian dishes if that's your jam), and all the portions are huge.  Pictured below are the Morning Tacos with chipotle aioli, avocado, scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage, bacon, tomato, cilantro, mild cheddar, and parmesan, and topped with roasted salsa and pico de gallo and sour cream.  Served with your choice of potato medley (my choice), home fries, hash brown or salad.

I made sure to order a side of millionaire's bacon-- don't forget yours.  Millionaire's bacon appears to have been invented (or at least made popular) by San Francisco's Sweet Maple restaurant.  I've actually made this bacon myself before at home—with regular bacon—but it really is best made thick.  Try for yourself using the recipe below—but also definitely order it when you're next in San Francisco.

Millionaire's Bacon
an original recipe by tammiest (The Passionfruit Fashionista) 

Ingredients
1 pound of thick-cut bacon
5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Line a baking pan with foil.  Combine all of the spices and the brown sugar together in a bowl and mix thoroughly—if you like things spicy, increase the amount of spice to taste.  Handcoat each strip of bacon with the mixture.
3.  Bake for 25-35 minutes until the bacon is crisp.  Cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying.

[Recipe] "Once Upon a Dream" Cheddar Apple Muffins with Maple Candied Bacon Topping

I don't usually dream.

Or maybe I do, but I seldom remember my dreams.  The ones I do remember are often hyper-realistic, with only a very slight element of fantasy in them to remind me that no, So-And-So wasn't actually a jerk to me (or no more than usual), and I shouldn't not be on speaking terms with them.  Or else they're super-fantastical and all in animation, like the time I had an entire dream starring the cast of Disney's Aladdin on skateboards.

But last night I slept early, and this morning I awoke early, rousing from a dream of bacon, cheddar, and apples.  Some might have rolled over and gone back to sleep, hoping for more dreams.  But I decided to get up instead and see about making those dreams come true, humming the theme from Sleeping Beauty all the while:

Soundtrack - Once Upon a Dream
I know you
I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you
The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
And I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you
I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

How about you, dear reader?  What's the most fantastic dream you've ever had?

"Once Upon a Dream" Cheddar Apple Muffins with Maple Candied Bacon Topping
an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)
with inspiration from Wanna Come With? and The Clever Carrot
Makes 12-14 muffins

Muffin Base - Ingredients
1 large egg
1-1/4 cups milk
4 oz. lunchbox-sized applesauce
1 apple, small diced
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Candied Bacon - Ingredients
4-6 slices bacon
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Candied Bacon - Instructions
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  Wrap a rimmed baking sheet with at least two layers of aluminum foil and top with a wire rack (if you have one).
3.  In a medium bowl, add the maple syrup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Mix well.

4.  Add the bacon to the bowl and toss gently with your hands.  Make sure that all of the slices are evenly coated.
5.  Place the bacon in a single layer onto the wire rack or directly onto the pan (if you don't have a wire rack).
6.  Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.
* Note:  In my vision, the bacon will finish its crisp with the muffins.  If you want to have true candied bacon, bake for 20-25 minutes, checking to make sure the bacon looks slightly dark and crispy.
7.  Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the rack or on paper towels.  Then, using a knife, shred/dice/crumble the bacon into small pieces suitable for topping.

Muffin - Instructions
8.  While the bacon is in the oven, you can start on the muffin base, but remember to preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit before baking the muffins.  Either lightly grease your muffin tin or line with paper liners.

9.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and grated cheddar cheese.  Whisk together well.

10.  In another bowl or a large measuring cup, lightly beat together the egg, milk, and applesauce.
11.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and gently stir until just blended.  Mix in the apple dices, but try not to overmix.

12.  Fill the muffin cups and bake for 6 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with a small amount of crumbled candied bacon.  Bake for another 7-1/2 minutes.

[Recipe] "Hearty Breakfast Special" Cupcakes

Nothing beats breakfast in bed, though I can't say I've ever really had it except while traveling for business.  I suppose, in those situations, I first have to get out of bed and open the door, hair mussed, but still, I love being in my PJs or wrapped up in a fluffy robe when feasting on pancakes or eggs benedict.

"Hearty Breakfast Special" Cupcakes
a recipe by Aaron McCargo, Jr.
Yield: 12 cupcakes

My friend Adam once asked for some relationship advice after he'd upset his very serious, live-in girlfriend.  Our mutual friend—a man—suggested flowers, but I told Adam to surprise his girlfriend with breakfast in bed.

Breakfast in bed is easy points, a wonderful surprise.  There's nothing like waking up to delicious smells and that amazing feeling of being completely cared for.  And it's not difficult: some toast, bacon or breakfast sausage, and eggs, scrambled or sunny side up.  Or pancakes (it can seriously even be made from Bisquick).  If you're feeling fancy, an omelette.  If cooking's not your thing, a nice bowl of cereal with fresh cut fruit.  Add a glass of juice or a mug of coffee, depending on your significant other's tastes, and it's the perfect start to any day.

Ingredients
Canola oil spray
6 thick-cut slices of good-quality bacon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
4 cups prepared pancake batter
8 oz. mascarpone
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare a cupcake pan with canola oil spray.
2.  Prepare a broiler pan and place the bacon on the pan.  Cook until well crisped, about 6 minutes.  Remove from the oven and reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings.

3.  Reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix the chives into the pancake batter and pour into the cupcake tins so that they are 3/4 full.  Bake for 12 minutes.

4.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the mascarpone, confectioner's sugar, maple syrup and the reserved bacon drippings.  Stir well to combine and set aside.  Crumble the cooked bacon and set aside.

5.  Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack, about 10 minutes.  Frost each cupcake with the bacon icing and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon.

[Recipe] Mac and Cheese Cook-off: Oktoberfest Mac, Attempt #1

When KiKi first asked me to enter the Mac 'n' Cheese Cookoff with her, my feelings were tentative, lukewarm at best.  But, unsurprisingly, as time went on, I became increasingly competitive, and now I've become a little obsessed with winning.  Last year, KiKi and Junglecat J lost second place by just one vote, mainly because none of their friends (yours truly included) showed up to the event.  (In my defense, I did try to go, but my talent for getting hopelessly lost interfered, and I never made it.)

Given that I want to win, I started to get anxious that our Fall-tastic Mac—with pumpkin and brussels sprouts, two ingredients that are sadly less than universally popular—would be offputting to enough people as to jeopardize our chances for the mac 'n' cheese trophy I desperately want to display in my office.

And that's how Oktoberfest Mac* was born.  Oktoberfest Mac is beer cheese, macaroni, bratwurst with onions (the traditional way), and a topping of crumbled bacon and homemade pretzel roll croutons.  Basically, everything American, Oktoberfest, and football in one cheesy dish.  What's not to love?
* A special thank-you and shout-out to MiMi, who named this for us.

There are three major components to this mac 'n' cheese as well: the beer cheese, the bratwurst with onions, and the topping of crumbled bacon and homemade pretzel roll croutons.

Oktoberfest Mac - Iteration #1
an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)

First, the Bratwurst with Onions:

Bratwurst is a natural choice/pairing for beer cheese, pretzels, and bacon.  This is both a good and bad thing, as our tastetesters made clear to us.  It just isn't nearly as flavorful as anything else in Oktoberfest Mac and apparently felt like a "throwaway" ingredient.  This does kind of make sense, though—I love brats, but part of the experience is definitely in the pile of condiments and not the sausage itself.  Chorizo it is not.*
* Our friend Hotpants Radio Miami ("HRM" for short) suggested swapping the bratwurst out for chorizo—which would definitely give it an extra kick—but then we couldn't in good conscience really call it an Oktoberfest Mac, could we?

Ingredients
4 bratwurst sausages
3 bottles amber ale
3 cups beef stock
2 sweet Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
2-3 tablespoons butter
kosher salt and pepper

Directions
1.  Pour the 3 bottles of amber ale and the 3 cups of beef stock into a large pot and bring to a boil.
2.  Once the liquid mixture in the pot is at a boil, drop in the thinly sliced onions and the bratwurst, still in its casing.
3.  Cook the bratwurst for the recommended cooking time (as indicated on the packaging and depending on whether the bratwurst is pre-cooked), then remove from the pot.  Allow the bratwurst to cool before thinly slicing.

4.  In a new pan, melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter.  Scoop the onions out of the beer and stock mixture and caramelize in the new pan by heating over medium-high heat and stirring occasionally.  Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.  Cook until brown, roughly 20-30 minutes.

Second, the Beer Cheese:

It's really surprising to me the number of people who have never had or even heard of beer cheese before.  It's such a football staple!  And if it isn't yet a football staple, it will clearly have to become one, at least at any football viewing I attend—along with the homemade pretzel rolls also featured in Oktoberfest Mac (entry here).

This cheese is crazy good.  You can really taste the ale, and the mustard and cayenne give it a nice kick.  And it's not terribly difficult to make, which means I really can make it (with a few modifications, which I'll certainly blog about) for future football viewings.

Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 bottle amber ale
2-1/2 cups whole milk
kosher salt and pepper to taste
(at least) 1 teaspoon mustard power
(at least) 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb. elbow macaroni
10-14 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
5 oz. fontina cheese, shredded

Directions
1.  In a medium-sized pot or saucepan, melt and brown the butter over medium-high heat.  This is a process that takes longer than mere melting (and so you'll have to watch the stove), but it gives the butter (and consequently whatever you're making) a deeper, complex, almost nutty flavor.  You want to melt the butter past its melting point—it will start to foam before it subsides and begins to brown.
2.  Once the butter has just begun to brown, add the flour slowly, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring and combining completely before adding each new tablespoon of flour.  This roux mixture should brown up as well (but, again, watch to make sure it doesn't overbrown or begin to blacken).
3.  Once the roux is finished and has cooked, fully mixed, for a few minutes, add the beer.  We used Yeungling Amber, but any amber ale will do.
4.  Once the beer has been fully incorporated with the roux, begin adding the whole milk in 3/4-cup increments.  Make sure to stir and combine completely, as well as bring almost to a boil, in between increments.
5.  Season to taste with the salt, pepper, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper.
6.  Let the bechamel simmer (not boil) to thicken the sauce.
7.  While the bechamel is simmering, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.  Once the water comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and then the pasta.  Boil pasta for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente, stirring occasionally.  Drain pasta and set aside.
8.  Add the cheese to the drained pasta.  Combine well.
9.  Turn off the heat on the bechamel and pour it into and over the pasta and cheese mixture.  Combine well.

Third, the Crumbled Bacon and Homemade Pretzel Roll Croutons: 

Confession: I've been obsessed with the homemade pretzel roll croutons ever since I first conceived of them.  I made the pretzel rolls themselves a day before I made them into croutons—and made extra, obviously, so KiKi and I could serve them whole to our guests.  We also initially planned to make up our own honey mustard butter, but we ran out of time.  We'll have to experiment in the future.

These pretzel rolls were so good they deserve their own post.

Once the pretzel rolls are ready, break 4 of them into 1/4-inch pieces.  These will be used for the topping, described below.

As for the crumbled bacon, heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit on broil.  They should take 15-20 minutes to brown up.  You don't want it to be too crispy, though—they'll continue baking with the mac 'n' cheese.

Finally, combine for Oktoberfest Mac:

Kiki likes toppings on her mac, and she likes to bake and broil them in the oven.  I have to admit that I concur on this method, as it melts the cheese in a very lovely way and brings all the flavors together.

Additional Ingredients
4 oz. fontina cheese, grated

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  Add the sliced bratwurst and the caramelized onions to the mac 'n' cheese mixture and combine well.

2.  Pour the combined mac 'n' cheese into a large baking pan.
3.  Sprinkle croutons made from 4 pretzel rolls, the bacon crumble from 8 strips of bacon, and 4 oz. of freshly grated fontina cheese liberally on top of the mac 'n' cheese.

4.  Bake the mac 'n' cheese in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  This should be enough time for the bacon to crisp up, but you can also broil for the last 5 minutes.

The Verdict

KiKi and I had 8 of our friends over to my apartment for a tastetest dinner party on Sunday.  Reviews were generally positive, especially for the cheese, but every one of our friends (except one) preferred Fall-tastic Mac to Oktoberfest Mac.  The most cited reason has already been mentioned: the bratwurst seems like a bit of a throwaway ingredient, and I guess I'd have to agree.  We didn't really have to do much to it, and it kind of gets lost amongst all the other ingredients.

My biggest personal disappointment was in the pretzel roll croutons, which weren't as amazing in the Oktoberfest Mac as they are all by themselves.  Next time we could toast the pretzel rolls a bit beforehand so they also crisp up, but the reason we didn't do that in the first place is that I was worried they would lose their texture.

Ultimately, Oktoberfest Mac is losing out to Fall-tastic Mac, despite being created specifically to appeal to the "everyman."  In the words of our friend Caryn, "Think of your audience.  Who do you think is going to this Cookoff?  Probably hipsters and other types of people who love pumpkin and brussels sprouts."

Touche.

But it doesn't mean that I won't be improving on this recipe and bringing it to a house party near you.

[Recipe] Mac and Cheese Cook-off: Fall-tastic Mac, Attempt #1

My friend KiKi and I have decided to enter a Mac 'n' Cheese Cookoff.  Or, rather, KiKi asked me if I would enter with her.  KiKi entered last year with our friend Junglecat J (who has since moved clear across the country—hence, her inability to compete in this year's Cookoff) and came in third place.  I was hesitant at first, but I agreed to do it after I was struck by inspiration for what has become known as Mac 'n' Cheese Option #1, AKA Fall-tastic Mac: pumpkin-beer-braised short ribs with pumpkin mac 'n' cheese and roasted brussels sprouts.

If you can't tell just by looking at the name of our mac, I love autumn.  To be fair, I'm honestly the type of person who loves something about every season, but I promise you—there really is something about fall that speaks particularly to my culinary soul.  I make pumpkin and butternut squash everything, with very little regard for how the rest of the world feels about these ingredients.  In my defense, I do make a very popular pumpkin pasta, which has the distinction of (1) being a repeat dish in my repertoire (no easy feat) and (2) convincing several naysayers and picky eaters that pumpkin is a magical food.  I neglected to tell KiKi this when I announced that we should make pumpkin mac 'n' cheese, though, so I can't blame her that much for being skeptical (though I'm still a little sad that she "doubted [our] culinary genius").

There are three major components to this mac 'n' cheese: the brussels sprouts, the pumpkin-beer-braised short ribs, and the actual pumpkin mac 'n' cheese.

"Fall-tastic" Mac - Iteration #1
an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)

First, the Brussels Sprouts:

I love brussels sprouts.  I know it's one of the top ten foods reviled by children, but, being the child of Asian immigrants, I actually never had them as a child.  My first introduction to brussels sprouts was actually two years ago, when, on a whim, I purchased a bunch of them at the farmers' market and decided to try them out for myself.

Then I was hooked.

For my Fall-tastic Mac, I did a simple roast.  My go-to is this recipe by Ina Garten.

Ingredients
1-1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  Cut off the brown ends of the brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves.  Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Pour them on a sheet pan or in a roasting pan and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the outside.  Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly.  Sprinkle with more kosher salt.

Then, set aside—for purposes of the mac 'n' cheese.  But steal some when no one's looking for a quick snack.

Second, the Pumpkin-Beer Braised Short Ribs:

Braised short ribs, when done right, are heavenly.  It may seem counter-intuitive to the non- or novice cook, but the more you braise meat, the softer and more tender it gets.  And the more flavorful-- although that's not so surprising.

My pumpkin-beer braised short ribs turned out to be a little bitter and not that pumpkin-y—or at least the braising liquid did-- but I suspect it had a lot more to do with the type of pumpkin ale I used, AKA the only kind the local grocery store had.  Luckily, the slight sweetness of the pumpkin mac 'n' cheese worked well with the meat, and everyone who had any of the braised short ribs (and I forced 20+ people in my office to tastetest the finished product) raved.  Next time, I'll definitely use a sweeter and more pumpkiny option, like Pumpking or the Blue Moon pumpkin variety (more likely—the other local grocery store carries that one).

For this leg of the recipe, I used this one, courtesy of Denise W. of KeyIngredient.  I made a few modifications but more because I forgot to purchase certain ingredients (I thought I had beef stock but actually had to use vegetable) than because I thought the recipe needed tweaking.

Ingredients
2 lbs. beef short ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
5 garlic cloves
3 cups pumpkin beer
2 cups beef stock
kosher salt
black pepper

Directions
1.  Season the ribs with salt and pepper.  Let sit at room temperature one hour before cooking.
2.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  Pour the olive oil into a large Dutch oven pan and preheat over medium heat.  Add the ribs and brown each side, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove the ribs from the Dutch oven and set aside on a plate.

3.  While the ribs are browning, peel the onion and garlic and finely mince.  Add both to the Dutch oven once the ribs are finished browning.  Stir and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the ribs back into the Dutch oven pan.

4.  Pour the pumpkin beer over the ribs.  Cover the pan with the lid and slide into the oven.  The total cooking time is 3 hours.  After each hour, stir and add some of the beef stock until all is used.*  For the last 30 minutes, remove the lid and finish cooking.

* I didn't exactly follow directions.  I put all the broth in at the very beginning.  I think, because of the type of pumpkin beer I used, this was probably a good move on my part—I can't imagine how much more bitter this sauce would have been if I hadn't made this error.  For the record, by the end of three hours, the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender.

Third, the Pumpkin Mac 'n' Cheese:

Some people (KiKi included) are initially a little weirded out by pumpkin pasta.  But I promise you it's actually pretty amazing.

I based this leg of the mac 'n' cheese recipe off this one, courtesy of Spoon Fork Bacon.  But I have to say—I was the least impressed with this leg.  I actually upped the ratio of cheese and spices already, and the result was still way too light on the cheese, pumpkin, and spices for my taste and purposes.  So the below recipe is actually just what I wish I had done the first time around (essentially doubled the quantity of—oh, everything).  I'll leave additional suggestions for next time at the end of the post.

Ingredients

2 cups milk

1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 lb. elbow macaroni

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz. smoked gouda, shredded

2 oz. white extra sharp cheddar

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Place milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium saucepan and stir together.  Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

2.  Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.  Once the water comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and then the pasta.  Boil pasta for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente, stirring occasionally.  Drain pasta and set aside.

3.  Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan.  Sprinkle flour over melted butter and whisk together.  Allow mixture to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

4.  Whisk pumpkin-milk mixture into flour mixture and continue to whisk until fully incorporated.  Allow mixture to simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 to 4 minutes.  (BTW, this is the bechamel!)
5.  Place shredded cheese into a mixing bowl and toss together with lemon juice.
6.  Stir cheese into the bechamel sauce and stir until cheese just melts.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to low and gently stir pasta into the sauce, a bit at a time until all of the pasta has been added and is fully coated in sauce.  Adjust seasoning.

Finally, combine for Fall-tastic Mac:

This is the part of the show where we combine everything we just made into one.  It's pretty straightforward: 

1.  Slice the roasted brussels sprouts very thinly and mix into the pumpkin mac 'n' cheese.

2.  Shred the pumpkin-beer braised short ribs (they should fall easily from the bone and shred even more easily with a fork) and mix into the pumpkin mac 'n' cheese.  I didn't use any of the juice.

3.  Mix really well and adjust seasoning as needed.

The Verdict

I brought a gigantic vat of Fall-tastic Mac to the office the next day and forced all my friends to tastetest.  Seriously, 20+ people were cajoled into trying it (though it didn't take that much convincing), and all had positive things to say.  Still, a few take-aways for next time: 

1.  More cheese.  Much more.

This I knew, and I've accounted for it above in my re-post of the base recipe-- that is, I've already doubled the amount of cheese and bechamel and generally increased the amount of pumpkin and spice.  I might also try different cheese—I'd like to cut out the extra sharp white cheddar cheese and replace it with Gruyere, which is much creamier, and perhaps add a touch of mascarpone, which is even creamier.

2.  More pumpkin.  Not a whole ton more.

This I also knew, and I think I'd fix this problem by switching pumpkin beers.  The pumpkin ale I got was seriously not. good: so bitter and not very pumpkiny.  Alas, we were limited by our local grocery store and also by the fact that I *small voice* don't like or drink beer.  In fact, fun (?) fact: I actually cut myself trying to open this pumpkin beer without a beer bottle opener.  Days later, it's still bandaged up.

3.  More spice.  Not a whole ton more, but these are my ideas: cayenne pepper and more nutmeg.

Fall-tastic Mac could definitely use a little spice.  I toyed with the idea of red chili pepper flakes, but KiKi says cayenne pepper is a better bet.

Until Next Time

KiKi and I will be hosting a tastetesting party this Sunday for Fall-tastic Mac version 3.0, as well as our other secret recipe.  Of course, pictures and details forthcoming!