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Cheese the day
You don’t have to ask me twice to “cheese the day.” There is an utterly delectable, crave-worthy, to quote Homer Simpson “auuuugh” drool-inducing quality to cheese. On its own, it can be divine, but when melted and combined with potatoes or pasta, it is the epitome of comfort food. At least I, and apparently a lot of Newfoundlanders, think so. In my latest article, I forego all pretension in favour of a simply delicious bacon mac and cheese recipe. One of the secrets is using the bacon fat to make the roux that thickens the cheese sauce. Pasta, cheese, bacon….so I don’t have to tell you that it is delicious. In Newfoundland, according to Gabby Peyton, there is an obsession with cheesy scalloped potatoes. Apparently, it's the fifth most-searched food item of 2020. Who is searching the recipe the most? It's residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. Did you guess correctly? I may just have to bake a ham and enjoy Gabby’s recipe for scalloped potatoes au gratin, a sort of hybrid between scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin, this week. Regardless of what you call it, it has potatoes and lots of cheese. Enough said.
Does bacon make it better?
When it comes to food cravings there are some simple truths. One being bacon does make it better. Or at least mostly. While I have no desire to add bacon into dessert recipes or have it on top of a donut, I love bacon in just about everything else. In my latest article, I make a bacon jam as a condiment for a cheese board or as something to place in a grilled cheese sandwich. Add it to the most amazing warm bacon and spinach salad and use it to lift a macaroni and cheese recipe from good to OMG good.
If bacon doesn’t, surely butter makes it better
Of course, like bacon, butter does make it better. Homemade butter would make it the best. According to a recent article published on Saltwire Network, chef Joshna Maharaj converted 12 litres of soon-to-expire whipping cream, leftover due to restaurant closures, as a result of COVID, into butter. Out of this necessity to use the product, came the inspiration for her for homemade butter. I am guilty of often having leftover whipping cream after a dinner party. What to do with the remainder? I had never thought of making my own butter, but Maharaj has inspired me to make my own, using local cream. What better addition to a slice of homemade bread served with my bacon mac and cheese?
See you next week when we'll offer more great food and drink recipes. Until then, keep following your foodie dreams.
~ Mark DeWolf
Mark DeWolf is a connoisseur of all things food and drink. He's a creative director with SaltWire and local fare is his specialty. Watch Mark whip up seasonal plates in his video series, In a Jiffy, and go deeper with food trends and kitchen challenges weekly.
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