It's Turkey Time

Thanksgiving is fast approaching. It is probably my favorite eating event of the year. Turkey, potatoes, and stuffing as the basics. Then there are all of the different sides. It's really interesting having experienced Thanksgiving at various people's houses over the years and seeing the variety of sides that are served. One of my favorites, and one that I do often, not just at Thanksgiving is Baked Macaroni.

This is not a heart healthy dish. I do have some of them lying around. I remember having this on thanksgiving at a friend's house, and it was the best thing in the world. As I got older, I asked his mom for the recipe, and it really is just an amazing and simple thing to make.

1 pound of pasta cooked (bucatini rigati-if you can find it, otherwise penne or rigatoni works great)
8 oz velveeta (is it cheese? who knows, but it's good in this dish)
1 stick of butter
Grated cheese blend (Mexican blend, cheddar, whatever you like)

Cook the pasta. In a sauce pot, add cubed velveeta and butter and stir on medium low. This probably takes about 10 minutes, but it will eventually get to the consistency of nacho cheese. Throw pasta into a pyrex or corningware. Put sauce in and toss to blend. Layer with the shredded cheese and cook in the oven at 375 until the cheese starts to burn a bit. I like the edges to get crispy.

This is absolutely one of my favorite sides with thanksgiving. What are some of your favorites?

Coffee

I love Coffee. I love Espresso, straight up, I love Cuban coffee, I love Italian Espresso (Cinque Terre--Vernazza had the best), Lattes, Iced Coffee, regular drip coffee. You name it, I will drink it.

When we lived in Albany, I bought an espresso machine, a little cheap 200 dollar one, and a bean grinder. I was able to put out some good espresso and drinks. Once kids came along the daily 15 minute ritual turned into coming into the kitchen of a preprogrammed pot of drip coffee.

I am a New Orleans guy, and Community Coffee with Chicory is my coffee of choice. It's expensive here in Atlanta. In Albany I found a couple of local roasters and would grind those beans myself. They were really good.

So a couple of tips for the best coffee you can have.

A good grinder. My grinder was about a 160 bucks and it really doesn't do the job that is required to make all types of coffee. For drip it is fine, but it cannot grind the bean sufficiently fine enough for espresso. A good grinder will cost between 350-500 bucks, but if you are serious about coffee, that is your most important piece of equipment.

Fresh Beans. You want the freshest beans you can get. Local is even better. The quality of the bean makes all the difference in the world. Running to Wally World or Target and buying Starbucks (gross) that has been sitting there for 3 months isn't the way to go.

Equipment---For an espresso machine, you can get a quality machine for about 500 bucks. I was eyeing one up at one point that cost 1,100 but it never happened. But if you have a good grinder and good beans, you can pull a very good shot with a 200 machine. For drip coffee, I've owned a bunch and can't tell the difference. For cold drip, this system is a must. It takes the acidity out of the coffee and provides a smooth refreshing taste.

So what is your favorite coffee? And please don't let it be Folgers.