S'MAC my lips for mac and cheese

I love macaroni and cheese. I always have. The velvety combination of two of my favorite foods, most notably the smooth and creamy CHEESE, make for a sublime dish that I can hardly resist. And while I don't snub my nose at the familiar blue box, a little orange eatery in the East Village has reserved a spot in my heart for the best mac and cheese I have ever eaten. That little eatery is S'MAC.



A few years ago I read an article in Newsday about an up-and-coming food joint devoted entirely to macaroni and cheese. Immediately, my mouth began to salivate and I knew I had to try it. I sought out this gem on East 12th Street and, lo and behold, my dairy dreams were handed to me in the center of a piping hot cast-iron skillet. The macaroni and cheese is so decadent and rich and is accented by a crunchy breadcrumb topping; a simple meal crafted to perfection.

An eclectic menu offers a variety of choices, from the standard All American, my personal favorite, made with American and Cheddar cheeses to the Mediterranean with spinach, goat cheese and olives. If your palate dares, you can also try the Cajun, made with Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses, andouille sausage, green pepper and Cajun seasonings, or the Masala, inspired by the exotic spices of India. In addition to these dishes, and a few others I didn't note, you can also create your very own signature dish.

By some miracle of the Food Gods, I was able to snap the following picture of the Buffalo Chicken I recently ordered before completely devouring every last morsel.



Whenever the skillet arrives to my table, the fork humbly housed in the table's condiment caddy is dutifully prepared, and mere seconds pass before I dive in. The crunchy exterior gives way to a creamy middle, where the macs are cooked al dente and the cheese oozes and stretches comfortably before exploding on the taste buds.

You may need a moment. It's ok.

The experience at S'MAC is not for the meek, as this teeny spot requires diners to have hawk eyes to scope out that group of pleasantly stuffed friends just about to get up from their table. For those who wish to take the magic home, Sarita's Macaroni and Cheese is only two storefronts down and deals entirely in the take out and delivery business. Depending on the degree of hunger being faced, you may satiate the pangs with either a Nosh, a Major Munch, the Mongo or the Partay! size, which could feed a small family. The macs used in these delightful concoctions are also versatile: regular, multi-grain and even gluten free.

After all is said and done, I can't stress enough how delicious the mac and cheese is here. If I were a famous chef/restauranteur/foodie/on the Food Network, I would unabashedly announce that this was my favorite place for macaroni and cheese on The Best Thing I Ever Ate - Macaroni and Cheese edition. Please, go forth and try some S'MAC!

http://www.smacnyc.com/

That's a spicy meat-a-ball!

When I was younger I dreamt of being a chef. It all goes back to spending weekends at my Grandma's, who was lucky enough to have cable before we did, where I watched countless hours of The Food Network. East Meets West, Molto Mario, the original Emeril Lagassi show The Essence of Emeril, Two Fat Ladies and countless other classics occupied my weekends. My Grandma and Mom still humor me every holiday by letting me make the antipasta, a tradition I insisted on growing up.



It makes me laugh to think that I used to make faux shopping lists and pretend to go food shopping in my parent's fridge as a kid, knowing that when I finally had my own house, my cabinets would be filled with only the best ingredients. The sad reality is that today, food shopping is just as big a chore as my mom always complained it was, and at 8:30pm, whipping up dinner is purely a method of survival. However, every so often, when the stress levels have subsided and I have a few hours to spare in the kitchen, I'm able to dabble in the hobby of my youth and cook an extra tasty dinner.



This afternoon, the cutting boards came out and I began chopping garlic and onions just the way I like before adding them to a pot of sizzling olive oil. After adding crushed tomatoes and seasonings, my sauce boiled away its frustration while I made some meatballs. My Grandma, hands down, makes the best meatballs I have ever eaten. Meatballs were always a cause of consternation for my Mom, who is never fully satisfied with her makings. I think the key to my Grams delicious meatballs, is that she uses the trifecta of ground meat - beef, pork and veal - and in addition to Italian breadcrumbs, she mixes in stale bread, which she mashes with water. The taste and textures are just right, every time. Today, my meatballs were made in the standard style of ground beef, egg, grated cheese, breadcrumbs and seasonings, which after browning in a pan, were tossed into the sauce to simmer.

A few hours later, when the penne was al dente, I tossed the macaroni and sauce together and enjoyed a satisfying Sunday dinner. Mangia!