Macaroni and Cheese with LOBSTER!

What will they think of next? Mac and cheese- good, lobster- good! I wonder how they taste together? Does the cheese overpower the lobster? I am more than willing to try out this combo.

Macaroni and cheese with lobster*
(serves 2-3)

1 live lobster of ca. 1.5 kg (or 2 lobster tails)**
40 g emmental cheese (grated)
40 g gruyère (grated)
40 g parmesan (grated)
400 g macaroni or other tubular pasta
1 tbsp chopped chives (plus more for decorating)

For the béchamel:
30 g butter
1 small onion (finely chopped)
60 g flour
220 ml milk (warmed)

Cook the lobster (or tails) in boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain and shell. Keep the flesh warm.
Cook the pasta to package instructions.
Prepare the bechamel: melt the butter, fry the onions in it until soft, but not browning. Stir in the flour, then take off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk, making sure to avoid any lumps from forming. Put back on the stove and gently reheat and let thicken - constantly stirring as you go. Season to taste.
To assemble, stir the bechamel into the pasta, then add the cheese and chives.
Arrange on plates, cut the lobster in slices or bite-size chunks, place on top of the maccaroni, then decorate with chives. Serve with a salad on the side, if you wish.

Thanks to The Passionate Cook for the pic and recipe.

Fresh Pasta with Basil, Tomatoes and Burrata

How beautiful does this look? YUM! I LOOOOOOOOVE fresh mozzarella- but that's not exactly what this is. It's a special cheese named burrata. It's made my stuffing fresh mozzarella with cream. How genius is that?

Thanks to Misadventures In Italy for the pic and info.

Bacon Wrapped Cherry Tomatoes

So simple and beautiful. My mouth is watering just thinking about eating one of these. I have a new found obsession with cooked tomatoes- not tomato sauce but nice, warm tomatoes that hold their shape. Everything tastes better with bacon. EVERYTHING.

Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 pack cherry tomatoes (12 oz)
1 pack bacon (12 oz)
Toothpicks (soak the toothpicks in water for a few hours)
Nanami Togarashi (Japanese assorted chili pepper)

Cut the bacon strip into half-length. Put the cherry tomato towards the end of the bacon strip and wrap tight. Hold the cherry tomato with a toothpick, set aside. Sprinkle some Nanami Togarashi onto the bacon.

Heat up an indoor grill and grill until the bacon turns brown and crisp. For an outdoor grill, use low heat. Serve immediately.

Thanx to this blog for the pic & recipe.