Taleggio and Corn Macaroni and Cheese

Plus a raspberry-basil spritz to honour summer's end

So the good news is, I’m still not an alcoholic.

A few weeks ago, I told you about a 13-day antibiotic regimen that kept me miserably booze-free (the story is linked below should you care to revisit my pain.) As a 2.0 to that treatment, I underwent my first colonoscopy last week. Baby is alllll grown up now.

Preparation for this procedure is a 48-hour journey. Day One is eating soft, colourless, easy-to-digest foods. Day Two involves only clear liquids, no solids. I suggested to my doctor that this would mean only light, unoaked whites; no tannic reds. They were not amused. (You would think people who look up strangers’ bums for a living would have a decent sense of humour. Apparently not.)

All jokes aside, there was no booze during the two days of prep, and because I was sedated for my procedure there was no booze allowed the day of my bum spelunking. Not even a celebratory glass of bubbly for crossing the finish line. If I ran that clinic things would be different, I tell you. Perhaps a splash of vodka added to the post-sedation orange juice and cookie they give to the excavated masses.

People warned me for the worst.

A friend, who has undergone four colonoscopies very ominously texted the instructions: “buy baby wipes and Penaten cream. Wear elastic waistband pants.” Even the pharmacist, when I was picking up my tool kit, smirked and said, “you’re in for a rough night.”

These warnings did nothing to calm my nerves. But ultimately, it really wasn’t all that bad.

Of course, the worst part is drinking that stuff that allows the flood gates to open. I had to down eight, 450ml glasses with 10 minutes between each glass. Then I was to take a two-hour break and follow up with another round of eight glasses.

After about glass three, it got tedious (and mildly nauseating) to choke down the viscous liquid, but I would argue drink eight glasses of anything in quick succession – iced tea, water – and to my deep embarrassment and shame, even wine would be equally difficult.

As a former journalist, I am a rule abider who responds very well to assignments and deadlines. So my results were actually pretty fantastic. As mentioned, I was instructed to eat only easy-to-digest foods the day before: purees, mashed potatoes, pasta – but no berries, nuts, legumes or dark, leafy green vegetables. Ironically fibre is not our friend with these experiences. Before bed, I was to take 10mg of Ducolax. That worked as one would expect.

Stock in the making for my liquid diet.

The next day, now on a clear liquid diet, which I kept to water and homemade chicken stock, I took another 10mg of Ducolax, as the opening act to the headliner which would start in the late afternoon. But because I did as the bum experts advised, my experience was not as explosive as many warned it would be.

I also had the best sleep I can remember and woke up in the morning able to see my hip bones! Not in a starving, malnourished, 90’s heroin-chic way, but the Michelin man layers of bloat, that honestly, I’ve had for so long I didn’t even know I was bloated, were gone. In short, I felt fabulous.

After I came home – with a clean bill of health, at least for the serious stuff – and instructions to return in 10 years, I was cleared to eat anything I wanted. But, I felt that was a bit like getting off a detox in some medi-spa in Switzerland and heading straight to McDonald’s.

Instead, I decided to back out the way I came in, returning to soft foods to warm up my empty system. Thus, I came up with the below mac and cheese recipe. I’m sharing it with you, and should you try it, I’d like you to think of me and my colonoscopy when you eat it.

Quick Q: do you enjoy these little essays of my life? Or are you more of a “just the facts, ma’am” reader only here for the recipe, wine and cocktails? I always want to make sure I’m delivering the best value to you, so I’d be grateful if you let me know what you want from Quaintrelle.

Raspberry + Basil Spritz

Now that that whole sordid colonoscopy business is behind me, I have been given the green light to drink with gusto. I have a lot of time to make up for, so it’s with a specific dedication I’m approaching this mission.

Southern Ontario typically experiences luxuriously warm and sunny Septembers, that often last until mid-October. Local raspberries are still in season, and, of course, basil is plentiful, too. (Later today I’ve got an appointment with my pestle and mortar to whip up a few thousand kilos of pesto.)

Because these light and bright days keep most of us in the mood for refreshing cocktails, utilizing the berries and herbs in a fruity, snappy spritz is a magnificent way to toast warm summer/autumn cocktail hours.

However, if you don’t have basil, mint would be a lovely swap.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup/50g fresh raspberries

• 4-5 big, healthy basil leaves (alternatively a handful of fresh mint)

• ½ oz white vermouth

• 2 oz raspberry liqueur

• 4 oz dry Prosecco, for topping

How to Make It:

1. In an empty shaker muddle the raspberries with the basil leaves until juicy and fragrant.

2. Add ice to the shaker, pour in vermouth and liqueur and shake well to chill.

3. Strain into an ice-filled wine glass, gently top with bubbly (sparkling wine really fizzes when it hits ice), garnish with a basil plume, and serve.

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Taleggio and Corn Mac & Cheese

Macaroni and cheese doesn’t seem like something gastroenterologists would endorse as a gut-supporting meal, but who am I to argue with science?

There are as many ways to make mac and cheese as there are to skin a cat. Here in Ontario, we’re experiencing a fall that’s nearly warmer than summer was, and much to my delight, the corn harvest is still going strong. With farm-fresh cobs lying in wait on my counter, and having just about exhausted all the soup, salad, and pasta options, I was looking for creative ways to use up the bounty.

I came upon a Nancy Silverton recipe for corn and Calabrian pepper grilled cheese. I took that idea and instead of a sandwich turned it into pasta.

I find the cooked pasta and the warm sauce don’t need further baking, just a simple flash under the broiler for 5 minutes until the top is toasty and the sauce is bubbling, is all you need. (But if you don’t feel right skipping the baking, 5 or 10 minutes in a 400°F oven will do it.)

Pair this with a slightly off-dry German Riesling. The fruit in the wine works beautifully with the salty cheese (just like adding fruits to cheeseboards). The Riesling’s bright acid mops up the richness of the cheese sauce, while the slight sweetness in the wine calms the mild heat of the peppers.

Makes: 1.5 QT casserole
Chef level: moderate

Ingredients:

• 2 cups/250g pasta

• 2 cups corn kernels (about 2 cobs)

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 2 cloves/1 Tbsp garlic, minced

• 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

• 2 Tbsp jarred Calabrian chilis in oil

• 1 cup whole milk

• ½ cup buttermilk

• Salt & pepper, to taste

• 1¼ cup/75g English cheddar, grated

• 1¼ cup/62 g provolone, grated

• 52g Taleggio, torn into marble-sized pieces

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup panko or bread crumbs

How to Make It:

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt and pour in pasta, cooking for 1 minute less than package directions

2. In the last minute of cooking, add corn kernels to the pasta. Drain and set aside.

3. Butter a 1.5 qt casserole dish

4. In a sauce pot, melt the butter over med-low heat.

5. Add the garlic and gently cook until fragrant, about 1 minute

6. Add the flour and whisk until, smooth, slightly pale gold in colour and faintly nutty in smell.

7. Add the Calabrian peppers and stir through.

8. Add both milks whisking until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon – a few minutes.

9. Begin adding handfuls of cheddar and provolone, stirring until incorporated before adding the next handful. Do this until both cheeses are melted into the sauce.

10. Pour the pasta and corn into the casserole. Dot with pieces of Taleggio, evenly distributed through the pasta. Pour in the cheese sauce. Stir well to incorporate.

11. Warm olive oil in a pan and add panko. Toast until brown. Pour toasted bread crumbs over the top of the mac and cheese.

12. Place under a broiler set to 500°F and cook for about 5 minutes until bubbly.

Taleggio & Corn Mac & Cheese

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The Thanksgiving Countdown is ON

I saw an article in House & Garden on Monday with the headline, “Why you should start planning Christmas now and what to do first.”

I gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up and shared it on my stories.

Canada’s Thanksgiving is just a little over four weeks away. As I’ve mentioned before, my sister and I, who co-host the holiday dinner, nailed down our Thanksgiving menu last August.

On August 29th, I sent a group text to friends announcing the date of my annual Christmas Tree Trimming on the first Saturday in December.

I would rather you not roll your eyes at me.

Yes, I am fully aware it is officially summer for another four days. Yes, I am fully aware Thanksgiving is next month, and Christmas is three months away. I am also fully aware of the panicked line ups I see snaking around wine stores each holiday and the empty shelves in grocery stores, as if locusts had swarmed through grabbing every can of cranberry sauce known to man.

Don’t be these stressed out hosts, staring in stunned disbelief at an empty bin that once overflowed with bountiful squash.

Get your perishables now, or at least on your next grocery trip: canned cranberry sauce, pumpkin filling, frozen pastry, candles, breadcrumbs… whatever you need to complete your menu that can last for a month (or two if you are in the US).

This is Tip One. I will be back next Wednesday with more Thanksgiving ideas for pulling off a holiday dinner with grace and dignity.

No more tears.

xo- Erin

Thank you for reading Quaintrelle.

This newsletter is written by me, Erin Henderson, journalist-turned-sommelier-turned-entrepreneur. I literally drink and throw parties for a living, and every Wednesday, I share my best tips and tricks to easy, elegant entertaining.

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