Roadfood.com

Most of us who use the internet fairly frequently have managed to get ourselves onto emailing lists. While some of these lists may be of little value, making us wonder What was I thinking?, others are consistently good, if not great.

One of my favorite emailing lists comes from www.roadfood.com. Run by an active group of team members, it "was conceived in 2000 as a website devoted to finding the most memorable local eateries along the highways and back roads of America," according to the site. While Jane and Michael Stern drive around the country "looking for good food," they post on Roadfood, they have also collaborated on over forty books dealing with good food. (I want their job!) They are backed by what seems like a great bunch of people.

So, without further chit-chat, here are a few recipes that were in several of their emails several years back. You can go to www.roadfood.com to look up these recipes and many more. And please sign up for their emails. They're definitely worth the time to read them.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

"The South is not unique in its love for macaroni and cheese, one of the true all-American comfort foods. At the Blue Willow Inn, it is one of the few items served every day, every meal," according to the email.

Recipe Source: Blue Willow Inn

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package macaroni noodles

1 teaspoon vegetable shortening

1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 cup Cheese Whiz

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to package instructions, adding shortening to water. Do not overcook. Drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine macaroni with all other ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup of the cheddar cheese.

Bake uncovered in ungreased 9x12-inch casserole for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with reserved cheese.

Return to oven only long enough for the cheese to melt.

POTATO AND ONION SOUP

"Cooking potatoes in beef stock gives the starchy vegetable a savor that all carnivores will appreciate. A sprinkle of Parmesan on each serving adds just the right zip."

Recipe Source: Harry Caray's

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups peeled and sliced Spanish onions

3-1/2 cups homemade beef stock or equivalent amount of canned, low salt beef broth

3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan and add the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until they become clear and turn a light brown. Set aside.

In a large stock pot, bring the beef stock to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the diced potatoes. Simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are soft.

Add the onions to the stock pot and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Salt and pepper the soup to taste.

Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese on top and serve.

BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

According to their email, "At Thanksgiving, when we found that our beloved Wave Hill Bakery in Wilton, Connecticut, had day-old loaves available, we reached back into the archives for an oh-so-yummy recipe for bread and butter pudding, published in our first cookbook, "Square Meals." We found it in a 1930s cookbook in which the author felt that the answer to good health was to eat maximum amounts of butter and sugar! If you are looking for the ultimate comfort food, diet be damned, here's the recipe:"

10 slices day-old white bread

8-12 tablespoons butter

4 eggs

2 egg yolks

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

Heavily butter the inside of a 2-quart baking dish. Butter each slice of bread. Arrange bread in several layers, butter side up, across the bottom of the pan, cutting slices to fill any large gaps.

Beat together the eggs, yolks, sugar, and salt. Scald the milk and cream together and add this to the egg mixture very, very slowly, stirring constantly. Add vanilla. Pour this over the bread in the baking dish and let the dish sit 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Set the baking dish in a large pan in about 1 inch of hot water. Bake 1 to 1-1/2 hours until set.

Sift confectioners' sugar atop the pudding and put it under a hot broiler for a few minutes to glaze. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.

Serve tepid.

6 - 8 servings.

Note: This is me again (Robin, your friendly blogger). Please check out www.roadfood.com for these and other yummy recipes, as well as little snippets about where the recipes are from. Enjoy!