From the menu of . . . Brookwood Grill, 880 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell. 770-587-0102, www.brookwoodgrill.com
Q: My husband and I go to Brookwood Grill every time we're in the Roswell area. I live in Suwanee now, so it's a bit of a drive. There are so many tasty items on their menu -- salad, French onion soup, prime rib -- but every time I go there, I have to get their macaroni and cheese. It's made with a smoky Gouda cheese and is just absolutely wonderful. I would love to be able to make this at home. Do you think you could get them to share their recipe?
Gail Muglia, Suwanee
A: Comfort foods like macaroni and cheese are among the most requested recipes for “From the menu of”. And although many homestyle recipes require a long list of ingredients and baking, restaurants like Brookwood Grill have perfected simpler versions that are just as satisfying.
Matthew Fairley, managing partner for Brookwood Grill, gladly supplied the recipe for their version. The smoky Gouda is the star player here, melted into a sauce with a little extra for a browned topping. The quality of the cheese is the most important element. The restaurant makes this dish with orecchiette pasta and garnishes with a sprinkling of chopped parsley. We used plain old elbow macaroni for testing the recipe. It all works great.
Is there a restaurant recipe you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to “from themenu@gmail.com” and put "From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
Brookwood Grill’s Macaroni and Cheese
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8
The restaurant recommends making the sauce in a double boiler to prevent burning. If you don’t have a double boiler, use a heavy saucepan and keep the heat low.
8 ounces macaroni
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 ounces shredded smoked Gouda, plus 8 tablespoons shredded Gouda for topping (about 1/2 pound total)
Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Drain, return to cooking pot and keep warm.
In a double boiler, bring stock and cream to a simmer. Slowly whisk in 6 ounces Gouda and continue whisking until completely blended, about 2 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Lightly grease 4 10-ounce ramekins.
Pour sauce over macaroni in pot and stir to combine. Heat until warmed through, then pour into prepared ramekin. Sprinkle each ramekin with 2 tablespoons shredded Gouda and put ramekins under the broiler just long enough to turn the top golden brown, about 1 minute.
Per serving: 233 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 11 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 11 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 42 milligrams cholesterol, 238 milligrams sodium.
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