March 03--Macaroni and cheese cravings can do one of two things to you: Push you out into the cold searching for a restaurant with killer mac (check our Mac-A-Day photo gallery for ideas) or send you into a warm and, ideally, cozy kitchen to whip up a batch yourself. Here are seven cookbooks -- some brand new, some released in recent years -- to help you, even if your idea of do-it-yourself mac and cheese is opening a box and getting a little creative with whatever is on hand in your refrigerator or pantry.
"Mac Cheese"
By Ellen Brown
Running Press, $20
Most of the 80 recipes in this 2012 book are adaptations of dishes from restaurants and pubs across the United States including such Chicago spots as The Boundary, Rockit Bar Grill, Lady Gregory's and Wilde Bar Restaurant. The focus is fitting as Brown credits New American chefs for changing the public perception of mac and cheese for the better. Look for an array of mac dishes, from party nibbles to desserts. This lobster lover appreciates the pages devoted to mac made with that luxe ingredient.
"Mac 'n' Cheese"
By Laura Washburn
Ryland Peters Small, $16.95
Washburn's 28 recipes offer thoughtful flavor combos whether the dish contains meat, fish or vegetables. But I found the latter category particularly useful, not just for feeding vegetarian friends but as encouragement for me to enjoy more vegetables, whether its mac and cheese with roasted asparagus and pecorino, or chard and Gruyere, or aubergine (eggplant) Parmigiana. This 2013 book is notable also for its striking, almost 3-D photography.
"The Mac + Cheese Cookbook"
By Allison Arevalo and Erin Wade
Ten Speed Press, $16.98
This 2013 book features 50 recipes from Homeroom, the schoolhouse-themed macaroni and cheese restaurant in Oakland, Calif., owned by co-authors Allison Arevalo and Erin Wade. Among the more unusual dishes: Trailer Mac, garnished with hot dogs and potato chips, and the Vegan Mac in which nutritional yeast lends a nutty, cheesy flavor. Each recipe is a clearly written lesson plan and the authors can display a (delightful) touch of the schoolmarm when necessary. My favorite line: "When we told you to whisk constantly when you add the milk to the butter-flour mixture -- we meant it!"
"Mac Cheese, Please!"
By Laura Werlin
Andrews McMeel, $16.99
"Macaroni and cheese shouldn't be complicated," writes Laura Werlin in this 2012 cookbook. "It should be fun, and the work you go through to make it should be amply rewarded with the flavor combinations that result." This book is fun indeed, with an array of 50 recipes presented in clear, encouraging language. Werlin begins with a classic, wisely offered in both oven-cooked and stovetop variations, and then branches out into various combos, including a party-size "Mad Men" version featuring green olives, Velveeta, saltines and gin.
"Mac n' Cheese to the Rescue"
By Kristen Kuchar
Ulysses Press, $12.95
Boxed macaroni and cheese may be scorned by some, but these products remain a fact of everyday culinary life (and often a beloved childhood memory) for millions of families. This 2013 book offers 101 recipes to "spice up everyone's favorite boxed comfort food." Calling for either deluxe or regular boxed macaroni and cheese (leftover mac is featured, too), Kuchar offers a wide variety of dishes, from breakfast items to soups to sandwiches to main dishes and snacks.
"Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese"
By Stephanie Stiavetti and Garrett McCord
Little, Brown and Company, $30
"Macaroni" and "cheese" are just two words. But in more than 75 creative, globe-girdling recipes, Stiavetti and McCord show all the delicious possibilities, including chocolate pasta with bucherondin goat cheese, Szechuan-style udon with Piave cheese, and a whole pumpkin stuffed with macaroni, fontina and Italian sausage. The authors deserve credit for the cred they give the cheese in their 2013 work. Each recipe calls for a specific type, usually one from an artisan maker. Don't worry if you can't find that particular cheese, Stiavetti and McCord thoughtfully offer alternatives.
"Grilled Cheese Kitchen"
By Heidi Gibson with Nate Pollak
Chronicle Books, $19.95
This just-published book is ostensibly about grilled cheese but the authors, owners of San Francisco's The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, do venture into recipes for other dishes such as mac and cheese. As with their sandwiches, Gibson and Pollak play with flavors, offering 10 recipes ranging from Basic Mac 'n' Cheese to Asiago, Prosciutto and Sage Mac to BBQ Chicken Mac.
wdaley@tribpub.com
