Culinary Secrets with
The Hills
Toasty Comfort Food
By Maralyn Hill and Brenda Hill

February is a month of chilly weather and what tastes better than comfort or toasty food? As a child, one of my favorite winter dishes was any type of potato soup. But the following was the best.

Featured Recipes this month:
Maralyn’s Swiss Potato Soup     
38’s "All Grown Up" Macaroni & Cheese
Menger Tortilla Soup        
Caramel Apple Cocktail          Classic Martini

Maralyn’s Swiss Potato Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup chopped onion
2 cups seasoned mashed potatoes
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
½ teas salt
Dash pepper
Crisp bacon pieces
Chopped chives

Directions:
Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and sauté until transparent.
Add potatoes, then milk, stir to blend well.
Blend in cheese, salt and pepper.
Heat very slowly to serving temperature, stirring until cheese melts (do not boil).
Garnish with bacon and chopped chives.
Serves: 3 to 5

38’s "All Grown Up" Macaroni & Cheese
Brenda and I discovered a treasure in Medford, Oregon, at 38 Main, a new contemporary restaurant with innovative approaches to standard dishes. Executive Chef Juan Murillo performed miracles and we will definitely return to experience more of his comfort creations.
This is one of its signature dishes – and it highlights 38’s motto, "The Fine Art of Casual Dining." It showcases a comfort food (whose name "Mac n' Cheese" conjures up the image of a brown box of Kraft) brought to a near ethereal level with its execution, flavors and technique.

The typical response from the first timer: A look of bemusement when they suggest a Mac n' Cheese, thoughts of Oh my, what did I get myself into here? – and, after the first bite of the dish, sudden understanding and joy expressed as he fully comprehends the fine art of 38’s casual dining!
Here’s your chance for Mac n’ Cheese with a twist.

Ingredients:
1 lb elbow macaroni
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sour cream
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, toasted
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup Fiscalini (or other artisanal Sharp) Cheddar, grated
¼cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (or other parmesan), grated
½ cup Bacon, cooked and crumbled (omit for a vegetarian option)
3 tbsp parsley
3 tbsp chives
Salt & pepper

Directions:
Cook the elbow macaroni according to package instructions, except shorten the cooking time slightly so the noodles are 'al dente', meaning slightly undercooked.
After draining the noodles, toss them with the 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, then allow the noodles to cool on a cookie sheet.
After noodles are room temperature, toss them with the sour cream and Dijon mustard. This part can be done in advance and the coated noodles kept refrigerated until ready to finish and serve.
To toast the Panko breadcrumbs, spread 1 cup on a cookie sheet and bake at 275 degrees until golden brown. This should take approximately 8-10 minutes, but check often so they don't burn.
Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. This step can be done ahead also, but be sure to store them in an airtight container in a cool place, so they don't lose their 'crispness'.
To finish the dish, heat heavy cream until hot, but not boiling.
Add grated cheddar and parmesan cheeses. Stir until cheese has melted and has incorporated into the cream.
Add the pre-cooked macaroni and the crumbled Hobb's bacon and stir to combine.
Once the noodles are heated thoroughly, stir in the chives and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour to a serving dish or to four individual bowls and garnish with a heavy sprinkling of the toasted Panko breadcrumbs.
Serves four as an entrée or six as an appetizer or a side dish.

Chef's Note: One of the reasons this "All Grown Up" Mac & Cheese is so delicious is the amazing flavors provided by the Fiscalini Cheddar (an artisanal unpasteurized sharp cheddar). Although you may substitute any other sharp cheddar in this recipe, we strongly recommend seeking out Fiscalini Cheddar.

Menger Tortilla Soup
A favorite of both of us is the tortilla soup featured at the Menger Hotel in San Antonio. This is featured on page 97 of Our Love Affairs with Food & Travel.

Ingredients:
2 ½ pounds ground beef
1 pound yellow onion, diced
¾ pound Anaheim peppers, diced
½ pound Poblano peppers, diced
2 16-ounce cans diced tomatoes
¼ pound tomato paste
1 gallon chicken stock
½ ounce ground cumin
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
½ ounce fresh garlic, chopped
¼ ounce ground black pepper
2 cups Tortilla strips (red corn tortillas)
1-2 cups white and cheddar cheese mix.

Directions:
Brown meat and drain well. Add onion and peppers and sauté.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and sauté.
Add chicken stock and seasonings.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer 1 hour.
When ready to eat, top with tortilla strips (red corn tortillas) and white and cheddar cheese mix. Serves16-20 (It freezes well).
Maralyn’s note: Sometimes I substitute a pound of green chilies (canned) for the Anaheim and Poblano peppers if I’m just using what is on hand. It is not quite as spicy with this substitution.

Now it's time to finish up or start with two of our cocktails from Brenda.
One cold winters night in New England, my son, Matt and I, were longing for a simple and hearty hot toddy.  We found the recipe, thanks to Maralyn and Norm's visit to Michigan's Mackinac Island.

Caramel Apple Cocktail
1/12 ounces butterscotch schnapps - or more
8 ounces hot apple cider (ours was fresh pressed from the farm, but apple juice can be substituted)

Whipped cream, we whipped ours by hand to keep warm.
Mix schnapps and hot cider in a mug, top with whipped cream.

For more cold night concoctions from Patrick Sincair's Irish Pub, such as Irish coffee and Hot Swiss Kiss, see page 76 of in our book Our Love Affairs with Food and Travel.

Classic Martini
Sometimes after all of the holiday's rich food and fancy drinks, I simply want to slip into a simple martini. For those of us who love martinis, it is comforting to return to the straightforward classic. My favorite bartender, Peter Burbidge, from London's Mayfair Hotel, shook this martini for my parents in 1961, then again for me in 2001 and I included in our book, Our Love Affairs with Food & Travel.

2/3 Tanqueray gin
1/3 French vermouth. (I prefer less)

Olive or twist
Shaken, not stirred
Peter's tip is to frost the large martini glass.

M. K. Fisher wrote in To Gibson and Beyond -- "A well-made martini or Gibson, correctly chilled and nicely served, has been more my true friend than any two legged creature."

To conclude, as Epicurus said, "We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.”