Mac and Cheese
Dec 7, 19, 3:08 am
#31
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Since I believe that I am the forum's official food & drink pedant...
Unless you are Alain Ducasse and we are talking about your wonderfully subtle and almost broth-like coquillettes au comte, jambon de pays et truffe noire, a non-gratinated mac and cheese is a complete no-no to me, so doesn't look (nor tasted) all right to me. Without the crisp topping all you get is the heaviness and none of the cheeky texture that gives it all of its depth and contrast.
Sadly, there is no proper over in the CCR (nor I presume in GF?) so that problem is here to stay.
PS: the other problem with penne vis a vis maccheroni is that the penne are broader so it upsets the pasta to sauce ratio. The maccheroni historically used would be more narrow so you get more pasta and less of the cheese sauce. I'm sure many people will like that just like many people love absurdly overloaded pizzas or putting a full pan of sauce and half a kilo of parmesan on a bowl of pasta whilst the Italians would put a tiny dollop of sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan to ensure you never lose the taste of the pasta, but for me it's a case of overdoing it. The dish is naturally rich, and I don't need it to become sickening for that richness to be enjoyable (let alone before flying for 13 hours).
Unless you are Alain Ducasse and we are talking about your wonderfully subtle and almost broth-like coquillettes au comte, jambon de pays et truffe noire, a non-gratinated mac and cheese is a complete no-no to me, so doesn't look (nor tasted) all right to me. Without the crisp topping all you get is the heaviness and none of the cheeky texture that gives it all of its depth and contrast.
Sadly, there is no proper over in the CCR (nor I presume in GF?) so that problem is here to stay.
PS: the other problem with penne vis a vis maccheroni is that the penne are broader so it upsets the pasta to sauce ratio. The maccheroni historically used would be more narrow so you get more pasta and less of the cheese sauce. I'm sure many people will like that just like many people love absurdly overloaded pizzas or putting a full pan of sauce and half a kilo of parmesan on a bowl of pasta whilst the Italians would put a tiny dollop of sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan to ensure you never lose the taste of the pasta, but for me it's a case of overdoing it. The dish is naturally rich, and I don't need it to become sickening for that richness to be enjoyable (let alone before flying for 13 hours).
Last edited by orbitmic; Dec 7, 19 at 3:14 am
Dec 7, 19, 7:01 am
#32
Join Date: Jan 2018
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I'm making Mac n Cheese with 5 types of cheese for tea tonight - with bronze die cut Rigatoni, also I should qualify for Gold for the 1st time ever in April = +1 to the riff raff count :-)
Last edited by AleTrail; Dec 7, 19 at 7:01 am Reason: typo
Dec 7, 19, 7:19 am
#34
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All the recent talk of Mac and Cheese here on FT (both here and in the CCR menu thread) has got me craving it too. I will be soon adding to the riff raff in GF too!
Dec 7, 19, 9:47 am
#35
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Dec 7, 19, 12:22 pm
#37
Join Date: Aug 2013
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a non-gratinated mac and cheese is a complete no-no to me, so doesn't look (nor tasted) all right to me. Without the crisp topping all you get is the heaviness and none of the cheeky texture that gives it all of its depth and contrast.
Sadly, there is no proper over in the CCR (nor I presume in GF?) so that problem is here to stay.
Sadly, there is no proper over in the CCR (nor I presume in GF?) so that problem is here to stay.
Dec 7, 19, 2:12 pm
#38
Join Date: Jul 2002
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IMHO, the best airline mac and cheese is the lobster version sold in the AA Admiral's clubs. My favorite mac and cheese ever. I've tried ordering lobster mac and cheese in various seafood restaurants and never had one as good as the AA lobster mac and cheese from the MIA D15 club.
Dec 7, 19, 3:33 pm
#40
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It's the "parmesan tuile" which they put in lieu of a crust as they know they won't gratinate the thing but in my experience it doesn't really work (and if I remember correctly is not even proper parmesan but "hard Italian cheese" or is that just the one that they bring for pasta?
Dec 9, 19, 8:31 am
#41
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Took one for the team and tried it today as flying from LGW. Gosh it was revolting. Penne pasta indeed but that’s the least of your worry, the sauce was thick and floury enough to build a wall with and cheese was nowhere to be tasted.
On on the other hand whilst I’m not a buffet person, there was a very nice salt beef there which I would have much preferred to see on the ccr menu as opposed to the current beef cheek or frequent ‘pressed’ or ‘pulled’ whatever which compete to be as un-meat like in texture as possible.
On on the other hand whilst I’m not a buffet person, there was a very nice salt beef there which I would have much preferred to see on the ccr menu as opposed to the current beef cheek or frequent ‘pressed’ or ‘pulled’ whatever which compete to be as un-meat like in texture as possible.
Dec 9, 19, 8:39 am
#42
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Oh dear! Any chance of restitution? Perhaps garnishing the dish with items from the cheese board?
Back you go....
Back you go....
Dec 9, 19, 8:43 am
#43
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Just made me thankful I usually don’t do ba from Gatwick! In ccr, I know people will always fix me something in the most dire of months. Here just gave up after a 1/4 of the plate and thankfully stuck to salt beef and vanilla ice cream (though not together!)
Dec 9, 19, 12:06 pm
#44
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Dec 9, 19, 12:11 pm
#45
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Those croquettes were bizarre. Vinegary stodge in breadcrumbs.
