The Hit List - The recipe - The Tarot Lady

“Mom, how do you make your mac and cheese?”

My daughter has asked me that a million times. The truth is, I don’t have a recipe. I make it just the way my mother taught me: cooked pasta goes into a buttered dish, toss in more butter, a bit of flour, salt, pepper, and stir until the butter is melted. Pour milk in but not enough to cover the pasta completely. Top with sharp cheddar, throw in a 375º oven, and cook until the milk is absorbed, cheese is bubbling, and getting brown on top.

That’s it.

I have many recipes like this one. Non-recipes that are in my head, learned from god only knows where but mostly from my mother. Most home cooks have a few recipes up their sleeves. Sometimes we share them. Mostly we don’t because we’re more than happy to cook them for our loved ones.

Another request I get is for my “famous” stuffed pasta shells. This recipe I got from a woman named Shirley, a coworker from back in the day who brought it into the office. Hers was good – but I tinkered with it because I didn’t like some of her additions (ex: she put cottage cheese in there). I’ve never written it down because my recipe goes by taste and I don’t measure anything. But here it is (you might need to tinker with it because these measurements are only a guess).

Pasta Shells

Cook 1/2 package of pasta shells according to directions (my favorite brand is Creamettes).

Melt about two tablespoons of butter in a large pan. Add 1/2 c. chopped onion, 1/3 c. chopped celery, 2 minced garlic cloves, and cook until soft. Add 1 1/2 lb. ground sirloin. Cook until browned. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs, 1/3 c. sherry, 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, 1/2 c. Mozzarella cheese, salt, and pepper to taste.

Pour some marinara sauce (homemade is best but I also like Glorioso’s, a local Italian grocer’s version) into the bottom of a large baking dish. Fill the shells with meat mixture and arrange on top of the marinara. Once you’ve filled all the shells, pour the rest of the tomato sauce on top. Add more mozzarella or parmesan.

Shove this into a preheated 350º oven. Cook until it looks nice ’n bubbly, about 40 minutes or so.

Bada bing!

That’s what we’re having this weekend. I hope you’ll try it too.

Bon appetit!

(Psst…my recipe for liver pate goes with me to the grave. Don’t bother asking. And yes, it is the best.)

Join me and Adrianne Hawthorne on Sunday, May 8th for a book signing as we celebrate the release of our joint project: Create Your Own Tarot Cards!

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