please to yease

      I know. I'm sorry. In my defense, I'm still learning to balance/stick to the routine, ANY routine, that is post-grad life. I'll be crazy busy for periods of time, then when I'm NOT busy, the last thing I want to do is be on a computer (unless it entails watching Glee or YouTubing confused boxer puppies).

      However, after yet ANOTHER bout of the cold (Kids: our worst enemy. Cute and unassuming on the outside, but supercarriers of all sorts of ailments on the inside), I've decided that today's the day that I start being proactive about things. This means sticking to my jump-roping-while-listening-to-side-2-of-The-Best-Of-Sam-Cooke-on-vinyl routine, eating my fruits and veggies, getting a decent amount of sleep, figuring out an efficient, albeit relatively stress-free routine for getting ready for work, and KEEPING UP WITH THIS FOOD BLOG. I promised food, and I haven't been delivering as much as I should be. Because Lord knows I've been cookin'. And the recipes will come, mind you. I've decided that I will update on the weekends. Perhaps Friday night, perhaps Saturday night. Regardless, I am promising myself, and my reader(s? Are there more than one of you?), a recipe each week.

      We shall begin with this night's endeavor. I learned about mac and yease earlier in the summer, and had experienced the Manna That Is Otherwise Known As Hillside Quickies' Mac and Yease, but I was a little hesitant to try it. Vegetarian, culinarily (did I just make up a word?) creative friends had spoken about trying multiple recipes to get the right "taste". But when it comes to simple, unadulterated mac and cheese, is there truly a "right" taste? I mean, Country Crock tastes different from Kraft, which tastes different from Annie's. Regardless, they're all pretty scrumptious. With this all-inclusive attitude, I decided to try basic mac and yease. No crazy seasonings, no questionable sauteed vegetables, just nutritional yeast, water, flour, and a little bit of spice. The result? NOM. Nomalicious, even. Nomtastic. Let me warn you: it's not going to taste like mac and cheese as you know it. Doesn't mean it won't be delicious. It's a good, creamy, mildly cheesy sauce. Next time, I think I'm going to try soy milk instead of water, and maybe add in some chopped, sauteed yellow onion. I'll keep you posted. Until then, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this recipe.

First Timer's Mac and Yease, adapted from Rootielicious
      Prep time: 5 min, max
      Cook time: 15 min
      Total time: Do yer g*ddamn math.
      Serves: 2 very hungry roommates.

• Ingredients:
  
  
  • huge f*ckin' package of penne, macaroni, what have you. you'll still have leftover sauce, and then some.
    
  • 1/2 cup margarine
    
  • 1/2 cup flour
    
  • 1 cup nutritional yeast
    
  • 3 1/2 cups boiling water
    
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    
  • 1 pinch turmeric root
    
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
    
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
    
  
  
• Directions:
  
  
  1. Boil 4 quarts of water in a pot, then add pasta. I also add in a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil for taste and to make sure it doesn't congeal once it's cooling.
     
  2. Set the timer for the pasta and get started on the sauce. You'll begin by melting the margarine, then whisking in the flour until smooth and bubbly.
     
  3. Whisk in the boiling water. Add the salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper, soy sauce and mustard. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
     
  4. Add the nutritional yeast. Whisk until smooth. Your pasta should be ready to go by this point, so drain and let cool for a few minutes while you let the sauce simmer (read: low heat. No more bubbles.).
     
  5. Transfer pasta back to original pot, pour sauce over pasta, mix and NOM.