The State of Michigan

Well that was...weird.

It's been just over two years since the last time I was in Michigan, and things are...hmm...

On the drive home from the airport, my mom told me that things haven't changed all that much.  Watching the towns and countryside through the car window, I could see that her statement was both correct and not-so-correct.  Yes, there are a lot of empty storefronts both in Manistee and in Onekama--but Michigan's been in a recession for a lot longer than everyone else has been complaining about it.  It seemed more deserted than usual, though.  Even the summer-only stores are shut down.  Downtown was simply...desolate.  At the same time, though, there were a lot of new beach homes, some of them quite nice, even in my neighborhood.  Who are these people with all their money?

The town's school, the school I went to from the 1st grade all the way through graduation (all in one building, by the way), is beyond recognition.  Someone somewhere scrounged up some dough and built on a new gymnasium (complete with a fitness center that's open to the community), a "cafetorium", which seems to be a big cafeteria where they also have a huge, state-of-the-art stage, and also a ton of new, shiny, fancy classrooms.  One of my old teachers even said that the cafeteria food is pretty good.  Well hot damn.  I wonder if, if I had gone to a school like this (versus the dump the school was before), maybe life wouldn't have been so lame for a teenager growing up in rural northern Michigan......nah.

So there have been improvements to the town, too, which I definitely wasn't expecting.  And my trip itself hasn't been too bad--I spent a beautiful day swimming at the beach yesterday, and we had a pretty fun thunderstorm this afternoon.  I've even gotten used to my mom's house, the house I grew up in, which has been completely remodeled to the point where the only things I recognize from before are the kitchen cabinets (which are getting changed this winter) and the overall shape of the house (which is now yellow, instead of blue).  After this week, I began to think, "you know, maybe this place isn't so bad."  I shouldn't have gone grocery shopping.

You guys may have noticed that I have a very strange fascination with grocery stores.  I can walk up and down every aisle and be engrossed for hours.  For a very long time, I found your average Asian food section to be as entertaining as True Blood, and every time I saw an exotic fruit, I had to buy it, regardless of whether or not I knew what to do with it.  There is a reason why.  Growing up, Onekama had a grocery store that was about as big as the bottom floor of the Apocalypse House.  You basically only went there in the off chance you ran out of hot dog buns.  However, they have actually CLOSED our one and only grocery store.  CLOSED.  Are you f*ckin' kidding me?

So now you don't have a choice but to drive all the way down to Manistee to go grocery shopping.  And the grocery store there is...well...at least it's bigger than it used to be.  I promised my mom and her husband that I would make dinner tonight, but upon arriving at the store, I was at a loss.  I couldn't make my favorite mac 'n' cheese.  I couldn't make my favorite lasagne.  I couldn't even make frickin' peanut chicken, my go-to food when I don't have shit to make in the house.  So, it was time to experiment.

Have you guys had my mac 'n' cheese?  I think it's pretty bitchin'.  I'm gonna give you all the recipe, and then show the changes I made to it tonight.

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Red pepper flakes
3 cups whole milk
White truffle oil
6 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
6 oz goat cheese (the herb kind is good, but so is the plain), crumbled
4 oz Gorgonzola, crumbled
3/4 cup parmesan
1/2 cup Panko
10 oz elbow macaroni

Preheat the oven to 400.  Boil some water on a back burner.  In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in the vinegar until the vinegar cooks off, then dump the mixture in another bowl.  In that same pot, melt the butter, and then whisk in the flour for about 30 seconds.  Add all the herbs and spices to your liking (I personally like a shit-ton of red pepper flakes, but to each his own), and whisk for another 30 seconds or so.  Slowly whisk in the milk, and then let it come to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  In the meantime, start boiling that pasta, but only cook it about 6-8 minutes.  Then, add the cheeeeeeeese into the sauce, except the parm.  Stir that bitch until it is oozy and wonderful.  Add some more spices.  Then, add some truffle oil, like a boss.  Three or four tablespoons is usually pretty good, but if you happen to be eating with someone who sucks, you might use less.  Make that sauce yummy.  Taste it.  Mmm.  Add the onions, and add the pasta (drained, duh).  Pour that cheesy heaven into a big roasting pan, and sprinkle the Panko and parmesano on top.  Throw that sexy beast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until...oh ho, you know when. 

Now, tonight I decided to experiment a little with a spicier version.  All of the essentials are the same, except that instead of the rosemary, thyme, sage, and truffle oil, I used a shit-load of Cajun seasoning.  I also added some chorizo.  It was actually pretty damn nom.  I actually highly recommend it if you happen to be in a place that doesn't sell truffle oil.

Well, tomorrow I'm off to Colorado.  Wish I was heading back to the Peninsula, but, c'est la vie.

Adios.

Cayenne Spiiiiice

P.S. I served that damn fine mac 'n' cheese with some Malbec.  Not too shabby.