Cooking my Way to Prep | Mac & Cheese, and Pork with a twist!

Happy day-after-Australia Day! 
Was your Australia Day as lovely as mine was? I spent the afternoon in the park with some old friends of mine. For the past three years or so, we have made it a tradition to spend Australia Day together. It is great to know that no matter how long we may go without talking to each other, or if we saw each other last week, that we can count on this tradition. I actually spent so much time enjoying myself that I forgot to take photos of my outfit! Don't worry, at the end of this week I will have my FIRST outfit post for you all, so be sure to be on the lookout for that. 

Today however, I bring you the first of my cooking-related posts. For the Christmas just gone by, my best friend Miriam, bought me The Preppy Cookbook. Miriam is one of the most wonderful people I have ever known, because while she may not be into the preppy life/style, she totally supports me, and even encourages, my preppiness. Greatest friend ever, right?! As soon as the craziness of Christmas and New Years was over, I finally sat down and read the coobook cover to cover. I have really been enjoying cookbooks this past year, and my collection has already grown more than I expected. Reading the cookbook was super interesting for me, and I knew at once that there were a few recipes I wanted to try out.

For my first endeavour into what is, presumably, the preppy cooking repertoire, Miriam, the twin, and I decided to start somewhat easy with the classic Mac and Cheese, and Pork with Peaches and Mustard. Totally a balanced meal, right?

First, the issue with using an American recipe for Mac and Cheese is trying to find the same cheese they use. Obviously, in Australia, we do not have what is called ‘American Cheese’. So we went with a Jack Cheddar, Blue Cheese, and Havarti. We also added a small handful of grated tasty cheese to kind of mellow the sharpness of the blue cheese. 

Second, I made béchamel sauce without burning it! Result! According to the cookbook’s author, a béchamel sauce is always a handy skill to have for the Preppy host –and just adult life in general- so I felt really proud of myself for that one.

In the end, the mac and cheese was delicious, and not like any that I have had before. I think next time, however, I might leave out the blue cheese. The pork was also a surprise! Who would have thought that peach, mustard and pork would be a good combination? We certainly didn’t think so! Served with a peach iced tea and lemonade concoction (Miriam had to drive home), we had a very lovely meal.

Lesson learned: Just like with fashion, the prep loves anything classic, and this includes the food. How can you ever go wrong with good ol’ Mac and Cheese? Also, peaches and seeded mustard would probably work well in a salad for a Summer picnic.