Recipe(tried): Falling into Autumn - Mac-n-Cheese, Grandma-style, Homemade Quick Pickles, Peas and Mushrooms, Chocolate Puffy Cake

I've been reading this board with interest after a few years hiatus, including a move down to the Lower 48 after 21 years in Alaska. It's been great to read Gladys', Gina's and other's wonderful recipes - glad you're all still cooking! Being back in the Midwest has made me really conscious of fall this year and I've been happy to move from grill to oven - though every spring I can barely wait to fire up the briquettes. I'm only cooking for two, now that we have our 3 sons launched out into the big, bad world. Here's what we cooked up tonight:

Mac-n-Cheese, Grandma-style
Homemade Quick Pickles
Peas and Mushrooms
Sliced nectarines with red grapes
Chocolate Puffy Cake

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MAC-N-CHEESE, GRANDMA-STYLE

Mom made this for years - no sauce to fuss with, just lots of delicious melted cheese and pasta:

1 1/2 lbs sharp cheddar, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni(I like to use DaVinci "twists", with extra ridges to hold on to the cheese)
3 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
Milk, 2%
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter a dark baking pan, bottom and sides, able to hold 1 1/2 qts. Place a rimmed (one inch sides) baking pan in oven to warm.

Heat water to boiling in a large pot, with 1 tsp salt; cook pasta to manufacturer's direction, until just al dente. Drain well; do not rinse. Place 1/3 of hot pasta in buttered pan. Scatter with 1/3 of cheese cubes. Scatter butter pieces over layer. Repeat layering twice more. Add milk until you can see the milk about 1/2 way up the layered pasta, then add a scant inch more. Grind pepper over top to taste. Secure aluminum foil, sprayed with oil cooking spray, over top and place pan on rimmed baking pan.

Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil, bake 15-20 minutes more until top cheese layer begins to brown. Remove from oven and let set up 10 minutes before serving.

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HOMEMADE QUICK PICKLES

The sharp flavors and crunch of these cucumber slices is a nice counterpoint to the rich textures of mac-n-cheese:

One cucumber, washed (English type is a good choice)
1/2 small onion, cut into thin strips
Granulated sugar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
White wine vinegar
Very cold water

Peel the cucumber lengthwise in alternate strips to leave some peel on, then cut crosswise into thin circles. Layer the cucumber and onion in a glass bowl. Sprinkle each layer lightly with sugar and salt, then generously with pepper. Let sit at room temperature 30-60 minutes. Then add enough vinegar to cover the bottom layer. Pour in enough cold water to leave the top layer only 1/2 covered with fluid. Place in refrigerator and chill 1 hour before serving. This salad tastes even better the next day.

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PEAS AND MUSHROOMS

A favorite way of adding some zip to plain ol' peas:

1 cup frozen petite peas
1 cup crimini (baby portabella) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Lemon zest from 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp butter

In small saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and tender, 7-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place peas and 1/2 cup water in small covered sauce pan, place over med.-high heat, and bring to a boil. Immediately turn off heat and let sit while mushrooms cook. When mushrooms are done, drain peas, then add mushrooms, with any butter left in pan, and zest. Combine gently, adding a tsp more of butter if desired, and serve in a warmed bowl.

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CHOCOLATE PUFFY CAKE

This is commonly known as a 'snacking cake', probably because you snack all night on it, and it's gone by morning. Based on a delicious quick cake by Marion Cunningham in her baking book, it's undergone a few additions over the years:

CAKE:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup water, warm

Preheat oven to 350. Get out a 9 inch square baking pan.

Combine the flour, soda, sugar, cocoa, and salt in the pan, and stir to combine well. Shake the pan to level the mixture and make 3 wells. Add the vinegar to one well, vanilla to the next, and oil to the last. Pour the water over all. Stir with a fork to mix, for about 1 1/2 minutes, scraping well into corners and from the bottom up. A few small lumps are okay.

Bake 26-30 minutes or until the middle just bounces back when touched lightly. Remove from oven, leaving oven on. Pour over the top of the cake in one layer:

1 cup miniature marshmallows

Return to oven to puff and brown the marshmallows lightly. Remove from oven and cool while mixing:

2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
[Milk - see below]

Slowly add just enough milk to make a pourable topping, not runny. Immediately pour over warm cake to cover marshmallows.(You may not use all the topping.) Let cake cool to room temperature. Cut with knife dipped in warm water between slices.

Happy snacking!