Country Club Plaza Bed and Breakfast a Wee Bit Irish Today

I am not Irish, although my mom always referred to her heritage as German and "Scotch Irish".  As a child I accepted it.  As an adult, I don't quite know what she meant.  However, in deference to her "Scotch Irish" roots, and as a nod to the strong Irish heritage in Kansas City, I make an Irish themed breakfast every Saint Patrick's Day.  While the fruit course and entree vary from year to year, one standard for the last 14 years has been Irish Soda Bread.  Not too sweet, but not savory, this bread is a guest favorite.  It's Nancy's favorite too.  So a little extra goes a long way in making points. 

INGREDIENTS:
5 c. Flour
3/4 c. Sugar
2 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. Butter (chilled and cut into small pieces)
2 c. Golden Raisins
2 T. Caraway
2 c. Buttermilk
1 Egg

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two pie tins and set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Cut butter into the dry mixture until it resembles course grain.  Mix caraway seeds and raisins into the dry ingredients.

Add buttermilk and egg.  Mix well.

 

 

Divide the dough into two balls and shape into round loaves.  Place each loaf into a prepared pie pan.  Brush with egg wash and bake for one hour. (the picture below shows a doubled recipe with four loaves)

 

Remove from the oven and let cool.  Serve soda bread hot and fresh from the oven, with unsalted butter and homemade apple butter.

Mark Reichle and Nancy Miller Southmoreland on the Plaza

Country Club Plaza Bed and Breakfast Pie Contest

In the October issue of the Southmoreland newsletter we challenged our guests to submit a recipe for a pie contest and include a bit of history behind the recipe or a brief explanation of why it’s a favorite.  With many submissions to choose from it was a challenge to select a winner and alas we decided to proclaim a tie! 

The winners of the Pie Contest are

Kim Mitchell for her Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pie

and

Annie Herzig for Pear Gruyère Pie

Kim says “This is an Amish recipe that was tweaked.  When I had my Kitchen/Deli store, this was my #1 pie.  I would guess that I’ve made 1500 of them or more.  I’ve never given the recipe out when asked before, but since your place is an absolute favorite of mine and my daughters, well, here goes”. 

 

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pie

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter melted (must be butter – no substitute!)
2 eggs
¾ c. quick oats
¾ c. brown sugar
¾ c. white syrup (Karo corn syrup)
2 handfuls of semi-sweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate chips will melt and blend in the other ingredients)
¾ c. chopped walnuts – optional  I stopped using nuts because of nut allergies and my Sr. customers got them caught in their dentures……

Instructions:
Mix all together; pour into unbaked pie shell; bake 1 hr. at 300 or 40 minutes at 350.  The pie will be a little wiggly when done – it will set up as it cools.  Serve with whipped cream.  Absolutely delightful if served warm.

 Annie wrote “This recipe was inspired by a short-lived tv show called Pushing Daisies, about a pie maker who found he could raise the dead simply by touching them (even rotten fruit—hence baking perfect pies) with a touch of his finger. The show is colorful, quirky and quite fairy tale-ish, making it feel very nostalgic. Pie, too, is very nostalgic for many people, I think. Anyway, this was one of the pies Ned, the pie maker created. I knew I had to try it someday when they mentioned it on the show. Any combination of savory and sweet is right up my alley!”

 

Pear Gruyère Pie

Gruyère Pie Crust:
2 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. sugar
20 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1 in pieces
3 oz. Gruyère, grated finely
6-7 tbsp. ice water

Whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and grated gruyere in a large mixing bowl. Using a food processor, mix butter and flour/cheese mixture until the largest butter chunks are the size of large peas.

Remove flour/cheese/butter mixture from food processor return it to the large mixing bowl. Sprinkle ice water over flour in increments of one tablespoon, toss with fork after each addition. Be careful not to add too much water. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Or if you are in a rush, toss the dough in the freezer for about an hour, when it's solid yet still gives slightly under your touch, it's ready to go.

Spiced Poached Pear Pie Filling:
3 lbs. Bartlett pears
1/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. port wine
1 1/2 c. water
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp clove
1 cinnamon stick
1 egg, lightly beaten (for crust)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Add sugar, wine, water, vanilla, cinnamon stick, ginger, nutmeg and clove into a large stock pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Put an empty medium bowl into the freezer to chill. Peel and halve pears. Scoop the core and seeds out and then cut the halves in half. Once liquid mixture has come to a boil add cut pears. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the pears are tender. Using a slotted spoon remove the pear quarters from the poaching liquid and put them into the chilled bowl. Return the poaching liquid to a boil and reduce until you have about 3/4 of a cup of syrup. Add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to the syrup to thicken the syrup further. Pour the syrup into a measuring cup and chill. In the meantime, roll out crust into two circles, one a bit bigger. Place one in pie dish. Remove the pears from the chilled bowl layer them into the bottom of the pie. Pour the syrup on top of the pears. Top with the smaller crust. Seal the crusts together using a fork or your fingers. Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg, and make three parallel slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Or if you are feeling fancy pantsy, feel free to make decorative cutouts.

Put the pie in the oven, bake 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden and you can see the filling bubble up between the slits in the crust. Cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.


Both Pies were made for our Thanksgiving Pie Fest and each lady will receive a $50 Southmoreland Gift Certificate. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Mark Reichle and Nancy Miller Southmoreland on the Plaza

Kansas City Bed and Breakfast and Pie

Cherry pie is my favorite.  I love cool cream pies in the summer, enjoy a slice of pumpkin around the holidays and indulge in my sister-in-laws boysenberry pies with abandon.   But cherry is my favorite.  Each year for Thanksgiving and Christmas my mom would make two cherry pies.  In my heart, I always felt one was for me and the other was for the rest of the family to share.  I feel she told me that on more than one occasion but that opens a can of worms not intended here.  Not only were my mother’s pies delectable but the effort she put into her lattice top made them a work of art in my mind.

So, imagine my delight when, on a recent trip to Door County, Wisconsin I discovered myself in the cherry capitol of the world.  Cherry pie for dessert, a standard with the world famous fish boil at the White Gull Inn, cherry strudel, and the Blacksmith Inn’s legendary oatmeal cherry cookies.  All were delicious but the real treasure is the quarts of jarred cherries I brought home to use in the cherry pies we will make for our Pie Festival this year, a tradition at Southmoreland on the Plaza going on 13 years.  Lovingly packed and painfully lugged in my suitcase these jewels will be thickened, spiced, poured into a pastry shell and topped with the not so perfect lattice I attempt to replicate each year.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

With Thanksgiving around the corner you may want to try this guest favorite:

Cherry Pie

Ingredients:
2  9-inch Pie shells
2 cans Red tart cherries, pitted
1 ½ c Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
4 Tbs. Cornstarch
1 Tbs. Butter
1 tsp. Almond Extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Drain cherry juice into a saucepan.  In a separate bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch and add to the juice.  Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add cherries, butter and almond extract.  Place one pastry sheet on the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan.  Pour in the cherry mixture.  Cut the remaining pastry into thin strips (approximately ½ inch wide) and place on top of pie forming a lattice.  Crimp edges.  Bake for 45-55 minutes until crust is golden and filling begins to bubble.  If edges start to brown too quickly, place strips of aluminum foil around the perimeter of the pie to cover the crimped edges.

For more pie recipes order Tried and True-Southmoreland on the Plaza’s Recipe by Request.

Mark Reichle and Nancy Miller Southmoreland on the Plaza

Kansas City Bed and Breakfast Romantic Sweetheart Stories

Enjoy these tales from the winners of our “Southmoreland Sweetheart Story Contest”.  Thank you to everyone who submitted their tales of love, romance and memorable life moments in which Southmoreland on the Plaza played a part.

Vicki W. – Kansas City, MO
Two years ago this month, my youngest daughter Emily and her love Richard were in an awkward situation.  You see Emily had been diagnosed with Leukemia and I had just been laid off from the job that provided insurance for her.    Knowing they were going to be married anyway, Emily and Richard decided to get engaged and marry to provide her with the coverage for her life saving cancer treatment.   

Richard came to our home and humbly and very sweetly asked for our daughter's hand in marriage and showed us her ring.  Such a special time for us as parents.  We had to move quickly to ensure Emily was able to have the day of her dreams and get her medical insurance coverage.  It certainly was not the normal circumstance for a regular wedding, but these two were in love.

First the dress, flowers, cake....then we had to decide on the place.   Emily researched different bed and breakfast venues and found Southmoreland Inn.   We scheduled a visit with the innkeepers for that next Sunday.  When we walked in Emily instantly knew this was the place for her to share her vows with her love.  She wanted a warm, comfortable, intimate setting and private.  We discussed a sit down meal for the family to share together after the wedding ceremony.  Richard being the foodie he is, we asked him to pick the menu and he was excited!

March 20th was the wedding day and we were surprised when we woke to a blanket of beautiful white snow!   It was the most beautiful setting at Southmoreland with the snow all around.  From the moment I walked my baby girl down the aisle to the toast  at dinner, our day was so special and we know it was because of the Innkeepers and Staff at Southmoreland Inn.    We cannot thank you enough for making this day so special for our children.

Lesa W. – Peculiar, MO
The Southmoreland Inn will always be special to me because it played a part in one of the most precious days of my life.  I was a single mom with an amazing son in 2006 when we met the beautiful person who would be with us forever.  I met my husband in Seattle, Washington after a “set up” by my friend who was trying to arrange this for many years.  My son and I both loved him right away. 

We met him in 2006 (at the time he had a girlfriend – no my friend was not very good at the match-making thing at first J).  A year later, we were back in Seattle and my friend arranged another meeting.  “Why” I asked.  This time, at the end of the meal, I smiled as I told him that I thought he was a jerk because I had emailed him the year before with a standard “nice to meet you” email that went unreturned.  He laughed and loved that I called him a jerk.  In fact, when he came to visit me the first time, he wore a T-shirt that read “jerk” on the front so I would recognize him.  J  It was love from the word “jerk” on.  We dated across the miles and were planning a wedding within a month of our first emails to each other once I returned home.  We knew it was meant to be and we were excited to just do this.  J 

Once we shared with my son that we were going to be married, he was happy and asked a question that still brings tears to my eyes “Can I sit at the big table with you guys at the reception?”  What?!  Then it happened.  We devised a special secret.  My husband and I met in Las Vegas with my best friend and his sister a few months later and eloped without telling anyone – all the while planning this “big” wedding which would follow months later.  We eloped in Vegas, honeymooned in Mexico and then both went back to our individual home states.  No one was the wiser.  A few months later (in August), we celebrated a beautiful wedding day in Parkville, Missouri.  Family and friends came from all over (Alaska to Ohio to California).  At our reception, we announced that what everyone was actually gathered for was not a wedding.  It was the announcement of the formal adoption of my son by my husband – making us an official family on that day……much more than a wedding day. 

We had spent the summer formalizing the adoption so we could surprise everyone that day.  Our pastor (who was in on the deal) told the guests that our video would share some details with them that we had held as a surprise all summer – then the video of our Vegas wedding started up with Faith Hill’s “Hey Baby Let’s Go To Vegas” – lots of laughing and smiling – it was awesome!  We spent the evening as an official family with all of our extended family celebrating the adoption with us.  Then my husband and I (along with our co-conspirators: his sister and my best friend and their spouses) all snuck away to celebrate at Southmoreland Inn.  It was a nice place to relax and celebrate what we had all pulled off.  It was the most beautiful day and this Inn will always be part of it for us.  We spent the night in the carriage house and I will never forget it.  Thanks for making the day end as beautifully as it began.     ****I have attached a picture from the reception when people were watching the video of our Vegas wedding.  My son is sitting beside me as we celebrate that he has a Dad now. 

Stephanie and Brian M. – Bellevue, NEMy husband and I got married on September 11, 1999. This day was the most amazing day of my life, because I was able to marry my best freind and soul mate. Two years later, the day that marked our anniversary, was now a day that would forever be a scar on our hearts and memories.
So many people lost their loved ones, or knew someone who was touched by 9/11, that it seemed like a sin to celebrate our special day on that particular date. Although my husband and I were not touched directly by the tragedy, we had strong feelings about about what had happened. It took eight years before we felt we could celebrate our anniversary and not feel guilty about it.
So, in September 2009, we decided to travel to Kansas City and treat ourselves to an anniversary weekend that we had never indulged in before. We did our research, and everything we found seemed to point us to Southmoreland on the Plaza. We decided to book the William Rockhill Nelson room because the style symbolized my husband's Scottish herritage. The four-poster bed was draped in the most beautiful lace canopy, which made us feel as if we were ensconced in a historical dream. The brick fireplace gave the room a cozy ambience; and the original wood floors transported us to a different era.

After our afternoon arrival, we enjoyed crackers and the most delectable baked brie topped with a fruit chutney. I have yet to find a baked brie and chutney that could compare. That evening, we enjoyed a Brazillian feast at Fogo de Chao, we walked back through the plaza to the inn and were treated to warm chocolate chip cookies and hot tea before bed. Although these delicious treats were tasty and made us feel more than welcome, nothing could compare to the breakfast we were served in the morning; grilled french toast croissants, warm syrup, smoked ham, and fresh fruit, all on the outdoor deck.

Our desire to renew our anniversary and celebrate our union led us to the most amazing bed and breakfast. We have learned that although bad things happen in our lives, we still need to remember and celebrate what brings us together and makes us happy... for me, Southmoreland on the Plaza made our celebration better than we could have hoped for.

Ron and Jackie C. – Overland Park, KSWhen all the wishes in your mind, all the dreams you’ve had, and all the things you’ve ever hoped for, soared into the sky and were reflected in someone’s eyes, then you have found your destiny.  The night we came to the Southmoreland, we found our destiny.

For both of us, being married 25 plus years, and divorced, we knew we did not want to spend the rest of our lives alone.  We both had dreams about the future, and took the leap to find love with online dating.   Being very careful due to our jobs, one being a teacher and one an FBI agent, we were blessed and found each other.  After spending time to get to know each other, our first overnight date was spend at the Southmoreland.  There, our story began.

What an amazing place, and what an amazing time we had!!  Our love truly began there, Sunday, February 18th, 2007 in the William Rockhill room.  We loved the place so much that for Christmas, 2007; we celebrated by staying in the carriage house.   Memories were made there.  After that, our love for bed and breakfasts began, and so did our journey into our future. 

Since that date, we married, brought together two families who blended very well together, traveled to other bed and breakfasts and found true love.  The thought of the Southmoreland only brings smiles to our faces.  We look back and remember the lovely wine and cheese during the late afternoon, the warm and tasty chocolate chip cookies before bed, and the wonderful breakfast.  Coffee mugs were purchased and are used daily, as the fond memories of the time spent there come back.

With both of us being from Kansas City, and spending time growing up on the Plaza, what better way to start our new lives together, with the story to start at the Southmoreland, a place we can’t wait to return to.  Mark and Nancy, thank you for the memories.
With sincere appreciation,

Ashley Byrd P. – Hot Springs, AR
Our Southmoreland Sweetheart Story
In July 2009, my boyfriend Zach Pharr and I planned a trip to KC after having been apart for five weeks while we were studying abroad separately.  We had been dating since September 19, 2008, when we met, and we had already been to KC together twice and both loved the city.  That summer, we weren’t in grad school, so we decided to plan a cheap trip, staying with some friends to save money.

On July 19, 2009, we planned to hang with our friends before going to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory on the Country Club Plaza.  (We have a Cheesecake Factory tradition—we always visit there, even if it’s just for a slice of cheesecake to split.)  We went with our friends to a few places before they had to go home to meet with their landlord, which would take a few hours.  (I thought it was odd it would take so long.)  However, they planned to come back and join us later for dinner.
Our friends did meet us back on the Plaza but decided not to join us for dinner, so we went alone.  After dinner, Zach and I had planned to walk around the Plaza before it got too dark, but then he stopped me and said he had a surprise:  we were going on a carriage ride!  Zach has always planned uniquely romantic surprises for me since we started dating, and I thought this was so sweet.  As the sun was setting, we rode around the Plaza and took in the sights.

When the carriage ride was over, I thought we were going back to our friends’ as we started to drive away from the Plaza.  However, Zach said he had one more surprise around the corner:  we pulled up to Southmoreland on the Plaza!  I asked him what we were doing here, and he said that we would be staying there.  I was so excited!  But being ever practical, I asked what we were going to do without our luggage.  Surprise, surprise!  Our friends had brought it over when they left us, he said.  They were in on the surprise!  (I just didn’t know how big of a surprise it would be.)
We went inside and were told all about the charming inn and its lovely amenities.  Then we were led upstairs to the Mary Atkins suite, and I was handed the key.  I think my body realized what was happening before my mind did because I honestly didn’t pay much attention to what we were told about the highlights of our stay.  But I knew you guys treated your guests well and knew to expect something dazzling.

I put the key in the lock, turned the knob, and walked inside.  Immediately, I saw two things:  a bucket of champagne with a “Drink Me” sign and a box of chocolate-covered strawberries with an “Eat Me” sign.  My thoughts?  How nice of Southmoreland to provide this for us!  (I initially gave you guys all the credit for my surprises from Zach because I was so impressed with your B&B.)  Then I turned to the left and noticed an “Open Me” sign on a tiny door and was confused regarding what could be behind that door.  Then I realized Zach had yet another surprise for me.  (However, I think I still thought the champagne and strawberries came from you!  I didn’t recognize the champagne bucket as my own and didn’t pick up on the Alice in Wonderland connection with the signs.) 

Zach told me I should open it.  I found a “Love Me” sign atop a shadow box filled with photos and little keepsakes from our time together.  I picked up the sign and the shadow box and saw something else behind it.  After some time, I set down the shadow box and looked at the “Marry Me” sign that had been hiding behind the shadow box.  Finally, my future husband blurted out, “Please say yes!” which I did a thousand times over!

At this point, I had been treated to so many surprises on what was supposed to be a thrifty trip.  But Zach told me to pick up the sign for the last surprise, a diamond solitaire ring that shines like a snowflake, which he put on my ring finger.  After rejoicing with more squeals and hugs and kisses, we spent the rest of the night discussing how he had pulled off the proposal (with our friends’ and your help!), drinking champagne on the balcony, calling family and friends, and planning our wedding for September 19, 2009—exactly two months after his proposal and one year after we met.
We had a Wonderland-themed engagement, and we had a Wonderland-themed wedding in the library of the town where we attended school together.  On the night we met, we had immediately connected over our shared love for similar music, movies, and books, including the Victorian fairy tale by Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. So my husband had planned the absolute perfect way to propose to me—a way that embodied so many things that make us, us.  The Mary Atkins suite has a collection of teakettles, which I collect and is part of the reason why Zach chose this room.  (For Christmas that year, Zach gave me an Alice teapot, and I gave him a gift certificate for high tea at a hotel on our second trip to KC.)  On July 19, we did not look our best after gallivanting all over town in the summer heat—poor Zach had been sweating bullets!—so the following day we took our engagement photos in our room, even using the small space where the shadow box and ring were hidden!

The 19th has always been a very special day for us:  we celebrated our first Christmas together on December 19, 2008; we got our marriage license on August 19, 2009; we signed the lease for our first off-campus apartment on November 19, 2010.

What I mean by all of this is that Southmoreland on the Plaza provided perfect means in the perfect place at the perfect time for my husband and I to decide to spend the rest of our lives together.  He would have not been able to carry this off without you guys (and our friends—thanks for letting them in)!  We have now been married for over two years, and we have been through many ups and downs, highs and lows, laughter and tears since we have been together.  But every day I am thankful he asked me to be his wife because every day with him is magical and full of wonder.  Even more than our wedding day, the day Zach asked me to marry him with a sign and a shadow box at Southmoreland is the most wonderful day of my life.

Thank you for making our engagement so special and for letting us share our story.

P.S.  I really loved your chocolate pillow mints.  A wrapper from one is now pinned in our shadow box to remember that special day!

Mark Reichle and Nancy Miller Southmoreland on the Plaza

Kansas City Bed and Breakfast Recipes - Fresh Blueberries with Mango Lime Puree

As you are anticipating
an abundance of fresh
blueberries you might
find this recipe worthy
of a Sunday brunch or
dessert after dinner:


MANGO LIME PUREE

Ingredients:
16 oz mango, cut into chunks (fresh or frozen)
Zest and juice from two limes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 pint fresh blueberries

Instructions:
Combine Mango, lime juice, lime zest, cream and sugar in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour puree into champagne glasses, top with fresh blueberries and serve. Serves 6.

Puree can be made 2-3 hours ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator. When ready to serve remove from the refrigerator, blend to mix and serve. This recipe also pairs nicely with fresh blackberries or a combination of berries.

Mark Reichle and Nancy Miller Southmoreland on the Plaza

For the Love of Food - Southmoreland Test Kitchen; Lamb Chops with Lemon and Tzatziki

Well, I am a bit behind on my postings especially those related to my monthly commitment to cook the cover recipe from Bon Appetit magazine. This truth smacked me in the face a moment ago when I picked up the mail and saw the BA June issue and realized that the April blog was still fermenting. One reason for my delay, in my rationalized mind, is my anticipation of enough mint being available from my garden to fulfill this particular recipe.

Lets step back a few months and rediscover the lamb chops that were featured on the cover of the April issue. We invited three friends to help as taste testers. Kitty who is becoming a trusted fixture at the test table and Mike and Chrissy. Chrissy is an unbelievably good cook and I was a bit intimidated with her at the table. With her presence in mind, and my A-game a must, I trotted off to McGonigles Meat Market, my special occasion butcher, to ensure I was on solid footing. While slightly expensive (I was reticent to even divulge the price when I got home) the chops were beautiful. I loved the marinade in this recipe. It was a fresh herb rub with oregano, mint and shallots. After the lamb sits "en-rub" in the fridge for several hours it is topped with a lemon vinaigrette, sits for a bit longer and then is grilled quickly and served. Easy right?

We followed the recipes pairing suggestions and topped the lamb chops with tzatziki, and added horta (braised greens with honey and vinegar) and brown rice as sides. The meal was delightful. The recipe was easy to follow and even though the marinating takes a significant amount of time, prep is minimal (the most time consuming part is getting the rub on the individual chops). One word of caution is to be mindful of the fat content of the chops and ensure you have a something available should dousing be necessary.

Kudos to Chrissy for perfecting a lovely Lemon Panna Cotta with Lemon Marmalade for dessert. I am certain it was quite an effort but so worth it!!

Mark Reichle and Nancy Miller Southmoreland on the Plaza

For the Love of Food-Southmoreland Test Kitchen

After last month's successful attempt at the delicious fudgy walnut brownies found on the cover of Bon Appetit, I decided to attempt the cover recipe each month. Imagine my excitement when I saw the most recent cover and a cheesy delicious crock of mac and cheese. I love macaroni and cheese! Homemade mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food to me (the blue box -- not so much) and hearkens back to Friday nights during lent when my mom was frantic to find an acceptable meatless entree to serve the masses.

Since Nancy is not fond of cheese I decided to attempt this recipe while she was visiting with her mom and sister in Miami. Dear friends, Kitty and Kelly, agreed to serve as guinea pigs for the evening. They are always good company and I knew they would help me make an honest assessment. The recipe is not traditional mac and cheese. It is more of a hybrid between mac and cheese and the pimento cheese spread my mom used to fill a celery trough. I found the recipe actually quite easy to throw together. One interesting component of preparation is that rather than creating a cheesy roux on top of the stove you create a sauce in the food processor. hmmm

The taste was really quite good. It was tangy from both the cheese, the peppadews and the peppadew brine which is used in moderation. The three of us agreed that the crunchy topping (how can you go wrong with toasted panko, Parmesan and butter) was a delightful surprise. Unfortunately, we didn't feel that the recipe was as cheesy and we expected and overall it was a bit dry.

If you're a traditionalist then you may not want to try this especially if you only treat yourself to mac and cheese once in a while. But, I would incorporate the toasted panko-parmesan-butter topping because it does add a flavorful crunch. If you are more adventurist and like a bit of spice then you should give it a whirl.

Mark Reichle and Nancy Miller Southmoreland on the Plaza