By Betty Fraser

If you’re like me, you sometimes find yourself dreaming about food. Was it that perfectly cooked steak you ate last week accompanied by a gorgeous Cabernet? Maybe it was farther back in time—the way that Grandma made a grilled cheese sandwich on a rainy day. Even though it was just cheese and bread, there was something special about the way she made it.

When we taste familiar flavors, we are instantly taken back to a time, place or emotion. But it’s not all about nostalgia. Cooking is also an art form that relies on the individuality of the chef to make the dish come to life. And what better way to express yourself in the kitchen—while paying homage to the past—than taking that old-timey classic and making it your own?

Comfort food has stepped out of the shadows and now stands on its own because of its versatility. New and creative twists on classic dishes make them feel fresh. While almost everyone knows and enjoys the feeling of diving into mac n’cheese with sharp cheddar, why not add melted tomatoes cooked in dark beer and throw a little crispy bacon and fresh thyme in there for good measure? Just a few unexpected additions can transform a dish completely. With its delectable, flaky crust, tender meat and warm savory filling, chicken pot pie is a family favorite. But by infusing the crust with some fresh marjoram and duck fat, adding a dash of saffron to the filling and replacing the chicken with lobster, you’ve gone from a traditional comfort treat to a culinary dream!

I am a huge proponent of experimentation in the kitchen. Not only does it allow for the individual creativity of the chef but it’s fun! And because the only limitations are your imagination, you’ll never run out of new ways to make a dish exciting and unique. That’s not to say that some things sound better in your head than they turn out on the plate. I’ve had ideas for dishes that I was confident would work only to find out quickly after the first taste that it missed the mark. On the other hand, I’ve put ingredients together that I thought might be in opposition to each other only to find out they melded perfectly. Cooking is as much about the process as it is about the result and what better way to make something your own than to take a chance?

Sometimes my staff and I like to play food games. We have one called “Add Three,” where we’ll take a dish and add three new ingredients to it. Take chicken soup for example. A classic recipe, right? But what if you add some Sambal Olek (ground chile paste), maybe some Thai basil and top it with some crispy fried wontons. Bingo! A new dish! Of course, after a long shift sometimes the additions can get a little crazy, but we’re not creating a formula for curing a disease. We’re making food! And food should be fun!

When I teach my beginning cooking classes, I use a very easy technique to encourage people to become more independent food thinkers.  I ask them to take a recipe and prepare it once as written. But the next time, change out one or two ingredients that you think will act in concert with the dish. It’s just that easy. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but was a series of additions and improvements. And by infusing your food with your own personal touch you’ll have your own food kingdom before you know it.

So the next time you pull out your faithful red and white checkered “Betty Crocker Cookbook,” browse through the pages with a sense of adventure. You can bet that Betty Crocker did.

Gorgonzola and Thyme Mac and Cheese with Melted Tomatoes and Fried Shallots
By Chef Betty Fraser; Grub Restaurant and As You Like It Catering; www.grub-la.com

For the melted tomatoes (prepare in advance):
2 cups grape tomatoes, stemmed and washed
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 table lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Kosher salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 275°F. Toss all ingredients and lay out onto jelly roll pan. Roast tomatoes for about an hour, tossing every 20 minutes. They will become very soft and create an incredibly flavorful sauce. Set aside.

For the fried shallots (prepare just before starting the mac and cheese):
3 large shallots, skin removed and sliced into 1/80-inch slices, separated
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups canola oil for frying
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
Paper Towels

In a 2½ quart sauce pan, heat canola oil to 350°F. Place sliced shallots in a bowl and sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper. Gently toss. If you do not have a candy or oil thermometer, you can test the oil by dropping one piece of shallot in, if it bubbles that means it’s ready, but make sure the flame is not too high or the shallots will burn.  Gently place the separated flour-coated shallots into the hot oil, and with tongs or a spyder, carefully fry the shallots until golden brown (usually 2–3 minutes), remove and place on paper towels to drain. Keep warm.

For the Gorgonzola and Thyme Mac and Cheese:
1½ lbs (24-ounce) orecchiette pasta
5 tablespoons salted butter, plus more to butter baking dishes
1 tablespoon Canola oil
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2½ cups heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone
3 sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed
3 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
1½ tablespoon granulated garlic
1¾ cup crumbled Sartori Gorgonzola, plus 6 tablespoons, separated
¾ cup grated Sartori Parmesan
2 cups shredded provolone
1½ cups shredded swiss
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, stemmed, washed, dried and chopped

To make the Gorgonzola and Thyme Mac and Cheese:
Preheat oven to 400°F and butter in four individual 12-ounce ramekins. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions and drain.While pasta is cooking, in a large sauté pan over medium flame, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour, stirring constantly to make a roux. This should take 1–2 minutes. Slowly add the milk and cream, whisking constantly until thick. Then whisk in the mascarpone. Add the thyme, chives, granulated garlic, salt and pepper and slowly mix in the cheeses. Mix well.

Add the cooked pasta to the cheese mixture to coat. Spoon the coated pasta mixture into the prepared baking dishes. Top each dish with 2 tablespoons of roasted tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of crumbled Gorgonzola and place onto a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes. Serves 4. - Chef Betty Fraser

Chef Betty Fraser is the co-owner of the popular Hollywood, CA restaurant Grub and the long-established “As You Like It Catering.” Know for her signature “California Comfort Food,” Betty was seen on the second season of Top Chef and is a frequent celebrity chef at Food and Wine events throughout the nation.  For more information go to www.grub-la.com.

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