CQC: Take Your Seats…

Welcome, gentles… My name is Vin. I’ve been with BDR for a bit of a while now, and I’m glad to see you’re coming along for the ride… FINALLY!

Here’s my thing. I am a former professional soldier… but I will not delve into that much here. I leave my tales of derring-do and government incompetence to the forums. Which you should have already joined by now. If you have not, then I’ll wait… so go ahead and sign on.

*looks at watch*

I am also a bit of a cook as well… which I am quite passionate about, and in this column, I will offer recipes, cooking tips and tricks, and the occasional blurb about weapons and self-defense techniques.

Let’s begin, shall we?

I posted this recipe in March of last year, and it quickly became a favorite among the regulars on the boards. One thing to remember. You need not have to buy expensive cheeses to make this. Instead of Stilton, try Gorgonzola or another veined cheese. If  Camenbert does not blow your skirt up, try Brie. All of the recipes I will post are open to experimentation. I never complain or bitch because someone tried a variation and it worked for them. Cooking is not just about eating… it’s about enjoying yourself.

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I will offer recipes, cooking tips and tricks, and the occasional blurb about weapons and self-defense techniques.
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Simple Mac & Cheese

1 pound small shells pasta

For topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups panko crumbs
1 cup coarsely grated Irish Cheddar

For cheese sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2 3/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup grated Irish Cheddar
1 cup Stilton
1 cup Gruyere
1 cup Camenbert
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Crystal Hot Sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. and butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Fill a 6-quart kettle three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for macaroni.

Make topping:
Melt butter and in a bowl stir together with panko and Cheddar until combined well.

Make sauce:
In a 5-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and stir in flour and red pepper flakes. Cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes and whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes.

Stir in cream, the cheeses, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Remove pan from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper.

Cook macaroni in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain macaroni in colander. In a large bowl stir together macaroni, reserved cooking water, and sauce. Transfer mixture to baking dish.
Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and bake in middle of oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Serve, then nom…

Ok… so it’s NOT that simple. But it is worth making.

 

Now… my selection for “Close Quarters Weapon Of The Week”!

The Stoeger 12 gauge ‘Double Defense’. It’s a straightforward, rugged and reliable home defense shotgun. Ideal for use in tight quarters and tense situations, the Stoeger Double Defense with its traditional break-action and short, efficient design is easy to load and quick to deploy in an emergency.

It’s outfitted with a green, fiber-optic front sight and comes standard with two Picatinny Rail accessory mounts: one on the receiver for red-dot sights and a second factory-installed rail under the barrels for attaching targeting lasers or tactical lights.

It’s also fairly cheap. I’ve seen ones new for $280.00 at local gun emporiums.

Ok… I’m done for today. I hope you were able to take something away from my column. If not? Oh well.

Laters…