Pink Mac n' Jerk Cheese

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This extraordinary mac n' cheese is made from Beecher's No Woman Jamaican jerk cheese, which Pei got from Seattle. The Jamaican jerk cheese has hints of allspice and chili powder and melts extremely well, making it perfect for mac n' cheese.

• 1 1/4 cups of milk
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, freshly grated
  
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pound of pasta
• 1 1/2 cups of Beecher's No Woman Jamaican jerk cheese, grated
  
• 1 cup of Ricotta cheese
• 1 15 ounce can of stewed tomato, drained
  
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan Reggiano, grated
  
• 1/4 cup of bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in boiling water until about 1 to 2 minutes shy of al dente. Heat milk and Bay leaf in a small saucepan until steaming, about 5 minutes. Set aside and allow Bay leaf to steep in the hot milk. Heat up butter over medium heat until the butter melts and foams. Add flour and whisk. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove Bay leaf from milk and add milk to the flour butter mixture. Pour slowly and whisk constantly to remove lumps. Add nutmeg, Jamaican jerk cheese and Ricotta cheese. Whisk to combine. Add canned tomato. Allow mixture to cook for 2 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Since jerk cheese is very salty, make sure that you taste the sauce before adding more salt.

Add cooked pasta to a baking dish. Poor cheese sauce over the top. Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan Reggiano cheese. Bake for 15 minutes in 400 degree oven. Broil for 2 to 5 minutes or until golden brown.

The jerk cheese complements tomato very well and adds a lot of unique flavors to an otherwise ordinary mac n' cheese recipe. The basic mac n' cheese recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Of course, my delicious dinner would not possible without Pei, who always generously shares cool and interesting food with me. Thanks, Pei!