I’ve never been too crazy over Boston Cream Pies, but when I had a sample at Costco recently I’ve been craving for more ever since. It’s always hard to justify buying a whole cake or pie from Costco because it’s just way too much for a two person household. As much as I love dessert, I also like me some variety. I can’t eat the same dessert every day of the week. This past Saturday our friends had a gathering at their house and I volunteered to bring dessert. It was perfect timing to attempt my first Boston Cream Pie and fulfill my craving. Everybody knows when I get a craving for something that I have to have it! Coincidentally I had almost everything I needed in my pantry and refrigerator to make my version of a Boston Cream Pie. All the baking snobs can frown down upon me for using cake mix out of a box, instant vanilla pudding and store bought chocolate frosting, but with a little tweaking to the recipe and ingredients my Boston Cream Pie turned out beautiful and delicious! It was a hit and I came home with an empty cake platter. I feel a baking-bug coming on now…
When I was growing up my mom made this and called it macaroni and cheese. For the longest time I believed that it was. I finally had the real macaroni and cheese in my later years of grade school. I didn’t like the real thing because I thought it tasted funny since it tasted different from my mom’s. Then I learned the truth and my mom’s mac and cheese was really mac and “ketchup”. Yup, you read it right. My mom never used cheese at all! The cheese-like color was actually ketchup. As I grew older I had to learn to erase what I grew up thinking was mac and cheese with the real thing. From time to time I would crave my mom’s mac and ketchup, just like a few nights ago. It’s really quick an easy to make. Just boil some elbow pasta and while that’s cooking get some ground pork meat and sprinkle with some minced garlic and fish sauce. Yup, I said fish sauce! We’re Asians of course my mom would add some fish sauce, haha. Cook the meat and set aside. Now beat together several eggs, scramble it and set aside. Then drain the cooked pasta. Finally, cook all three together in a sauce pan while adding ketchup to it. Stir well and keep adding ketchup until you get that orangey look. Taste it and see if you want more ketchup or not. I personally don’t like too much ketchup. I love fish sauce so I always give it a another dash or two for extra flavoring. Now that was easy super right? I know this mixture sounds disgusting, but then again I’ve had it all my life and I love it. I’ll even make it for my future kids and tell them the story behind it. My husband still won’t eat it, along with durian and embryo duck eggs. I’ve had those growing up and all my life too. So, some mac-ketchup anyone?