Q: Why is your roux gritty? Are you just a dummy who doesn't know how to make béchamel? A: I may indeed be a dummy, but I know how to make béchamel just fine. It's pretty smooth in the pan, but does not retain that smoothness after being baked in a recipe like this, no matter how you make it. You may think your roux-based sauce is smooth, but all things are relative, and I'm pretty sure that if you tried this sauce, you would find it to be smoother. There's a reason sodium citrate and related salts have been used as ingredients in processed cheese and cheese sauces for a century - it results in an unnaturally gooey, velvety texture (hence Velveeta). Q: Did you steal my idea about using the sodium citrate? A: I appreciate the dozen or so people who commented on my previous video ( th-cam.com/video/9iP1QXFWYkA/w-d-xo.html ) recommending I try sodium citrate. I had heard of it before, but had never given it a try until last week. I think I first heard the idea from Heston Blumenthal years ago. I believe in giving credit where it's due, so I tried to track down whomever might have first promoted its use for homemade mac & cheese, and I could not trace the origin of the idea to any one individual. It seems to be something that's been around for a while. I thought about hat-tipping to the commenters on last week's video, but I generally don't like it when TH-camrs mention their comments in their videos. I think it's too meta, too navel-gazing, too ephemeral. If a specific individual gives me a novel idea, I will absolutely credit them (and probably invite them to appear in the video), but that was not the case here. I nonetheless hereby thank everybody who commented last week! Q: Are you an alcoholic with that white wine? A: No, and that's still not funny. Alcoholism is no joke. Also, I am nowhere close to an alcoholic. I have my share of issues, but that ain't one of them. Also, dividing one cup of wine across eight adult portions of food is maybe the least effective way of getting drunk imaginable. I think white wine is a really good ingredient for many foods, for reasons I listed here: th-cam.com/video/JbY8BtcchjU/w-d-xo.html Q: Do I have to use the white wine? A: I thought the video was pretty clear that any water-based liquid can work (including water), and my dad's tried-and-true recipe just uses all milk, which would be great. The wine gave the finished a subtle fruity note (reminiscent of fondue) that I liked, but it was not essential. You could maybe throw in a dash of white balsamic vinegar, which I think is a good substitute for white wine in much lesser quantities. Q: Is the wine going to throw off the chemistry, or curdle the milk? A: I doubt it. Wine just isn't THAT acidic, and this is proportionally a pretty small quantity. Maybe that quantity of wine would curdle the milk if you just left it sitting around for a while, but once you put in the cheese and the sodium citrate, there's no way. The fat alone from the cheese would be enough to prevent the curdling reaction, I think. And I'm guessing the stabilizing effect of the sodium citrate is also helping, but I don't know enough about the chemistry of that to be sure. Regardless, the sauce does not curdle. There are plenty of classic recipes that combine wine with cheese/dairy, the most obvious being fondue. You can also put wine in a classic béchamel (which I do all the time) - either the starch or the fat (or both?) from the roux prevent curdling. Q: Was your addition of wine or mustard the reason you needed less sodium citrate? A: I don't think so, in part because I didn't use them during my first attempt - I simply made my dad's recipe but with cheddar + sodium citrate instead of American cheese. I think the reason I needed to change the proportions is because this is a long-baked version of mac & cheese, whereas the recipe I initially cribbed from was basically a stovetop mac & cheese that was briefly finished in the oven. Q: Is this paid promotion for the company that made the sodium citrate? A: No, I will always clearly disclose paid sponsorships, as you will see in next week's recipe video. You'll laugh at my reasons for choosing this particular "organic" brand of sodium citrate - I thought it might ease the minds of people who are irrationally worried about demonstrably safe food additives. That labeling is, of course, ridiculous, considering that sodium citrate is an inorganic salt.
Actually, wine is often *quite* acidic; it's just that, at that quantity, it likely isn't going to do much. It's just that we're used to comparing it e.g. with vinegar, which is *hugely* more acidic than wine.
It must be annoying having to write these QAs for each video, but I just wanted to mention that I appreciate how useful and informative these can be for all your videos.
Yeah, that's basically it. Once it's in solution the only difference between sodium citrate and table salt + citric acid would be some solvated chlorine.
Actually there might be a chemical purpose to the wine in the cheese sauce - don’t know if Adam is aware and doing it on purpose, but I believe wine contains acids (tartaric acid, I think), that helps to emulsify the cheese and prevent it from splitting - it performs the same function in a fondue. That’s why wine is added to fondue - some say it’s the first ‘processed cheese’ product humans have created. So it totally has a place in this recipe which forgoes the standard flour-based roux as a stabiliser/thickener. Interestingly enough mustard might also help with the emulsification - mustard binds oil and water molecules in a salad dressing, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t give a little emulsifying boost here too.
I made this dish last night. I'm a beginner at cooking and this was not hard at all to make! Super delicious and different than what I'm used to having. I'm glad I saw this video and tried out the recipe. Thanks!
@@OvidianIdeals I certainly appreciate the tip, but for the record, maybe a dozen people in the comments on last week's video suggested sodium citrate, and I've used this combination of cheeses many times. I believe in giving credit where it's due, but none of this is novel, and I did not present this idea as my own.
Just banged out two pots of this mac and cheese, bacon in one of the pots, cubed mozzarella stirred through both, for the christmas party and both pots cleared out barely after seconds. Absolutely foolproof, simple, delicious recipe.
This is the best food channel on the Internet because Adam casually throws a turn of phrase like "manifestly unnecessary" like it's a thing people say in real life and not just in Jane Austen novels.
I ordered the product needed and made this recipe using extra sharp cheddar and all milk for the liquid. It was a major success! Thanks for posting this.
It’s like old school Alton Brown and I’m taken to a place of deep nostalgia. I like that your videos are not pretentious or stuffy. Just a logical dude, doing what he can to make a tasty meal and explaining how stuff works and why. It’s the best.
Lynn Hayashi from my experience cooking for my parents who dont like chesse. Eating a dish where the major ingredient is chesse make them fell wierd. Or we can just ask ragusea him self
Cult of DECC cheese just has a really weird taste/smell for me that’s reminiscent of curdled milk probably from the way they make it. Most dairy products have this sort of smell/taste but of varying degrees of potency. Thanks for your reply though.
Cult of DECC both raw and cooked cheese taste basically the same for me. Cheese on pizza is tolerable but not preferred; I peel the cheese off pizza sometimes and eat just the doughy bread part haha. 😅 I guess I’ll just avoid it. 😆
I like cooking and I subbed for your recipes and tips like your cookie broil and pizza vids, but you aren't just a good cook. Your content and the edit for your vids is stellar. You get to the point, it's good advice. You rock. My dad is just like yours, using his cheap american cheese. I'm getting some of this stuff.
I just made this with 225g of aged smoked cheddar, 225 grams of smoked gouda. SO GOOD! When I reheated it at work most of my co-workers perked up and asked for the recipe
I followed this recipe exactly, and sure enough the oil and cheese split terribly. For future reference, I may recommend that you indeed use an immersion blender and and maybe bring the sauce up to a boil. Also, make sure the milk/wine mixture isn’t too hot before adding the butter and cheese, so that the butter doesn’t melt fast into one big oil slick. I’ll be trying this again to try and achieve that Velveeta texture instead of the sad, sad product that I was ashamed to serve tonight for dinner. Keep up the videos, Adam, you’re one of the only truly great, to the point TH-camrs.
Why does TH-cam not recommened videos and channels like this more often? I love this content. Instead they show me videos I've already watched or videos I'm forced to mark as not interested. I really liked this video and subbed instantly
Great Video! Really glad I got Sodium Citrate to make this recipe. Not only did the Mac and Cheese come out great, albeit on my second attempt(I let the sauce get too thick before baking on my first attempt), but I also have found the sodium citrate to be really useful in other recipes. I recently made a Coq Au Vin without a roux that came out great. Instead of the roux, I left all of the bacon grease in the pan and used sodium citrate for thickening.
I just found your channel last night. I subscribed and now I’m binge watching your videos. I love cooking but I also love learning about the science behind cooking so I am thoroughly enjoying your content! Thanks so much for doing what you do.
I love, love, LOVE how your recipes discard the "need" for expensive, space-consuming home cooking equipment such as immersion blenders and stand mixers. I live in a small apartment with too small cabinets and drawers and I just can't justify owning too much specialised equipment like that - all the space is already taken up by just the basics.
I keep watching and listening. You have the perfect mojo for this. Your voice is as smooth as that sodium nitrate-cheese sauce. I like how you mix it up between speeding up and real time, love the Chef John mentions, just yeah. You are really, really good at this Adam. Keep up the great work.
Thank you for making these videos that go straight to the point with no fillers. Your work has inspired me to keep trying and experiment new ideas in the kitchen!
I don’t know, maybe that much wine could curdle that much milk if you just let it sit around in there for a while, but it goes right in the pan and then the cheese brings plenty of other molecules that get in the way, not really a risk, I don’t think.
My 20 year old son follows you and introduced me to this recipe. It is my 14 year old son's favorite mac n cheese, and has become a holiday staple. Thanks.
Just made this last night, and it was fantastic! The flavor, texture, it was all there. Thanks for the recipe Adam! Will definitely be making this again.
There's many ways to make macaroni and cheese! I love your recipes Adam and I'll definitely try this one, too. Another way to make macaroni and cheese besides roux/bechamel is by making a cheesey custard with eggs and evaporated milk. Some might call it macaroni pie, but it's the same to me.
Props for the shout out to Chef John (you even included the obligatory cayenne)! You can even make "american" cheese with the same basic, just use evaporated milk (and maybe some wine), citrate, cheese blends of your choice, and gelatin. Melt together, then pour out on a parchment lined sheet tray, cool in the fridge for an hour, cut into squares THROUGH the parchment to keep the slices from sticking, bag and refrigerate. Lasts a week in the fridge, and freezes well. Well done, Adam. Kenji is starting to look over his shoulder :-)
Tried this recipe a few times! My input: Use 2 cups of milk instead of 4 for thicker cheese sauce (4 cups was too soupy), boil pasta for 7 minutes instead of 5, sprinkle 1 cup of cheese ON TOP after you pour the cheese sauce onto the pasta, and then bake for 375 fully uncovered for 25 minutes and that's it. If you still want to boil the pasta only for only 5 minutes, do what Adam says and still do 350 degrees for 45 minutes and then 30 minutes uncovered. When you uncover it for those last 30 minutes though, sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top. :)
Question: Did you reduce the amount of sodium citrate to 2 teaspoons since you reduced the amount of liquid to 2 cups? Or did you still use 4 teaspoons of sodium citrate with 2 cups of liquid?
Sam the Cooking Guy, Joshua Weissman, and you, Adam, have become the triumvirs in my kitchen since having to assume cooking duties a couple of years ago. I tried the methods of others, and failed miserably, but you speak my language. Thank you for the guidance, and the for the new friends I've made at the liquor store from buying all that wine.
It's kind of odd that I'm so off put by people using like sodium citrate or msg, even though they are proven safe and used in high end kitchens. It's always felt like one of those "big bad chemicals", but coming from a science background, I know that's bullshit. It's all just chemicals anyway. It's 2019, of course in the progression of humanity, we've had to discover new ingredients and advance in cooking, we've advanced everywhere else. I'm gonna buy me some sodium citrate and try this.
@@PG-qn8od Yeah see when you break it down, doesn't sound dangerous at all. I guess it kinda explains people's fear of new things/science, just sounds scary sometimes.
@@philipfahy9658 it's an understandable fear though. Maybe sodium nitrate isnt bad but there is a lot of other weird shit in our food that doesnt need to be, so people have a right to be a lil cautious.
adam, keep up the awesome content!! i made your chicken pie for my family during this ramadan and they absolutely loved it!!! i don’t even cook, but ig i do now haha ~ 🥰💗🥧
You and SamTheCookingGuy are like one side each of a perfect food coin. So different, but so unique and interesting. I love this side of youtube man, cooking rocks.
I started here so so long ago, and I just made the best Mac and cheese I’ve ever tasted in a mug in the microwave. Using the knowledge and library of mistakes I built starting here of course. I found a cheese powder for sale at $3 per lb at my local store, and it has enough emulsifier to saucify 10x its weight in shredded cheese. Mustard powder, garlic powder, fresh ground black pepper, and a little shake of cayenne take it to the next level.
Sounds like MSG, which is amazing. I use it with all my meat and it really takes it to the next level. People are scared of it for some reason, but it's perfectly safe.
Glutamate is a common amino acid, and citrate is one of the metabolites of glucose when it is used for energy. No problem using those, of course with moderation.
I made this a few days ago. I used smoked gouda and Tillamook sharp chedder -- boy was it a hit. Just amazing. Gooey, smooth, but the flavors were strong. Highly recommended.
Followed exactly and was impressed with the results. I ended up needing more salt but may have been the cheese or I just like salt too much. Smoked Gouda so good.
Thank you, Adam! I am a new follower, and I’m so happy to be member of your fan club; and, I am getting the sodium citrate and making that awesome mac n’ cheese you showcased. Again, grazie and keep up the great work. Ray in NEPA!
You definitely want to boil the pasta for as little as possible to get them only starting to turn soft, you also definitely want to drain the pasta well and get it into the even as soon as the pasta is done. Great recipe 10/10
Finally got a cool fall day to crave and make this. I didn't use white wine, but I used 8oz extra sharp cheddar, 4oz gouda and 4oz stilton and it is amazing!
Adam, I thought I was the only one who's béchamel cheese sauce did the same thing in the oven. Tonight I made Mac and cheese using sliced American cheese as the base, then added med. cheddar to it. Was really good and creamy! yay for the sodium citrate!!
@@aragusea I have no doubt! I would totally try this! It just seemed like a funny sentence that may have never been spoken before in the history of the English language 😂. Thanks for sharing it!
Just made this. It is excellent. Thanks for the recipe and the no nonsense video to go along with it. It was so much easier and better tasting than what I have been doing for years. I thought the cleanup was going to be a nightmare when I saw the baked on burnt splatter around the top of the casserole dish, but a little soak and it came right off. If you have any more go to vegetarian recipes I would love to see them. Thanks again :)
I'm glad I clicked on this video! While I've found a flour-based cheese sauce recipe that does not end up gritty, I will try the sodium citrate out. If anything, it would make the process of homemade mac and cheese a lot faster!
Looks great. One thing: I believe “too viscous” means something akin to “too thick.” So that 2T attempt would be not viscous enough. Edit: too viscous was right; I was seeing it wrong
Ah, I see. It looked to me like it was too thin, and bubbled over. I haven’t used sodium citrate before. But I’ve been looking for an emulsifier for cacio e pepe that so often clumps for me, and I’m going to try it out.
Best Mac and cheese recipe I’ve found hands down!! One tip I would give though… as much as I’d like to agree with Adam about the whisk vs immersion blender… use the immersion blender if you have one! It’s so much easier to incorporate the cheese into the milk this way, your arm will thank me 😅
Q: Why is your roux gritty? Are you just a dummy who doesn't know how to make béchamel?
A: I may indeed be a dummy, but I know how to make béchamel just fine. It's pretty smooth in the pan, but does not retain that smoothness after being baked in a recipe like this, no matter how you make it. You may think your roux-based sauce is smooth, but all things are relative, and I'm pretty sure that if you tried this sauce, you would find it to be smoother. There's a reason sodium citrate and related salts have been used as ingredients in processed cheese and cheese sauces for a century - it results in an unnaturally gooey, velvety texture (hence Velveeta).
Q: Did you steal my idea about using the sodium citrate?
A: I appreciate the dozen or so people who commented on my previous video ( th-cam.com/video/9iP1QXFWYkA/w-d-xo.html ) recommending I try sodium citrate. I had heard of it before, but had never given it a try until last week. I think I first heard the idea from Heston Blumenthal years ago. I believe in giving credit where it's due, so I tried to track down whomever might have first promoted its use for homemade mac & cheese, and I could not trace the origin of the idea to any one individual. It seems to be something that's been around for a while. I thought about hat-tipping to the commenters on last week's video, but I generally don't like it when TH-camrs mention their comments in their videos. I think it's too meta, too navel-gazing, too ephemeral. If a specific individual gives me a novel idea, I will absolutely credit them (and probably invite them to appear in the video), but that was not the case here. I nonetheless hereby thank everybody who commented last week!
Q: Are you an alcoholic with that white wine?
A: No, and that's still not funny. Alcoholism is no joke. Also, I am nowhere close to an alcoholic. I have my share of issues, but that ain't one of them. Also, dividing one cup of wine across eight adult portions of food is maybe the least effective way of getting drunk imaginable. I think white wine is a really good ingredient for many foods, for reasons I listed here: th-cam.com/video/JbY8BtcchjU/w-d-xo.html
Q: Do I have to use the white wine?
A: I thought the video was pretty clear that any water-based liquid can work (including water), and my dad's tried-and-true recipe just uses all milk, which would be great. The wine gave the finished a subtle fruity note (reminiscent of fondue) that I liked, but it was not essential. You could maybe throw in a dash of white balsamic vinegar, which I think is a good substitute for white wine in much lesser quantities.
Q: Is the wine going to throw off the chemistry, or curdle the milk?
A: I doubt it. Wine just isn't THAT acidic, and this is proportionally a pretty small quantity. Maybe that quantity of wine would curdle the milk if you just left it sitting around for a while, but once you put in the cheese and the sodium citrate, there's no way. The fat alone from the cheese would be enough to prevent the curdling reaction, I think. And I'm guessing the stabilizing effect of the sodium citrate is also helping, but I don't know enough about the chemistry of that to be sure. Regardless, the sauce does not curdle. There are plenty of classic recipes that combine wine with cheese/dairy, the most obvious being fondue. You can also put wine in a classic béchamel (which I do all the time) - either the starch or the fat (or both?) from the roux prevent curdling.
Q: Was your addition of wine or mustard the reason you needed less sodium citrate?
A: I don't think so, in part because I didn't use them during my first attempt - I simply made my dad's recipe but with cheddar + sodium citrate instead of American cheese. I think the reason I needed to change the proportions is because this is a long-baked version of mac & cheese, whereas the recipe I initially cribbed from was basically a stovetop mac & cheese that was briefly finished in the oven.
Q: Is this paid promotion for the company that made the sodium citrate?
A: No, I will always clearly disclose paid sponsorships, as you will see in next week's recipe video. You'll laugh at my reasons for choosing this particular "organic" brand of sodium citrate - I thought it might ease the minds of people who are irrationally worried about demonstrably safe food additives. That labeling is, of course, ridiculous, considering that sodium citrate is an inorganic salt.
Actually, wine is often *quite* acidic; it's just that, at that quantity, it likely isn't going to do much. It's just that we're used to comparing it e.g. with vinegar, which is *hugely* more acidic than wine.
Q: Are you making very fun to watch and educating content?
A: Heck yeah!:)
When you are becoming really likeable that you are being bombarded with intriquing questions:
*A small price to pay for salvation*
It must be annoying having to write these QAs for each video, but I just wanted to mention that I appreciate how useful and informative these can be for all your videos.
@@PokéJazzFlute should I not do it at all? sincere question.
I love how chef John is renowned for his cayenne pepper use. Henceforth Adam Ragusea shall also be bestowed such an honor. He is the white wine guy.
@@Root656 I know it doesn't look that good right now...but watch this!
@Naty Dia Still waiting for the next egg episode.
YES
Gordon Ramsay the olive oil man
@@Root656 can't forget the kosher salt guy!
In a parallel universe:
Chef John with a goatee: "...and a splash of white wine for Adam Ragussea"
Long live the empire.
my favourite comment on here
Long live the empire.
Long live the empire.
The most underrated comment I have ever seen in my entire life
No intro, no hello or goodbye, no ellipses or rants, just 100% pure information. Best channel ever!!
Maybe not the best for an essay
But for a youtube video it sure is a breath of relief
ikrrrrr
i mean he does do these little rants.
this is the only vid where he isnt sponsored by Squarespace it seems
"Like salt but slightly sour" is *exactly* what I'd expect something called "sodium citrate" to taste.
Sodium= Salt
Citrate= I guess citric acid, which is present in lemon
Hence the salty - sour taste!
I mean "Sodium" Salt "Citrate" well Citrus
Yeah, that's basically it. Once it's in solution the only difference between sodium citrate and table salt + citric acid would be some solvated chlorine.
underrated comment
Woahhhhhh
"Dad uses milk. I'm gonna use 3 cups of milk and one cup of white wine."
Of course.
Adam Ragusea's finest water recipe:
Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 cup white wine
1) Mix until combined.
2) Add chicken liver.
Next Adam Ragusea video: How to make the perfect wine at home
Ingredients:
1 bottle of white wine
1 touch of potassium cyanide
I was waiting for him to put wine!
Adam Ragusea:
*w h i t e w i n e ?*
Actually there might be a chemical purpose to the wine in the cheese sauce - don’t know if Adam is aware and doing it on purpose, but I believe wine contains acids (tartaric acid, I think), that helps to emulsify the cheese and prevent it from splitting - it performs the same function in a fondue.
That’s why wine is added to fondue - some say it’s the first ‘processed cheese’ product humans have created.
So it totally has a place in this recipe which forgoes the standard flour-based roux as a stabiliser/thickener.
Interestingly enough mustard might also help with the emulsification - mustard binds oil and water molecules in a salad dressing, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t give a little emulsifying boost here too.
I made this dish last night. I'm a beginner at cooking and this was not hard at all to make! Super delicious and different than what I'm used to having. I'm glad I saw this video and tried out the recipe. Thanks!
When the imposter is sus! 😳
Adam: I was never able to top dad’s recipe
Also Adam: *topped dad’s recipe
@@OvidianIdeals or he watches Babish, who taught us this one in his grilled cheese episode, albeit a different method for a different application
HE MUST BE FROM FOOD WARS-
@@OvidianIdeals same lol
@@justagent5844 I think Babish got that trick from Kenji
@@OvidianIdeals I certainly appreciate the tip, but for the record, maybe a dozen people in the comments on last week's video suggested sodium citrate, and I've used this combination of cheeses many times. I believe in giving credit where it's due, but none of this is novel, and I did not present this idea as my own.
“I will never make this any other way again”
Your dad: :(
@LightNessITA do you actually think american cheese will take 10 years off your life lmao
@@copenwiththestress if you eat enough that is
@Roseki *exaggerated laugh in non-american*
I think if Adam's dad saw this he might get triggered.
His dad has 4 eyes
"Little shake of cayenne for Chef John"
SALUTE.
gotta give him his respect, Chef John has BEEN out here 10+ years
gotta give him his respect, Chef John has BEEN out here 10+ years
Oh great, now I've got that darn theme music stuck in my head...
... and as always, en-joy...
SALUTE.
All hail Chef John
Just banged out two pots of this mac and cheese, bacon in one of the pots, cubed mozzarella stirred through both, for the christmas party and both pots cleared out barely after seconds. Absolutely foolproof, simple, delicious recipe.
*How to make cereal*
Adam: most people use milk but I use white wine
"HOW TO BOIL WATER"
Adam:Ok so here you want to add half a bottle of white wine.
No no no. Its 3 parts milk to one part white wine.
that is the most ridiculously bougie thing i have ever heard of
“That’s something I would do”
illumoenati films there is actually a guy on reddit said water with cereal is better than milk with cereal
Two Mac and Cheese recipes?? This guy knows what's up
Daniel Cohen you don’t have multiple recipes for Mac?
@@saintqueso6946 Kraft and store brand
Im hoping for a peanut butter and jelly recipe next!
@@davehugstrees he's gonna put white wine in the jelly 🙄
This is the best food channel on the Internet because Adam casually throws a turn of phrase like "manifestly unnecessary" like it's a thing people say in real life and not just in Jane Austen novels.
lmao
my mans can't resist putting white wine in everything
200k subs and he already has a meme thing
@@znk753 yes, he has a video about it
@@znk753 yeah, that's the exact word lol sorry
i like how it says "Non-GMO" on the packaging as if they're gonna genetically modify the molecules or something
Plot twist: they did, they made the salt sour.
Sigma-Aldrich is cringing so hard at the packaging itself
I once saw a shop advertising steak as "gluten and lactose-free" there are no limits to what advertising people can come up with....
universe exist
adam: lets use some white wine
And that's how I met your mother
A Kind Hobo thay escalated quickly
It’s like the kosher salt and freshly ground pepper of binging with babish
Amelia Cartwright or olive oil with Gordon Ramsay
I think the 'nobody: ' meme would fit better
i’m glad your channel is blowing up. please never change your style, you’re one of the best channels on youtube
When the imposter is sus! 😳
still tru!
you've become one of my favorite creators. Thanks for good content Adam!
I second that
I third it
I fourth that
I fifth that
Guess I have to say: "I sixth that".
I ordered the product needed and made this recipe using extra sharp cheddar and all milk for the liquid. It was a major success! Thanks for posting this.
Did u use 3 cups of milk or did u substitute the 1 cup white wine for another cup of milk (4cups total)
I love that you're videos are always straight to the point. Not unnecessarily long, no begging for subscribers. Refreshing. Great channel.
It’s like old school Alton Brown and I’m taken to a place of deep nostalgia.
I like that your videos are not pretentious or stuffy. Just a logical dude, doing what he can to make a tasty meal and explaining how stuff works and why.
It’s the best.
not one, but TWO mac and cheese recipies? we are unworthy yet blessed
I Tried it and holy shit its good
I don’t really like cheese (I used to absolutely detest it when I was younger) would you recommend making this to a non cheese lover?
Lynn Hayashi from my experience cooking for my parents who dont like chesse. Eating a dish where the major ingredient is chesse make them fell wierd. Or we can just ask ragusea him self
Cult of DECC cheese just has a really weird taste/smell for me that’s reminiscent of curdled milk probably from the way they make it. Most dairy products have this sort of smell/taste but of varying degrees of potency. Thanks for your reply though.
Cult of DECC both raw and cooked cheese taste basically the same for me. Cheese on pizza is tolerable but not preferred; I peel the cheese off pizza sometimes and eat just the doughy bread part haha. 😅 I guess I’ll just avoid it. 😆
@@RinCooks I dont like cheese that much but I would strongly recommend this
I like cooking and I subbed for your recipes and tips like your cookie broil and pizza vids, but you aren't just a good cook. Your content and the edit for your vids is stellar. You get to the point, it's good advice. You rock.
My dad is just like yours, using his cheap american cheese. I'm getting some of this stuff.
I just made this with 225g of aged smoked cheddar, 225 grams of smoked gouda. SO GOOD! When I reheated it at work most of my co-workers perked up and asked for the recipe
Straight-forward no-nonsense. Your cooking/video making is top-notch! And I love Chef John too!!
Bro i love how modern, no nonsense, no excess fat, and beautiful looking your videos are
I followed this recipe exactly, and sure enough the oil and cheese split terribly. For future reference, I may recommend that you indeed use an immersion blender and and maybe bring the sauce up to a boil. Also, make sure the milk/wine mixture isn’t too hot before adding the butter and cheese, so that the butter doesn’t melt fast into one big oil slick. I’ll be trying this again to try and achieve that Velveeta texture instead of the sad, sad product that I was ashamed to serve tonight for dinner. Keep up the videos, Adam, you’re one of the only truly great, to the point TH-camrs.
Do NOT boil cheese sauce. You will denature its proteins. You will get sad water on top of tough rubber. Speaking from experience.
Why does TH-cam not recommened videos and channels like this more often? I love this content. Instead they show me videos I've already watched or videos I'm forced to mark as not interested. I really liked this video and subbed instantly
Your honestly the most classic college professor! All the love
You've been to college and forgot it's you're not your?
@@suskysulky dude. Uncool
@@theholyhay1555no, he's cool
@@wolfieg.6730 OverSimplified reference ""
@@theholyhay1555 funny name to have, isn't it? Haha
thank you for showing solidarity with chef john, random acts of appreciation is what ultimately will save us all
Great Video! Really glad I got Sodium Citrate to make this recipe. Not only did the Mac and Cheese come out great, albeit on my second attempt(I let the sauce get too thick before baking on my first attempt), but I also have found the sodium citrate to be really useful in other recipes. I recently made a Coq Au Vin without a roux that came out great. Instead of the roux, I left all of the bacon grease in the pan and used sodium citrate for thickening.
So you use sodium citrate, bacon grease amd wine to form the sauce?
@@chaccaron4321 yup!
I just found your channel last night. I subscribed and now I’m binge watching your videos. I love cooking but I also love learning about the science behind cooking so I am thoroughly enjoying your content! Thanks so much for doing what you do.
Adam is the type of dude to put white wine on everything he does.
Great vid, as always!
I love, love, LOVE how your recipes discard the "need" for expensive, space-consuming home cooking equipment such as immersion blenders and stand mixers. I live in a small apartment with too small cabinets and drawers and I just can't justify owning too much specialised equipment like that - all the space is already taken up by just the basics.
“You need your pipes fixed?”
“No my PEEPAYS!”
I keep watching and listening. You have the perfect mojo for this. Your voice is as smooth as that sodium nitrate-cheese sauce. I like how you mix it up between speeding up and real time, love the Chef John mentions, just yeah. You are really, really good at this Adam. Keep up the great work.
Always interesting to* see food additives usually only used in industry being used in home cooking.
Thank you for making these videos that go straight to the point with no fillers. Your work has inspired me to keep trying and experiment new ideas in the kitchen!
He really just put wine straight into milk, not a second of worrying if it may curdle. A legend
I don’t know, maybe that much wine could curdle that much milk if you just let it sit around in there for a while, but it goes right in the pan and then the cheese brings plenty of other molecules that get in the way, not really a risk, I don’t think.
Won't curdle with sodium citrate!
My 20 year old son follows you and introduced me to this recipe. It is my 14 year old son's favorite mac n cheese, and has become a holiday staple. Thanks.
Adam and white wine. Name a more iconic duo.
I’ll wait.
Chef John and Cayenne
HahaItsPatrick babish and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Jon Townsend and nutmeg
Marco and olivol
Just made this last night, and it was fantastic! The flavor, texture, it was all there. Thanks for the recipe Adam! Will definitely be making this again.
There's many ways to make macaroni and cheese! I love your recipes Adam and I'll definitely try this one, too. Another way to make macaroni and cheese besides roux/bechamel is by making a cheesey custard with eggs and evaporated milk. Some might call it macaroni pie, but it's the same to me.
James 000 that sounds awesome
holy crap, that sounds amazing
My grandma made it that way and it was divine. I’ve had trouble recreating it though. I just don’t know what cheese mixture she used.
your constant referencing of cayenne and chef john really just makes me enjoy watching your content that much more
Nobody:
Literally nobody:
Adam: I’m going to add some white wine
literally nobody? O_O wow that's crazy omg u so genius
*pours white wine*
@@haresfarman dick move
Props for the shout out to Chef John (you even included the obligatory cayenne)! You can even make "american" cheese with the same basic, just use evaporated milk (and maybe some wine), citrate, cheese blends of your choice, and gelatin. Melt together, then pour out on a parchment lined sheet tray, cool in the fridge for an hour, cut into squares THROUGH the parchment to keep the slices from sticking, bag and refrigerate. Lasts a week in the fridge, and freezes well. Well done, Adam. Kenji is starting to look over his shoulder :-)
Tried this recipe a few times! My input: Use 2 cups of milk instead of 4 for thicker cheese sauce (4 cups was too soupy), boil pasta for 7 minutes instead of 5, sprinkle 1 cup of cheese ON TOP after you pour the cheese sauce onto the pasta, and then bake for 375 fully uncovered for 25 minutes and that's it. If you still want to boil the pasta only for only 5 minutes, do what Adam says and still do 350 degrees for 45 minutes and then 30 minutes uncovered. When you uncover it for those last 30 minutes though, sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top. :)
Question: Did you reduce the amount of sodium citrate to 2 teaspoons since you reduced the amount of liquid to 2 cups? Or did you still use 4 teaspoons of sodium citrate with 2 cups of liquid?
Sam the Cooking Guy, Joshua Weissman, and you, Adam, have become the triumvirs in my kitchen since having to assume cooking duties a couple of years ago. I tried the methods of others, and failed miserably, but you speak my language. Thank you for the guidance, and the for the new friends I've made at the liquor store from buying all that wine.
It's kind of odd that I'm so off put by people using like sodium citrate or msg, even though they are proven safe and used in high end kitchens. It's always felt like one of those "big bad chemicals", but coming from a science background, I know that's bullshit. It's all just chemicals anyway. It's 2019, of course in the progression of humanity, we've had to discover new ingredients and advance in cooking, we've advanced everywhere else. I'm gonna buy me some sodium citrate and try this.
eating sodium citrate is basically the same as eating sodium chloride and citric acid
@@PG-qn8od Yeah see when you break it down, doesn't sound dangerous at all. I guess it kinda explains people's fear of new things/science, just sounds scary sometimes.
@@philipfahy9658 it's an understandable fear though. Maybe sodium nitrate isnt bad but there is a lot of other weird shit in our food that doesnt need to be, so people have a right to be a lil cautious.
Its the years of propaganda and false information fed to people. Its hard to break away from these sort of stuff
Social conditioning really sucks like that. Glad you're breaking away from it, 😊
This recipe is a winner! My wife made it tonight and we love it. Super smooth texture. Thanks Adam!
"Today i'm gonna make a very easy and simple home-made milkshake, it starts with *one bottle of white wine* "
When the imposter is sus! 😳
Hands down one of the best and most unrated TH-cam channels out there. Keep it up
I swear, if this guy ever goes to a cooking competition and there’s no white wine, he’d probably have his own to use.
I am not even slightly interested in what Adam cooks, I'm simply addicted to his voice and his way of talking.
adam, keep up the awesome content!! i made your chicken pie for my family during this ramadan and they absolutely loved it!!! i don’t even cook, but ig i do now haha ~ 🥰💗🥧
You and SamTheCookingGuy are like one side each of a perfect food coin. So different, but so unique and interesting. I love this side of youtube man, cooking rocks.
Adam: I will never make this any other way again
Grampa Don Ragusea: Revenge is a dish best served cold
Adam: Revenge is dish best served with white wine.
Final day of fasting and Im binging on Adam's vid in preparation to devour Eid's meal tomorrow. These vids sure work out some appetite!
Substitute breadcrumb topping for cheez-its.
"Sophisticated"
That’s not a bad idea
That actually sounds Good.
Mac and Cheetos my guy
or just nix the breadcrumbs all together because breadcrumbs on mac and cheese is sacrilege
When the imposter is sus 😳
I started here so so long ago, and I just made the best Mac and cheese I’ve ever tasted in a mug in the microwave. Using the knowledge and library of mistakes I built starting here of course. I found a cheese powder for sale at $3 per lb at my local store, and it has enough emulsifier to saucify 10x its weight in shredded cheese. Mustard powder, garlic powder, fresh ground black pepper, and a little shake of cayenne take it to the next level.
Sounds like MSG, which is amazing. I use it with all my meat and it really takes it to the next level. People are scared of it for some reason, but it's perfectly safe.
Glutamate is a common amino acid, and citrate is one of the metabolites of glucose when it is used for energy. No problem using those, of course with moderation.
Underrated comments ^^
LOVE the S/O to Chef John #RESPECT
you scouse bastard
you scouse
I made this a few days ago. I used smoked gouda and Tillamook sharp chedder -- boy was it a hit. Just amazing. Gooey, smooth, but the flavors were strong. Highly recommended.
I'm a simple man, I see Adam Ragusea I click.
Followed exactly and was impressed with the results. I ended up needing more salt but may have been the cheese or I just like salt too much. Smoked Gouda so good.
Adam: Adds white wine.
Me: Likes video
@@goblingimp195 me: eat ass
Thank you, Adam! I am a new follower, and I’m so happy to be member of your fan club; and, I am getting the sodium citrate and making that awesome mac n’ cheese you showcased. Again, grazie and keep up the great work. Ray in NEPA!
3:19
You were right, it's pronounced "pee-pay" cause they're named after the fact they resemble smoking pipes
*smoking pee-pays
You definitely want to boil the pasta for as little as possible to get them only starting to turn soft, you also definitely want to drain the pasta well and get it into the even as soon as the pasta is done. Great recipe 10/10
Recipe:*Add a liquid*
Adam:let's just add some white wine 😂
One glass of wine goes into the food, the rest goes to make the cook happy.
Awesome Mac n Cheese recipe. I just made this today for a party and everyone absolutely loved it. Will definitely make this again!
0:24 “major internet retailer”
*cough* Amazon *cough*
Copyright content maybe
I thought this was my comment and I nearly had a heart attack
1-800- R-U-SLAPPIN
You’re fake dude! There’s only one and it’s me
@@abdullatifzero how do you guys have the same profile picture???
@@1-800-R-U-SLAPPIN how do you guys have the same profile picture???
I don't know why but his voice calms me. I slept to this video last night.
"You are the Doctor Fate of your Mac and cheese that uses sodium citrate."
Oops wrong channel
rough
Finally got a cool fall day to crave and make this. I didn't use white wine, but I used 8oz extra sharp cheddar, 4oz gouda and 4oz stilton and it is amazing!
I love how his comment sections have gone from complimenting his recipes, into memes about white wine.
Adam, you're quickly becoming one of my favorite TH-cam chefs along with Chef John and Babish.
I love the cooking community.
You're all cool folk.
TH-camrs and commenters.
❤️
Adam, I thought I was the only one who's béchamel cheese sauce did the same thing in the oven. Tonight I made Mac and cheese using sliced American cheese as the base, then added med. cheddar to it. Was really good and creamy! yay for the sodium citrate!!
Adam recipes:water boil
Adam:ok,first you put in 3 cup of water and 1 cup of white wine into a saucepan
Mmmmmm. Sodium Citrate, just like Grandma used to make! ;) BTW, i love how you punched the counter in pleasure after tasting how good the bite was :D
This is literally how my grandma made it! The only difference is she used American cheese that already had the sodium citrate inside it.
@@aragusea I have no doubt! I would totally try this! It just seemed like a funny sentence that may have never been spoken before in the history of the English language 😂.
Thanks for sharing it!
It IS actually pronounced "pee-pe" as it's an Italian name 😂
Mike Affaton extremely underrated comment
Mike Affaton LMAOOO
Make my pee-pe squeeze out Alfredo sauce.
@@williamaftonpizzeria 🤢🤢🤢🤢
@@williamaftonpizzeria
If cheese comes out your pee-pe you need to schedule an appointment with a urologist, stat!
I made this for a party and I got so many compliments! I used half sharp cheddar, 1/4 parmesan and 1/4 greyere
Can't believe you've got us buying pinot gricio and now we're buying suspicious white powders off the internet :)
Definitely going to try this though!
Just made this. It is excellent. Thanks for the recipe and the no nonsense video to go along with it. It was so much easier and better tasting than what I have been doing for years. I thought the cleanup was going to be a nightmare when I saw the baked on burnt splatter around the top of the casserole dish, but a little soak and it came right off. If you have any more go to vegetarian recipes I would love to see them. Thanks again :)
"Pinch of cayenne for Chef John"
Adam it's down to you to assemble the YT culinary avengers after that shoutout
Made it tonight - DAMNED GOOD! I'd have to say the best "HONEST" M&C I've ever had. Thanks!
0:23 "From a major online retailor"
We know damn well that's amazon
I'm glad I clicked on this video! While I've found a flour-based cheese sauce recipe that does not end up gritty, I will try the sodium citrate out. If anything, it would make the process of homemade mac and cheese a lot faster!
Looks great. One thing: I believe “too viscous” means something akin to “too thick.” So that 2T attempt would be not viscous enough.
Edit: too viscous was right; I was seeing it wrong
Ah, I see. It looked to me like it was too thin, and bubbled over. I haven’t used sodium citrate before. But I’ve been looking for an emulsifier for cacio e pepe that so often clumps for me, and I’m going to try it out.
Made my own spin on this earlier tonight for a friendsgiving potluck and it got devoured! Sodium citrate is a game changer.
If u guys are still scared of sodium citrate, its literally just the salt from citrus fruits (oranges, lemon, lime etc.), thats it
Best Mac and cheese recipe I’ve found hands down!! One tip I would give though… as much as I’d like to agree with Adam about the whisk vs immersion blender… use the immersion blender if you have one! It’s so much easier to incorporate the cheese into the milk this way, your arm will thank me 😅
When he said “a little bit of Cayenne for Chef John” I literally jumped from my bed
Why
This totally works, and even tried it to make a cream based alfredo sauce... it was smooth as silk
No one:
Literally no one:
Adam: *puts white wine in milk*
I hate this meme format. It's honestly bland, repetitive, and unfunny. Yeah, no one talks then someone talks. Rocket science, right?
@@SkillUpMobileGaming It's funny sometimes
@@SkillUpMobileGaming buzzkill spotted
+Rich Nah, the meme is shit.
@@SkillUpMobileGaming Yes. It's such a lazy and unfunny "meme"
I love how clear and direct your videos are :D
I'm defiantly going to try it with Sodium Citrate, very interesting! Food science!
Who will you be defying?