{Book Review} MELT: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese by Stephanie Stiavetti and Garrett McCord

MELT: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese
Published: October 22, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown, & Company
Length: 224 pages
Edition: eARC through Netgalley

A cookbook that reinvents the American classic, macaroni and cheese, with gourmet ingredients, handcrafted artisan cheeses, and unique flavor combinations.

MELT: THE ART OF MACARONI AND CHEESE is the first book to marry the American standard, macaroni and cheese, with handcrafted artisan cheeses and a wide array of pastas, producing dishes that are both classic and chic. Home cooks of all levels will be encouraged to incorporate fresh, simple ingredients into the everyday comfort food they know and love. Featuring such unexpected and delicious combinations as Beecher's Flagship Cheddar with Avocado, Lime, and Shell Pasta; Drunken Goat, Fennel, Edamame, Mint, and Rotini; and Pumpkin Stuffed with Fontina, Italian Sausage, and Macaroni, MELT takes mac and cheese out of the box and elevates it to a level that will delight even the most sophisticated palates.

With gorgeous color photography throughout, MELT is a compendium of inventive recipes that will add a fresh twist to the family dinner or play a starring role at your next dinner party.

This review took me a little from time of request at Netgalley to time of writing. I wanted to try a few of the recipes. I would say that the title of this book is a bit misleading. This is NOT your traditional mac & cheese "only better" kind of recipe book. This is...here's a pasta, here's a different kind of cheese, here is gourmet deliciousness and if you think about, sure you can call it mac & cheese! 

Incredibly unique flavor combinations (I would NEVER have come up with these...ever!), wonderful color pictures, and a lovely history and explanation on cheeses, this cookbook is one I will be getting myself in hardcover. (As stated above, I have an eARC from Netgalley).  Many of the recipes use cheeses that you will need a specialty store for; I know for certain that my local super market does NOT carry a lot of the goat cheeses, or anything other than some of the "staple" cheeses. If you're looking for dishes that impress, dishes that are delicious, dishes that evoke comfort food while looking super fancy? This is it, folks. 

I took some screenshots from my kindle for you as a sneak peek into the book. Please remember that this is an electronic ARC and therefore may not reflect what the final book looks like: 

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The few recipes I tried were simply delicious and rich and flavorful...and so not what I was expecting from a book called "MELT: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese."  I really was expecting an admonishment for making Kraft Mac & Cheese and instead make homemade style, and add bacon to be fancy! Look at the Campo De Montalban! Either as a main course or a side, this is rich flaky crust with a burst of flavor in the middle. There's even an udon dish! 

Yes, definitely on my list for Xmas -- both as a gift and for myself! 

At the time of this blog post, hardcover is $18 on amazon!