I found cheddar!!!

Seriously, the cheese section at Korean supermarkets is as large as the kimchi section in American ones. They mostly have just processed cheese and mozzarella. Recently, a few swiss and brie varieties have popped up.

But now, I have finally found cheddar cheese at the E-Mart here in Anyang. Of course, it’s more expensive than in the U.S., but not grotesquely so. I bought a good 12 oz.* block of it.

It sat in the fridge for a while, and one night while walking home, I decided to make something I hadn’t had in a long time, Welsh Rabbit.

I had started getting into a British food freak out before leaving for Korea, and I remembered one pub making it on some great bread with a slice of fried bacon and a slice of ripe tomato.

My pace quickened. Then another brainstorm hit. Since I have cheddar, I can also make macaroni and cheese. I truly missed this essential comfort food.

Oh man, which should I have?

Thought occurred.

No way, really? Hmm”¦ It might just work.

I got home and proceeded to make a roux with a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of flour over medium high heat. I then poured in a quart of milk and stirred constantly to make a basic white sauce, for about the time it took to drink one beer. I also had some elbow macaroni boiling in salted water.

When the sauce started bubbling, I cubed the cheddar and gradually added it. Each time I added a little, I stirred until it blended with the sauce.

One ingredient I didn’t have on hand for making Welsh Rabbit was dry mustard. I read some recipe on the internet that suggested substituting with prepared mustard. So I added a squirt of yellow mustard, a cup of beer, and a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, along with some salt and black pepper, tasting it until it tasted just right.

Next, I added the drained macaroni, stirred, and when it started bubbling again, I took it off the heat and served it with diced tomatoes as garnish.

Turned out pretty good. I had made a lot, and I ended up eating it for meals and snacks for a week, and I didn’t get tired of it.

* I guess 12 oz. because everything’s metric here. I honestly didn’t check the weight on the package, but it was around the size I remember 12 oz. blocks of cheese were.