…this DJ might just be my kindred spirit.

To wit:

Who’s your favourite band/artist at the moment?
I’m totally loving the new album of covers from Seal which is due to be released soon.

Favourite song from the 1990s?
Again, I’m gonna have to go for a top five as of today, as I constantly change my mind!

1. Ace Of Bass – Life is a Flower

2. All Saints – Under The Bridge

3. Wet Wet Wet – Goodnight Girl

4. Take That – Pray

5. Jamiroquai – Virtual Insanity

Anything else you would like to tell us?
Any ideas how I can get rid of this rash??

UPDATE: Crikey, he’s on Twitter. Here’s a sample of the real-life DJ Smashie:

Okay, so its not even 7 and I’m ready for bed! I’m turning into an old man! Pretty lame ehh?! lol ;-)

As I said, kindred spirits.

My Mum rarely made macaroni cheese when I was younger, I guess because it was so similar to salmon mornay and she felt I should get all the iron I could possibly consume after returning from school one day when I was 13, claiming I was a vegetarian. When I was about 14 or 15, and Mum had presumably had an early shift that day (she’s a nurse) I attempted to make macaroni cheese to take to school for lunch.

Sitting under our usual tree on the front lawn of the school, I pulled out my tupperware container and started eating my improvised mac ‘n cheese. My friends were curious why I was eating pasta with grated cheese on top – I explained it was macaroni cheese, that I’d made myself. They all hooted with laughter and said it may have the two title foods – macaroni pasta and cheese – but that it was nowhere like what their Mums made them.

Here’s my homage to that summery Australian lunchtime.

Recipe – inspired by Laura Silver’s.

- enough pasta for however many you’re serving to (my local Sains had sold out of macaroni, so I used fusilli instead. I’m no shape racist)
- handful of button mushrooms
- handful of chopped broccoli and cauliflower
- tablespoon or two of plain flour
- scoop of butter
- two cups of milk
- whatever strong cheese you’ve got. I used stilton and boursin in mine
- breadcrumbs
- milk powder (not essential, but I always use it with breadcrumbs for an extra-crusty top)

Cook the pasta in a saucepan. Make a bechamel sauce my frying the butter in a saucepan, then sprinkling in the flour. Mix quickly, then pour in the milk slowly while still pouring. Crumble in the varying cheeses – I used about 300g in total. Boil the mushrooms, broccoli and cauliflower – or whatever veggies you’re using, if any.

Drain the pasta and veggies when cooked, then put in the oven-proof dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over, and mix well. Grate breadcrumbs and sprinkle milk powder lightly. Cook for 20mins or so, until brown on top.