For me, cooking is a hobby that serves many purposes. It's a way to relax, and it can be pure fun to make something new. I also use it show my love for others, for I've never been good with words. Lately, I've been cooking as a way to challenge myself: I like to attempt to make people's favorite foods. Perhaps, there's a people-pleaser part of me, too, that seeks approval.

In any case, since Philadelphia still remains a relatively new city for me, I don't have many people to cook for except my brother, Christopher Pham. For those of you that know him, he eats simple foods that you would expect a 7-year-old child to enjoy. That leaves me cooking decidedly non-Paleo fare. A couple of weeks ago, I made orange sherbet for instance.

One of his favorite foods is macaroni and cheese. This particular version is extremely creamy featuring lots of butter, evaporated milk, and a mix of chedder and gruyère cheese. To add some crispyness, I topped it with toasted bread crumbs. Thankfully, he thought it was pretty good, perhaps, slightly better than his usual Kraft variety.

After some more iterations, I've settled on this recipe, The Best Macaroni and Cheese. It's not quite the best when followed literally, though. First, I use a blend of 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 Monterey Jack cheese. Also, the baking time needs to be modified. Proceed with the first 5 minutes according to the recipe. After the second 5 minutes, add the remaining milk and cheese. It's done after another 5 minutes. All in all, the baking time is cut in half.