Christine Catino of Derry is the owner and executive chef of Kiss the Cook Macaroni & Cheese (Facebook.
com/kissthecookmacandcheesetogo), a new business she launched last month that offers homemade traditional and gluten-free macaroni and cheese free of artificial ingredients. After owning her own catering business for 22 years, which offered comfort foods like fried chicken, lasagna and calzones, she decided she wanted to focus on perfecting one item that all of her customers would order. Working out of Creative Chef Kitchens in Derry, Catino uses Barilla-brand elbow pasta and four cheeses — Monterey Jack, Colby Jack and two types of sharp cheddar cheeses — for her macaroni and cheese. She also offers a gluten-free macaroni and cheese and is currently working on a vegan option. Kiss the Cook Macaroni & Cheese is at the Salem Farmers Market (224 N. Broadway, Salem) every Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; starting on Nov. 3, the market will move indoors to the Mary A. Fisk Elementary School (14 Main St., Salem). You can also order onepound, three-pound, seven-and-a-half-pound or 25-pound party trays of macaroni and cheese online through the Facebook page. Pickups are available at Creative Chef Kitchens if ordered at least a day in advance, or Catino can ship orders frozen overnight or deliver to Derry and its surrounding towns.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
My barbecue hot gloves, because I use them to mix the mac and cheese in a skillet.
What would you have for your last meal?
Potato gnocchi and a nice glass of red wine.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
Blue House [Pizza & Roast Beef]. They are in Derry and Salem. I also love to go to Luicilious in Salem for their smoothies and bowls. They give me a good healthy power boost, [which keeps] me going when I am in the kitchen working long hours.
What celebrity would you like to see trying your macaroni and cheese?
Patti LaBelle. I love her and her pies.
What is your favorite type of cheese for macaroni and cheese?
Any cheese that Cabot makes. I like to use both the sharp cheddar and an extra sharp one that they call the Seriously Sharp cheddar.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I’m seeing more and more people going for more local and organic [options]. My goal for this business was to provide a nice homestyle dish with no additives, and all of my packaging is biodegradable too. It can go either in the microwave, the freezer or the oven.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
I was raised in an Italian home, and it was always pasta pasta pasta. One of my most favorite meals to make at home is linguine with white clam sauce.
— Matt Ingersoll
Recent Comments