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Stephen Piorkowski of Delmar, who won the home-cooks competition at the first Mac-n-Cheese Bowl in 2010, emerged victorious again last weekend during the eighth annual event, when his Stephen's Best Italian-American Mac and Cheese with Meatballs was chosen by judges as the best among 11 entries by home cooks. Piorkowski's recipe is below.

Druthers Brewing again won first place in both people's-choice voting and from the judges, repeating last year's results. The brewpub, with locations in Albany and Saratoga Springs, continued a streak of several years of being at or among the top finishers of the competition, a benefit for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. Wolff's Biergarten in Albany also won two awards — best display and second place in people's-choice voting. Slidin' Dirty in Troy took third place.

Final numbers won't be available for at least a week, but estimates suggest the event, held at Siena College in Loudonville, attracted about 1,900 people and should bring the total raised for the food bank up to about $300,000 over eight years.

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Stephen's Best Italian-American Mac and Cheese with Meatballs

Makes 6 to 8 servings

By Stephen Piorkowski of Delmar

For the mac-n-cheese:

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 bay leaf

3 cups milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar

1 1/2 cups mozzarella

2 1/2 cups macaroni

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 1/2 cups panko

Meatballs with tomato sauce (see recipe)

Heat oven to 375 degrees and butter an 8- to 10-cup-deep casserole dish.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Blend in flour and add bay leaf; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Pour in 1 cup of milk, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and is very thick. Pour in the rest of milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly, until sauce comes to a full boil and is smooth. Whisk in mustard.

Reduce heat to low, stir in cheese until melted. Remove bay leaf; season with salt and a dash of cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook macaroni for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain well. Stir into cheese sauce until well coated.

Pour into a prepared casserole dish, layering with meatballs and sauce

In a bowl, toss melted butter with panko and sprinkle over top. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is lightly browned.

Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

1 pound ground beef, such as chuck with 20 percent fat

1/2 pound ground veal

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 slices firm white bread, crusts removed and cut into ¼-inch cubes

3/4 cup milk

1 cup grated Romano

4 cups marinara sauce of choice

3 tablespoons olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix together the beef, veal and eggs. Add the breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, salt, garlic and pepper, mix well.

Add bread pieces to another mixing bowl. Add the milk and let it sit for 5 to 7 minutes or until the milk is nearly absorbed. Add the bread to the meat and use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix it well. Stir in the grated cheese

Refrigerate until the meat mixture is firm.

With a small teaspoon or cookie scoop, add a generous scoop and roll into a ball with your hands and put on a lined cookie sheet or baking tray. Once finished, place all the meatballs in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

While meatballs chill, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat roasting pan with olive oil, add meatballs and roast 20 to 30 minutes to brown. Add to marinara sauce and cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

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