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The ultimate comfort food

When life gets tough and leaves me longing for a sense of security and
contentment, I escape to my kitchen and cook my favorite comfort food: a
big bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese.

Long considered a Depression-era food, macaroni and cheese actually dates
back to the late 18th century. Our third president, Thomas Jefferson, is
credited with introducing the dish to America. The story goes that
Jefferson returned from a trip to Italy with a pasta maker and recipe for
macaroni coated with cheese. Originally made with equal amounts of grated
Parmesan and butter, it would later feature the standard Cheddar and
bechamel sauce. Reputedly Jefferson's favorite meal, this casserole was
served at Monticello, his Virginia home, and also at parties in
Washington.

Although considered a luxury item reserved for the rich, macaroni and
cheese did appear in Mary Randolph's "The Virginia Housewife" in 1824.
Her
housekeeping and cookery book instructed readers to "boil the macaroni
with
milk and water." After cooking and draining the macaroni, they should
then
place it in a bowl and cover the top with cheese and butter.

By 1851, the recipe had evolved into a richer, cheesier dish featuring
alternating layers of Parmesan, butter and macaroni. According to Jean
Anderson in "The American Century Cookbook," the first saucy macaroni and
cheese appeared in 1915 in the "Larkin Housewives' Cook Book."

These bargain entrees sustained not only Depression-era families but
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also every person I knew in college in the late 20th century. Whipped up
in
our dorm rooms, our mac and cheese came in a blue box courtesy of Kraft
Foods. I no longer contribute to this astonishing statistic; for me,
homemade has trumped the box.

Making it from scratch couldn't be easier. While the elbows cook, I stir
together equal parts flour and butter in a medium-sized pan over
medium-low
heat. In other words, I make a roux. To this I slowly add milk, which
transforms my roux into a bechamel sauce.

While the sauce simmers, I sprinkle in grated cheese of choice and a dash
of ground white pepper and allow the ingredients to bubble away for a
minute. By this point my macaroni should have reached al dente, a firm
but
not hard consistency and the ideal level of doneness for this dish.

After draining the pasta, I tumble it into the sauce and stir the two
together. At this stage I could cook the macaroni and cheese for another
minute and then serve it. I could also spoon it into a buttered baking
pan,
dot the top with bread crumbs, and bake for 30 minutes. Cook on the stove
or bake in the oven? The decision is a matter of time and taste.

Likewise, personal taste plays a role in what cheese stars in my entree.
Often I choose a high quality, aged, sharp cheddar and mix it with a
little
Parmesan. For more intense flavor I select a mixture of Cheddar and
Gruyere.

At the macaroni and cheese-only restaurant S'Mac in New York's East
Village, Sarita Ekya opts for such cheeses as Cheddar, Muenster,
Provolone,
American and pepper Jack. All these cheeses melt well, she says.

"If you use a harder cheese, pair it with a softer cheese for better
melting and a creamier consistency," says Ekya, who owns and runs S'Mac
with her husband, Caesar.

When it comes to ingredients, I tend to be a purist and stick with the
basics. However, chefs across the country have jazzed up this comfort
food
with a variety of pastas, meats, vegetables, herbs and cheeses.

Macaroni, Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese 2 cups elbow macaroni 3 Tblsp.
unsalted butter 2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour 2 cups skim milk 6 oz. goat
cheese, broken into small pieces 3 4 cup Cheddar cheese, grated 1 4 tsp.
ground white pepper 1?1 2 cups tomatoes (roughly 2 medium-sized
tomatoes),
seeded and diced 1 Tblsp. fresh basil, finely chopped 1 3 cup bread
crumbs
Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Following the directions on the package,
cook the macaroni until al dente. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan
melt 2 tablespoons of butter then add the flour, whisking until well
combined. Cook the roux for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Over medium
heat slowly add the milk to the roux, stirring to incorporate. Cook
together until slightly thickened. Add the cheeses and ground pepper to
the
liquid. Stir periodically until well combined then remove from the heat.
Drain the macaroni. Tumble it into the pan with the cheese sauce and mix
them together. Add the tomatoes and minced basil and stir to evenly
distribute macaroni, cheese, tomatoes and basil. Melt the remaining
tablespoon of butter and pour it over the breadcrumbs. Mix together until
the crumbs are coated with butter and then sprinkle over the top of the
macaroni and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes at which time the
bread crumbs should be golden and the macaroni and cheese ready to eat.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Stovetop Macaroni and a Cheese Quartet 2 cups elbow macaroni 2 Tblsp.
unsalted butter 2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 1 cup Cheddar
cheese, grated 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated 1 2 cup Parmesan
cheese,
grated 1 4 cup Romano cheese, grated Dash of ground white pepper Curry
powder, optional garnish Hot paprika, optional garnish Following the
directions on the package, cook the macaroni until al dente. Meanwhile,
in
a medium-sized saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter then add the flour,
whisking until well combined. Cook the roux for 5 minutes, stirring
frequently. Over medium heat slowly add the milk to the roux, stirring to
incorporate. Cook together until slightly thickened. Add the cheeses and
pepper to the liquid. Stir periodically until well combined and then
remove
from the heat. Drain the macaroni. Tumble it into the pan with the cheese
sauce, stir them together and allow the mixture to cook for 1 minute over
medium heat, until the sauce has thickened. Spoon into bowls and serve
immediately with an optional sprinkling of curry powder or hot paprika on
top. Makes 4-6 servings.

Macaroni, Mushrooms and Gruyere Cheese 1 Tblsp. olive oil 1 4 cup diced
yellow onion 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, de-stemmed and cut into
small pieces 1 2 tsp. salt 2 cups macaroni (see note) 2 cups skim milk 2
Tblsp. butter 2 Tblsp. flour 2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated 2 cups white
Cheddar cheese, grated 1 Tblsp. butter, melted 1 3 cup bread crumbs
Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8- by 8-inch baking dish and set
aside.
In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the onion
and
cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms and salt;
stir
and saute until softened. Remove from heat and set aside. Following the
directions on the package, cook the macaroni until al dente. Meanwhile,
in
a medium-sized saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter then add the flour,
whisking until well combined. Cook the roux for 5 minutes, stirring
frequently. Over medium heat slowly add the milk to the roux, stirring to
incorporate. Cook together until slightly thickened. Add the cheeses.
Stir
periodically until melted and well combined. Add the pasta and stir until
well combined. Tumble in the shiitakes and stir once again until evenly
distributed. Spoon the macaroni, mushrooms and cheese into the prepared
baking dish. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and pour it over the
bread crumbs. Mix together until the crumbs are coated with butter and
then
sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for
30 minutes at which time the bread crumbs should be golden and macaroni,
mushrooms and cheese ready to eat. Makes 4-6 servings. Note: This is a
great recipe in which to use fun varieties of pasta, such as ditalini.


http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/livi...th/ci_11937138

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--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
>
> The ultimate comfort food
>
> When life gets tough and leaves me longing for a sense of security and
> contentment, I escape to my kitchen and cook my favorite comfort food: a
> big bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese.
>

**snipped long post about mac n cheese**

> Peace! Om

Macaroni and cheese is my ultimate comfort food as well. I decided to do a
little Clean Out the Fridge Mac and Cheese on Monday evening for dinner. I
did it the same as the article: started with a roux then added milk and
cheese. I used an aged sharp white cheddar, a little american (not
processed cheese food block or singles), a chunk of neufchatel and a "tich"
of romano. Put it all in a baking pan and topped the hotdish with grated
parmesan and panko bread crumbs and baked it all to a golden bubbly. It was
yummy and just the comfort I needed.

Jinx

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
> In article >,
> "Jinx Minx" > wrote:
>
>> "Omelet" > wrote in message
>> news
>> >
>> > The ultimate comfort food
>> >
>> > When life gets tough and leaves me longing for a sense of security and
>> > contentment, I escape to my kitchen and cook my favorite comfort food:
>> > a
>> > big bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese.
>> >
>>
>> **snipped long post about mac n cheese**
>>
>> > Peace! Om
>>
>> Macaroni and cheese is my ultimate comfort food as well. I decided to do
>> a
>> little Clean Out the Fridge Mac and Cheese on Monday evening for dinner.
>> I
>> did it the same as the article: started with a roux then added milk and
>> cheese. I used an aged sharp white cheddar, a little american (not
>> processed cheese food block or singles), a chunk of neufchatel and a
>> "tich"
>> of romano. Put it all in a baking pan and topped the hotdish with grated
>> parmesan and panko bread crumbs and baked it all to a golden bubbly. It
>> was
>> yummy and just the comfort I needed.
>>
>> Jinx
>
> That sounds really wonderful. :-) I've never made a roux to make mac
> and cheese. I need to try that next time I need a starch cheat!
> --
> Peace! Om
>
> Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
> It's about learning to dance in the rain.
> -- Anon.

Yeah, it's not one of my normal ways of making m&c but I wanted to try
something different and I had a ton of cheese remnants and bits I wanted to
use up. I'd make it again this way, but next time I'd probably add a little
more romano or parmesan to it to give it just a little more tang. The crust
was the best part.

Jinx

In article >,
"Jinx Minx" > wrote:

> "Omelet" > wrote in message
> news
> >
> > The ultimate comfort food
> >
> > When life gets tough and leaves me longing for a sense of security and
> > contentment, I escape to my kitchen and cook my favorite comfort food: a
> > big bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese.
> >
>
> **snipped long post about mac n cheese**
>
> > Peace! Om
>
> Macaroni and cheese is my ultimate comfort food as well. I decided to do a
> little Clean Out the Fridge Mac and Cheese on Monday evening for dinner. I
> did it the same as the article: started with a roux then added milk and
> cheese. I used an aged sharp white cheddar, a little american (not
> processed cheese food block or singles), a chunk of neufchatel and a "tich"
> of romano. Put it all in a baking pan and topped the hotdish with grated
> parmesan and panko bread crumbs and baked it all to a golden bubbly. It was
> yummy and just the comfort I needed.
>
> Jinx

That sounds really wonderful. :-) I've never made a roux to make mac
and cheese. I need to try that next time I need a starch cheat!
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

In article >,
"Jinx Minx" > wrote:

> >> Macaroni and cheese is my ultimate comfort food as well. I decided to do
> >> a
> >> little Clean Out the Fridge Mac and Cheese on Monday evening for dinner.
> >> I
> >> did it the same as the article: started with a roux then added milk and
> >> cheese. I used an aged sharp white cheddar, a little american (not
> >> processed cheese food block or singles), a chunk of neufchatel and a
> >> "tich"
> >> of romano. Put it all in a baking pan and topped the hotdish with grated
> >> parmesan and panko bread crumbs and baked it all to a golden bubbly. It
> >> was
> >> yummy and just the comfort I needed.
> >>
> >> Jinx
> >
> > That sounds really wonderful. :-) I've never made a roux to make mac
> > and cheese. I need to try that next time I need a starch cheat!
>
> Yeah, it's not one of my normal ways of making m&c but I wanted to try
> something different and I had a ton of cheese remnants and bits I wanted to
> use up. I'd make it again this way, but next time I'd probably add a little
> more romano or parmesan to it to give it just a little more tang. The crust
> was the best part.
>
> Jinx

I'll bet it was! Mom only ever used cheddar and/or jack.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.