Macaroni and cheese has
been around longer than 1937 when the Kraft Company put it inside a small blue
and yellow box. Traveling back in time
to Italy again, remember, those Romans invented meatloaf, with two versions of
the origin.
13th Century
Neapolitan cooks were using a recipe called “de lasanis”, sounds a lot like
lasagna and for good reason. Fermented dough
sheets were cut into two inch strips, boiled in water, drained and tossed with
grated Parmesan cheese. Whole sheets
were also used as a layer between other layers of cheeses and spices, an early
version of lasagna.
However, Thomas
Jefferson’s daughter, Mary Randolph, is credited for making the American
version of macaroni and cheese. After
visiting Italy, Jefferson brought back a pasta making machine, and a recipe for
a pasta dish, using Parmesan cheese. His
daughter changed the recipe and substituted Cheddar, as Parmesan wasn’t readily
available in Virginia. Jefferson was
fascinated with Italy’s culture and cuisine, and named his home Monticello
(pronounced Mont-eh-chello (like the musical instrument – Cello). Its translation is “hillock” or “little
mountain; in 1888, founding residents of Monticello, Utah (there are 16
Monticello towns in the USA) adopted the name for their town, but its
pronunciation is Mon-ti-sel-o. What can
I say, Americans are hooked on phonics!
Why do we love macaroni
and cheese so much? It goes back to
basic needs for nurturing and comfort.
The taste, smell, texture allows our brain to remember memories long
past of being held, comforted, protected.
Then again, put a load of chilies or hot sauce in macaroni and cheese to
kickstart memories of wild times that felt just as good as the comforting ones.
Basic recipe for macaroni
and cheese typically uses one cheese, but my recipes usually aren’t
typical. Depending on how creative I
feel like being, it could be 2-3-4, even 5 cheeses; made in a pot on the
stovetop, or baked in the oven for a slight browning and crisping on top. No matter how many cheeses used, it always
begins with the making of a roux (fat plus flour), adding milk to create béchamel
sauce (white sauce), then the mixing in and melting of the cheese(s).
The recipe I’m going to be
giving is for the stovetop, but can always be spread into a baking dish for
getting that browned, crispy topping. I
named this version of my mac n' cheese "Heart Attack Mac n' Cheese"
for a very good reason; anyone who tried it said, "Eat this mac n' cheese
every day, and you'll end up having a heart attack!" I used a friend as a guinea pig, who shared
some with her son; she asked if there was any way she could get more. I considered that request a great complement
in itself, so of course gave her another container full. By the way, I break a rule on making the roux
by not using equal parts fat with flour, but once you taste this, forgiveness
is easily given. One more thing, as I'm
making the sauce I'm also cooking up the elbow macaroni; that way it all comes
together piping hot and fresh.
Ready for a heart attack?
Heart Attack Mac n' Cheese
Ingredients:
16 Tbsp. salted butter
1 cup flour
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp paprika
4 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded Monterey
Jack cheese
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 cups shredded, extra
sharp Cheddar cheese
6 cups cooked large elbow
macaroni
Preparation:
In a large saucepan, melt
the butter on medium-high heat (make sure to watch and not let burn or brown);
begin whisking in the flour until well incorporated. Continue whisking for five minutes as the
roux begins to turn a golden color. Add
in the black pepper, sea salt, paprika, heavy cream and milk; bring to a
boil.
Immediately add in the
Monterey Jack cheese and begin whisking until smooth; add in the goat cheese,
whisk until smooth; repeat with the Cheddar cheese, but one cup at a time.
If you took my advice and
cooked the macaroni while making the sauce, drain it, but put it back into the
pot it was cooked in. Once you begin
adding the cheese sauce, the heat from the pot will keep it from clotting
around the drained pasta.
Mix it all together gently;
you don't want to smash or break apart the macaroni. Now serve it up and enjoy; and we found out
that even eaten cold, it was delectable!
Servings? Good question and I'm
going to estimate 12 to 16. While I
could only eat a half cup before going into "this is so good!!!"
shock, Roy was able to eat a whole cup full and still want more.
Mary Cokenour
