Macncheese

Okay, let me say right up front that I KNOW I'm stepping on sacred ground here. Mac n cheese is one of those "kid foods" that, lets face it, none of us ever put behind us, the way we might have put behind other things. We all ate it, in one form or another when we were kids. When we see it on a menu, we're tempted. Sometimes we even have it. And it's always good, isn't it? Sort of like a big hug, or being wrapped in an afghan? But you know what? It's a "home dish" that has, very much been lost, except for special occasions. I know that there are families for whom thanksgiving is unthinkable without mac and cheese, and turkey is expendable. But do they eat it during the rest of the year? If they do, it's from a retaurant, or that ghastly bright orange stuff from a box. In a way, it may be a good thing to keep the good stuff for the holidays. That's what makes it special. I don't cook turkey outside of thanksgiving, but then again, I could do without the turkey myself.

So, to mac and cheese. For a dish that appeals to us for its "simplicity," this is not that simple a dish to make. No sireee. It's very easy to assume that, since it's called "mac and cheese," that's what it is. Two ingredients.

Nope. And of course, because we all have learned to shake that disgusting orange "stuff" into the pot of boiled pasta, how hard can it be?

Well, it's not "hard." It DOEs take time. And if you do it right, it's not cheap. And let's face it boys and girls: this ain't temple food.

So what? Let's make some. I'm going to spell it out as clearly as I can, and I REALLY want you to make it.

You're going to need a half cup of flour, a stick of unsalted butter, a quart of whole milk, a pound of good cheese (more on this below), and a pound of dried pasta (again, more on this below). You'll also need a 9x13 inch baking pan. There are options you can add, but I'll save that until we get there.

We start by grating cheese. For me, when all is said and done, and after having tasted and made all kinds of blends of cheeses, there is ONE lodestar, and that's cheddar. Extra sharp, yellow cheddar. I SWEAR I can tell the difference between it and white cheddar. I probably can't, but I believe I can. Get one of those three sided graters, and shred the cheese on the wide hole side. It's gonna take a while. Sneak a handful of it (I know you want to), and then put it away so you have enough for your dish (ok. Take a little more).

Now, we're going to make our old friend, bechamel. While you're doing this, start bringing a big pot of water to a boil. To make the bechamel, melt the stick of butter in a big pot. Use low heat, so it doesn't burn. When it's melted, stir in the flour. I use a spoon, rather than a whisk, because it's going to clump. No ifs, ands or buts. Cook it for a few minutes and then start pouring in your quart of milk, little by little, stirring it into the roux you've just made. It will, eventually smooth out, and at low heat, it will begin to thicken and bubble. Lower the heat if you need to. You don't want this to bubble over. Stir it and cook until it's as thick as, say , warm pudding. Now, stir in just about all that cheese. Save a handful (NO, not to eat you pig), and off the heat, stir it until it melts into the bechamel. Taste it, and start adjusting if you need to. Need more salt? Pepper? HOw about a squirt of mustard (yes, please, and always dijon). At this point, some people like to add diced green chiles, or pimientos, or olives or other things. I can pretty much handle the green chiles, but nothing else. It's up to you. You'll have just about a quart and a half of sauce. Cover it, and wait until the pasta water comes to a boil, and then add your pasta with a spoon of salt . Now, on the pasta, you can use any chunky shape you like. I have to fess up. Here I'm an absolutist. I use fusilli. ONLY fusilli. I have tried the traditional elbows, I've tried rigatoni, (sounds like a song coming on. But I'll refrain). But I'm the one enslaved to fusilli. You need not be. My second favorite, interestingly, is orecchiete. You're going to cook this only for about five minutes, because it's going to finish cooking in the oven. Now, after five minutes, I want you to scoop out about a cup of the pasta water, and dump it into your bechamel. This will thin it. And take a cup of the sauce, and pour it over the bottom of your baking pan, and spread it out. Drain the pasta, and put it back in the pot, off the heat. Stir in your cheese sauce. You'll be coating the pasta, and it may seem wet. That's ok. It should be wet at this point. If you want to put in some MORE protein now, like sausage, or bacon, or ham, now is the time to do it. I usually don't. Pour it all into the pan, right on top of that layer of cheesy bechamel.

Now, that handful of cheese you saved and didn't eat (OOPS. You did eat it, didn't you?). Well, if you still have it, sprinkle it over the pasta. Get it in the oven , preheated to 400, and let it bake away, for at least twenty minutes. Take a look at it, and when you see bubbling around the edges, and a slight browning, it's done. You can cook it more, if you like it toastier and darker, but you dont have to. You can also turn on the broiler for a few minutes and get a really strong crust on the top of it. Again, this is optional.

But you're really done here. This makes a lot, but "a lot " is a relative term. Guy and I have plowed through a pan of this in two days. It's THAT good.

How about making it? I would serve it with a very light salad, with a simple vinaigrette dressing. Crispy white wine is nice with this, so is a fruity red wine, like zinfandel, but you know what I like best with mac and cheese? Beer. A very cold, lager is my favorite mac and cheese beverage.

The thing about this stuff is that it really doesn't keep all that well, RELATIVE TO HOW IT COMES OUT OF THE OVEN, and that's a GOOD thing, because you know what you can do with the leftovers.

Fry them. OH YEAH (that OH YEAH was for you Andrew). Cut cold squares of the stuff and drop it into a pan of hot butter or oil, and fry it till it's crispy on one, and then the other side. Then sit there and say "you know, I really shouldn't be eating this." Then eat it anyway. Eat up every single bit of it. Enjoy it. And then eat temple food the next day