Food & Drink: Winter is the season for that ultimate comfort food, macaroni and cheese Food & Drink: Winter is the season for that ultimate comfort food, macaroni and cheese (February 02, 2005)

By Jane Knoerle

Almanac Lifestyles Editor

It's an American classic ... right up there with meat loaf and mashed potatoes. Kids love it. Fancy restaurants feature it. And Stouffer's sells a ton of it.

Macaroni and cheese even has books written about it. "More Please, Macaroni & Cheese" by Deanna Keahey and Steve Kilner (Plexcentric Corp., $15.95) serves up a variety of macaroni and cheese dishes and is loaded with recipes.

"Macaroni & Cheese" by Joan Schwartz (Villard Books, $15.95) includes 52 recipes, "from simple to sublime." In "Cooking for Comfort" (Simon & Schuster, $24), Marion Burros' latest cookbook, a photo of macaroni and cheese is featured on the cover.

Macaroni is defined as tube-shaped pasta of various lengths. However, there are other forms, including shells, twists and ribbons. The best-known tubes are elbow, mostaccioli, penne, rigatoni and ziti. It is made with semolina and water and, traditionally, does not contain eggs.

The word macaroni is from the Italian maccheroni and dates to the 16th century. Italians bake macaroni and other pastas with cheese, but they don't make the dish with cheddar, as in typical American macaroni and cheese.

"More Please, Macaroni & Cheese" includes 111 "fun and delicious" dishes with step-by-step instructions for 11 cooking styles. Charts illustrate how to mix and match 27 cheeses, 16 toppings, 14 flavorings and 17 pastas.

There's also silly stuff, such as a grilled macaroni and cheese sandwich and macaroni apple crisp.

While macaroni and cheese recipes have dozens of variations, many of us still prefer the dish the way our mothers made it. A 1950s "Betty Crocker Cookbook" lists 12 macaroni "supper dishes," including "Easy Macaroni and Cheese." Billed as the "simplest kind of dish," it's the way my mother made it: layering boiled macaroni and cheddar cheese, pouring milk over it, dotting it with butter, and baking it in the oven.

Instead of sharp cheese, however, Mom used Velveeta. Regarding Velveeta, the authors say: "Melts well and has lots of flavor, but very sticky to eat. You may love it or hate it."

The authors print their favorite version of macaroni and cheese, which is homemade with fontina, cheddar, Worcestershire and a touch of cayenne.

The book's first chapter is titled "When you've got the time, think outside the box." It's true, homemade mac and cheese is superior, but the blue box is a lifesaver for starving college kids or mothers of fussy 4-year-olds who would eat pasta at every meal. To give boxed macaroni a better taste, they advise going with a brand that uses real cheese, adding cheddar cheese, or using an extra packet of cheese.
At Oak City

While we consider macaroni and cheese a down-home dish, it goes uptown at Oak City Bar and Grill in Menlo Park. Mac and cheese gratin has been on the menu since Oak City opened in July 2003.

"My mother and my grandmother made this," says the restaurant's executive chef Kerry Scheley of the dish, which is made with white cheddar, parmesan and Swiss cheese and topped with garlic herb croutons. "I used to pick off the hot croutons when the dish came out of the oven," she recalls.

As an entree, the macaroni and cheese gratin ($13) looks as if it could feed three hungry teenagers. A side order is $7.

The dish is a great favorite, says Ms. Scheley. "Almost half our customers order it (as entree or side dish). I'll never be able to take it off the menu." It's also a popular take-out item.
Down home

Back in the home kitchen, Debbie Eagle of Menlo Park often fixes individual packets of Kraft's Easymac for her daughter Jessica, age 3.

"If all else fails, try pasta," she says.

Ms. Eagle also makes grown-up macaroni and cheese for dinner with her husband, Scott. She prepares a pound of elbow macaroni according to directions, then makes a white sauce with melted butter, flour and milk. After adding a 16-ounce package of Mexican-style shredded cheese, she jazzes it up with diced green chiles or jalapenos.

"Sometimes I add frozen peas or throw in a can of tuna, depending on what I have in the kitchen."

She sprinkles the dish with bread crumbs and bakes it at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

"With a salad, it's a complete meal."
Try this at home

In the interest of scientific research, I tried a 79-cent box of Trader Joe's macaroni and white cheddar cheese. The box says: "Not Just for Kids. Macaroni and Cheese is made without the blaring orange color or artificial cheese found in supermarket brands."

Cooked according to directions, it's not bad, but it's much better with some doctoring. I added a diced tomato, one cup of whole milk (instead of two tablespoons of low-fat), minced parsley, ground pepper, a splash of Tabasco, a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese (any cheese you have on hand will do), and baked it in the oven at 425 degrees until it was golden brown on top.

It tasted great and made enough for three entrees. This is a thrifty dish when you consider a package of Stouffer's macaroni and cheese serves two and sells for $3.29 at Safeway. At upscale delis, macaroni and cheese is $6 a pint.

Made from scratch or fresh out of the box, macaroni and cheese is classic American fare. Try making this comfort dish for your family on one of these long winter nights.
Basic macaroni and cheese

"The Betty Crocker Cookbook" Boiled macaroni (8 oz. uncooked) 2 tablespoons butter 1-1/4 cups cut-up or shredded sharp cheese 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 cups milk Paprika

Layer ingredients in buttered 9-by-12" baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve hot from baking dish. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Favorite macaroni and cheese

"More Please, Macaroni & Cheese" 8 oz. dried elbow macaroni 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 1-1/2 cup milk 1-1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded 1-1/2 cup fontina, shredded 1-1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/8 teaspoon cayenne Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons Italian breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.

In a saucepan melt butter, stir in flour to make a roux. Cook, whisking constantly, for three minutes. Add milk slowly while whisking. Cook sauce until slightly thickened. Stir both cheeses into sauce until melted. Add Worcestershire and cayenne until thoroughly blended. Stir macaroni into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spray baking dish with non-stick spray. Transfer macaroni and cheese to baking dish, spreading evenly.

Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter, then sprinkle on top of dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crumbs are lightly browned. Serves four to six.
Macaroni and cheese

"Cooking for Comfort" 1 cup diced onion 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups low-fat milk 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 10 oz. extra-sharp white cheddar, grated Salt and pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 8 oz. corkscrew pasta 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cook onion over low heat in melted butter until soft, but not brown. Stir in flour. Remove from heat and whisk in milk until thoroughly blended. Return to medium heat and stir until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in mustard and the 10 ounces of cheddar, salt, pepper, nutmeg and hot pepper sauce. Cook pasta until just al dente. Drain, but do not rinse. Stir into the prepared cheese sauce until well-blended. Spoon mixture into a 9-by-13" baking dish. Top with remaining two ounces of cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until mixture is hot, bubbling throughout and golden.
Tomatoey Mac and Cheese

"Macaroni and Cheese" recipe from Mitchell Davis 1 pound penne 4 tablespoons butter, plus extra for baking dish 1/2 pound extra-sharp cheddar cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/2 pound mild cheddar cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes, roughly chopped with their juice 2 tablespoons sugar Pinch of kosher salt Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Cook pasta until just al dente, two or three minutes less than the package directions. Drain in a colander but do not rinse. Return pasta to the pot and stir in 4 tablespoons butter. Add the cheeses, tomatoes and sugar, stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly buttered 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Pile high; it will hold.

Bake at 375 degrees on the middle shelf until top is brown and crisp and the casserole is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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