The Fine Art of Mac and Cheese
Among the emblems for the convenience food approach to home cooking, the slender box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese holds a special place. Chances are that you'll find a package lurking somewhere in most American families' cupboards, especially those with little children. Is this such a bad thing? Reasonable people can disagree on that question. On one hand, one could argue that macaroni and cheese from a box is relatively healthy compared with a lot of things kids eat these days and requires a bit more care and preparation than, say, opening and heating a can of ravioli.
In the ideal world that KGI envisages and is working to create, though, more people would have both the time and the skills to prepare simple dishes like macaroni and cheese from scratch. They would do it because it tastes better. What would you rather eat, a version made with tangy hand-grated cheddar cheese (ideally from a local farm) or one made from powdered cheese "product" coming a mystery farm and factory? There's no comparison.
But, beyond taste, there are larger issues such as the importance that society accords to food and who controls the food supply. When we expect our meal to be come together miraculously within 15 minutes each night, we are saying that food and, ultimately, our health are not worth our time and effort.
Similarly, the decision to open a box of pre-mixed, processed food that we are capable of making ourselves is a decision to outsource our cooking and health to large multinational food companies (Kraft, for example, is part of Altria, the global food, candy, and cigarette company, yes the same one that makes Marlboro cigarattes) rather than taking responsibility ourselves. In doing so, we delegate those same companies to make a number of important decisions on our behalf such as "what ingredients will be used?", "where will those ingredients come from?", "what methods will be used for producing and processing the ingredients?", and "how will those who produce the ingredients - humans and animals alike - be treated and compensated for their work?"
In the spirit of promoting greater levels of food self-reliance, we would like to encourage you to see macaroni and cheese not merely as a quick and dirty dinner, but as opportunity for culinary artistic expression. Julia Moskin of the New York Times has written an article to help get you in the mood. Below are a couple of different recipes you might try, depending on whether you're looking for a creamy or crunchy experience.
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
½ pound elbow pasta, uncooked.
Procedure:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon butter to butter a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
2. In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together. Reserve ¼ cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.
3. Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Crusty Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
12 ounces American cheese or cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
1 pound elbow pasta, boiled in salted water until just tender, drained, and rinsed under cold water
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Salt
2/3 cup whole milk.
Procedure:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Combine grated cheeses and set aside two heaping cups for topping.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top, dot with remaining butter and bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom.
Yield: 8 to 12 servings.
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Recipes adapted from the New York Times
