Where did it come from?
My wife and I are hosting our first annual casserole party in about a week. We are expecting at least a dozen entries in the event. So, while I've been scouring thrift shops looking for pyrex prizes, I started to think about the history of macaroni and cheese. Call it what you like , macaroni and cheese, mac & cheese, or mac 'n cheese, it is still a staple in the American diet.
Most histories trace the origins of this dish to 14th century Italy. After Marco Polo returned from the Orient with pasta, it seems only natural that the Italians would add cheese. The pasta cheese concoctions of Italy spread around Europe and perhaps, came to the colonies with the English settlers. Thomas Jefferson is credited with a macaroni and cheese concoction at a dinner in the White House in 1802. Jefferson became enamored with pasta while an ambassador to France for the newly established United States of America. There are records indicating that he had a pasta machine at Monticello. In the 1800's, recipes for mac & cheese started appearing in cookbooks. In 1937, Kraft introduced their first dinner in a box; it was Kraft Dinner Macaroni and Cheese. The spread of this dish took off beyond all expectations. During World War II, the rationing of meat added another boost to this meatless entree.
Jefferson wasn't the only president to enjoy mac 'n cheese. Ronald Reagan was a big fan, too; check out Nancy's recipe. Alton Brown is one of my heros; here is his recipe. Martha Stewart gets lots of press for her "Perfect Macaroni and Cheese".
You better get to the kitchen and try one of these or your own version.
It's the only time I can bring myself to eat Velveeta -- which by the way is the only perfect cheese for macaroni. Just don't read the label and pretend its the real thing (using denial as a life force), and you won't believe the results.
ReplyDeleteHhmmm! Yummy!!
The main reason that I enjoyed Velveeta as a youth was because it allowed me to use that cool cheese cutter that made perfect (or near perfect) slices for a grilled cheese samdwich. It had a wire cutting blade and a roller guide for perfect slices every time. What a great kitchen tool!
ReplyDeleteOne of the disappointments of growing up in the 50's and moving on out of that cocoon is the realization that not everything comes as easily as Velveeta -- or so perfectly.
ReplyDelete