Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Mac & Cheese History ~ Sheet Pan Mac 'n Cheese ~ National Mac and Cheese Day

  

Good 55º clear sunny morning. 

 

Yesterday we topped at 96º.

 

 

Picture of the Day...architecture failure!

 

 

Interesting about Mac & Cheese

 

 

Macaroni and cheese—also called mac and cheese in the United States and macaroni cheese in the United Kingdom—is a dish of cooked macaroni pasta and a cheese sauce, most commonly cheddar. It can also incorporate other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs or meat.

 

Traditional macaroni and cheese is a casserole baked in the oven; however, it may be prepared in a sauce pan on top of the stove or using a packaged mix. The cheese is often first incorporated into a Béchamel sauce to create a Mornay sauce, which is then added to the pasta. In the United States, it is considered a comfort food.

 

History

Pasta and cheese casseroles were recorded in the 14th century in the Italian cookbook, Liber de Coquina, which featured a dish of Parmesan and pasta. A cheese and pasta casserole known as makerouns was recorded in the 14th-century medieval English cookbook, the Forme of Cury. It was made with fresh, hand-cut pasta which was sandwiched between a mixture of melted butter and cheese. The recipe given (in Middle English) was:

Take and make a thynne foyle of dowh. and kerve it on pieces, and cast hem on boiling water & seeþ it well. take cheese and grate it and butter cast bynethen and above as losyns. and serue forth.

This is the above recipe in modern English:

Make a thin sheet of dough and cut it in pieces. Place them in boiling water and boil them well. Take cheese and grate it and add it and place butter beneath and above as with losyns [a dish similar to lasagna], and serve.

 

The first modern recipe for macaroni and cheese was included in Elizabeth Raffald's 1769 book, The Experienced English Housekeeper. Raffald's recipe is for a Béchamel sauce with cheddar cheese—a Mornay sauce in French cooking—which is mixed with macaroni, sprinkled with Parmesan, and baked until bubbly and golden.

To dress Macaroni with Permasent [Parmasan] Cheese. Boil four Ounces of Macaroni ’till it be quite tender, and lay it on a Sieve to drain, then put it in a Tolling Pan, with about a Gill of good Cream, a Lump of Butter rolled in Flour, boil it five Minutes, pour it on a Plate, lay all over it Permasent Cheese toasted; send it to the Table on a Water Plate, for it soon goes cold.

Another recipe from 1784 stated that the small tubes of macaroni must be boiled, then drained in a sifter before being moved to a frying pan. Heavy cream is then added to the macaroni along with a "knob of butter" rolled in flour, and it must be cooked for five minutes before being transferred to a dish and topped with toasted Parmesan and pepper. The famous British Victorian cookbook Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management included two instances of "Macaroni, as usually served with the Cheese Course". One of them states:

The macaroni, (which should be "tender but perfectly firm, no part being allowed to melt, and the form entirely preserved" – lest one be tempted to cook it for so long it actually disintegrated) is then topped with more cheese, pepper, and breadcrumbs, before receiving a final dose of melted butter for good measure and being placed before a "bright fire" to brown the crumbs, or grilled with a salamander broiler.

In the United Kingdom, during the 2010s, it has seen a surge in popularity, becoming widespread as a meal and as a side order in both fast food and upmarket restaurants.

US history

The US president Thomas Jefferson and James Hemings, his slave, encountered macaroni in Paris and brought the recipe back to Monticello. Jefferson drew a sketch of the pasta and wrote detailed notes on the extrusion process. In 1793, he commissioned the US ambassador to France William Short to purchase a machine for making it. Evidently, the machine was not suitable, as Jefferson later imported both macaroni and Parmesan cheese for his use at Monticello. In 1802, Jefferson served "a pie called macaroni" at a state dinner. The menu of the dinner was reported by Reverend Manasseh Cutler, who apparently was not fond of the cheesy macaroni casserole. Nevertheless, since that time, baked macaroni and cheese has remained popular in the United States

 

A recipe called "macaroni and cheese" appeared in the 1824 cookbook The Virginia Housewife written by Mary Randolph. Randolph's recipe had three ingredients: macaroni, cheese, and butter, layered together and baked in a hot oven. The cookbook was the most influential cookbook of the 19th century, according to culinary historian Karen Hess. Similar recipes for macaroni and cheese occur in the 1852 Hand-book of Useful Arts, and the 1861 Godey's Lady's Book. By the mid-1880s, cookbooks as far west as Kansas and Festus, Missouri, included recipes for macaroni and cheese casseroles. Factory production of the main ingredients made the dish affordable, and recipes made it accessible, but not notably popular. As it became accessible to a broader section of society, macaroni and cheese lost its upper-class appeal.

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

You can count on lots of crispy edges when you make our recipe for Sheet Pan Mac 'n' Cheese! If your regular macaroni and cheese recipe is getting too routine, then you'll love this unique way of making a classic, cheesy, favorite. This is one the whole family will cheer for!

 

• 1 (16-ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup crushed butter crackers

 

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.
3. In the same pot over medium heat, combine soup, milk, 2-1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, the mustard, salt, and pepper; heat 4 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in eggs. Add macaroni and mix until evenly coated. Spoon onto baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
4. In a small bowl, combine crackers and remaining 2 tablespoons butter; mix well. Sprinkle over macaroni and cheese.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let sit 5 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

 

 

 

Historically this date......

1881 – Billy the Kid is shot and killed by Pat Garrett outside Fort Sumner.

 

1969 – The United States $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills are officially withdrawn from circulation.

 

2000 – A powerful solar flare, later named the Bastille Day event, causes a geomagnetic storm on Earth.

 

2002 – French President Jacques Chirac escapes an assassination attempt unscathed during Bastille Day celebrations.

 

2003 – In an effort to discredit U.S. Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, who had written an article critical of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Washington Post columnist Robert Novak reveals that Wilson's wife Valerie Plame is a CIA "operative".

 

 

And births this date include....

1910 – William Hanna, American animator (d. 2001)

 

 

 

 

 

1911 – Terry-Thomas, British actor (d. 1990)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1913 – Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States (d. 2006)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1923 – Dale Robertson, American actor (d.2013)

 

1930 – Polly Bergen, American actress (d.2014)

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Thursday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

One of the classic comfort foods earns a place of honor on July 14th. It is National Mac and Cheese Day!

Made with macaroni noodles, cream or milk, and the golden goodness of cheese, mac and cheese shines as a side dish while also standing on its own as a main dish. This meal reminds many of us of home while also teaching us the basics of the kitchen. What other recipes allow us to create so flamboyantly and often with so little knowledge about cooking?

From the classic mac and cheese with cheddar or American cheeses to the spicy cowboy mac with bacon and jalapenos, there’s a combination for everyone. Mix up the cheeses or load up on seasonings. It’s easy to get a toasty crust by setting the broiler for a couple of minutes at the end of the cooking time.

Mac and cheese offers a multitude of ways to enjoy it, too. As a soup, it warms us up after a long day. Stuff it inside a meatloaf or a burger for a meal made for a hungry, busy family. Roll up bite-sized bits in bread crumbs and deep fry for mouthwatering appetizers. Put your favorite mac and cheese between two slices of crusty bread. Then put into a panini press for some grilled yumminess. Whether we like it mild or spicy, mac and cheese has us covered.

Besides being simple to make, mac and cheese enables us to experiment with other flavors we enjoy. We break into our kitchen skills with mac and cheese, and it makes us look good. Sometimes the can opener doesn’t do that. On July 14th, celebrate mac and cheese not only because we love to eat it, but because it taught us we can cook, too.

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Enjoy some mac and cheese! Experiment with different cheeses or try it with toppings. Don’t hesitate to break out of your normal routine. This is no time to be ho-hum. It’s a celebration of a food that’s not only convenient but is versatile and delicious, too.