RV Life - Back Issues

Comfort Food

Most everywhere in our country this time of year, the greens of summer have slowly passed from sight. The leaves have changed colors—the maples, like a sunrise, have turned a radiant scarlet, and aspen gold brightens the riverbanks.

Autumn has arrived and is in its full glory, and above it all is the incredible steely blue sky that we see on a perfect October day.

I have always loved autumn. It’s a time of reflection on a summer past. It is a time that always brings happy memories of completed tasks and warm feelings of thankfulness. Autumn is a beautiful time in many ways.

It is in the fall that we may get interested in some classes, find time for that book now that all the summer company has gone, or pull out the maps for a new area to investigate in the RV. And, if we are on the road, we may hunt up some of our favorite old sites to visit once again. It is this time of year that we may tire of the barbecued veggies and cedar plank fish and desire some old-fashioned “comfort food.”

Just what is “comfort food?” They say it is a matter of taste. Comfort foods may remind us of some pleasant time of childhood or may represent the things we were denied as kids.

All comfort foods have some things in common, though—they are a bit old-fashioned, and they are satisfying, cheering and soothing.

An all-time favorite comfort food is macaroni and cheese—that bubbling, crusty, creamy concoction. Surprisingly this is not a typical American dish, but rather an old Italian way of preparing pasta. The Italians, particularly those around Naples, claim the patent on this heavenly dish.

But it was Thomas Jefferson who introduced it to the South after his return from France. He served it at the White House in 1802. The idea of baking pasta with cheese and white sauce is Italian, but when the cheese is cheddar rather than mozzarella, it is American.
Here’s a recipe from Jefferson’s Monticello cookbook—boil 2 cups of macaroni, add 1/4 pound of grated white or yellow cheese and 1/4 pound of butter. Bake in a 350-degree oven about 15 minutes.

Here’s an excellent macaroni and cheese dish that’s a little more involved:

MACARONI AND CHEESE
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons of butter
5 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook elbow macaroni until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water; set aside. In a large pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat; add flour, whisking until smooth. Pour in milk, heated until steaming, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until sauce is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir in grated sharp cheddar cheese, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked macaroni and stir gently to mix. Spoon into buttered 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and dot with 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven until bubbling and brown, about 35 minutes. Serves four.

Macaroni and cheese may be comfort food, but it needn’t be humble food. It can be dressed up in many ways. It can be made Mexican-style with chorizo sausage, cumin, green chilies, olives and Longhorn cheese added. Or German-style by adding garlic sausages or Kielbasa, spicy mustard, caraway seed and Swiss cheese.

In the Northwest we have added our own flavor to our macaroni and cheese dish:

NORTHWEST MACARONI AND CHEESE
1 pound of macaroni
7 tablespoons of butter
4 1/2 tablespoons of flour
3 cups of milk
1 cup of heavy cream
4 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled
5 ounces of extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 ounces of Gouda cheese, grated
2 ounces of Parmesan cheese, grated

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a small pan; stir in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly and taking care not to brown. Combine milk and heavy cream and scald. Add to the butter mixture and bring to gentle boil while stirring. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add crumbled goat cheese and extra-sharp grated cheddar and stir until melted. Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste. Cook macaroni according to the directions on the package. Drain and place in a large warm bowl. Add cheese sauce and stir in grated Gouda cheese and 1 ounce of grated Parmesan cheese. Transfer to buttered baking dish, sprinkle with 1 ounce of grated Parmesan and dot with 1 tablespoon of butter. Bake in 375-degree oven about 30 minutes. Will serve 4-6.

GOURMET MACARONI AND CHEESE
2 1/2 cups of macaroni
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 pound of processed cheese (Velveeta)
2/3 cup of sour cream
1 1/3 cup of cottage cheese
2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups of soft breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of butter
Dash of paprika

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain. Place in 2 1/2 quart greased casserole. Melt butter; stir in flour. Mix well and add milk and cook over medium heat until thickened. Add salt, sugar and cheese. Mix sour cream and cottage cheese into sauce. Pour over macaroni and mix all together. Sprinkle cheddar and crumbs over top. Dot with butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake in 350-degree oven 45-50 minutes. Serves 6.
We all have our own ideas of what comfort food is. For certain, it is the food that warms both body and soul, and makes us feel happy, safe and sound. And usually it is an old-fashioned heartwarming favorite—for me, it is macaroni and cheese with its creamy interior and crisp golden topping.

HINTS OF THE MONTH: Store cheese in a cloth wrung out with water for extra flavor and freshness. To prevent mold, store cheese in a tightly covered container with some sugar cubes. Cottage cheese will remain fresher longer if stored upside down in the refrigerator. Brush a little oil on the grater before starting to grate and the cheese will wash off the grater more easily. A dull knife works much better than a sharp one for slicing cheese. Warm the knife when cutting cheese, and the cheese will cut as easily as butter. n