Bacon, scallions, tempe, roasted red peppers, pairings of my noodle & sauce masterpieces with local wines -- the list goes on. What you'll find here is an obsession with perfecting me. To tell you the truth, I couldn't be more pleased than cheese at the situation. Long live the infamy of Mac 'N Cheese as a classic American dish.
History
Sure, we all know that pasta has its origins in Italy. The same is true for the case of Macaroni & Cheese; the recipe of which can be traced back to the 14th Century with an appearance in Liber de Coquina, one of the oldest medieval cookbooks. My early life as a casserole dish was illustrious as I was considered very fashionable and enjoyed "upperclass" status (in places like Paris and Italy) well into the 18th century. It was around this time that I impressed the palate of a certain American statesman and began my climb to a hall-of-fame caliber dish.
Who was that mysterious man who commissioned a Macaroni making machine to be brought from Paris to America so that he could get his fix? Oh, just the main author of the Declaration of Independence and 3rd president, Thomas Jefferson. By 1802, I was making appearances at state dinners and in 1824 I was included in the most influential cookbook of the 19th Century, "The Virginia Housewife" by Jefferson's cousin, Mary Randolph.
It's clear that I've been around for a long time and my rise to the top has been intertwined with revolutionary events, the Industrial Revolutions (see Marseilles Purifier, hydraulic presses, and steam powered mills), and the rise of the our modern capitalist and consumer society (see Kraft Dinner & Velveeta). With all of this history and tradition, I can say that I am pleased to see that my repertoire of meal time adventure has been expanding of since the 1990's. Not only do I happen to be mainstay of the classic american eatery but now entire establishments, like Mac! Mac & Cheesery and Herb's Mac Cheese in Portland, are dedicated to my glory.
For this I have three words, "Thank You, America"
Most of the information (i.e. that not linking from somewhere else) came from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroni_and_cheese)
Who was that mysterious man who commissioned a Macaroni making machine to be brought from Paris to America so that he could get his fix? Oh, just the main author of the Declaration of Independence and 3rd president, Thomas Jefferson. By 1802, I was making appearances at state dinners and in 1824 I was included in the most influential cookbook of the 19th Century, "The Virginia Housewife" by Jefferson's cousin, Mary Randolph.
It's clear that I've been around for a long time and my rise to the top has been intertwined with revolutionary events, the Industrial Revolutions (see Marseilles Purifier, hydraulic presses, and steam powered mills), and the rise of the our modern capitalist and consumer society (see Kraft Dinner & Velveeta). With all of this history and tradition, I can say that I am pleased to see that my repertoire of meal time adventure has been expanding of since the 1990's. Not only do I happen to be mainstay of the classic american eatery but now entire establishments, like Mac! Mac & Cheesery and Herb's Mac Cheese in Portland, are dedicated to my glory.
For this I have three words, "Thank You, America"
Most of the information (i.e. that not linking from somewhere else) came from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroni_and_cheese)
Tradition
In case you missed this on my cohort's page, Mr. Cheesesteak, Merriam-Webster defines Tradition as
"To bake or not to bake" -- that may be my ultimate question. I'm also curious about the sauce factor. Some tend to make it creamy and some more crumbly and dry. Others focus on the add-in items like as bacon, bread crumbs, and jalapenos. And still other scientists of the trade have faith that the cheese they choose to chew on is of the widest and stinkiest varieties. One thing we know for sure, is that a delicious meal, based on the time honored trifecta of ingredients is sure to please.
- a : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)
b : a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable - the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
- cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
- characteristic manner, method, or style
"To bake or not to bake" -- that may be my ultimate question. I'm also curious about the sauce factor. Some tend to make it creamy and some more crumbly and dry. Others focus on the add-in items like as bacon, bread crumbs, and jalapenos. And still other scientists of the trade have faith that the cheese they choose to chew on is of the widest and stinkiest varieties. One thing we know for sure, is that a delicious meal, based on the time honored trifecta of ingredients is sure to please.
Consumption
As there is no real right or wrong way to enjoy my noodles and sauce, it shouldn't surprise anyone that as the scientific method is being utilized to find new and undiscovered taste varieties. Other advancements in the field are also occuring. You might be asking yourself, "What does this Mrs. of Mac mean by this?" Well, like the elite edible entrepreneurs out there, my dish has started thinking 'outside the box' and the bowl.
You can now find me in the following shapes and sizes:
You can now find me in the following shapes and sizes:
- In a ball
- On a stick
- Fried into a log
- Puffed into a pastry
- Baked on top a pizza
- Topping for a sandwhich
- The main part of a sandwhich
- As a salad
- As a desert
- ...more to come as we find them out there in the world
To find out the benchmarking standards of mac 'n cheese and how the metrics, which this website will judge all future mac 'n cheese by, visit our METRICS & BENCHMARKING PAGE.
Happy Eating!!
