Comfort Food: Mom's Homemade Macaroni & Cheese plus Sex In A Mug

No matter how you slice it, unless it's one of Granny's peerless meatloaves (I feel another hub coming...), nothing beats good ol' Mac & Cheese as one of North America's Top Ten Comfort Foods. From that first crunch of of crispy topping, to the last succulent, creamy-cheesy morsel, macaroni and cheese is without equal in the makes-my-mouth-feel-good department.

Coming from a line of great cooks - this is no time for modesty - Granny was a great cook - I have had to step up my game to stay in the race. Honorable mention is, to my gang, like Emeril missing his fifth star. That tends to elevate the quest for tasty recipes beyond the casual hobby-level search, almost into the almost-insatiable-quest category.

Some of my fondest memories of Ottawa revolve around shopping day. Every Saturday, Dad would load us all in the car. He drove, Mom occupied the front passenger seat, and we perched decorously in the back, our ears ringing with admonitions against talking too loudly, asking for anything, distracting our father from his driving, and, on some Saturdays, talking at all.

It was a great relief to all when we were finally old enough to be left at home to babysit our youngest sister. To be sure, we missed the magic of clean wide aisles full of untold treasures. Most of those treasures never made it into our shopping cart. I am sure I owe the good health I enjoy today at least in part to my parents' shopping habits. At the time, though, I'm sure they were more concerned with their budget and feeding three growing girls, than with the long term health effects of the forbidden foods.

One of the best things about shopping day, from then on became the triumphal return of the shoppers, nearing supplies for the coming week. No Arctic exploration was ever awaited with greater interest. No bales and bundles from a desert caravan were unwrapped with greater anticipation.

After the bags were emptied, the margarine mushed, and cans, cartons, and fresh foods miraculously cleared each into its appropriate storage, the initial excitement died down. Now there was only one major event left in the day - not counting being allowed to watch TV during supper...in the living room!...on TV trays! (My parents would eat at the table, happy I'm sure, to have some child-free grown-up conversation for a change, and we were delighted to be allowed to eat on our own, so the arrangement suited both us and them.)

Before I regale you with the other event, I must address the margarine mushing. Anyone who lived in Ontario (and perhaps some other places?) will recall that the law required all margarine to be sold with no color. Yes, that's right. To protect the dairy industry, margarine came in one color - white. It looked just like lard - yuck!

Most producers were aware that few of us would consider buying such a product, let alone actually consume it, so they cleverly included a pouch of food coloring that, when thoroughly mixed in, gave their product the rich yellow hue of freshly churned butter. At least, that was the theory...

In practice, some of the methods of mixing were messy, involved an inordinate expenditure of tme and effort in the dispensing, mixing, and cleanup, and the resultant streaky, unappetizing blob was quite unappealing as a food product.

One clever margarine manufacturer came up with the ingenious idea of packaging his oleo in large, heavy duty plastic bags with a button of food coloring built into the inside of the plastic. Once the buttons membrane was ruptured, the bag could then be squeezed and manipulated, mushing the contents about to spread the color evenly through the margarine.

To watch my dad massage that bag was to see a true master at work. We would lean our elbows against the kitchen table, staring entranced as he squished the vile white substance back and forth in its plastic casing until the initially orange-red streaks spread throughout the bag and the whole mass became suffused with a bright yellow glow.

Ah, yes - you remember I mentioned the color thing..? Not only were the manufacturers forbidden to sell colored margarine, any coloring to be added to their product by the consumer was forbidden to impart the same lovely color as butter. Not for us the delicate hues of churn-fresh goodness - we enjoyed a slightly day-glow substitute. Ah, the price of progress.

Every once in a while, the bag would malfunction, and we would flee. The whole mass would be unceremoniously dumped in a mixing bowl to be attacked with a spatula. Our mother refused to allow her big green Mix-Master to be used for such a mundane task - besides this was "man's work" - at least at our house.

The other great event was the mac and cheese casserole coming out of the oven just in time to be enjoyed with "The Adventures of Zorro" or "The Count of Monte Christo".

Mom's Mac & Cheese

You will need:

• 4 - 6 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups milk, or 3 cups water plus 1 cup condensed milk
• 2/3 cup soft buttered crumbs

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Grease a large shallow casserole and place a layer of macaroni on the bottom,
• Sprinkle with cheese and seasonings.
• Continue to layer until all ingredients are used evenly in the layers. (3 layers works well)
• Pour milk over all
• Bake at 350° for 40 minutes
• Stir several times to ensure even cooking
• When macaroni is cooked and almost all the milk is absorbed, top with cheese slices and buttered crumbs
• Casserole is done when crumbs are lightly browned and crunchy and cheese is bubbly.

Serves 6 to 8

To make buttered crumbs, combine 2/3 cup of bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons of softened butter and mix.

Variations include:

• a three cheese blend of Emmental, Gruyere, and any good aged white cheddar
• cubed sweet ham, and green onions
• add crumbled bacon to buttered crumb topping

One can attempt a low fat, non-artery hardening version of this dish, but I highly recommend trying it at least once in all its original glory before turning to law-fat cheese, and skim milk.

I have already offered this recipe in a forum post, but it is soooo good I felt it should be included as a new entry into the Comfort Foods category. The friend who sent this evil concoction to me added to her recipe box under desserts as "Sex In A Mug", and she highly recommends it.

You will need:

• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips or (optional)
• a small splash of vanilla extract and a dash of your favorite tipple
• 1 large coffee mug
• a fork for mixing
  

Method:

• Add dry ingredients to your largest mug and mix well
• Add the egg and mix thoroughly
  Pour in the milk and oil and mix well
• Add the chocolate chips (if using), vanilla extract and a drop or two of your favorite tipple, then mix again
• Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high)
  The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed
• Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired

This will serve two, if you are inclined to share, and if you are feeling quite decadent, you can pour a generous splash of Bailey's Irish Cream over the warm cake and serve with French Vanilla Ice Cream.

Some topping combinations:

• toasted coconut and Fudge Ripple Frozen Yogurt
• a drizzle of Kirsch and sliced fresh strawberries
• homemade Hot Fudge topping and Marron Glace (candied, preserved chestnuts)
  
• a generous splash of Triple Sec and fresh peach slices

The combinations are as infinite as your imagination.

..and why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?

Because now you are only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Bon Appetit!