American
Food – The Melting Pot
In light of the isolationist and xenophobic policy, border and cultural
debates that ravage all out news feeds nowadays I ponder the culinary
question of the times; what is American Food?

We
live in the largest cultural melting pot of foods the world has even
known. As the lines between all the vastly different cooking cultures
have really started to blur in recent history (pretty much from the
mid 1980’s onward) our collective American food culture has begun
to evolve exponentially. As more people immigrate to the US from
around the world they bring their unique flavors to our melting pot,
our food experiences grow, our options increase, our culture become
richer. It is a wonderfully exciting time to be cooking and eating in
America, not just because there is access to so many different food
cultures, traditions and increasingly available ingredients but
mainly because there are no longer any clear division lines or rules
between the different cultural influences among the younger
generation of cooks and eaters.

The
increasing freedom our generation has to break away from the ghost of
“authentic” or “traditional” flavors, ingredients, recipes
etc. has really expanding the melting pot mentality of our culinary
artist pallet. Flavors and ingredients can be mixed and matched in
some very interesting ways. You can have things like Thai flavors in
your southern fried chicken or kimchi on your grilled sausage. There
are no borders or limits, the only real requirement seems to be
flavor. If it tastes good, who cares where it came from? It is
American now, our diversity is our strength.
Mac
& Cheese
Macaroni
and Cheese is one of the ultimate American comfort foods. Instantly
inspiring feelings of warmth and nostalgia from childhood with its
familiar and reliable smell, taste and texture. The real issue I have
always had with mac & cheese is that over the years it has become
thought of more and more as a low quality at home fast food. Quick,
simplistic and unrefined filler. Something that comes out of a box
with either powdered or vacuumed sealed
cheese
like
sauce.
The sticker that reads “Made with
REAL
cheese!” is always dubious at best and its bright unnaturally
orange coloring is less than appetizing.

True
mac & cheese is actually somewhat of an involved, even laborious
process to make. No one aspect of its preparation is particularly
difficult, but will take you some time and effort to put together. It
should be complex in its interplay between creamy, cheesy, firm, soft
and crunchy components despite its humble status as simple comfort
food.

Nothing
compares to a handmade dish of mac & cheese from scratch. I have
tried a number of different cheese combinations in this recipe and
you should also feel free to experiment, but this version is my
favorite. Preparing it well for someone is pure affection on a plate.
You
will need:
  • 1
    LB of elbow macaroni
  • Unsalted
    Butter (about half a stick, plus extra for greasing)
  • 1/4th
    cup of white flour
  • 3
    Cups whole milk (cream top is best)
  • ½
    LB 5+ year
    extra
    sharp cheddar, shredded
  • ½
    LB Spicy Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
  • 1
    Cup Bread Crumbs from a day old crusty loaf of good French bread
  • Red
    Pepper Flakes (optional for more kick)
  • Salt
    and Pepper

Start
by preheating your oven to 350⁰. Lightly grease a casserole
dish/oven proof bowls/ pan with butter.
Bring
a large pot of lightly salted water to boil, add the macaroni, stir
well and boil for no more than 6 minutes to par-cook. Immediately
drain and shock the macaroni with cold water to stop the cooking
process, drain again and set aside. This will allow the pasta to soak
up the cheese sauce during the baking process without turning soggy.
In
a separate pot bring the milk up to a light simmer over medium heat.



Return
the large pot to the stovetop on medium heat. Add about 4 tablespoons
of butter and once melted quickly whisk in the flour. Reduce to low
heat and continue to gently whisk the butter for two min without
allowing the flour to brown. Bring the heat back up to medium and
slowly whisk in the heated milk, bring it eventually up to a low
boil. Remove from heat and stir in both cheeses until combined into a
rich, thick and even consistency. Combine the cheese mixture with the
drained par-cooked macaroni. Add salt and pepper (optional red
pepper flakes) to taste.

In
a small pan heat up the remaining butter until melted. Spread and
macaroni evenly into the cooking dish/bowl/pan and top with a
generous amount of bread crumbs. Drizzle the melted butter evenly
over the top of the bread crumbs.

Bake
until golden brown, bubbly and the pasta is fully cooked (30-40 min).

Serve
hot.   

About

J.Nevadomski is an accomplished musician, artist, art director and gallery curator from Rochester NY. He has recorded with musicians from all over the world for his project “The Fragile Path” and is a veteran artist whose paintings have been featured in galleries, newspapers and exhibitions throughout Western NY. In 2012 he was the “artist guest of honor” at RocCon: Rochester’s Anime, Sci-Fi and comic book convention. He is on the board of directors for Flower City Comic Con (FC3) serving as art director, is the resident curator for the art gallery at Bread & Water Theatre. He lives in the Park Ave area of Rochester, keeps a yearly urban vegetable garden and regularly cooks and hosts dinner parties for friends and colleagues. 


This article originally published by The Rochester Insomniac Magazine, Updated June 2019.


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