Mac and Cheese

Because we all need a bowl of oozy comfort carbs right now.

A week or two ago I had an online chat with a pal in Canada. Don’t panic I’m not entering my political era. She’d discovered a new to her writer, also an aussie icon of literature. I, somewhat shamefully, admitted I’d never read any of her work. The writer’s breakthrough novel, now considered a classic, was indeed around when I was in high school but such was the way of my alma mater that we only read the older classics, think Of Mice and Men, The Chysalids and that frighteningly dystopian Brave New World. Interestingly tomes to reflect on now but as is my way I digress. In reflecting on Australian literature, I offered a somewhat unpopular and perhaps even unsophisticated one that I wasn’t always a fan of our literary fiction often not reaching for it. It was my contention that it can often be dark and introspective to a point of leading to melancholy and disappointment at society. She, gratefully, met my observation without judgement and indeed some empathy comparing her to a Canadian writer of like stature.

Ironically this conversation left me in a somewhat introspective state, ruminating as I do, over my perception and reading proclivities. I used to read such work revelling in my choices and how clever was to have such intelligent, sharp, observational work on my bedside table. Had I even taken furtive smug glances at my reading pile in the mornings as I headed off to my day? Surely not. There was the odd lighter tome in there, holiday reads so to say. Have I become literarily shallow? Well probably, but all those escapism reads set in faraway locations celebrating the happy endings and life affirming resolutions for characters that were largely likeable is a good thing right? I’m still reading, exercising the grey matter and avoiding the scroll every time I pick up the Kindle. Yes, I’m an e-reader but that’s a conversation for another day.

Soon after this chat another took place adding to my rumination. Out for dinner with friends the topic of retirement came up. In planning such a transition we talked about the differences between men and women and hobbies that stimulate our minds and occupy our time. My friend commented that his wife could sit for hours and read a book seeing that as a good day while he thought of those hours as the biggest waste of time imaginable. I was aghast, surely not. My highly intelligent friend thought of such an intellectual pursuit as unworthy of time. The conversation rolled on in my head.

Whilst reading, in all its forms, provides much occupation of my time the procrastiscroll does however still pervade my day. I came across this post by another writer, Kate Forster, via another favourite. I don’t always click through stories after the snippet the abbreviated length affords but this one caught my attention. Now it does go for 4 minutes so if you’re busy park it ‘til later but do find time to have a watch if you can. Essentially though Kate is talking about joy in turbulent times, you don’t need me to prattle on about the turbulent bit, there’s enough commentators out there doing that without me adding to the noise. But what Kate does do is shine a glow, shall we say, not a glaring light but a gentle highlight on the winds that prevail at the moment and then goes on to list all the ways we can find joy. And there it was!! My lightbulb moment.

Reading like many facets of lives has seasons. We seek comfort, enrichment, enlightenment, entertainment and yes even introspection at times in the pages of our books and reading preferences. When young, perhaps we reached for a romance novel daydreaming of being swept off our feet, at other moments we may have sought understanding of the world in historical works offering insight into how we may have arrived where we are, and all the genres and variations in between.

At the route of it all, for me at least, is comfort and often joy. And don’t we always need that in one way or another? I’d always thought it was entertainment and enlightenment. But really getting lost inside the pages of a book, regardless of it’s contents, offers sanctuary and at the moment escapist joy.

Like comfort reading so too can food provide comfort as we all well know. The pages of my blog is full of comfort dishes meaningful to both me and my family. Sometimes such food is essential to getting through a bad day or tricky time, or ‘season.’ Sometimes it’s just plain nice. Nice to eat for no other reason but that it tastes bloody good and makes you smile.

As a child, if I’d understood that concept and been able to name a dish it would 100% be macaroni cheese. I’d love to be able to wax lyrical about my mother spending hours in the kitchen lovingly stirring and nurturing an oozy gooey pot of delicious creamy sauce and carbs but I’d be lying. It was the seventies and Kraft was king and they’re Macaroni Cheese was the work of gods to my child’s palette. Not the one with sachet of orange powder but the one with a can of cheese sauce stirred through hot pasta with butter. They had a way with cheesy things those Kraft folk.

Well these are indeed more enlightened times and my skills a little wider than those required for the blue box of cheese laden carbs (as much as I’m sure I’d still inhale it if it were put in front of me) but my love for those oozy gooey noodles has not waned. A bowl of Mac and Cheese and a good back, what better, cosy salve for trying days is there than that combo?

Ingredients:

250 gm small shaped pasta such as macaroni or elbows

1 Tb olive oil

120gm or 2 full rashers of bacon finely chopped

1 shallot or ½ a small brown onion finely diced

½ tsp paprika and freshly ground nutmeg

¼ tsp mustard powder

1 Tb finely chopped parsley

50 gm unsalted butter

3 ½ tsp plain flour

½ cornflour

1 c each, full cream milk and cream combined and warmed in the microwave, keep it simple

150 gm melty flavourful cheese, I use cheddar and reggiano but you use what you have so long as it’s melty and oozy. If you have it in the fridge it’s obviously one you like.

½ cup breadcrumbs, I prefer crunchy panko ones.

1 tsp olive oil extra

Method:

Cook pasta according to packet instructions to aldente, we want a tiny bit of bite left in it. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 210c fan forced.

Over medium heat, warm the olive oil in an ovenproof pan. Fry off bacon until just starting to brown. Reduce heat to low and add shallot sauteing gently until translucent. This will only take a minute or two. Add spices and parsley, fry off briefly then add butter. Cook until completely melted and foaming. Sprinkle in flours whisking constantly to lightly cook the flour. Now gradually add warm milk mixture whisking constantly again to prevent lumps forming. By the time all the milk is added it will seem like a very thin sauce, allow it to simmer until it starts to bubble and thicken to the consistency of custard. Shower 100gm of the cheese in stirring all the time until cheese is completely melted. Season to taste with salt and, if you have it, white pepper to taste, this is best done after cheese addition so it doesn’t become too salty.

Tip pasta into the pan, stir well and spread evenly in pan.

In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs and extra olive oil, massage oil through, then add the remaining 50 gm of cheese. Sprinkle this even over the pasta and cheese, and splash happily with a flourish of extra olive oil.

Pop in the oven for 10 min, serve straight away.

If you want to prepare ahead do everything up to adding the breadcrumbs and refrigerate. To cook, remove 30 mins before cooking then sprinkle over breadcrumb mixture and bake.

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Reading:

~Unashamedly, a highly comforting rom com full of joy and Australian, Special Delivery Leesa Ronald. Endearing characters, set in gorgeous Orange NSW and life affirming. A very happy read.

~Also unashamedly, more italian food from Guy Mirabella’s new stunner Pranzo. Because in life there’s two types of people, those who are are Italian and those who wish they were and I sadly am the latter.

Cooking:

~All the sweet lovely things in The Baker’s Book. I know I’ve mentioned it before but gosh she’s beautiful and definitely deserving of one more mention.

~This super easy Fig and Almond Cake from the one and only Emelia Jackson. It’s all the things, easy (yay) and figgy.

How will you find JOY this weekend? Drop your ideas in the comments below and let’s all help each other find more of it,

S x