Hey, Mom! I Got My Lunch From a Couple Guys in a Truck Today!

I wouldn't generally condone just accepting food from someone off the street.  Unless of course the food in question comes out of a giant truck with a cast iron skillet painted on the side.

That, my friends, is the Southern Mac.

They cruise around town, bringing happiness and carbs to the people of Chicago.  I, for one, love carbs, so these guys are awesome in my book.

I'm on board with the mac-in-a-truck idea for a few reasons (not least of all that it's not cafeteria food).  It's convenient.  It's fast.  It's pretty darn economical (six bucks for regular mac, but hey, it's big enough for two meals...and it's not cafeteria food).  And it's delish.

Ah, yes...the Classic.

The guys have a couple options to choose from on the truck, and I almost got a mushroom-truffle concoction.  I plan on getting fancy-dancy macaroni next time, but to truly measure a food truck's worth, I say go for the most bare-bones, simple item available.  Go for the classic mac 'n' cheese.

Classic macaroni and cheese to some is merely a plate of macaroni pasta drenched in fluorescent orange "cheese" sauce.  (No.  No, it's not.  And shame on you for believing that.)  The Southern Mac's classic is made with aged cheddar (thank you!) and topped with buttery bread crumbs.

It was rich.  Nothing wrong with that, really.  It's what you need on a cold day.  But I'd like to make one small, teeny-tiny, itty-bitty suggestion: May I please have a dill pickle with my macaroni?

I know it's weird!  Okay?  I get it!  But I needed something to cut through all the butter and cream and cheddary goodness!  It doesn't even need to be a dill pickle, really.  It can be a pickled tomato.  Or some other sort of pickled vegetation.  It's just that it's a Southern macaroni truck.  I think a pickled accoutrement would not be too much to ask.  But it's really just a humble suggestion.

A lack of acidic side dish will not keep me from the truck though.  I'm eagerly watching the Twitterverse for the next time they stop off in my 'hood.  The Foodie wants some pasta, please.

Hungrily Yours,

-AF

The Mac Daddy: Homemade Baked Mac 'n' Cheese

Nothing much to it, lovies!  You just need a handful of ingredients, and you too can make tasty pasta!

I made this for my sister's birthday, and everybody loved it!  (A success, I tell you!)

Basic Baked Mac:

Melt some butter in a saucepan.  When it begins to foam, add a quantity of flour equal to the amount of butter you added (1 tablespoon of butter to one tablespoon of flour, etc., based on how much sauce you're making).

Now whisk, whisk, whisk!  Don't let it burn!  The flour needs to cook out a little.  After a few minutes over medium heat, begin to whisk in some milk (nothing lower in fat than 2%. Skim milk screws this up).  Keep whisking!  Don't want any lumps in that béchamel.

Add in a dash of nutmeg (that flavor that'll make you wonder why it tastes so good) and a dash of dry mustard (it lends depth of flavor).

Now add in your cheese.  I may have erred in using a sharp aged cheddar.  Tasty, for sure, but it didn't melt nicely!  You really need a Gruyére or other melting cheese.  Whisk it in and check to see if you need salt.  Depends on the cheese you use.

Pour the sauce over your pasta (macaroni is good, cavatappi is better!  Part macaroni, part corkscrew pasta, all good when it comes to cheese sauces).  Mix well so every noodle has sauce on it, then pour it all into a greased casserole dish.  Top it off with a mix of sharp cheddar (a must in this case), grated parmesan (for nuttiness), and breadcrumbs (I like Italian-seasoned, but Panko works well too).

Pop the whole concoction into the oven at 375 F and let it bake away until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden and crispy.  I made my macaroni in a 9"x9" glass casserole and popped it into the toaster oven.  Being that the top was close to the heating element, the topping crisped quickly, so I really can't tell you how long yours will take in a real oven.

Adjust the recipe to your taste, just like I always say (I like changing up the cheeses and adding meats like sausage or ham).

Bon Apetít!

~AF