My Favorite Meal
For as long as I can remember, my favorite meal has been my mother’s homemade mac’ and cheese. My mother is a nurse and always pushed our family to eat healthy growing up. We rarely have junk food in the house and every meal had to have fruits or vegetables with it. Following this logic, my younger sister and I were absolutely not allowed to have the Kraft macaroni and cheese that came in the classic blue box, so she made her own recipe for us. It’s fairly painless to make: it starts with a simple roux made from butter and flour. Next, you season with ground mustard – the secret ingredient – and black pepper to taste. Then, you add milk and bring it to a gentle boil while whisking it the entire time. This part is important because it will burn if it’s not constantly moving. Once the mixture has thickened significantly, you can turn down the heat and add any kind of cheese you desire. Once the cheese is incorporated, your cheese sauce is done! Add it to any pasta of your choosing – I prefer shells – and you have a delicious, homemade meal.
Skimming the surface, it’s not hard to understand why this dish is my favorite. We’re an Italian family, so naturally I love anything involving pasta and cheese. My mother hit the nail on the head when I asked why I think she likes this dish: “You love cheese and you love pasta and it’s a dish you make really well.” It’s a really quick and easy recipe that takes about as long to make as boxed mac’ and cheese does, so whenever I’m craving it, I can have a warm bowl of it in front of me within fifteen minutes. It also doesn’t cost much to make; we usually make it with the ingredients we already have at home. Not only is it convenient, it is tasty! It is also fairly customizable, as you can change it to suit your craving that day by adding different kinds of cheeses and different amounts. You can also put it into a pan, cover it in breadcrumbs and then bake it in the oven as well. I’ve made this recipe for all of my friends and they love it as well.
Homemade macaroni and cheese served piping hot as my family gathered around the dinner table together on a chilly night is what most of my memories consist of in regard to this dish. Attached to this dish are memories of birthdays spent with my family, celebrations of accomplishments in school or sports, and even just the warm feeling of eating my favorite meal with my family. It was a “special occasion” meal that I often associated with positive events, but it could also be an everyday comfort food. On days my mom had off from work, my sister and I would come home from school and be greeted by warm bowls of freshly made mac’ n cheese my mom had waiting for us. Walking into the house and smelling the cheese, hearing the bubbling, boiling water for the pasta, and feeling the warmth from the stovetop meant my sister and I were going to have a good afternoon. We would sit at the table with her and tell her about how our school day was. Even learning to make it with my mom was a bonding experience. When I asked to interview her for this project, she was touched. While she admitted she had no real emotional attachment to the meal – her mother never made it for her growing up – she did associate the dish with cold, snowy days where she made mac’ and cheese for us after we came in from playing in the snow.
Growing up, I had many friends whose families didn’t have dinner together like mine did. They never understood why I couldn’t hang out with them until after dinner. Their dinners usually looked more like everyone eating what they wanted and where they wanted – some ate in the basement while they played their video games, some ate on the couch in front of the TV, and some even took their dinners to their rooms. When I asked my mother why she placed so much emphasis on sitting at the table and eating as a family, she said “It’s how you keep your family close and build bonds.” She also emphasized the need to have downtime together: “It’s relaxing and everyone can have a relaxing enjoyable meal together instead of thinking about tasks that have to be done, like schoolwork or house work.” There have been many studies about the effects of gathering as a family for dinner. It has been proven to have a positive impact on the emotional and mental development of children.
I strongly believe that my mother’s experiences growing up have affected the way she raised my sister and me. She was raised by her father, the son of an Italian immigrant, and her mother, who was one of twelve. When asked about her favorite meal she said, “Anything Italian – that I probably do have an emotional attachment to – because we had an Italian meal once a week growing up. Big, noisy Italian family dinners.” My mother is one of eight siblings who were raised very Italian. Her values regarding family time and togetherness directly correlate with the family experiences she gave me growing up.
I believe mac’ and cheese is my favorite food because my experiences with food go beyond gustatory. The way I was raised showed me the value of sharing a meal with loved ones. Finding people to share a meal with was something I struggled with the first few weeks of the school year. That was a huge adjustment for me, personally. I ate many dinners by myself the first few weeks, usually sitting at the counter overlooking the Saco in the dining hall. It took a toll on my emotions, but it also made me appreciate the moments at home when I can enjoy that time with my family. My emotional connection to food is something I hadn’t given much thought to before writing this essay. The emotional impact of this meal is immeasurable. Even just writing this essay has made me emotional a few times as I reflected on what this meal really means to me. It was also interesting to think about the connotation a meal can have. My favorite meal is something that was made for celebrations, so whenever I eat it, I’m put in a better mood. I am thoroughly convinced that the way a person was raised has a larger impact on their values regarding food than we think. Growing up, meals are – more often than not – shared between families and those experiences are what shapes how you think about food.
Massoia Family Mac n’ Cheese
Time: 15-20mins
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1 cup milk
1/2 to 1 cup assorted cheese, any kind
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 lb. of pasta (approx. half of one box)
Cheese Sauce:
1.) In a small/medium saucepan, melt together 2 tbs butter with 2 tbs flour on low heat.
2.) Combine butter and flour using a whisk until mixed thoroughly and butter is melted. Add 1/4 tsp of ground mustard and mix in.
3.) Add one cup of milk and turn heat to medium-high.
4.) Whisk vigorously until mixture has thickened significantly and is the consistency of cheese sauce. Do not stop whisking or the bottom will burn!
5.) Add 1/2 to 1 cup of cheese. Turn heat to medium and whisk into mixture until cheese is melted and fully incorporated.
6.) Add black pepper to taste and mix in.
7.) Remove from heat.
8.) Best served immediately over freshly made pasta.
Pasta:
1.) In a medium pot, fill 3/4 of the way with water and add a dash of salt.
2.) Cover pot and put onto stove on high heat.
3.) When water is boiling, add half a box of pasta
4.) Follow instructions on the box for the lowest cooking time (pasta should be al dente).
5.) When done, remove the pot from heat and pour pasta into strainer to remove excess water.
6.) To serve, pour cheese sauce over pasta and mix!
