Discovering Maccaroni



It is said of Thomas Jefferson that since he had been young, between outdoor play and his love of reading, he never sat down idle.  He became the pen of the Declaration, but we also know he was all sorts of other things – botanist, farmer, architect, cook and connoisseur of fine wines, (he would allow himself up to three glasses a day) among who knows how many other hobbies, interests, and crafts.  When visiting Europe in the early 1790's, he encountered "The best maccaroni in Italy...made with a particular sort of flour called Semola, in Naples." Leave it Jefferson, then, to order a 'maccaroni maker'

to be sent to him in Paris, and eventually Philadelphia, only to be disappointed with its performance, made a sketch of one to understand its workings better, and offered up his own best recipe for mac and cheese.  TJ was so enamored with what he perceived as 'new food,' that he served dinner guests at the White House a take on mac and cheese pie.  With a bit of a twist of cook's humor, one guest, William Parker Cutler, wasn't a fan: "Dined at the President's - ...Dinner not as elegant as when we dined before. [Among other dishes] a pie called macaroni, which appeared to be a rich crust filled with the strillions of onions, or shallots, which I took it to be, tasted very strong, and not agreeable."  Over the years, 'maccaroni' lost its exclusive appeal, and by 1934 had become the mass produced boxed and powdered version by Kraft we know a lot better today – one way of feeding a bunch of people cheaply during the Depression.  My own Carly might not have made it past age five, due to lack of sustenance, without little microwavable tubs of Velveeta mac and cheese.

I might lay down plates of soy and maple salmon, but what do I get: "mac and cheese please." Steak and potatoes... "mac and cheese please."  G'Marge's Lasagna, "mac and cheese please." This past week, she had the nerve to order a tub to be prepared for her the following morning for breakfast. "Mac and cheese please." If someday I find a little sketch of a macaroni maker up in her room along with first grade scrawl describing how to 'extrude' (mixing ingredients and pushing it through a machine or dye to shape) pasta, along with her Monster High Dolls, broach collection, art supplies, Cheetah books, stuffies, etc., etc., I don't think I'll be shocked.  Tonight, I will make a homemade version and see what the response.