What is Mac And Cheese?
Mac and cheese, formally called macaroni and cheese, is an all-American favorite with roots in Northern Europe. Boxed varieties of this dish are easy to find in any grocery store and can be cooked in less than 30 minutes. However, fancy versions are well worth the minimal effort and are made by mixing boiled pasta with melted cheese and milk. Mac and cheese can be baked with a cheesy topping and breadcrumbs for a truly decadent version of salty, savory, piping hot goodness.
Ingredients
Milk is almost always sourced come from cows. Sometimes sheep, goat, yak and water buffalo milk are used. In general, store bough milk comes from a cow, unless specified otherwise. Whole milk is white, or cream colored and has a higher fat content than skim milk and therefore a creamier and richer texture and flavor. The flavor is mild and bland with a hint of savory sweetness and is satisfying, especially due to its creaminess. Milk is served as a beverage and used in a multitude of dishes both sweet and savory.
Elbow pasta is made from wheat flour and water. Freshly made pasta is soft and when store bought it is hard and must be cooked first. Elbow pasta is a small curved, tubular shaped pasta that is no longer than half an inch, or so. The flavor is mild and tastes like wheat. Elbow pasta is boiled and served with any variety of sauce. It is the popular pasta shape for macaroni and cheese.
Cheddar cheese is an aged dairy product made from cow's milk and has an off white color and a dense texture. Some varieties are pale yellow or orange. It is made into a wheel and is often sold as a small block, in slices or grated. The flavor of cheddar is sharp and pungent. It is a popular cheese in the Western world and melts nicely.
Butter is made from churned cream, usually from a cow. It has a cream color and a texture that is smooth and melts easily. The flavor is mild and creamy. Butter is often sold in square sticks, or as a flat or round block. It is delicious on bread. It pairs better in baked goods than salted butter, due to its more neutral taste. It also makes an excellent cooking fat.
All purpose flour comes from wheat and though wheat is cultivated all around the world today, it was first cultivated in Turkey 10,000 years ago. All purpose flour is white in color and has a soft texture. This incredibly versatile flour is used in everything from breads, cakes, pastries, crackers, pasta, sauces and much more because of its pleasing and mild flavor that is slightly nutty and buttery. The gluten protein is what helps hold together breads and other products, part of what makes all purpose wheat flour so popular.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
The peppercorn plant grows in tropical climate and produces tiny black fruit. The fruit is dried and become hard. At this point it is ground into a textured powder comprised of black and grey dots. It has a flavor that is spicy, pungent and sharp. Pepper is an extremely popular spice, especially in Western cuisines and lends a gentle heat to dishes. There are different varieties of black pepper and the flavor changes subtly because of this.
