Cheesy comfort

Jordana Levine, Food Columnist

When I think of spirituality, I immediately think of food in all of its forms. I recall my experiences with food. Whether it’s tasting the first ripe tomato from the backyard garden or eating freshly caught octopus on a Greek island, food feeds the soul in different ways. These ways can be exciting and new or simple and familiar.

Spirituality also brings to mind elements of comfort — specifically, the soothing quality of comfort food.

Everyone has at least one comfort food. It can be complex or simple. It can be spicy or bland. It can change depending on your mood. But as long as it puts you at ease, it’s doing its job.

Comfort food makes me think of Grandma and one of my favourite childhood meals that she makes: macaroni and cheese.

Sure, even Kraft Dinner can be reassuring on these cold, gray Halifax days that have been creeping in during the last month. But I’m talking about a wholesome, gooey, crispy, homemade macaroni.

So I attempted to create a casserole dish full of all the qualities that give me solace. Here are the basic ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 3 tbsp flour
• 4 tbsp (½ stick) butter
• 2 cups macaroni (dry)
• ½ minced onion
• 2 cups shredded cheddar (or other) cheese
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Boil macaroni in a large pot until it’s almost fully cooked — about five minutes; it will cook a little more in the oven. At the same time, put the milk and onion in another pot over low heat for five minutes and stir often.

Set the milk/onion mixture aside and melt the butter over the same low heat. Add the flour once the butter melts and whisk together. Pour the milk in with the flour and butter while whisking and add a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Stir in the cheddar cheese and taste. Add more salt and pepper if you like. Then, pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and mix together. Pour everything into a lightly greased baking dish, about 8×11 inches. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top, drizzling on a little oil or dabbing some butter on the crumbs if you want them to get really brown. Bake for 35 minutes.

This week, I replaced half the cheddar cheese with a creamy blue cheese, which I folded into the pasta right before I poured it into the casserole dish. I also sprinkled a quarter-cup of parmesan on top with the breadcrumbs for a salty finish.

You can use pretty much any cheese (and any number of cheeses) in this recipe instead of cheddar as long as it adds up to about two cups. Just make sure to keep the moisture balance even and try not to overload on sharp flavours. For example, use a cup of mild, high-moisture ricotta cheese with a cup of dry, sharp Asiago. Or you could use one-and-a-half cups of smoked Gouda with half a cup of Parmesan.

You could also add herbs or vegetables for a heartier, more colourful dish.

Sticking to the basics can be great, too, but even changing the pasta you use can be fun. I find wagon wheels and shell pasta particularly comforting.

This fun meal can be dressed up for a “grownup” palate, but sometimes all you need is to feel like you’re back in Grandma’s kitchen.

So cozy up on a rainy day and make a meal with no surprises and a whole lot of comfort in a bowl.