Thursday, September 25, 2008

Josephine Pardys Macaroni and cheese


















Josephine Pardy's is one of those remarkable southern women, always groomed to within an inch of her life and dressed in finery. In her own words..."I have lived, don't never feel sorry for me."

She is not a chef of the highest order, but she has a few tricks up her sleeve and one cold afternoon in San Francisco she shared a few with me. To this day I will make her Macaroni and cheese when I decide to care nothing about calories. It is the ultimate comfort food. You can pair it with anything or serve a wedge on it's own. You won't go hungry. Once baked you can freeze individual squares and warm for a wonderful treat.

1 lb macaroni pasta
1 lb cheddar cheese
1 lb Other cheese (mozzarella, jack, Swiss, whatever you've got, mix them up if you like. I have.)
1 can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
A bunch of shakes of onion powder
A bunch more of garlic powder (NOT garlic salt)
dash of salt
1/2 pound butter

I told you it was comfort food, and not low fat. Cook the pasta lightly (very al dente) drain and rinse. Mix milk, seasonings, 1 stick melted butter and 1/2 the cheese in a bowl. Toss in the pasta. Already you are hungry. Throw about a third of this mix in a greased 9/13 pan. Throw a third of the cheese on this. Another third of pasta and another third of cheese, the last third and the last of the cheese. Now take that last stick of butter and cut into slices and place atop the final cheese layer. Put uncovered in the oven (350) for 40 minutes.

Let it rest out of the oven for about 10 minutes before cutting. Cut and serve.

You will sing praises to Gods you never knew existed. Thank you Miss Josephine.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was told to google this...sounds wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Very good. The first time I made this, I forgot the milk but it turned out delicious anyway! Im now making it correctly this time, I suppose the milk will tone down the spice! Whole family loved it.