Tucson Eats: mac 'n cheese
Macaroni and cheese, unlike other foods, has the almost supernatural ability to turn its eater into a shaman. When approaching the dish, otherwise mild-mannered people indulge in all sorts of bizarre rituals: precise boiling times, stirring techniques, the use of ketchup, vegetables, beans, tuna fish…I for one prefer to save a quarter of the cheese powder—like a shake of Parmesan—and sprinkle it over the top. It’s not as cheesy throughout, but it’s got a great crunch!
It’s not just laymen, though. Chefs, too, have gotten into the ceremony. Restaurants all over town are adding sometimes casual, sometimes extravagant mac n’ cheese dishes to their menus. After all, macaroni and cheese is America’s favorite comfort food: it’s cheap, easy to prepare and leaves a lot of room for invention. When there are so many options out there, there’s no reason for anyone to get “the blues.” Just go out to eat!—Andi Berlin/Special to Metromix
Pictured: Dallas Reece, a server at Wilko
