MACARONI AND CHEESE (ODE TO EDNA LEWIS)

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Delicious, yes. Healthy, questionable. You get a lot of calcium and a lot of fat. Here is my theory. It is OK to indulge every once in a while, if you do the whole grain, lean meats, veggies and fruits, most of the time.
I didn't grow up on "American Food", but mac and cheese was comfort food for our family of cheese lovers. Later on in my life, my Dad introduced us to the wonderful Edna Lewis, the doyenne of Southern Cookery. I loved it all, the Smothered Chicken, Collard Greens, Fried Cat Fish, She Crab Soup, and I can go on and on.
So when my friend, Rudy, asked to be taught how to make Macaroni and Cheese, I turned to Edna Lewis' "The Gift of Southern Cooking". Miss Lewis' is not the usual bechamel based recipe. It is less of a pasta dish, and more of a cheesy custard. And if you follow her serving size, it is a side dish, and not a main dish. In my home it is the Main Attraction, the Leading Lady, and Center Stage. It serves 4, instead of 8-10, and leaves us happy yet wishing for more.
So every now and then, indulge, enjoy and savor every bite. Thank you Rudy and Miss Lewis, for a wonderful Sunday treat!

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