When I think about my favorite homemade dish, only one thing comes to mind. As a kid, I was a very picky eater, I didn’t want veggies; the “choo choo chain” broccoli trick wouldn’t even work. There was one thing I always loved no matter what, macaroni and cheese. I think macaroni and cheese was the first meal I ever learned to cook. I ate all sorts of mac n cheese; Annies, kraft, and even the off brand. My favorite was my great grandmas that she made homemade. Nothing compared to it.,“La La’s Macaroni and Cheese.” The nickname came into place because my great grandma was a beautiful singer and a music teacher. My mom’s hero and best friend was my Great Grandma. I feel truly blessed because I have so many memories of her before she died at the age of ninety three. When I have this meal I think of her every time. Her legendary Macaroni and cheese is unbelievably delicious.
My mom first described the relationship with my Great Grandma’s macaroni and cheese recipe. A unique and flavorful dish that is super cheesy with the added bonus of evaporated milk and protein from 2 eggs, we call it “Grammys Mac N cheese.” It required 1 lb macaroni and ¼ chopped onion. It obviously needed the evaporated milk, and the eggs; as said above. The amount of cheese used always varies. My Grandma loved to exceed the amount of cheese needed. There is always an emphasis on making sure the cheese used is extra sharp cheddar! Growing up in Vermont, there is no better cheese to me than the cheese that originated from home. Its distinct but delicious taste makes the perfect type of cheese. The key details at the end include layering cheese and breadcrumbs. One layer of cheese, one layer of bread crumbs, then repeated one more time. I still remember watching the cheese layers melt on the macaroni through the oven window. My grandma would say , “be careful! Don’t get too close, it’s hot”! Thinking about this Mac n cheese is another reminder about how much she cared for others, especially about her family. As my mom continued answering my questions, she began to share that the dish floods her with fantastic memories of her childhood; when she and her friends used to go to her Grandmother’s house for lunch and eat the famous Mac n cheese. She remembers her grandma making it a few times a week in the summer when she was swimming in her pool and when my Great Grandma would come out and surprise her with a fresh pan out of the oven. My mom enjoyed sharing stories of how she and her best friends used to sleep in my grandparents’ camper in the backyard. La La would bring it out to them for dinner. She also explained that my Great Grandma La La made that as one of the dishes for her wedding rehearsal dinner. Thankfully, I also have special memories like these with my great grandmother. Every time I would come down her stairs, I would smell something baking. Throughout many of the dishes she baked, one of the most basic ones was the best. The smell of the baked, warm cheesiness resonates in my mind forever, especially after she is gone. My Great grandma was so loved, she changed so many lives. I’m so grateful to be able to cherish her recipes forever; as for one day my kids will have La La’s Mac n cheese too.
Before my great grandma went into assisted living, her sight was failing after a stroke. My mom reminisced about when she made the dish while La La sat next to her and gave her the directions. At that time, my grandma wasn’t strong enough to grate the cheese, or scrape the pan, but she passed down the history to my mom with love. When my mom makes this dish now, it makes her feel that a part of my Great Grandma is still here, even though she passed away 3 years ago. It really is a comfort food reminding my mom and I that our hero is still with us. When I asked my mom the last question, she said that she does love the mac n cheese, but not as much for the taste; but the memories associated with it. I asked her what her favorite food was but I already knew the answer.
My mom said she prefers homemade pizza on the grill as her most favorite meal because she and my step dad tend to get quite creative with their toppings and use shrimp, pesto, butternut squash, homemade potato chips and goat cheese. She enjoys that because it is a “production” and there are so many options like buffalo chicken ranch or barbecue chicken. I asked my mom why she liked to go through so much trouble in making all of the different kinds of pizzas, and she explained that some people like to play games as a family, but she likes to “create” food. I know that this part of my mom comes from my great grandmother. Food in my family is very crucial, I cannot remember the last time I ate a bad meal. Family dinners whenever we’re all together, always a home cooked meal; It’s just so special. It’s just something about all sitting down at the table and feeling a sense of relief that the day is done. Home is where the people you love are. Usually when all the people I love are together, we’re at the dinner table. The dinner table is a place where nonstop love is shared and laughter is never ending.
