At a party recently, a neighbour asked me some interesting questions. He wanted to know what aspects of home, (the UK), I missed most whilst living in Canada and what I found to be the most intriguing things about Vancouver. What I miss most about the UK required some thought, because there are many things, but the most intriguing things about Vancouver took only a minute of brain time. The food, I replied. More specifically, what I have learnt about the food of different cultures such as Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean etc. What I actually forgot to mention was what I have also learnt about the food of North America.
Of course, what I have learnt could take a week's worth of posts, but I will summarise a little. Firstly, North American food is so much more than the stereotype of burgers and hot dogs, (just as Mexican is more than burritos and Japanese more than sushi). Also, there are many regional variations across the food of both the States and Canada. (Think Memphis bbq in the deep South of the States to poutine in Montreal). It's also important to remember that North America consists of other countries too, 23 in all, including Mexico. Canadian food can be a little difficult to define outside Canada and holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving seem to be a time when family traditions and nostalgia are most clearly defined by the food people prepare and eat.
Before I came to live here, I didn't really give Macaroni and cheese the respect it so rightly deserves. It was just another snack or quick dinner option that usually came from a packet and was always a little stodgy. My mum used to make a version herself too, which I remember enjoying but it gave me nowhere near the comfort and warm fuzzy feelings that it seems to for Canadian and American kids. According to some people I used to work with, Kraft dinner is the staple that a lot of Canadian kids are brought up on, a convenience food introduced in the US and Canada back in 1937.
This meal is such a cherished institution here, that some high end restaurants offer fancified versions with luxurious extras such as truffle oil and lobster. I believe they sell well, people maybe feeling they are eating a grown up and sophisticated version of childhood comfort, like eventually swapping coke for wine. The original remains extremely popular too and one of those aforementioned ex colleagues of mine would bring her cardboard box of Kraft dinner to school every day. She did get a bit of stick...
So why is this so popular and comforting? Two words: pasta and cheese. It's simplicity is it's virtue. If you bake it in the oven it provides some chewy pasta edges and a crispy cheesy topping with a few pieces of escapee molten cheese caramelised and browned. Inside it is creamy and satisfyingly 'meaty' with that mouth feel only pasta can provide. Need I say more?
It's fine to add a few bits and pieces that you fancy at home, quite often cooks peering inside the fridge to see what needs using up. Bacon, mushrooms and vegetables are all game and possibly turn a snack into a more substantial dinner. The egg on this version provides an interesting addition and a little protein if the man 'n cheese lover is a vegetarian.
Recipe : Mac 'n cheese with vegetables and an egg on top
(This is a cheats version as I use a pack of Hollandaise mixed with cheese as the sauce to bind everything together).
1 cup of macaroni
1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp butter
1 bell pepper, seeded and finely sliced
1/2 onion, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 stick celery, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a handful of kale, finely shredded
4 mushrooms, sliced
1 pack of Hollandaise sauce
1 cup of grated cheese such as Cheddar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
paprika
Preheat the oven to 375oF
Cook the macaroni in a large pan of salted boiling water until just cooked with a little bite (al dente). Drain well and lay in the bottom of a baking dish.
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the onion, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms, celery and kale until softened and wilted. Season, reduce heat to very low and let the vegetables gently sweat a little longer.
Prepare the Hollandaise as per package instructions. The brand I use, (McCormick) suggests melting 1/2 cup of butter in a pan before adding 1 cup of water and the contents of the packet whilst off the heat. Stir well and let simmer gently until the sauce is thickened and smooth then remove from the heat.
Mix the cooked vegetables into the sauce and then pour over the pasta. Stir well to combine and then crack the eggs on top. (You can make two impressions in the mixture with a spoon to 'house' the eggs and stop them spilling everywhere).
Sprinkle the cheese over the top and dust with a little paprika for colour.
Bake until the Hollandaise sauce is bubbling, the cheese is golden brown and the eggs are cooked to your liking, you can poke the yolks gently with a knife to test doneness.
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