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In this newsletter, we'll explore comfort foods, with a video showing the favorite comfort food in each state in the US. It's interesting that some very common comfort foods did not make the cut - perhaps because they are national favorites, so don't make a regional list?

Please leave your comments under the video on YouTube, letting us know whch of your favorites we missed!

My personal favorites include spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, and a few specific family recipes involving pasta and rice...none of which made the list!

I am going to share my family's traditional macaroni and cheese in this issue, even though it didn't make the Top Comfort Foods list, it was a top comfort food for me growing up in New York, and now for my children and grandchildren in Massachusetts.

Look below to find the recipe that I learned from my grandmother and am now preparing for my granddaughters.

Enjoy,

Susan

I grew up with dueling recipes for macaroni and cheese. My father's mother, who would frequently say that her philosophy was to "eat to live", not "live to eat", made homemade mac and cheese by using a can of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup for the sauce. It was basic and did the job, but did not hold a candle to the mac and cheese that my mother's mother made.

Gram's mac and cheese sauce consisted of a bechamel mixed with cheddar cheese, parmesan, and - her secret ingredient - one small grated onion. She used shells for the pasta, as they held the cheese sauce perfectly. I am not sure when she started making this - as it was the only mac and cheese she ever made while I knew her. I am pretty sure she didn't make it her whole life, as there was one time my mother's younger sister visited, and made her version of mac and cheese - which consited of ziti baked with cubes of Velveeta. So, my aunt either never learned to cook from her mother, or decided the simplicity of Velveeta was more her style.

Anyway...for one pound of macaroni, you'll need:

• 2 cups of milk
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 4 Tablespoons flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 10 ounces grated sharp cheedar
• 1/2 cup (or more if you like) grated parmesan
• 1 small onion, grated

I use the microwave for the white sauce, but you can make it on the stove as well. For the microwave method, I use an 8 cup Pyrex measuring cup, and melt the butter and flour together for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk. I cook on high until it starts to thicken, stopping to whisk every 2 minutes to check and see if it's done. It ususally takes about 6 minutes. If you use the stove, you'll melt the butter and flour in a saucepan, then add the milk, stirring constantly until it starts to bubble and thicken.

After your white sauce is thickened, remove from heat, add the cheese and onion, stir until melted, and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Pour over 1 lb cooked al dente pasta (large or medium shells) and bake in a 9x13 casserole dish for 30 minutes at 375 until it starts to get brown and crispy and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Save 20% on Cestari's Multitool set, including a grater, measuring cup, juicer, corn stripper, and egg separator!   It's the perfect helper for your homemade nmac and cheese Save 20% with code   GRATECHEESE through February 13 at the Cestari store on Amazon

• • Sarah from Texas says, "Tex-Mex comfort food is our go-to at home. My family can't resist enchiladas smothered in rich, spicy sauce and topped with melted cheese. It's a taste of home, even when we're miles away."

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  • John from New York shares, "Growing up in the Big Apple, bagels with cream cheese and lox were a Sunday tradition. The combination of flavors and textures is unbeatable – it's my ultimate comfort breakfast."

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  • Emily from Louisiana mentions, "Gumbo has been a part of our family gatherings for generations. The blend of spices, seafood, and sausage in a hearty stew is a taste of the South that warms the soul."

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  • Lisa from Wisconsin adds, "Cheese curds are my guilty pleasure. Whether they're fried to a crispy golden brown or enjoyed fresh, their cheesy goodness is the ultimate comfort snack."

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  • David from Maine shares, "Lobster rolls are a taste of coastal comfort for us Mainers. There's nothing like buttery lobster meat nestled in a perfectly toasted roll – it's pure seafood bliss."
    

   

WOULD YOU LIKE A MINI TURNTABLE?

We'll be focusing on how you sare love through food in February.  We'd love to feature some of your best tips and tricks. Please let us know what you know!  You can submit your thoughts by replying to this newsletter, or sending them directly to  support@cestarikitchen.com with the subject "Newsletter-February."  Every subscriber whose contribution we use will receive our mini turntable as our thank you gift.

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