how to make good mac and cheese with kraft

#How to make good mac and cheese with kraft how to

Cheesemakers weren’t always successful at this.

Many of us today think of cheese in the context of tradition, flavor, or saving family farms, but a basic goal-whether a producer is making farm-made cheddar or concocting the cheeseless dairy product Velveeta-has always been getting as much edible food from a gallon of milk as possible. Cheesemaking, which began 10,000 years ago, was originally about survival for a farm family or community: taking a very perishable protein (milk) and transforming it into something less perishable (cheese) so that there would be something to eat at a later date. At times, cheese itself has shared a similar trajectory. To understand the evolution of macaroni and cheese is to realize that pursuit of the “cheapest protein possible” has been a longstanding quest of the American food system. Was it a hoax? A working-class prank against elitism in food? Was this contest somehow rigged by Kraft? In the end it turned out to just be a financial decision by the chef: In great American tradition, he bought the cheapest protein possible.

#How to make good mac and cheese with kraft how to

When he arrived at the winner’s circle, he made a stunning announcement: His main ingredient was Velveeta.Īmazement! Shock! Betrayal! The audience clutched their ironic canned beer but didn’t quite know how to react. The audience, however, chose another contestant.

We awarded the win to a chef who made mac and cheese with an aged Vermont cheddar. The judges included a food writer, an award-winning grilled-cheese-maker, and me, a cheesemonger. The competitors were mostly chefs, and the audience-the online tickets sold out in minutes-was soaking up the chance to be at a “Top Chef” kind of event, but more urban and cool. Being a judge at a macaroni and cheese competition in San Francisco taught me a lot about American food.