The Great Macaroni and Cheese Debate of 2007

Seems reminiscent of the great grilled cheese debate of 2005, actually. Nonetheless, there has been some chatter amongst the bloggers regarding an article on Salon.com that has some pretty nasty things to say about Annie's Homegrown Macaroni & Cheese.

First things first, while I love a great homemade mac and cheese, baked in all its cheesy, buttery goodness, I'm also a fan of the quick and easy. Moreover, while Mom raised me on Kraft's ubiquitous blue box, I found Annie's organic and less-chemically-altered version much more palatable as an adult, especially the white Wisconsin cheddar and shells. It's REAL cheese folks! Not processed cheese food.

Additionally, I learned from an Annie's box that if I turned off the gas on the stove once a boil had been re-achieved after the pasta had been added, placed the top back on the pot and let the thing sit while I did other things, I could save on gas! I now do this whenever I cook pasta. It's a simple thing, but sometimes we just don't think that way.

Finally, the recipe the author posts is not an effective way to make macaroni and cheese. When you use grated cheese in the way she explains, you get lumpy bits of cheese everywhere.

If you have the time and want a real dose of old fashioned mac and cheese, go with Paula Deen's. It's easy to make and really cheesy. If you don't have the time and just need a quickie, use Annie's organic. It's a lot better than the author of the Salon article says, especially if you use fresh butter and less milk than recommended.

I know I said I'd write about diversity, but this came up, so that will come later.