As quintessential American fare, especially for African-Americans and Southerners, how can I have a food blog and not cover macaroni and cheese? While the thick, creamy richness of mac and cheese doesn’t quite fit in with my attempts to eat, cook, and write about nutritious and nourishing food, I have a hard time banishing this dish out of my kitchen forever!

Yes, change can be good, but macaroni and cheese taps into that soft spot in my heart for tradition and nostalgia. Mac and cheese is like a cornerstone of family gatherings, church functions and potluck dinners with friends. I can’t deny its delicious place in my culture or culinary history.

Now does that mean I’m going to eat it every day? No, but on occasion, I will indulge in this comfort food favorite, preferably with a light side dish of green vegetables or a salad rather than a full spread of other heavy foods. I have no problem breaking from that tradition.

So the question has come up repeatedly among my friends of how to make a good macaroni and cheese. I’ve discovered from friends, family and various cookbooks that there are many approaches to mac and cheese. Of course all the basics are included every time – pasta and cheese, butter and usually milk, but there’s lots of variety out there to achieve various consistencies and levels of cheesiness.

Some people like their mac and cheese ultra creamy and ultra cheesy with an almost liquid-like consistency. Others like their mac and cheese firm, but not dry. Some recipes call for canned cheddar cheese soup, others cheese wiz (processed goo, yuck!), or my family’s old reliable – evaporated milk. But then, there’s the original approach to macaroni and cheese, which is to make a roux turning it into a white sauce (béchamel) as the thickening agent for the dish.

Since I’m interested in going back to the basics with a lot of my cooking and discovering some of those classic approaches to recipes, the roux/white sauce approach is the one I’ve been working on. Although it diverges from how most folks in my family make their mac and cheese, I still stick to the portions and guidance of my mom’s recipe, with the exception of my addition of buttered panko breadcrumbs to the top, which my clan normally doesn’t do.

If you haven’t tried the roux/white sauce approach before, give my recipe a try. It has a loose, but still somewhat firm consistency. Also, I’d love to know your macaroni and cheese traditions. What’s your secret or preference for the best mac and cheese?

Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz. small macaroni pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (1-1/2 four oz. packages)
1/2 cup paprika white sauce (see recipe below)
1 large egg
1/4 cup organic milk
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water with 1 tablespoon kosher salt to a boil. Add macaroni and boil for about 7 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside in a large bowl. Lightly butter an 8” x 8” baking dish and set aside. In a small sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add panko breadcrumbs and toss to coat for about 2 – 3 minutes. Set aside.

Add half the grated cheese to the bowl of cooked macaroni. In another small bowl, mix together the white sauce, milk, water and egg. Add the mixture to macaroni and cheese and mix well. Add salt and pepper and stir well. Pour macaroni and cheese mixture into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top, then sprinkle buttered breadcrumbs over the dish. Place dish on the center rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Paprika White Sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup organic milk
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pinch salt

Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour until a smooth paste forms, about one minute. Add milk and stir continuously for about 10 minutes. Sauce will thicken. The sauce is done when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in paprika and salt. Use sauce in cooking or store remaining sauce in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

If you’re a no-meat-no-animal-products-eatin’-gave-up-pork-a-long-time-ago soul you’ll feel right at home in Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Kitchen. Bryant Terry, an Eco-chef and food justice activist originally from Memphis, TN, has offered us all in Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy and Creative African-American Cuisine, a different take on soul food that is familiar, yet new and especially tasty.

At this point in the post, I know I already have the vegans and vegetarians hooked, but if you’re still skeptical or scared off by the word “vegan” (as I’ve discovered that many people are), trust me – read on. You eat vegan food all the time without even realizing it (a handful of grapes, spinach sautéed in olive oil, tea, and even french fries).

Vegan simply means food that is free of animal products, including meat, seafood, dairy, eggs and honey. While I’m not vegan or even vegetarian, I eat that way often. And just how many of my recipes can be adapted for the vegan or vegetarian, Bryant encourages folks to make his recipes work for you and add meat or dairy if that’s what you need. In his words, “freestyle and be creative.” 

African-American cuisine has always been creative, often times out of necessity (eg. chitterlings, pig feet, etc.). According to Bryant and contrary to popular belief, our cuisine has also traditionally been full of healthy, fresh foods such as home-grown fruits and vegetables. “This book is about the creative use of nutrient-dense vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes that make some bangin’ dishes,” Bryant writes.

As with all of my cookbook reviews, I tried out several of the recipes myself before coming online to sing the praises of Vegan Soul Kitchen (VSK). Cooking from these recipes was fun and educational. The Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux were really delicious and proof that you don’t have to simmer your collards for two to three hours with a ham hock or smoked turkey leg in order for them to taste good. I will definitely be making these on a regular basis.

The Open-Faced BBQ Tempeh Sandwich with Carrot-Cayenne Coleslaw was also pretty tasty. It was my first time cooking tempeh, a fermented soybean patty that can be sliced, diced, marinated, grilled, baked, etc. The tempeh strips marinated in a homemade BBQ sauce and served over focaccia bread was filling and I can see myself using the marinade for chicken as well. I also enjoyed the Green Beans with Roasted Shallots and Walnuts, and the Black-Eyed Pea Fritters with Hot Pepper Sauce (aka homemade hot sauce).

Bryant also includes many beverage recipes in VSK, which I really like. I made the Orange-Orange Pekoe Tea sweetened with agave nectar and the Lavender Lemonade. I loved the Lavender Lemonade! Are you familiar with Pink Lemonade? I remember drinking it in the past and never thinking that it was probably colored with some kind of synthetic food dye. Well here’s your answer for an all-natural pink lemonade that’s easy to make. The lavender water made from steeping lavender buds gives the lemonade its color. Of course culinary lavender isn’t easily found just anywhere but since I pick up interesting ingredients when I come across them, I actually had some culinary lavender in my cabinet. You can purchase lavender online or in specialty spice shops.

Pricy and unfamiliar ingredients for the vegan novice are the only real caveats I have about VSK, but with a little time and Bryant’s helpful tips included in the book, you’ll learn your way around a health food or international grocery store in no time. And, if you’re already familiar with one, you’ll learn it even better as I did (Who knew the best place to find raw, shelled peanuts is in an international supermarket?).

There are so many more VSK recipes I’m looking forward to trying including the entire chapter of watermelon recipes, including the Fresh Watermelon-Vodka Martini and Balsamic Syrup-Sweetened Watermelon Sorbet. I also already have the ingredients waiting on me to make the Candied Sweet Potato Discs and Apple Slices, Maple Almond Granola, Quinoa-Quinoa Cornbread, Almond milk, and Creamy Grits. And that’s only naming a few of the 150 recipes that fill this bold cookbook.

Leave a comment below about this post and your favorite soul food dish to be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of Vegan Soul Kitchen. All comments must be left by Friday, March 27th, 11:59pm (U.S. residents only). While you wait to see if you won, try out Bryant’s recipes below and read other coverage of Vegan Soul Kitchen.

VSK Recipes and Reviews
Read more on Vegan Soul Kitchen and check out these sample recipes. ESSENCE.com has a great interview with Bryant. Hear him talk more about soul food and the new book in his own words.

Black-Eyed Pea Fritters with Hot Pepper Sauce
Carrot-Cranberry-Walnut Salad with Cream Walnut Vinaigrette
101Cookbooks.com: Bryant Terry’s Jamaican Veggie Patties
ESSENCE: Chef’s Choice: Bryant Terry
TheRoot: Vegan Soul Food, A Tasty Read