I know that sometimes my blog titles can seem to be a stretch. But, trust me, this one all comes together.

Our world today proceeds at internet pace. There can be a longing for the slower days of, say, the 50’s or 60’s. But growing up in those years, they too seemed full of rapid change. Homes were getting black-and-white television sets. You had reception for two, or three, or maybe even four channels depending on how you twisted the antenna — lots of father to son yelling there. Cars starting coming with automatic transmissions and, sometimes, air conditioning. There was pride in owning an all-electric house, or certainly an all-electric kitchen. Power was supplied by the nice safe reactor at the end of the cul-de-sac.

My family had one of the first TV sets. And we bought the first freezer on the block, one of those chest types. We even signed up for a frozen food service where monthly a gigantic frozen block of meat, fruits and veggies arrived. I had to chisel the individual boxes apart then add them to the freezer chest. It was like a pinball game as boxes clunked to the bottom.

That childhood home was sold long ago. If the basement is still there, if the chest is still there, I bet the bottom row still has one or two boxes of frozen peas. That’s not really a joke. More of a HAZMAT issue.

Not all my meals were frozen. Some were fresh. Freshly boxed. Every couple of weeks I’d hear the tearing sound of cardboard followed by the crackling sound of pasta being dumped into a pan. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. You’ve had it, somewhere, sometime. Just saying the phrase is like saying Hershey’s Milk Chocolate. The image and the flavors just dart across you mind.

To make the Kraft product distinctive, my mother liked to over bake so that a hard crust formed on top. My mother also drank so that sometimes the crust extended from the top to the bottom of that pan. On those nights, there was no conversation at the table, just the gravel pit sounds of molars grinding through layers of desiccated pasta and cheese.

With such a sorry history, is there some way to “de-Kraft” macaroni and cheese? To get it to the other side of the tracks? It’s the culinary equivalent of the movie Pretty Woman. Can Julia Roberts transform from precocious hooker to respectible, but still lusty, wife? In the movies, anything can be done. In real life, would you confuse Elliot Spitzer with Richard Gere?

When Suzen mentioned that she was adding macaroni and cheese to her menu at Cooking by the Book, I must have made a face. Suzen is a aware of my childhood and my mutated palette. On the first night for this dish, she marched up to me and said, “Try it. You’ll like it.” I was handed a spoon and bowl of steaming yellow something.

I tried. I liked. I loved. My first thoughts were along the line of: this is why God made cheese. To hell with dainty crackers topped with a precious slice of something tripe crème. What you need is a bowl of steaming pasta to which you add pounds of cheese and other dairy

This recipe is sensational: rich, satisfying, and so very smooth. Suzen’s clients regularly ask for it. If you have only looked at this blog, but not gone to the main web site at www.cookingbythebook.com, I invite you to do so. Suzen offers culinary events for corporations and private parties, where our guests prepare a gourmet meal in our kitchen, then eat their creations in our dining area. You may want to do an event yourself, and you certainly are welcome to look at our menus there.

All the menu items, including the mac and cheese, are terrific. The dishes feature sophisticated, balanced flavors and often have very special ingredients. Like this mac and cheese that uses white truffle oil.

Recently, I’ve been thinking of writing Kraft and suggesting that they add … Now, that would be a Julia moment in culinary history. I’m just not sure which Julia: Child or Roberts?

Bon Appetite.

Truffled Mac and Cheese

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 pound elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups milk
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
White truffle oil to taste

Preparation:

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and set aside in colander. Add a few drops of oil to prevent from sticking.

In the same pot, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour and mustard and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until full melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is heated through.

Top with breadcrumbs and broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drizzle truffle oil to taste. Serve.

Source: Chef John DeLucie of New York’s Waverly Inn