I can’t learn from recipes. I have no interest whatsoever in recipe books, 95% of cookbooks. I use them sometimes, but tellingly, I only follow recipes for things I originally learned to make from recipes—in other words, things I never learned how to make, and still don’t know how to make, even after I’ve made them dozens of times. This is what recipes do to me, they make me stupid and keep me dependent. Occasionally I find the time to take a recipe I use and make something I can use out of it. For example, my mother’s “famous macaroni,” as written on the back of a Christmas card stored in the back of my 70’s Joy:
Famous Macaroni
cook (1 pound) macaronis
Toast {1 c. nutrit. yeast
{1/2 c. flour
Add 2/3 c. oil, stir while it bubbles
(coconutoil)(refined)
Add 3 c. water. stir & whisk until thickened
Add 4 tbsp. tamari
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
(1/2 tsp. chopped garlic)<--optional
First, let me say that this is actually good. Good, solid comfort food, that I make about twice a month—something friends always love, though I am sometimes reticent about what it's made of until after they admit as much. It is a museum piece of my cultural heritage, though it only dates back to about 1970. Not that, of course, I ever make it as written: I use much more garlic, measure poorly, and season to taste. And I'm tired of having to look it up every time I want to make such a simple sauce. So I took it apart and gave it a little thought, and here it is again like I might write it down:
Fake Mac Sauce
toast yeast and flour (2/1)
oil til smooth
water to texture
tamari, salt, pepper, garlic.
And having made the recipe into something I can understand, what it looks like in my own head:
Fake Mac = 2/1.
I think I can remember that.
8 Comments
i like this recipe too. but i don’t think it’s from the 70’s. i remember mom making it up…. so maybe the mid 80’s. hope that doesn’t ruin it. i like your recipe. i think i may be able to remember it too.
I don’t remember her making it before the mid 80s either, but the dish is classic commune cooking.
Glad y’all like it. I do too.
So I’m going to try this, this week. I’m feeling uncertain about the coconut oil. You mentioned refined coconut oil – I purchased Extra Virgin oil. It tastes like coconut – is that okay?
Hmmm. I don’t know exactly what effect that would have. Extra virgin is usually a little thicker and ought to be quite a bit more flavorful than refined coconut, which is a very neutral oil. I believe my mother mostly used vegetable oil—really, any highly refined oil, there isn’t much difference between them, in terms of how they behave. You could do it with evoo, but I feel it might make the whole thing a heavier sauce than is really perfectly pleasant.
Good luck, anyway, whatever you choose to do. It really is a deeply satisfying dish, though homely.
Oh thank goodness you let me know that refined coconut oil is neutral. The stuff i have makes everything taste like coconut. Okay, I’ll find another oil. Thanks, I’m looking forward to it!
Holy crap that’s good! I wasn’t sure as the thought of yeast sauce just doesn’t give me that warm and fuzzy feeling.
But wow was it good, even my husband liked it and remarked that this is a “keeper” for future meals. Tks!
yeah, weird, huh? You’re welcome.
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