Comfort Film, Comfort Food

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
1986; Matthew Broderick
Directed by John Hughes

This movie was made when I was four years old and I watched it for the first time at the age of 23, but I think the concept is timeless. Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) may be seventeen, but he has the outlook of an innocent and joyful twelve year old who reads comics and lives in a world of bumbling villains (his Dean of students, Mr. Rooney, played by Jeffery Jones) and afternoons of freedom consisting of driving down the highway in a red Ferrari, hair blowing in the wind.

Whether I am having a twelve year old moment myself or simply grinning in remembrance, there is something quirky and loveable about Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, something that makes me realize that childhood really wasn’t that rigorous after all.

In honour of your Kraft Dinner days, I offer Mac and Cheese, homemade and with some grownup elements. This is a far cry from the bright orange packaged stuff, but familiar and creamy enough to transport you back to your own days of dreams and schemes.

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

500 grams elbow macaroni

1 cup butter

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

5 cups whole milk

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, the older and sharper, the better

1 1/2 cups grated Parmeggiano Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put on a pot of water to boil for the macaroni. Boil the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions call for. While the pasta is boiling, melt the butter in another pot over medium-low heat. When melted, stir in the flour and keep stirring for about five minutes, long enough to toast the flour and get rid of that raw wheat, pasty taste. After five minutes, remove from heat and stir in the nutmeg and SLOWLY whisk in the milk. Too fast will result in lumps. When the milk is whisked in, return to the hot plate and whisk constantly for 10-15 minutes, until the floury taste is gone and the sauce begins to thicken slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, reserving 1/2 cup Cheddar, until it is melted.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and dump into a large pan or casserole dish. Toss with the cheesy sauce until well combined. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar over the mac and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or so, until the mac and cheese is bubbling and the cheese on top has melted and is beginning to brown a bit in places. Let stand out of the oven for about 10 minutes before serving, comfortingly, with a salad, or just as is.