EVAPORATED MILK

Because of my blog article on July 6 ("IF GRANDMA DID") where I mentioned that my friend Patty said her macaroni and cheese was the best, I have had numerous comments about macaroni and cheese and several people have let me know theirs is the best. I suggested they all bring samples, because I am a connoisseur of great macaroni and cheese. A young friend said his grandmother's was the best and that the recipe was from his great-great grandmother. As we were talking on the telephone, I told him to read it to me and he said, "I don't know what this is but maybe you do; it's called EVAPORATED MILK!" I laughed and said, "That's another old person's word like OLEO!" Last year I wrote an article "OLEO" (see link) in which I mentioned that I was removing the word "oleo" from my vocabulary, because it's an old person's word.

After all, although I am understated, yet I am a woman of the 21st century and must stay au courant and not use outdated words.

Here is my friend's recipe as he e-mailed to me:

THERE AREN'T ANY MEASUREMENTS TO THIS RECIPE. IT HAS BEEN IN MY FAMILY FOR 5 GENERATIONS.

TAKE A PAN, BRING WATER TO A BOIL, ADD A PINCH OF SALT, PLACE IN YOUR MACARONI TO COOK.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375.

TAKE ANOTHER PAN, ADD ABOUT 1/3 CAN OF EVAPORATED MILK, THROW IN ABOUT A TABLESPOON OF BUTTER, FOUR SHAKES OF SALT, FOUR SHAKES OF PEPPER, AND BRING TO A BOIL.

TAKE TWO BLOCKS OF COLBY CHEESE AND SLICE INTO PIECES ABOUT 1/2 INCH THICK.

NOW, TAKE A LARGE BAKING PAN, GREASE WITH BUTTER. ADD A LAYER OF YOUR NOODLE ABOUT 1 INCH THICK. NOW, TAKE YOUR CHEESE SLICES AND MAKE A LAYER OVER THE NOODLES UNTIL YOU CANNOT SEE ANY OF THE NOODLES. NOW, REPEAT THAT STEP UNTIL THE PAN IS FULL.

ONCE THE PAN IS FULL AND YOU HAVE A LAYER OF COLBY CHEESE AT THE TOP, TAKE SHREDDED MOZZARELLA AND SPRINKLE IT OVER THE COLBY CHEESE LAYER. NOT TOO MUCH. YOU STILL WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE COLBY CHEESE.

TAKE YOUR MILK MIXTURE AND POUR IT ALL EVENLY OVER THE PAN.

PLACE IN OVEN AND BAKE UNTIL THE CHEESE IS MELTED TO A GOLDEN BROWN.

NOW SERVE AND EAT.