I am not sure why macaroni and cheese became entrenched as a deeply American dish. Someone once told me Thomas Jefferson might have introduced it, improvising on something he had discovered while ambassador to France.  Since then this simple but lovely pleasure has gone through multiple iterations, including attempts for an easy-peasy version delivered in boxes and sold at our grocery stores.

Recently, me and my wife brought a young friend to the Museum of Modern Art. Besides great art, MOMA offers visitors the Terrace Cafe which serves wonderful food, including their own version of “mac’n’cheese.” Our guest, a budding ballerina in the photo below, loves this dish. She even allowed me to interview about her strong feelings about mac’n’cheese, as you can hear in the video below.