“Nothing Brings People Together Like Good Food” -Unknown

This week’s recipe is… Veggie Mac N Cheese!

Fun Food Facts!

VEGGIE MAC N CHEESE HISTORY

Without a doubt, macaroni and cheese (Mac N Cheese) is a household favorite.  As history would have it, Thomas Jefferson had discovered a pasta-making machine while traveling and set out to bring it to America. While there are many disputes as to which country Thomas Jefferson had traveled to find inspiration for his pasta-making machine, the two contenders are France and Italy.

Once Thomas Jefferson had his pasta-making machine back in America, Macaroni and Cheese quickly became a household staple. And while many will claim that Thomas Jefferson himself had invented macaroni and cheese, that isn’t entirely true. Thomas Jefferson had found macaroni and cheese being created already, and found a way to innovate upon the idea and create a better pasta-making machine.

ETYMOLOGY (THE STUDY OF THE ORIGIN OF WORDS AND THE WAY IN WHICH THEIR MEANINGS HAVE CHANGED THROUGHOUT HISTORY… PHEW!)

The name “Macaroni” comes from the Italian word maccheroni which is the plural of maccherone. Like you may know, there are many different types of macaroni with distinct names for each. Some of these names are rigatoni, tortiglioni, chifferi, lumache, lumaconi, pipe, pipette, and so on.

A little-known fact, however, is that the name is derived from the ancient Greek word “Macaria”. This word is then derived from the Greek word “Makaria” which is a barley broth traditionally served to commemorate the dead!

TRIVIA

What day is National Macaroni Day?

July 7th! Each year on July 7th is Macaroni Day. To celebrate, people across the world cook and eat their favorite dishes that include macaroni!

Junior Chef Stars – The Premiere Cooking School for Kids and Teens

We hope you enjoyed this week’s recipe! February is here! So give your child the gift of a March Cooking Class!

To see a list of our upcoming classes, click here!

Which food fun fact was your favorite? What’s your favorite way to eat Macaroni? Let us know in the comments section below!