Comfort Food Origins: Mac and Cheese!
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Macaroni and Cheese is a comfort food that we see regularly on our dinner tables and at barbecues. This is easily one of the best dishes we have ever made on the channel. As we dug into the research, we couldn't believe how far back we could trace Mac and Cheese!
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Thomas jefferson trying to introduce mac and cheese to the Americas: "i guess you weren't ready for that, but your kids are gonna love it"
Great Scott!
Marty!!!
:0
"Chuck! Chuck, it's Marvin. Your cousin, Marvin. Hey, you know that new flavor you're looking for? Well, taste this!"
isnt he the one that said 'the acquisition of canada this year will be a mere matter of marching' lol
now his descendants are mexican irish africans and they press 2 for spanish
I love the fact that Jefferson served macaroni and cheese at a state dinner. That is simply awesome. If I ever became President I would definitely do that.
Invite me!
@@bobelliott2748 Lol will do!
Sure beats serving cold mcdonalds and for reason being proud of it
Benjamison Franklinson notoriously called it 'Thee delight of thee Devyll'
@@RicoDuroska Wtf are you talking about lol
We need to use "cast upon" in our recipes more.
This is like "Behooves" from officers in the military. We must find a way to insert this phrase into all recipes.
yes! love your comment!
"Cast it into the fire!" gets used in my kitchen.
I would buy that cook book.
Absolutely!😊
I believe it was specifically John Hemings who brought back a lot of the recipes to the US, including macaroni and cheese. He was Jefferson's chef and he accompanied Jefferson to France. He trained there as a chef extensively before returning back to the US. He is also the brother of Sally Hemings.
A much more reasonable comment and a fair criticism than the "Oh my god, Jefferson shouldn't get the credit for the sequence of events discussed in the video because he didn't cook the mac and cheese himself" weirdos in the comments. If there are specific records and mentions of Jefferson's chef in regards to the introduction of mac and cheese in America and his role is understood to be of historical significance in the evolution of this dish, it definitely should have been discussed in the video. That story is relevant not only from an event based historical perspective but also from a sociological one.
There are definitely specific records of all of the things that are stated, and there is even a foundation for the recognition of James hemmings. If you are interested in learning about the work of African Americans in American food history, I would recommend the work of Michael Twitty
Their production quality looks better than most documentaries
I would loooove a Townsends produced documentary on something history related
It sorta is because the recipes are from the 1800s and they explain it so well
LifeOfBoris is really similar to Townsend, but more Slav.
@@Morale_Booster Same here. I'd gladly edit it, even, if given the chance.
@@Morale_BoosterTheir whole channel is history related, haven't you watched the video?? They made a Mac & Cheese like we would never do it today, but instead how people did it 500 years ago. If that isn't "history related", then I don't know what is.
Edit: Or are you talking about historic events?
If anyones interested in the recipe he read at the start, I believe "Tasting History with Max Miller" covered it. It was almost a lasagan like John said!
Thanks for that!
When I go to the trouble of making 'Home made', I like to add some crumbled bacon and chunks of sweet pork breakfast sausage. No offence to the vegetarian option, I make that too. Cheese is good!... 😻
@@mikeskelly2356 There is nothing wrong with putting bacon in anything.
Mmm, bacon in aspic with raisins...@@Jethu262
@@townsendsvictorian England people eat mac and cheese, not just 1700s usa people.
Yankee Doodle went to town
Riding on a pony
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni
Yankee Doodle keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls, be handy
From what little I understand, pasta was one of the major sources of carbs in England and many European countries right up until potatoes were introduced. Then, for some reason, potatoes became so popular that pasta all but disappeared from English cuisine for centuries until it was reintroduced again from Italy and became popular after WW2. It's weird how those things happen.
To be fair, potatoes are way easier and more accessible in a pre-industrialized society than pasta. They're easier and more productive to grow, and cooking is a much simpler process
@@mrmayortheivyou could also cook potatoes in a multitude of different ways.
I doubt it, as the major use of grain seems more likely to have been bread and/or porridge (at least from what I know). Even more so in areas, such as Scotland, Scandinavia and other part of Northern Europe, where rye and oats were important staples prior to the introduction of potatoes.
Pasta, especially without a pasta rolling machine is a very labor intensive process. On the upside it requires very few ingredients and can be made with fairly course ground flour.
Italy grew different, harder wheat than northern Europe. Wheat traditionally grown in Britain does not make good pasta. Even now, almost all our pasta is made in Italy, dried and exported here.
It was introduced here in the 1700s by the rich young men who had leisure and money to travel to Italy but was a luxury. Later, it became cheaper and a staple. My grandmother ate it regularly in the 1880s, she then cooked macaroni cheese and macaroni pudding for my mother and uncles in the 1920s, as nursery food - easy to eat whereas grown up could manage spaghetti linguine etc. So did we kids, in the 50s. My own children were lucky, I ditched the hated macaroni pudding, but we all still vie to make the best macaroni cheese, it's a competitive sport in my family. Even my 7 year old grandson has invented his own, cook from scratch recipe. We don't understand why it is sold in boxes in the US, it is so easy to make your own and change your recipe slightly according to what you have in the pantry or fridge.
I love how everything in the 18th century was a pie or had pie crust involved
pie crust began as a moisture retainer and a delivery vehicle for whatever was inside it. Originally it wasn't even meant to be eaten. At least, in medieval times.
Funnily enough, here in Scotland we have a spiritual descendant of this dish, Macaroni Pie! Typically a quick, cheap takeaway option. It's normally fairly basic Mac and Cheese in a Scotch Pie style hotwater crust, baked and served hot in bakeries. They're a little derided these days as a simplistic food of just carbs and fat with little nutritional value, but seeing you make this recipe has me curious if there's a lineage that leads us from Frasier's recipe to a modern Macaroni Pie. It would definitely overturn a perception that they're a fairly modern poverty food.
The entire world: bickering over meaningless things.
*John Townsend: I love the history of Mac and cheese.
God bless you John
Could've used a hint of nutmeg and mushroom ketsup xD
Good morning, and happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! (And all the Founding Fathers, too.)
I remember the 1784 one you did 5 years ago. I didn't realise it was over 500 years old but if the original is Italian it makes sense.
According to Wikipedia and other sites mac and cheese is from 14th century England
From what I've gathered, *pasta* and cheese was recorded an Italian cookbook in 1314, and in an English cookbook in 1390. But specifically **macaroni** and cheese was first attributed to an English cookbook in 1769.
You should do an episode while dressed in the Macaroni style.
Oh, this would be fantastic!
a Zoot Suit will do the job!
"I had an onion hanging from my belt which was the style of the time. "
Feather in cap (Yankee Doodle)?
Stick a feather 🪶 in his cap and call it macaroni
😉
Could you guys do a video on "snacks"? I know most of the working class may not have had that option, but could you research what would have been available if you were sick and didn't have time to cook or your child was screaming at you before mealtime? Apples come to mind, but what else could they have grabbed in a hurry? Thank you for all of your content. ❤
Strange notion these days, leftovers. Either cold or hot.
it always amazes me that we are so into "snacks" in the last 50-60 years. It usually wasn't done before that. If they had fruit or left overs, yes they would eat that but I do believe most regular people just dealt with being hungry between meals if they had enough food to have regular meals.
Samuel Pepys often comments that he would "clap a bit of meat in my mouth" when he is in a hurry. Brawn was also a popular snack with some bread. Biscuits with wine. Lunch wasnt a thing so you would just snatch a bit of whatever was going. Bread and cheese,or a bit of tart or leftover meat.
@@pheart2381The reason lunch was not a thing in Pepys time is because dinner was eaten between 11 am and 1 pm. It's breakfast and supper that were different to today.
Lunch was invented in the 19th century. It was a meal eaten by housewives because their husbands were in the city doing business at dinner time, slowly dinner increasingly got eaten in the evening, and lunch became a meal for men as well, by about 1890.
Watching Townsends is my comfort food
Ain't that a truth tho
Macaronis were primarily wealthy young men who had taken the Grand Tour, that is, spent six months or more traveling around to the great cultural centers of Europe, learning languages, seeing the notable sights, soaking up culture, and becoming adult men. Like young men of any age, they came home very full of themselves and obsessed with the new fads and fashions that they picked up on their travels. The song Yanky Doodle Dandy that British soldiers sang to lampoon the Colonial army, says "he stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni," to suggest that American men were so ignorant and backward that they actually thought sticking a turkey feather in their hat band would make them look sophisticated.
Thank you, I never really understood that song. 😂 I love the back story.
Unfortunately for those lads, many of them also picked up diseases from their fun with lasses and lads alike.
Mind blown
@@tatianaes3354 Sadly, true.
Thanks for sharing this. I kinda thought that Jon was leaving a bit of the story of the Macaroni Club on the table.😂
Since the discovery of flour, we've had "pasta". In Sweden, where I live, we never bothered to make it thin. Fist-sized lumps boiled, sometimes filled with pork and or/fish. It's still eaten today, and it's wonderful!
When potatoes arrived, you bet your ass we were making fist-sized balls and boiling it. We already knew it would be a win!
Kams, palt, call it what you like, it's glorious! Swerved with a slightly sour lingonberry jam/jelly. Want to try?
But this recipe with the macaronis boiled in cream or milk shares a lot with Swedish stuvade makaroner (stewed macaronis). Basically just macaronis boiled in milk, flavoured with pepper and nutmeg and served alongside meatballs or sausages.
I know most people
love mac and cheese but I had no idea it was over 500 years old. Also I am sure many people make it in different ways and different pasta
"The earliest mention that we have of pasta and cheese being joined together dates back as far as 160 BCE, when Marcus Porcius Cato, ultraconservative senator of the then Roman Republic, wrote his treatise on running a vast country estate, De Agri Cultura. In it, he included a few recipes for ritual gatherings and holidays that bring together what could be construed as pasta and fresh cheese. “Placenta” (pronounced with a hard c) is one of those. It was made with layers of cheese packed between stacked sheets of whole grain dough."
My recipe is, more Marconi, more Cheese.. More Cheese.... More Cheese.
Is this from that one episode of courage the cowardly dog
Jon I just want to tell you how much your channel has meant to me over these past years. My life has completely become unpredictable, difficult and an absolute mess. Your channel is very comforting and informative and interesting to me, and I always come back to it.
I hope it settles down for you. God bless you.
❤
I hope you're doing better now.
I know what you mean. I’ve been going through some things and feeling depressed and this channel is comforting to me. Hope things are better for you now.
Macaroni pie. Very popular in Scotland
Now I need to find a linguist to tell me why Macaroni, the pasta, Macaroni, the style, Macaron, the cookie, and Macaroons, the sweet, are all linguistically similar, but completely different things.
I think people just like to say "macaroni."
Figured that 500 year old dish would have more mold on it.
As we say in Holland:
Macaroni is maar een kapstok voor kaas.
My favorite anecdote of Thomas Jefferson(not sure of the accuracy) is how another member of Congress tried to introduce a rule saying Jefferson could not eat macaroni and cheese during meetings because it was gross.
I love a cold spring! Looks like a magical place to have coffee. Thanks for an amazing video.
Never commented before, have watched you off and on for near a decade. Thank you, sir. Your content is just wholesome good quintessential comfort to my soul.
Either the universe or yourube has apparently deemed that i should cook some mac 'n cheese with all the suggestions. But if townsends is doin it, well, then imma have to make some. :D
In reference to the guy who disapproved of jefferson's mac 'n cheese, i think we found the british spy.
Forget comfort food, this is my comfort channel ❤
I am just very thankful this channel exists. Love this content
Imagine being the guy whose life is only known for complaining about one of the best dishes in human history, that's kind of hilarious xD
incredibly heartwarming and comfy content, love it!
Mutchkin is a very comforting word
Soooo, what IS a mutchkin?
😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣...I just made homemade mac and cheese with Andouille tonight for dinner. Great minds think alike.😂😂😂😂
Thanks for this, the ol' mac and cheese is such a quintessential dish. Cheap, easy to throw together and is comforting for the vast majority of people everywhere. I love your work as a lifelong professional modern cook and looking to get into the old ways. Simpler times. 1700s of what is now US is my favorite period of history.
Look like pennette rigate to me lol but other than that, lovely!
when referring to people "macaroni" can be synonymous with being "foppish" or being a "confirmed bachelor" or a "dandy", in other words, it was a "nice" way of calling someone a homosexual.
So this is where Dominos got the idea for the pasta bowls?
3:25 the use of white pepper is interesting to me. was it popular at the time, at least compared to black pepper? i've only ever seen white peppercorns at the local asian market
Some prefer white pepper instead of black when makeing a white sauce so that it doesn't change the colour. Would guess that it is the reason
White pepper and cheese go well together👍
@@kaspershaupt Is there a difference in taste of the peppers themselves?
@@shannondore the difference can be noticeable, but is not big. Don't think it really matters other then the color
@@kaspershaupt The difference in taste is massive, though. Use just a little bit too much of white pepper and the meal is basically ruined.
White pepper is usually used with a lot of milk based foods.
I hope that crack in your oven door (6:26) won't cause any problems.
Most people don't understand what "He put a feather in his cap and called it macaroni" actually means...
Your comment is an achievement to be proud of. 👍
Yep, not anymore, we don't.
I love that the original doesn't say to make a cheese sauce separately! So my family mac n cheese is very close to this historic recipe.😊
The Italian composer Rossini was a major fan of macaroni. There's a story where he visited the pasta shop of Canaveri.
"So that's it?," Rossini said, "If you don't have any Neapolitan macaroni, I don't want to know anything else. Good day!"
Canaveri asked Rossini's friend, "Who was that?"
Rossini's friend answered, "Do you know who that gentleman is? Rossini, the composer."
"Rossini?," Canaveri answered, "Never heard of him. But if he knows as much about music as he does about macaroni, he must write well!"
My Neapolitan grandparents immigrated to the U.S.A., and I never heard them use the word "pasta" unless it was "pasta fazool". They made "macaroni" or else called it by the shape. Same with my parents.
Wow that looks very good. Definitely not the boxed stuff.
Of all the dished I'd have guessed are 500 years old -- that is not the one. Learn something new every day.
That pompous dinner guest at the state dinner wasn't impressed.
But I keep wanting to try John's dish every time they do a close up
When you think about it, this recipe makes complete sense:
The starch from the pasta and the milk makes a sauce similar to a bechamel and by adding cheese, you get a mornay sauce.
So this is like a simplified maccarony and cheese recipe with less steps because you cook the pasta while making the sauce. 😜
My new favorite channel ❤
Am I the only crazy person who likes to have a tomatoes or a ketchup in it?
Mac & cheese with tomato ketchup is great.
I've had it with tomatoes sliced and baked on top......Delicious!
First time no, when reheated absolutely
"It pops up in 14th century Italian cookbooks" your playing a dangerous game here, John.
Don't threaten 1700s Bob Ross
Speaking of comforts, I found this channel at the beginning of the pandemic. I was so anxious, afraid, and worried all the time. But watching these videos made me feel so calm and grounded. Thank you so much for being a wholesome channel that also connects us to the past in the best way. Your positivity has meant everything to me and, I know, to so many others as well. Thank you 😊
I like the crust around the edges. I think that would add a nice texture to the meal.
Mac & Cheese my favorite and I am in good historical company.
Mac and cheese, my beloved food. Few are moments so profound that they change the course and direction in one's life than now that I know even but a little of this 'macaroni club'. It has sparked a great intrigue and curiosity anew. Cheers!
Thank you for your kind support!
Certainly and thank you. I've since made it twice already though the first time I forgot to bake it. Even so, it was still quite enjoyable. 😄
After some testing over these last few months, I've found that when they say reduce the milk, they really mean to reduce the milk potentially up until it becomes a thick roux like consistency between the excess noodle starches and the milk fats. It does get a fair bit softer though I feel that's mainly when adding things like tomato or spinach that are really watery that it softens more than anything. When I've done this with just cheese, I'm pretty sure it's still quite crunchy after baking even so.
I'm gonna need a mutchkin or two of mac & cheese right now! Thanks again for the wonderful video.
A mutchkin is about half a liter, btw.
@@ianfinrir8724 Oh nice, thanks.
Ah yes baked Mac N Cheese. That stuff is amazing.
Cabot Cheese, Please...or home-made! For those who do not possess a Time Machine, like our Friend here! Next New England Trip...i must visit Townsends! The old women who live with me here on the Small-hold would adore it...my Scots-Irish Mother and Aunt. My Aunt's Grandson killed a rabbit when he was visiting these Arkansas hills (from Los Angeles Metro), and between UA-cam and Nan's recall of our Ancestral cooking methods, i came home to lovely fried wild rabbit!
He stuck a feather in his hat, and called it macaroni!
The "Early American" channel made a macaroni & cheese pie from about 1820, which is similar to this recipe. That version had a full bottom crust, not just a puff paste edge. "Tasting History" has done the Jefferson version.
I was never smart enough to figure out how macaroni could be made or how it was invented. Then a "Pasta Grannies" video showed how macaroni can be made at home by working the dough/paste around something like a nail. It was very interesting.
I have learned how to make good noodles by watching Turkish cooking channels. They use an extra long rolling pin -- similar to the one in today's video -- called okhlava. (I bought a large wooden dowel at the hardware store.) The paste is rolled against itself, achieving the very thin consistency that is difficult or impossible to create with regular rolling pins or basic pasta machines.
It is interesting that white pepper was used in today's recipe. I use a pinch of chili powder or cayenne or a dash of hot sauce for the same purpose. White pepper would be excellent!
No surprise it was probably invented in England. After Roman conquest, there were close ties with Anglo Saxons and Rome, then various ties during Middle Ages and later
This looks delicious. I wanna try it.
I wonder how a 15-16th century Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme would look/taste? 😅
Fantastic video! Thank you!!
at 2:51 would the "quite tender" be closer to the more British use of "quite" today? I know my US brain wants to read this as VERY tender and I'm assuming she doesn't mean that.
You forgot to mention the crust tastes amazing
Max Miller actually made the Cheese Lasagna version and yes, it was exactly what you thought, Mr Townsend!
I was about to say you're gonna have the Italians after you with torches and pitchforks
Reminds me of that song "Yankee doodle."
Anyone who wants to make this the most authentic way possible might want to try a good clothbound cheddar (like Cabot) as that is the way cheddar was produced back then. Parmigiano Reggiano might also have been a cheese wealthier folks used as it was highly regarded as the finest cheese. Good Parm is fantastic in this dish. Use Gouda though if you want a classic "fruity/sweet" flavor. Lots of people kept goats back then so an average farmer mightve made this dish with goat cheddar or something like Manchego.
My favorite macaroni is the way the French made it. They make it with brie, butter, Gruyère, cheddar and they cook the cheese separate.
I like fresh grated nutmeg in my bechamel sauce. In addition, mustard and sour cream are great things to add to macaroni and cheese. Thanks for sharing this. Cheers!
I started adding mustard powder to mine. I’ll often use a block of cream cheese, but sour cream could probably work just as well if I had a different soft cheese. Oh, I’m excited.
Dang 500 years. Can't go wrong with a bowl of mac n cheese. Of course unless you're lactose intolerant. But even those people will still eat it.
I was skeptical but this was one of the best macoroni cheese's I have ever had and I would say I am a bit of a connoisseur.
Gosh. That looks delicious.
*”Hmm. I must declare, I’m quite fond of said Mac’ N’ Cheese…”*
- probably Tom Jeff, 18th Century
What's the difference between pasta and macaroni ?? Simple question.
"Yankee Doodle went to town a-riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his cap, and called it Macaroni!" 🙂Thanks for another wonderful video Jon!
MAC AND CHEESE IN A BREAD BOWL..YUM!!
A macaroní Tart. Awesome!
its easy to forget that you are mimicking the old life style..you do a great job.thank you..from old salem, winston-salem n.c.
6:45 "Yankee doodle went to town, riding on a pony.
Stuck a feather in his cap, and called it 'macaroni!'"
Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a pony,,, stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni....😂😂😂❤
Happy Father's Day Jon! Loved the video as always...but has Ryan and Aaron been fired? 🤔 No sign of them lately.
I hate to correct you, but I believe it was Yankey Doodle who invented macaroni by sticking a feather in his hat.
Should be served at every Whitehouse meal whether
You like it or not
Ps if your going to make a pie crust don't skimp go full coverage
And make it thick
I make macaroni Lasagna instead of pizza these days. It doesn't hurt my teeth like the crust does.
When i looked at 18th century, i see it as a boring history. But these videos changed all of my view. It's nice to see the wonderful way people cook back in the day...
Too many history teachers ruin history. Just as too many English teachers ruin great literature.
In Poland, the common word for pasta is makaron
How do you know its parmasan cheese to use. I wouldn't think that would be a readily available ingredient at that time.
3:10 this seems like the way you make lasagna 😮
Protip: smoked gouda & Jarlsberg + fresh ground nutmeg = the greatest Macaroni and cheese you probably ever will eat
Ooh, that sounds really good!!
There was an episode of Bones (season 2, I think), where Brennan made mac'n'cheese for Booth and mentioned a sprinkle of nutmeg. No mention of the cheeses used. He thought it was the best thing ever, though.
But a lot of the fans were very much in the mode of "nutmeg? Really?"
I don't care for mac and cheese, but this actually looks way way better.
I know what I'm cooking for dinner this week.
Hey can you some shows on medicinal herbs and other remedies?
Honestly this is the kind of thing i wish was on TV or could be learned in school. It's awesome to be able to look back in time and see how people lived.
Perfect
so old timey macaroni is just normal baked macaroni but with a bread bowl lmao. im surprised the recipe is that old but i guess the idea of mixing some cream, butter, cheese and pasta together just came naturally to italian.
Well now I know why Yankee Doodle was calling that feather in his hat macaroni