• Delphia@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      I maintain that Mac and Cheese is one of those foods that weirdly gets better the worse and more fake it is.

      Ive had some gourmet shit and I always think “I miss the old Kraft one with the tinned cheese.”

      • bitchkat@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        I enjoy White Castle every once in a while. I tried their new 1929 or whatever its called burger. Its actually a pretty good burger but I decided that when I go to White Castle, I just want a standard slider with cheese with ketchup and onions.

      • Alteon@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Cause you’re tasting that sweet, sweet nostalgia.

        I’d bet if you gave someone that’s never had Mac and cheese before Kraft Mac vs a good gourmet Mac, the gourmet will win by an absolute landslide.

        Cheap Mac and cheese isn’t good because it’s good… It’s good because of the old memories attached to it.

        • Delphia@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          Nah, thats not it.

          The gourmet stuff just seems to be missing the whole point for me, not saying its bad Ive had some that were really good but they just seem to be missing the point. Its never going to be good for me nutritionally speaking, its not going to be served at a michellin star restaraunt. It’s Macaroni and Cheese. It’s like corn chips, I’m not saying that the gourmet Deli ones are bad, but they arent Doritos. That orange powder is delicious because it’s fake and engineered. I wouldnt make Nachos with Doritos but if your after that “Cheez” its whats right.

          • Alteon@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Bro, that’s not good Mac and cheese. You haven’t had good Mac and cheese. I promise you.

            Check out how to use sodium citrate and what it does.

            Them get yourself some of your favorite cheese.

            For me, smoked Gouda and cave aged cheddar and a little pecorino romano if I’ve got it.

            Roughly 4-5g of sodium citrate per 100g of cheese. Use water or milk, start with a half cup and add more as you need it, honestly there’s more than enough fat content in the cheese that it won’t make a difference. Shred cheese and add to simmering water. Keep adding cheese until everything is in the pot, and the sauce is perfectly smooth. There should be no lumps. Add more water or milk to desired consistency, and add some mustard powder, cayenne, and garlic. And salt to your preference. It’s the creamiest Mac and cheese you’ll ever have, and the depth of flavor is game changing. I promise you.

            You can even take it to the next step with caramelized onions or shallots and some crumbled sausage. Finish with some bread crumbs, a little paramesian, and some smoked paprika on top, and toss it under the broiler for a minute to toast up.

            For reference, the photo of the “Juneteenth” version is melted cheese with noodles. Fuck that. The recipe I gave you will look like the stuff on the right, and its so fucking good, you’ll discover God in that bowl of Mac and cheese.

        • Bgugi@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          Counterpoint:

          Trash macs and cheese are really good, and there are some amazing high-effort recipes.

          It’s all the stuff in the middle that forms an uncanny valley that isn’t any good.

  • Big Miku@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    Good meme! (I have no clue what any of it means other than the dates)

    • shneancy@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Juneteenth celebrates the abolishment of slavery, I’d say people of colour are the most happy about that, and people of colour are stereotypically famous for making good food

      4th of July celebrates the US independence, which though not a predominantly a white holiday more white people (on account of being a racial majority) will celebrate it, and white people are stereotypically famous for making bland food

      • Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works
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        5 months ago

        This seems pretty dumb… I don’t typically attribute amazing Mac and cheese to minorities.

        Like… Most other foods, sure. But this one? Come now…

        • Dr. Wesker@lemmy.sdf.org
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          5 months ago

          The meme is specifically referring to the quality of food at black cookouts versus white cookouts. If you’ve been to both, you know.

          • IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Maybe the white people you hang out with are shitty cooks. It’s amazing how folks will continue stereotypes that don’t even make sense.

            • shneancy@lemmy.world
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              5 months ago

              I’m sure there’s plenty of people of colour who suck at cooking. Those are just stereotypes used for an Internet joke

              • IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world
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                5 months ago

                I know I’m into this meme way too deep here, but I think content like this is just rather divisive in a very subtle but damaging way. The comment I actually replied to goes to that next actual step saying the joke is truthful. Not the end of the world but I don’t think calling it out is inappropriate.

          • slackassassin@sh.itjust.works
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            5 months ago

            Naw. Mfers up at the break of dawn to start the fire don’t care about that. That’s just some eagerness to support racial stereotypes. All kinds of folks can throw down. If you’ve been to any of them, you know.

          • RaoulDook@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            I have been to both, and the stereotypes are wrong. Cooking skill is not inherent to race or culture, it’s within the individual at the stove.

            • slackassassin@sh.itjust.works
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              5 months ago

              They’re all kinds of things, and this whole concept is some divisive nonsense. People out here going to bat for racial stereotypes.

      • Drusas@kbin.run
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        5 months ago

        and people of colour are stereotypically famous for making good food

        Can’t say I’m familiar with that stereotype as it relates to black Americans. Immigrant minorities, sure.

      • Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works
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        5 months ago

        I don’t think the meme itself is making that particular distinction, moreso just the difference in cuisine in general as a racial stereotype.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago

        people of colour are stereotypically famous for making good food

        The stereotype I always saw was just KFC, watermelon and some purple drink. Maybe it was a bit more aggressive stereotype than what you had in mind

        • shneancy@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          as both Juneteenth and the 4th of July are American holidays, I referred to American stereotypes about Americans

      • Halosheep@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago

        I assumed it was: “typical black family Mac and cheese” (baked, delicious)

        “typical average American Mac and cheese” (not baked, more saucy, delicious)

  • Socsa@sh.itjust.works
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    5 months ago

    Mac and cheese casserole is almost always inferior to the cheese sauce variety. The best versions meet in the middle, but I absolutely hate that eggy cheese quiche shit.

  • Surp@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    4th of July is only better for me because I don’t get Juneteenth off even though I work in a school. Fucked it is!

    • Trainguyrom@reddthat.com
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      5 months ago

      This year was the first year I worked in an office that didn’t recognize Juneteenth. Someone still found a way to complain about people expecting Juneteenth off work and blamed Zoomers for it becoming the norm like it’s a bad thing

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Gosh dang zoomers expecting nationally recognized holidays off, like this is the 20th century or something. Next they’re going to expect clean water, and acceptable working conditions.

      • AA5B@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        My current company is the first one that does recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, so I assume I have a much longer work history than you.

        I’m still not used to it existing so it totally slipped my mind and I would have accidentally come in to work, except one of the overseas guys pointed it out

        • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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          5 months ago

          I’ve been working for 20+ years and I’d never heard of it until a couple years ago. I don’t have a problem with it, celebrating stuff is cool, but it does seem to have come out of nowhere when it became a political issue. Maybe it was a regional thing before that.

            • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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              5 months ago

              Yeah that was when I first heard of it. I researched it at the time and saw that it has been around for a long time but I had never heard of it before that and I’d consider myself to be pretty well read on history in general. Obviously enough people were aware of it to push for a holiday so maybe it’s just the part of the country I’m from it wasn’t celebrated much idk.

    • Ibaudia@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Same, I don’t understand how schools can weasel their way out of federal holidays so easily lol.

    • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Southern food is great because Southern white people have a different set of culinary influences than northern white people. I don’t know what that influence might be, but it must’ve been huge.

    • CaptnNMorgan@reddthat.com
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      5 months ago

      I don’t think the point of the meme is that Mac n cheese belongs to black people. It’s that GOOD Mac n cheese belongs to black people. Maybe you didn’t notice, but the Mac n cheese on the left looks how it should while the one on the right looks like watery stoffers. If you didn’t notice, I’d say the meme is pretty accurate.

      • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        5 months ago

        So “homemade” vs “frozen?” Homemade mac and cheese is a black thing, and white people didn’t eat it before freezers were invented? TIL.

      • Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago

        I get that, but the Mac n cheese on the left is made by people in the south, not just black people. In fact a lot of things labeled as “black” are actually just southern. Its just the south has better food than the north. White people are eating it too.

        Edit: as a European who likes spicy food, anything you’re likely to get north of the Mason Dixon line is basically inedible slopp. Go eat a bowl of seafood gumbo and tell me I’m wrong. Go on, I’ll wait. And while you’re down there, bring me some southern maid donuts.

        • Pulptastic
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          5 months ago

          A lot of southern things were co-opted from blacks. It’s called soul food for a reason.

  • Etterra@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    I don’t get Juneteenth but I didn’t have to, it doesn’t affect me. Although personally I think the name is weird - it’s definitely grammatically incorrect. But whatever, y’all have fun. I like Mac’n’cheese though.

    • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      @Dozzi92@lemmy.world

      It’s just the “Nine” in nineteenth (a word that only has long vowels) replaced with June. June 19th turned into a single word. It specifically celebrates the day slavery was abolished in Texas.

    • Dozzi92@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      My only gripe is I can never remember the number, and there are several teenths. I’m bad with dates. July 4th is idiot proof.

      • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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        5 months ago

        Yeah, One of the vendors I work with emailed me to let me know they’d be off that day and I had to look it up. It would have been the same if it was called abolition day or something like that but there’s something a little annoying about the fact that they made it halfway with putting the date in the name.

      • TechNerdWizard42@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Mac and cheese is all macaroni cheese pasta.

        I don’t think I’ve ever eaten microwaved Mac and cheese, don’t wish to try. If that’s what those photos are, then obviously disgusting.

  • Hupf@feddit.de
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    5 months ago

    As a European: why would you do that to food? Also is that even actual cheese?

    • mark3748@sh.itjust.works
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      5 months ago

      Ah yes, the smug European that has no idea that macaroni and cheese originated in Italy in the 14th century, was extremely popular in England from the 18th century, and was introduced to the US via France.

      And yes, it’s cheese. Probably cheddar. You start with a bechamel and incorporate cheese to make a mornay sauce. Combine the sauce with the pasta and serve.

      • MrsDoyle@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        No. Combine the sauce with pasta, put it in an oven proof dish and grate extra cheese on top. Put in the oven until the topping is browned and bubbling. Then serve. (Also, add a bit of mustard to the cheese sauce, it perks up the flavour.)

          • MrsDoyle@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Huh, I did not know that. Thanks! I was in a discussion over lunch the other day about chemistry - one woman revealed she was a chemistry teacher, which prompted an anti-science member of the group to scoff, “What relevance does chemistry have in daily life?” I gave cooking as a prime example of chemistry - cakes rise, sauces reduce, roasts brown. And now I can emulsifying to the list!

            • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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              5 months ago

              One reason I love cooking is it’s the intersection of so many different disciplines, combined with a creative aspect. Cooking is a combination of history, biology, chemistry, physics, math, and so much more.

        • noisefree@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          I agree with all points (mustard included, I tend to use a bit of a coarse ground brown), but go further: Add a little truffle oil (and I mean a little, truffle anything is kind of like mustard in the sense that too much overpowers the flavor instead of enhancing it so it should be on the quiet side of subtle) and some parmesan/similar before grating the rest of the extra cheese on top and it’s amazing. I also tend to add a bit of heavy cream and a little butter to the sauce. I don’t enjoy most macaroni and cheese mainly because people make it boring, but this is the perfect medley of umami, acidity, fat, and salt without any one flavor being too loud. As a side I usually split and roast a loaf of bread with fresh garlic and olive oil on top and roast up whatever cruciferous vegetable I have around. It’s a great comfort meal that I particularly enjoy on cold wet fall days.

          Edit: a word

          • RBWells@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Just made some yesterday at the request of my kids. Boil the pasta and grate a bunch of cheese, mix of whatever you have, hopefully some is sharp. Pour the pasta out into a colander (actually mine was half cauliflower, also at request of the kids). Put a whole stick of butter (had 1lb dry pasta plus a lot of cauliflower) in the pot and back on medium heat. Into melted butter put flour to make a light roux. Once that is ready, add milk slowly, whisking continuously until you have a sauce like for biscuits and gravy. Then add the cheese, let it all melt, keep stirring but with wooden spoon; stir in some mustard and any other seasonings you want, then the pasta.

            Into buttered dish, topping (I used bread crumbs, shredded cheese works, crushed potato chips also work, or any combination of these) bake at 400f or so until the top is golden.

            So good, not healthy even with cauliflower.

      • accideath@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        No probably with mac n cheese. Mild problem with processed cheese but if actual cheddar is used, that’s fine.

        What I do have a big problem with is kraft mac n cheese mix. Got my hands on an American pack of it and it was disgusting. Tasted like I had just drenched the macaronis in weirdly sticky butter.

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          It really is disgusting stuff, but for those of us who grew up with it, it’s a weirdly appealing comfort food.

        • Delphia@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          There was a version where the cheese came in a can and it was fucking glorious, then they discontinued it and now its a powder and its fucking terrible.

        • Drusas@kbin.run
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          5 months ago

          That’s what happens when you’re thinking of real food and eat ultra processed garbage instead.

        • snail_stampede
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          5 months ago

          What if I told you pure cheese is also made of chemicals? What if I told you you’re made of chemicals too? Would you stop eating yourself? I bet you would, you weirdo.

        • gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          5 months ago

          down voted by people who think any Kraft ceese is real cheese?

          It is, you’re just using the FDAs god-awful definition from over 100 years ago that only cheese made in the specific traditional way is “cheese”

          Kraft singles are American cheese: typically a cheddar and Colby jack mix with 2 specific chemicals added to allow water to stay in the mixture better. Boil them together, spread thinly and let harden.

          Kraft singles have more chemicals and a more complex process so they can get as thin as they do, but they’re cheese by any normal person’s definition.

          here’s a great video by NileBlue on the subject

    • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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      5 months ago

      Don’t bother, obese lemmings will expell their fury at you for making fun of the beloved cheese slop