I’m reading all of the stories about the federal workers being in a bad way since the shut down has stopped their pay, and I wonder if any of those folks remember the good old, orange, Government Cheese. I do as it was a pervasive part of my early life.
This is an open thread, I’m looking for recollections and recipes.
I’ll start with a Macaroni and Cheese ala Reagan.
Ingredients:
Water
Salt
pepper
Cheese
milk, fresh or condensed.
Butter, one stick
Directions:
Put water in a saucepan. If the utilities were paid, put the pan on a stove and light it. If the utilities have NOT been paid, go outside and check to see if the 100 pound bottle of propane is still there, if so, connect with a crescent wrench. Go back inside and light stove. Bring water to a boil.
Add salt, on average, three or four of the little salt packets from your local fast food place or junk food gas station should be sufficient. Save out two packets for guests, in case they like their comestibles saltier than you.
On reaching a boil, throw in the noodles and wait until they get wobbly. Open your five pound oblong block of Government Cheese and carefully demold then attack it heartily with a longish knife. The mold is NOT Rocquefort! Discard it! Be careful, the stuff in a cold state is like stubborn, malicious rubber- it may savage you in an unwary moment. Don’t bother trying to grate it, be happy you can cut chunks without the blade of your only knife being bent into a hole saw.
As SOON as your noodle is wobbly enough, turn off the heat and drain the water. There’s only so much propane in a one hundred pound bottle and you’ll probably want heat that evening and to cook another meal sometime in the coming week.
Add milk, if it is the out of date condensed milk from the pantry, don’t panic! It’s supposed to pour that slow, or at least, you will want to tell yourself that as you calmly go through what you remember about pasteurization and temperature.
Grab one of those pounds of butter you were given, yes, it is supposed to be a little transparent, thats pure, natural aging that is- and toss it into your noodle cheese concoction.
Stir. and I do mean STIR!
Your Government Cheese must not meet a standard for nutrition or even edibility, but it’s meltability is damn well MANDATED so you need to STIR that stuff until the friction of your spoon sterilizes the milk and separates the butter.
Once your macaronis have taken on a creamy texture and lovely pumpkin color, serve- a packet per person of the pepper can be handed out and is recommended.
Serve with serviettes and good, clear water. Enjoy!