{"product_id":"the-epic-history-of-macaroni-and-cheese-from-ancient-rome-to-modern-america","title":"The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese: From Ancient Rome to Modern America","description":"\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrief Description\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Macaroni and cheese is experiencing an upsurge in popularity. Given the stressful times we are living through, cozying up to the queen of comfort foods is not surprising and should even be expected, as books like 350 Macaroni and Cheese Recipes: Keep Calm and Try Macaroni and Cheese Cookbook (2020) imply. The dish is not making a comeback from obscurity. On the contrary, as the epic history of macaroni and cheese shows, it has only ever been on an upward trend. But, beloved as the dish is the world over, little is known about its backstory, not only culinarily, but of what it reveals about centuries of social evolution, and the role it has played in issues having to do with race, class, and gender. From its earliest origins in ancient Rome, the history of macaroni and cheese has been enmeshed in questions of social class and status: paraded as status marker on the elite table, promoted as a solution to feeding the poor, and embraced by middle class homemakers. In passing from the hands of European male chefs cooking for the aristocracy to female cookbook authors, and appropriated as a tradition into American kitchens where it became the legacy of African American women, it embodies questions of gender, race, authority, and identity. Looking at its manufacture from the ends of the continuum, what started as a handmade delicacy laced with costly spices ended up as a ubiquitous boxed kit of elbows with powdered orange cheese in America. Macaroni and cheese has a historical story rife with myths and errors. The author reveals how, over the centuries, the dish came to be considered uniquely American. However, while there is a notable American emphasis, the book's focus rests more broadly on the culinary evolution and social history of the dish. The main source for the author's analysis up to and including the 19th century is historical cookbooks. Other primary sources include literature, travelogs, expense accounts, trade records, oral histories, and dictionaries. Into the 20th century, primary sources include oral histories, interviews, newspapers and journals, and business records. Historical recipes will provide direct insight into the evolution of the dish. About fifteen recipes are remapped for the modern kitchen and included in this book. A sweatshirt slogan that went viral over the 2022 Thanksgiving holiday read \"The macaroni is more important than the turkey.\" Just as happened in the Renaissance, today's chefs are approaching macaroni and cheese as a professional challenge. Those who are not \"perfecting\" the dish are exploring its potential variants. But the rise of \"mac n cheese\" is not just something chefs are interested in. Many people have profound childhood memories of when, where, and how they ate it. The love of the dish is boundless.\"-- Provided by publisher.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eForeword, by Paula Johnson\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction\u003cbr\u003e1. Digging In: Ancient Antecedents\u003cbr\u003e2. Macaroni on Papal Plates\u003cbr\u003e3. The French Connection and English Reflection\u003cbr\u003e4. Jefferson, Hemings, and the Macaroni Mythologies\u003cbr\u003e5. The New World Order: Macaroni's Triangular Transformation\u003cbr\u003e6. Pasta, Power, and Progress: From the Elite to the Everyday\u003cbr\u003e7. Americans Vie for Their Piece of the Pie\u003cbr\u003e8. Macaroni's American Soul: Bringing It Home\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments\u003cbr\u003eNotes\u003cbr\u003eBibliography\u003cbr\u003eIndex\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs an African American from the South--and a lifelong mac and cheese lover--I found that Karima Moyer-Nocchi completely upended everything I thought I knew about this dish. In \n\u003ci\u003eThe Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese\u003c\/i\u003e, she methodically traces its roots, debunks myths, and reveals its true cultural importance across the centuries.--Carla Hall, chef, author, and television host\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAt a time when culinary history can get as twisted as fusilli, Karima Moyer-Nocchi provides much-needed scholarship and storytelling. \n\u003ci\u003eThe Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese\u003c\/i\u003e deftly and thoroughly sorts out fact from fiction about this beloved dish, and for that, macaroni and cheese lovers like me are grateful!--Adrian Miller, \"The Soul Food Scholar\" and James Beard Award-winning author\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBrilliant, indulgent, and impeccably researched. Karima Moyer-Nocchi has crafted the definitive cultural biography of macaroni and cheese, tracing its journey across continents and through centuries with the precision of a historian and the warmth of a devoted cook. As a food scientist who's never outgrown my love for this dish, I savored every insight into how something so simple became so culturally profound. Whether your interest is scholarly or purely gastronomic, every page in this book immensely satisfies.--Kantha Shelke, author of \n\u003ci\u003ePasta and Noodles: A Global History\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhether you are a fan of the creamy béchamel-infused mac and cheese that I remember from my childhood or a blue-box kid, \n\u003ci\u003eThe Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese\u003c\/i\u003e has something for you. From the \n\u003ci\u003eDecameron\u003c\/i\u003e through contemporary African American versions, this book details the journey of this international and yet oh-so-American dish. (And yes, Thomas Jefferson and James Hemings do make an appearance!) It is a compelling and informative read.--Jessica B. Harris, food historian, cookbook author, and professor emerita at Queens College, City University of New York\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKarima Moyer-Nocchi is a culinary historian specializing in Italian food who teaches at the University of Siena. She is the author of \u003ci\u003eChewing the Fat: An Oral History of Italian Foodways from Fascism to Dolce Vita\u003c\/i\u003e (2015) and\u003ci\u003e The Eternal Table: A Cultural History of Food in Rome\u003c\/i\u003e (2019). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePaula J. Johnson is curator of food history at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFinally, the true story about mac and cheese! Karima Moyer-Nocchi's writing is both entertaining and erudite; this book is a must read for pasta lovers everywhere.--Vicky Bennison, creator of the \n\u003ci\u003ePasta Grannies\u003c\/i\u003e YouTube channel\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlong with a deep dive into the dish's evolution, the book also features recipes that Moyer-Nocchi sees as \"an invitation to experience history through your senses, to step into someone else's kitchen and another moment in time.\"-- \"New York Times T Magazine\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDisplays alert intellectual curiosity and a strong engagement with her subject.-- \"Wall Street Journal\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, a staple of weeknight dinners, family gatherings, and Soul Food restaurants. Humble though the dish may seem, its history is filled with surprising twists and turns. Renaissance cardinals and popes dined on elaborate pasta-and-cheese concoctions laced with costly spices. In the eighteenth century, wealthy young Englishmen made macaroni a symbol of continental sophistication. Black women, whose contribution has long been overshadowed, played a crucial role in establishing the dish as an American tradition from the nation's founding through the Civil Rights Movement. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis book is a delectable history of macaroni and cheese, tracing an extraordinary journey of cultural exchange and social change. Karima Moyer-Nocchi reveals the religious, political, and industrial forces that shaped its evolution alongside stories of the unsung figures who crafted the dish as we know it today: enslaved cooks who preserved and adapted traditions, immigrant chefs who introduced new variations, and practical homemakers looking to nourish their families with an affordable meal. She emphasizes the adaptability of macaroni and cheese, which in different times has served as both an indulgence on the elite table and sustenance to those struggling to survive, crossing borders, social classes, and cultural divides. Deeply researched and rich with enticing details, this book uncovers the creativity and resilience that brought a beloved food to our tables. \n\u003ci\u003eThe Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese\u003c\/i\u003e also shares centuries of recipes--from ancient Roman authors to celebrity chefs, reworked for modern kitchens--that provide a hands-on way to experience the evolution of this iconic dish. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 11\/15\/2025 (EAN 9780231215312, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Moyer-Nocchi, Karima\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Columbia University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePub Date:\u003c\/b\u003e 2026-02-03\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC:\u003c\/b\u003e Cooking|History|Cooking|Specific Ingredients|Pasta\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSubjects:\u003c\/b\u003e Cooking (Pasta)|History|Cooking (Cheese)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.45 lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780231215312\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eASIN:\u003c\/b\u003e -\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSKU:\u003c\/b\u003e SP-9780231215312\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Columbia University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51154499076374,"sku":"SP-9780231215312","price":38.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9780231215312_spiral_1.png?v=1776246472","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/the-epic-history-of-macaroni-and-cheese-from-ancient-rome-to-modern-america","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}