In 2003, food journalist Marian Burros’ cookbook, “Cooking for Comfort” (Simon & Schuster) landed on my desk in the OC Register’s newsroom. It was hard to meet my deadlines because it seemed that everyone who passed my desk examined the cover and stopped to chat about it.

The cover art, a generous bowl of macaroni and cheese, crunchy-crusted brown on top and oozing cheese below, made well-fed adults feel like hungry children.

More than two decades have passed, but I still have the book and I use Burros’ recipe for macaroni and cheese. Comfort food, more than ever, seems irresistible.

Macaroni and Cheese

Yield: 4 main-dish or 6 side-dish servings

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup diced yellow onion

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups low-fat milk; see cook’s notes

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

12 ounces extra-sharp aged white cheddar cheese, grated, divided use

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

8 ounces cavatappi or other corkscrew-style pasta, or macaroni

2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Cook’s notes: I use 2 percent milk, which means the milkfat is 2 percent of the total weight of the milk. Whole milk or 1 percent milk works, too.

The finished casserole (through Step 4) can be covered and refrigerated before baking. To cook, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes, then bake, uncovered, as directed.

DIRECTIONS

1. Place oven rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In large saucepan on low heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, about 1 minute; do not brown. Remove from heat and whisk in milk until thoroughly blended. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring, until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, 10 ounces grated cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and hot sauce.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions until cooked al dente (cooked until pasta offers slight resistance when bitten). Drain, but do not rinse. Immediately stir into prepared cheese sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

4. Spoon into 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining 2 ounces grated cheddar cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

5. Bake about 30 minutes or until mixture is hot, bubbling throughout and golden on top.

Source: “Cooking for Comfort” by Marian Burros

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at @CathyThomas Cooks.com.

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