Daughter C and The J-Man got this cookbook for Mr. Big Food back when they lived on The Farm. Water Valley, Mississippi is a very interesting and welcoming little town, a bit less than an hour from here, and maybe 30 minutes from Oxford–so situated perfectly if we’re coming or going to that school up north, which Daughter C and The J-Man did frequently.

B.T.C.–Be the Change–Grocery started out as just that, a very small market with local produce and such. They do some interesting things at the store and the restaurant. You can follow BTCgrocery and admire their pictures on Instagram.

People in this town have a gift for seeing what needs to be done. When Kagan [Alexe’s husband, and co-owner of BTC Grocery] and I were lost in the throes of new parenthood, our own parents far away, the elders of this town individually stepped toward us with helping hands.

Several days after Annaliese’ birth, as Kagan and I stumbled around in our home, trying to orient ourselves around a squalling newborn, someone knocked on the door. I opened it to find Miss Cecil, a majestic and queenly woman with a white hat and bright red fingernails. She did not bat an eye at my worn pajama top or stretched-out yoga pants. She sailed into the kitchen, kissed the top of Annaliese’s head, and placed a fully roasted turkey on our counter. Then she left. She just figured that we could use a nutritious home-cooked meal, and so she dropped one off.

Life in small towns is not immune to tragedy or plain hard times. But one of the most fundamental ways of helping out is with the gift of food. Macaroni and cheese is one of the foods we all reach for when we want something easy and something good. This particular version is creamy, crunchy, and all things soul-raising.

The B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Southern Revival by Alexe van Beuren with recipes by Dixie Grimes

“Note: This recipe will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze it before baking; thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake according to the recipe.”

DIXIE’S HOOP AND HAVARTI MACARONI

Serves 4

7 Tbsp butter, “unsalted”
1 C bread crumbs, “panko”
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 C dry elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions, drained
½ C flour
2½ C heavy cream
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
¼ lb (1 C) Danish Havarti cheese, shredded
¼ lb (1 C) red-rind hoop cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Melt 3 Tbsp of the butter in a small skillet over medium flame, add bread crumbs and parsley, and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter in a sauté pan over medium flame, whisk in flour until smooth, and cook, whisking, for 5 minutes. Whisk in cream, then add dry mustard, paprika, granulated onion, granulated garlic, white pepper, and nutmeg, bring to a simmer, gradually whisk in Havarti and hoop cheeses until melted and fully incorporated, stir in cooked macaroni, pour mixture into prepared casserole dish, top with bread crumb mixture, and bake until top starts to brown, 30 minutes.