This recipe is an example of what I consider homefood. It's nothing magical, just long macaroni with loads of ground beef, garlic and onion powder, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce and covered and baked with a crust of shredded cheddar cheese. It's something my aunt used to make that we all enjoyed with a good piece of bakery fresh white bread with butter. Not low-cal but a recipe that's nice and comforting. Sort of like shepherd's pie or the left over fricasse's my aunt used to make or even the cabage rolls of my other aunt. It's not food that you'ld be wowed over unless you grew up on it. Even my aunt can't understand why I love her cabbage rolls so much. She appreciates my enthousiasm but she still doesn't understand it. How do you tell someone that that simple dish she's now pulling out of the oven for the millionth time is part of the pattern of your youth and something that bring memories of home rushing back. Plus I love that my the women in my family make the same dishes over and over again and nobody ever gets bored. As for me, I don't often make the same dish twice unless I was overwhelmed the first time or trust that tweaking it is worthwhile. They say that sent is the sense that is most closely tied to memory so it follows that food would be a very important constituent of memories. So does a rich childhood or even a rich life come from loads of good food? I think so. Ergo, food lovers have a happier life. Pleasantly plump.
