Macaroni and cheese has been my favorite food from the very beginning. My journey, like so many, began with neon-orange Easy Mac and led to the exploration of many variations both at home and in restaurants—from Outback Steakhouse's absurdly creamy mac with penne (which I thoroughly enjoyed in my elementary school days) to many a truffled mac and cheese ordered during various steakhouse experiences over the years (very hit or miss).
Nowadays, I'm much more likely to cook my own mac and cheese at home than order one off a restaurant menu. And of all the recipes I've tested over the years, one stands above the rest for its timelessness and pitch-perfect combination of flavors and textures: Martha Stewart's.