Ronald Reagan’s mac and cheese: Nancy’s long lost recipe

NEWS AND OPINION:

The Thanksgiving table rules the day, as do thoughts of glorious leftovers and comfort food in general. Let us retreat 33 years in the past and consider “President Reagan’s Favorite Macaroni and Cheese,” a simple little recipe shared by “Mrs. Ronald Reagan, Washington, D.C., Wife of the President” in a spiral-bound community cookbook published by the American Cancer Society’s Northern Virginia division in 1983.

Here’s the recipe for six people, to be baked at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. The directions are verbatim from the cookbook — reflecting the style, perhaps, of another era:

“1/2 lb. macaroni, 1 tsp. butter, 1 egg, beaten; 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. dry mustard, 3 C. grated cheese, sharp; 1 C milk.

“Boil macaroni in water until tender and drain thoroughly. Stir in butter and egg. Mix mustard and salt with 1 tablespoon hot water and add to milk. Add cheese leaving enough to sprinkle on top. Pour into buttered casserole, add milk, sprinkle with cheese. Bake until custard is set and top is crusty.”

And about that Reagan Thanksgiving: A 1985 Los Angeles Times account noted, “President and Mrs. Reagan gathered with their family for a quiet Thanksgiving dinner at their fogbound ranch in the Santa Ynez mountains, where the main topic of conversation was the weather.

“The Reagans did not seem to mind the enforced seclusion as they sat down to a traditional turkey dinner, prepared by Ann Allman, the Reagan family’s longtime cook in California. It was an all-American menu that included corn-bread dressing, cranberries, string beans, mashed potatoes, salad, pumpkin pie and monkeybread, a family favorite.”

REAGAN’S HISTORIC THANKSGIVING

“I now invite all Americans to take part again in this beautiful tradition with its roots deep in our history and deeper still in our hearts. We manifest our gratitude to God for the many blessings he has showered upon our land and upon its people.

“In this season of Thanksgiving, we are grateful for our abundant harvests and the productivity of our industries; for the discoveries of our laboratories; for the researches of our scientists and scholars; for the achievements of our artists, musicians, writers, clergy, teachers, physicians, businessmen, engineers, public servants, farmers, mechanics, artisans and workers of every sort, whose honest toil of mind and body in a free land rewards them and their families and enriches our entire nation.

“Let us thank God for our families, friends and neighbors, and for the joy of this very festival we celebrate in his name. Let every house of worship in the land and every home and every heart be filled with the spirit of gratitude and praise and love on this Thanksgiving Day.”

— From Ronald Reagan’s official presidential proclamation recognizing Thanksgiving Day in 1985

RETAILERS WRESTLE WITH T-DAY

Americans are fierce about shopping on Thanksgiving Day. Some love it; others resent the idea. Nevertheless, 31 major national big retailers are openly courting T-Day shoppers this year — some opening late in the day with some discretion. They include Best Buy, CVS, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dollar General, JC Penney, Kohl’s, K-Mart, Macy’s, Michael’s, Modell’s, Old Navy, Sears, SteinMart, Target and Toys R Us.

According to BlackFriday.com, a marketing site that tracks seasonal shopping patterns, 55 percent of Americans frown on Thanksgiving Day shopping. Six out of 10 vow they will not participate in it. This sentiment is not lost on Costco, The Home Depot, Nordstrom, Barnes & Noble, Ikea and 45 other retailers who are closed for the day in the name of family togetherness for their employees.

“Imagine a world where we celebrate Thanksgiving like we used to, where instead of rushing to buy, we gave thanks to what we already have. And the only thing open for business after dinner was the family room. We are closed on Thanksgiving because family time comes first. Let’s put value on what really matters,” notes a joint TV ad for Marshalls, T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods — all among the nonparticipants.

HEY, AMERICA: RELAX, ENJOY

Though some retail folks will be on the job Thursday, the vast majority of American workers will be lucky enough to be paid, sleep late and look for bargains for four days in a row beginning Thursday. About 80 percent of employers count both Thanksgiving and shop-happy Black Friday as vacation time. So says a Bloomberg/BNA survey of senior executives from 450 employers around the nation.

Those who work on Thanksgiving get a little extra something: 84 percent of employers pay extra to employees working on T-Day; 22 percent give their employees gifts or host holiday luncheons.

THE PILGRIMS PAUSE

“Ciderkin, Cheate Bread and Butter, a Sallet, Mussels Seeth’d with Parsley and Beer, A Dish of Turkey, Sauc’d, A Pottage of Cabbage, Leeks & Onions; A Sweet Pudding of Native Corn; Stewed Pompion, A Chine of Pork Roast’d, Fricassee of Fish, Cheesecake made with spice and dried fruit, A Charger of Holland Cheese & Fruit.”

— Official bill of fare for the sold-out “Harvest Dinner with Pilgrims,” staged through Saturday at the historic 1627-era Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The event is hosted by costumed reenactors and features the tunes of the time, along with the table manners. The price: $68 a ticket.

POLL DU JOUR

• 96 percent of Americans have turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner, 86 percent have stuffing.

• 83 percent have mashed potatoes, 74 percent pumpkin pie.

• 71 percent say “family” is what they are most grateful for.

• 40 percent will feature a “kid’s table”; 34 percent will take a nap after the meal.

• 30 percent will refuse to talk about politics at the dinner table.

• 28 percent will refuse to talk about family finances.

Source: A Meyerocks Thanksgiving Survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted throughout October and released Sunday.

• Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for reading Inside the Beltway.