Skillet Macaroni

Much is made of my grandma's holiday cooking, and for very good reason -- her macaroni and cheese was best I've ever had and her desserts were out of this world. Truthfully though, I liked her everyday meals just as much. Skillet mac was always one of her go-tos and one of our favorites.

When I started cutting back on red meat after college, I certainly didn't want to give up skillet mac, so I modified it a little bit, substituting tofu for the ground beef. As usual, I play it fast and loose with this "recipe," but the key is to make sure the tofu is well-seasoned, since tofu really just takes on the other flavors of the dish. To start with, I always cook the tofu along with the peppers and onions. I also add a generous splash of Worcestershire sauce (based on my childhood memories, I suspect Grandma used more than the 1 and 1/2 tablespoons prescribed on her card), and Tony's  (Adam's favorite).

Adam and I have been eating "tofu mac" for years, but recently, my mom passed down a real cast iron skillet, and somehow that makes it taste even better.

Of course, tofu mac doesn't taste exactly the same as Grandma's skillet mac with beef. Don't get me wrong, it's delicious, but like many plant-based foods, I think it's better judged on its own merits not as a facsimile of the traditional dish.

Still, I hope it might make people feel the same as her skillet mac did. When we ate at Grandma's table, we were deeply cared for but not in a way that made us feel fussed over. She put untold effort into feeding her family over the years, but she made it look almost effortless, like loving us well came so naturally to her. It was obvious we were welcome, from the moment we walked in the door until she tried to talk us out of leaving, to stay until morning and watch the world come alive instead. My greatest hope is that my friends and family will feel a little of that when they eat at my table.