Macarona Bechamel

Alexandria, Egypt— Omar Rahim

Teeta (grandma) used to love to feed her family, and spent her time putting all her love into her food. She enjoyed watching everyone eat, even if she didn't eat much herself. She used to sing while making the macarona bechamel, folk Egyptian songs. Though I don't remember, my mom claims that she danced in the kitchen when she was younger. She was in such a happy mood while cooking, she looked forward to everyone eating and enjoying themselves. I see the same in myself as well.

We would make macarona bechamel for Ramadan and other occasions, but also just normal nights. It was always a good night at the dinner table when macarona bechamel was served. We used to have a square glass kitchen table that was always too small, and wiry metal chairs that hurt my back when sitting on them. I hated that table. But when I remember the table my mind always goes to Teeta. I was such a picky eater when I was a kid so this was something I was always happy to eat. Teeta made it her own way, without tomato sauce or spaghetti, which some Egyptians make it with. I will always prefer her version, even though no one else makes it like her.

Ingredients

Penne pasta Olive oil Ground beef (or impossible meat) 1 onion 3 tbsp oil Salt, pepper, cumin Nutmeg 1 stick butter 1 cup broth stock 2 cups half and half 1 cup milk 4 large tbsp flour

Method

1) Pasta: bring water to a boil with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook pasta to al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. 2) Ground beef: in a skillet, sauté 1 chopped onion in oil until golden. Add the ground beef, breaking into pieces. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin to taste. Cover and finish cooking. Set aside. 3) Bechamel: melt butter on low heat, then turn up to medium. Add flour and stir until it has a toasted color — turn off the heat completely. Pour in 2 cups of heavy cream a little at a time while stirring continuously. Add the rest of the liquid the same way. Once the sauce reaches the consistency of pancake batter, stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. 4) In a large bowl, stir together the pasta, ground beef, and half of the bechamel sauce. Put in an oven pan and spread evenly, pressing down so there are no hollow spots. 5) Pour the rest of the bechamel on top, covering all edges to make a thick layer. 6) Heat oven to 500°F and cook for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let it sit to set before cutting into squares. Bil Hana wa Shifa — (like saying bon appétit in Arabic)