mac

Nervous shoppers are stocking up on canned fish, boxed mac and cheese and beans.

That’s why friends who grew up in households struggling to make ends meet report processed powder-based mac and cheese being a regular sight at dinnertime.

Case in point: a single slice of American cheese in her stovetop mac keeps the sauce perfectly smooth, and suddenly, mastery feels delightfully achievable.

The candied yams hit just the right note, the biscuit was rich and fluffy, and even with slightly overcooked noodles, the mac and cheese was still satisfying.

The mac becomes symbolic, not just of their isolation, but of the fantasy itself: comforting on the surface, quietly grotesque beneath.