Create Assignment like Water for Chocolate

As I sat at the dinner table with my older brother, I could smell the scents of our favorite dish being made… The faint smell of pasta water boiling, the strong smell of turkey hot dogs frying, the crushed garlic, the salty soy sauce. I could hear the sounds of the pots and pans clinking together, the utensils being taken out of the drawers, the mixing of the pasta with the cheese – to melt it ever so perfectly. I knew my Mac 'n' cheese was about to be served.

When I was younger, starting from age five (when we first made it), I had always been passionate about the making of our family Mac 'n' Cheese. It wasn't your ordinary Mac 'n' Cheese recipe – it had more depth to it. If you looked at the ingredients together, you would assume it to be a weird combination, but in reality it was – and still is – one of the best dishes I've ever had.

In making this dish, be sure to have pasta noodles, Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic cloves, turkey hot dogs, soy or tamari sauce, olive oil, and black olives (optional – some people don't really love the taste of black olives, but I would just say go for it anyway!). To begin with, in a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Once the water is done boiling, add 2 cups of pasta noodles (I suggest organic veggie pasta spirals – I always loved the multicolored ones!). As a young girl, it made me feel special and important to be the one putting the pasta into the boiling water, I made it my job. Little did I know; my mom and Craig were the ones actually doing it, guiding my small, delicate hands along the bag full of rainbow colored pasta, making sure they never got burnt.

When the pasta is in the boiling water, add a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt to taste. Craig is my older brother's dad, a longtime family friend of my whole family, and the one who originated this recipe. My mother has always been the type to make strictly healthy organic meals, which weren't so kid-friendly. Inevitably, my brother and I didn't really enjoy the majority of the food our mom gave us, so Craig came up with this recipe. More than just Mac 'n' Cheese, it had lots of protein in it besides just the cheese; it had turkey hot dogs too! My mom, of course insisting that all the ingredients were organic, was alright with the dish, and over time grew quite fond of it. She continued making it even when Craig wasn't over for dinner.

In a separate small saucepan, fry 4-6 organic turkey hot-dogs for only about 5-7 minutes. When they're done, chop them into ¼ inch slices. I didn't have much to do with the frying or chopping of the hot-dogs, for back in the day my mom said it was too dangerous for me to use a knife or to get close to a hot saucepan, but I'd have to say that the hot-dogs were my favorite part of the meal. When I got the chance to dish out my own serving of Mac 'n' Cheese,