{
  "id": 18950250,
  "title": "The Right Way to Make Mac and Cheese",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/the-right-way-to-make-mac-and-cheese",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-08T14:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Atlantic",
    "slug": "the-atlantic",
    "url": "https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/12/mac-and-cheese-ingredient/689019/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Louise and her grandmother both enjoyed smoking Virginia Slims, often using a theater-length holder for their cigarettes. Louise's kitchen was a place where the mac and cheese was made, and it became a gathering spot for the kids during social events in the late 1970s Los Angeles neighborhood known as Miracle Mile. The neighborhood was multiracial, with the bungalow Louise and her husband Benny lived in featuring a red-clay roof and a courtyard filled with chimes. Occasionally, Benny's hunting pals would bring fresh cod, crayfish, deer heart, or pheasant to share with the group, but side dishes were Louise's specialty. This included deviled eggs, braised mustard greens, and her famous mac and cheese. The recipe relied on using Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Shredded Cheese, beaten eggs, Knudsen whole milk, and a blend of spices like dry mustard and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning.",
  "summary": "My Aunt Louise used a key ingredient that held everything together.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}