Gratitude and Gooey Cheese
A Thanksgiving Message from Lunar Telephone Company
If I had to choose just one holiday as my favorite… it’d be Thanksgiving!
Not for the turkey (I can take it or leave it). Not for the pilgrims (yikes). But for the part that really matters: side dishes, chosen family, and the deeply human ritual of gathering.
For over 20 years, I’ve spent Thanksgiving not around a traditional family table, but with a constellation of friends, artists, and co-conspirators. Some years we crammed into tiny apartments. Other times, we filled long tables in big backyards. Sometimes, with team members neck-deep in a Christmas project. Once, we celebrated at the beach. Always, we brought food. And always, we laughed, ate too much, and claimed leftovers.
There’s something beautifully democratic about a holiday where the supporting cast (mac & cheese, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans in suspiciously creamy sauces) gets to outshine the main character. Turkey? It’s fine. But side dishes? That’s where the soul lives.
Still, it’s impossible to celebrate this holiday without acknowledging its history - rooted in the mythology of peace between colonists and Indigenous people, while obscuring centuries of violence, land theft, and cultural erasure. That tension sits with me every year. It’s why I don’t celebrate the story. I celebrate the people around the table. The food. The effort. The choice to show up for each other. And maybe… the cheese.
Which brings me to my personal favorite: Mac & Cheese. It’s rich. It’s excessive. It’s a little nostalgic. And yes - like the Moon - it’s made of cheese. It’s the dish I look forward to most. So in the spirit of sharing what matters most, I’m including my recipe below.
Whether you’re flying solo this year or gathering with a full flight crew, I hope you find warmth, flavor, and a moment to say thanks - for the people who get you and the projects that excite you.
From all of us at Lunar Telephone Company - Happy Thanksgiving!
Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 12 people
Ingredients
6 slices high-quality wheat bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2" pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
2 tablespoons salted butter
4 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups Half & Half or cream
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
approx. 18 ounces of block cheddar cheese, freshly grated (60% extra sharp white
cheddar, 40% sharp yellow cheddar)
approx. 8 ounces of block Gruyere cheese, freshly grated
3-4 ounces grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound of high-quality, dry pasta
Cooking Instructions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.
Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of salted butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat whole milk and half & half. In a high-sided skillet over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to boil.
Slowly, in small amounts, add hot milk into the high-sided skillet with flour & butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture becomes thick and bubbles.
Remove skillet from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and approx. 80% of all cheeses. Mix thoroughly. Set cheese sauce aside.
Add dry pasta to boiling water. Cook for approx. 2-3 minutes less than the manufacturer's directions (until outside of pasta is cooked, inside is underdone).
Transfer pasta to colander. Rinse under cold running water and drain well. Stir cooked pasta into reserved cheese sauce.
Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese on top (Cheddar and Gruyere). Scatter breadcrumbs over the too. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese on top (Romano). Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Allow dish to cool for 5 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Hints
When possible, shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses have an "anti-caking agent" in the form of a powder, which produces a final dish which is less creamy.
Splurging for the best cheeses possible will pay-off... Great cheeses make great Mac & Cheese. Cheeses of lower quality often have a higher oil content, producing an oily Mac & Cheese.
Adjust the black pepper and the cayenne to produce a more- or less- spicy Mac & Cheese
Choose the pasta wisely... Pick something interesting and with lots of nooks and crannies. Those crevices will hold lots of cheesy goodness.
Add chopped, fresh vegetables if desired. Broccoli and tomatoes have proven to work well. If choosing to add a meat, such as bacon, be sure to consider the amount of salt contained in the addition... You may want to reduce the amount added to the butter & flour mixture.
While we celebrate the abundance on our table, it’s important to remember that food is not guaranteed for everyone. This year, we’re making a donation to World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit founded by chef and humanitarian José Andrés. WCK responds to crises around the world - earthquakes, hurricanes, war zones, wildfires - by doing what they do best: cooking meals. Hot, nourishing, culturally appropriate food, served with urgency and dignity, wherever it’s needed most. WCK’s immediate presence and tireless efforts as wildfires ravaged parts of Los Angeles, and upended the lives of friends and colleagues remains a bright light and positive memory during a very dark event. I and my fellow Angelenos are deeply appreciative.
José Andrés has built more than a kitchen - he’s built a movement. His advocacy reminds us that food is more than survival; it’s connection, comfort, and hope. Whether serving meals in Gaza, Ukraine, Puerto Rico, or right here in the U.S., WCK shows up with compassion and a commitment to humanity that transcends borders.
If you’re feeling full this season - in your belly or your heart - we invite you to learn more and support their work.