"Nothing exceeds like excess!"

Okay, I'll be the first to admit I love excess as much or more as the next person, but come on......fried macaroni and cheese? When Michelle Pfieffer said in Scarface, "nothing exceeds like excess!," she was not only giving me material for a lifetime of quotes in moments just like these, she was summing up the American lifestyle in only four words! Living the high life as the wife of a self-made millionaire Cuban immigrant, she correctly expressed the sentiment by which we live, now more than ever. Three of our country's successful restaurant chains: Sonic Drive-In, The Cheesecake Factory, and TGI Fridays all have fried macaroni and cheese balls on their menus! Mac and cheese is an American favorite, from coast to coast, sea to shining sea, you can order up a side with your Blue Plate Special, right next to your fried chicken or pot roast. Or you can go to your favorite supermarket and pluck any number of boxed varieties off the shelf, ready in your kitchen in a jiffy, and enjoy the gooey concoction at home. I've never witnessed a person turn their nose up at cheesy sauce and elbow macaroni living together in perfect harmony, and I've never heard one complaint as to it being unfulfilling in its original form. Who, then, decided to take the already over-the-top caloric atom bomb and morph it into an even more dangerous dish, one that justifiably should be accompanied by a warning label: "Owners and proprietors will not be held responsible for money or time lost due to inevitable triple bypass surgery following your meal." How could we be so discontent and bored as to have nothing better to do than rebel against Mom's advice and play with our food, turning it into an unrecognizable ball of crust that eerily resembles every other item on the appetizer menu? Or maybe I'm being too harsh, maybe I should look at it like this: Americans are inventive, creative people, competitive and upwardly mobile in every way. Maybe this is why we cannot leave well enough alone, but if we don't cut out some of the excess in our diets, our mobility will rely on our super-sized scooters! But it's fun to live in a land where life is so good and plenty that our toughest choice is the fried mac and cheese balls or the fried cheese sticks. Don't forget the dipping sauce!

Here is the recipe for Fried Mac and Cheese is you have the inclination-

FRIED MACARONI AND CHEESE BALLS 1 pound elbow macaroni 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk, warmed, plus 2 tablespoons for egg wash 1 pound grated Cheddar 1 pound grated smoked Gouda Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs 3 cups seasoned bread crumbs Vegetable oil, for frying Marinara or Alfredo sauce, to serveCook the macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the butter and stir it with a whisk. Cook for 2 minutes. Whisk the warmed milk into the flour mixture, working out any lumps. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the cheeses, and stir until melted and smooth; season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese sauce into macaroni. Pour the mac and cheese into a shallow pan and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. Shape the cold mac and cheese into meatball-sized balls and place them onto a waxed paper-lined tray. Freeze the balls overnight. Beat the eggs and 2 tablespoons milk together to form an egg wash and pour it into a shallow bowl. Put the bread crumbs into another shallow bowl. Remove the mac and cheese balls from the freezer. Dip the frozen balls into the egg wash then into the bread crumbs. Put the balls back into the freezer until you are ready to fry. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry the mac and cheese balls until they are golden brown and center is hot, about 5 minutes. Serve hot with your favorite marinara or Alfredo sauce or combination or both for dipping.