First things first: here's a belated Mother's Day greeting for every mom (and single dad) out there reading this. Happy Mother's Day to you all! I just wanted to make sure that the spotlight would be on you for a few moments because you're amazing. Not everyone is blessed with an opportunity to take care of and nurture a child, and what you do is definitely a calling. Cheers to you!
With that said, here's one of the ways my mom and I bonded yesterday, which was Mother's Day. She asked if I wanted to make pasta, and we both thought of truffle cream pasta immediately. It felt like a scene out of Ratatouille wherein she would dictate what to do and I would be the hands executing it.
We weren't able to make pasta beforehand (we normally do pasta noodles from scratch), so we settled for store-bought penne noodles, which turned out okay anyway.
Cream-based pasta = sautéed garlic and onions. Check out our new sauté pan! White wine was also added after sautéing the garlic and onions.
Heavy cream! I basically guessed how much to pour in. Mom eventually told me to add another half cup.
Cheese no. 1: Parmigiano-Reggiano for some cheesy saltiness.
Cheese No. 2: Emmental, which is savory, but not too sharp.
I added some lemon shavings, if you will, for some acidity. I always remember Joe Bastianich (of Masterchef US) in such instances because he's all about "balance, balance, balance".
The secret ingredient! I ordered this tiny bottle online a few months ago; up to now, this is probably the most expensive ingredient I've ever purchased.
Mix, mix, mix! Mom told me to let my palate guide me, so I would taste the sauce every now and then. At this point, I was adding salt and cheese because the flavor was still kind of bland.
With some parsley on top, we were good to go.
The verdict?
Not quite Mamou-standards — I don't think anything will come close to it; I love it that much — but it's not bad for a first attempt.
To be honest, I was pretty surprised that it turned out this way. It didn't take long to make, I didn't follow a recipe, and considering I never cared about cooking prior to this year, this is one big "achievement unlocked" (as I'd like to call it). Looking back, I can't believe how indifferent and intimidated I used to be when it came to all things kitchen-related.
Next time, I'll try adding a third type of cheese, which is Grana Padano: an aged hard Italian cheese. It will give the pasta a different kind of "bite" to it (which one will find in risotto, for example). Hopefully, this next attempt will taste even better.
Not quite Mamou-standards — I don't think anything will come close to it; I love it that much — but it's not bad for a first attempt.
To be honest, I was pretty surprised that it turned out this way. It didn't take long to make, I didn't follow a recipe, and considering I never cared about cooking prior to this year, this is one big "achievement unlocked" (as I'd like to call it). Looking back, I can't believe how indifferent and intimidated I used to be when it came to all things kitchen-related.
Next time, I'll try adding a third type of cheese, which is Grana Padano: an aged hard Italian cheese. It will give the pasta a different kind of "bite" to it (which one will find in risotto, for example). Hopefully, this next attempt will taste even better.
Buon appetito!
