FYI. One 500 gram pack of Forte hard cheese makes five batches of pasta carbonara (that is, five meals for two persons). No, that food still doesn't contain cream, and yes, I was terrified to make it again after a break of several years. (That last due to the constant array of limitations and outright bans on random foods in the interim time + the complete overhaul of available foodstuffs after moving and having to switch grocery stores.)
The far-travelled cheese from mom finally triggered the impulse to make it again, though. Trouble was, literally ALL the other ingredients, with the exception of eggs perhaps, were also completely different from the ones we were using for the so-well-tested-that-don't-have-to-think recipe before.
Well, managed to make food, memo for the next batch:
- Used fresh fatty pork, instead of a block of smoked long-lasting bacon that the original (and by that I mean the actual historic recipe from the coal mines) calls for. I suppose fresh meat might be healthier, at least prof. K claims so. In any case, works ok-ish, but has less depth to the final flavour.
- Forte seems to be more acidic than the whateveritwas cheese we were using before, as well as the combination of the original two cheeses that are actually supposed to be in the dish. Therefore - can use a bit less, and
- Must NOT add any white wine while rendering the bacon. Used to always add a few splashes to get all the bacony taste off the pan, but in this combination of ingredients the sauce gets just too sour.
- Also might have overdone on the garlic paste today. Since the tube I can get here has a much larger opening than the one I used to use, the autopilot keeps messing things up. Boo. And anyway, should just not be lazy and use actual freshly minced garlic... it's not like I didn't have it right there in the fridge...
- Pasta changed too, from normal durum wheat (or sometimes random gluten free) penne to what is supposed to be spelt wheat.. uh.. whatever the little bowl shaped pasta pieces are called. Again, allegedly healthier (prof. K). Cooks pretty much the same way, tastes nice. Whether what the ads on the package claim are true, god knows, of course. NB, though - four handfuls was clearly too much... Oh shoot, or did I end up boiling five? Literally just finished eating before starting to write this (in an effort to struggle out of the writing slump of the past, uh, too many months), and already forgot. Anyway, will try 3 handfuls next time and see. Al dente.
- Oh, and used two eggs, but just now looking up the link to the older recipe saw that we used to use one. Oh well, worked either way.
- Pepper was broken today. Kept grinding more and more, but the taste just got lost in the rest of it. Strange.
- No added salt - plenty in the cheese.
- And had a bit too much liquid today. Can either drain the pasta more, or the problem will solve itself when skipping any wine.
- Also, I'm being asked to get bread on the side next time. Don't really miss it myself, but, well, habits.
Oh yea, and a general note. Each batch needs to be made fresh: cheese mix in a few minutes before eating. This is one food that really really cannot be stored.
Cheers,
Hedi
