I had not realized how hard Alfredo sauce was to find in Paris. I gave up on finding it after exhausting all the grocery stores in the city and coming up empty. I stocked up on tomato sauce and pushed the matter out of my head. But again, Paris surprised me and taught me something.
Being in a foreign country comes with a lengthy and sometimes difficult transition phase. It is normal, and I met many people who were going through it as well. I took the comfort of the U.S. for granted.
Im not saying France is subpar to the States. I just missed the familiarity of knowing that I could get groceries at Publix or that I could go to the convenience store on Sundays. It was intimidating to enter a French grocery store and not know where to find what or what some foods are called.
I spent hours just walking around the store those first couple of weeks trying to decipher the code. The concern was increased when I could not find a certain comfort item. I panicked when I could not find my favorite cereal.
By necessity, I learned to live without some of my favorite foods. I finally told a friend that I really missed Alfredo sauce, and she lit up with excitement. On the spot, she told me about the night before when she had dinner with her host family.
Her host mother made Alfredo sauce that she loved. The best part is she was eavesdropping enough that day to get the recipe and try it for herself. After she told me it was only three ingredients, I knew I had to try making it. Its great. There are two variations: one with mustard and one with mayonnaise.
I loved it, and now I want to share this easy-to-make sauce that you can season any way you want.
Homemade Alfredo sauce
Serves: ~3
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons grainy mustard or mayonnaise (This step depends on how you want the sauce spiced)
1 1/5 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine cream, cheese and mustard (or mayo).
2. Whisk until the cheese melts and no longer clumps around the whisk.
3. Whisk until the sauce thickens (If sauce does not thicken as desired, add cornstarch or flour one teaspoon at a time whisk until smooth).