I’m just learning that as a child I may have been a picky eater. Since it’s been about a week and Jim and I haven’t had electricity so we’ve been without a kitchen. I’ve been craving pasta and I’m going nuts wanting mushrooms. When I was a kid I hated both, along with a lot of other things. Wouldn’t eat an egg yolk and my brother wouldn’t eat the white, so I ate the whites and my brother ate the yolks. I also wouldn’t be caught dead eating a dumpling or anything doughy, yes, pasta was, in my opinion, doughy! Although it may have been my mother’s cooking.
Just a short story. I went through a phase of finding mashed potatoes repulsive. I know!!! It came out of the blue. I’d put them in my mouth and could not swallow them. I’d had this gag reflex. Well, this might be OK for some children but not for a well behaved German girl. I won’t say exactly how, but my father soon took this behavior in hand. My Grandmother, who spoiled me to the extreme, took issue with his discipline but I soon overcame my phobic behavior.
(By the way, my best friend, Patty, will to this day, not eat mashed potatoes due to the fact that they may have a lump. She should know me by now and know that I couldn’t make a lumpy mashed potato. So much for “best” friends. She won’t venture a single bite.)
Anyway, as always I digress. I’m attaching my Mushroom & Pasta recipe. It was delicious. I learned from a Jamie Oliver’s cooking show that you don’t need a lot of expensive mushrooms, all you need are a few expensive tasty mushrooms and you may then back fill with cheap button mushrooms. Learned it from him and have been using this tip for years and have never been disappointed. My market here in WI has the worst produce I’ve ever experienced, best meat department, but produce is uuuuggg, deplorable. I found a basket of Cremini, all gummy and narly, perfect!!! And they were only $1. Coupled with a small can of sliced button. I was golden. Meal was delicious, I was happy!
Just remember a few expensive mushrooms coupled with inexpensive goes a long way. And old mushrooms are additionally good. Nice white and clean gives you a nice white tasteless experience, old funky mushrooms bring taste and texture.
Don’t be like Patty and not trust me. Bring in the love, trust me.
Two Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients:
1/2 pound spaghetti
8 ounces mature mushrooms, sliced
1 small can button mushrooms, drained and sliced
2 large cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1/2 pint heavy cream
Parmesan cheese, grated
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
flat leaf parsley, chopped as a garnish
Method:
1. In a large saute pan, add olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasoning.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic. Cook for a minute, stirring frequently.
3. Add white wine and reduce by half. Add dry sherry, thyme and cream.
4. Continue cooking until thickened. Adjust seasoning.
5. Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
6. Serve spaghetti with mushroom sauce over. Finish with a grind of black pepper, parmesan cheese, and garnish with parsley.
