Cuisine Eric

This is a delicious pasta dish taught to me by my sister-in-law Cindy. She cooked it for me during a recent visit this past fall and I reverse engineered it at home later, riffing with sherry and spinach. 2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 lb button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1 lb bulk Italian sausage Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 1 tsp herbs de Provence or Italian herbs 3 cloves garlic, minced 8 oz fresh baby spinach leaves 1-1/2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup cream sherry, divided in half 1 lb fresh pappardelle pasta Fresh minced parsley for garnish Melt butter in olive oil in a large wide skillet.   Add mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms release what water they will and begin to brown a bit.   Stir often. Add 1/4 sherry and allow to evaporate, until the mushrooms are cooked and nicely browned.   Remove mushrooms to a bowl. Add a dash of olive oil to the skillet and add the sausage, crumbling into bite-sized pieces.   Season with sal...

Shrimp scampi is an easy quick dish to prepare, and oh so satisfying. Be sure to cook the shrimp only about 2-3 minutes - the trick to the best scampi is not to overcook the shrimp. 1 lb large shrimp (~20/lb), peeled and deveined 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp olive oil 3/4 stick butter, thickly sliced 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 lemon (or lime), halved, and one half quartered 4 cups trimmed broccoli flowerets Crushed dry red pepper flakes, (or minced parsley) to taste 1/2 lb spaghetti Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Salt generously (like sea water) and tip in broccoli.   Stir gently and blanch for 2 minutes.   Immediately remove broccoli with a slotted spoon to a colander, and allow to cool. Return water to boil and cook spaghetti until just al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet. When the butter has melted and bubbled a bit, add the garlic and cook, stirring, one minute. Add the shrimp and spread into a single layer about the skillet. Co...