mmm-yoso!!!

Jasmine Seafood-Dim Sum on a lazy Sunday

Welcome back to mmm-yoso, the blog about food.  Again Cathy is blogging about a meal she and her Mister had during their "seven days of feasting"-meals out between their birthdays.  The other people who blog here apparently haven't had anything to eat lately.

So, anyhow, The Mister and I were awake early on Sunday and were hungry.  Jasmine opens at 9:30 and we were in the parking lot before 10 a.m., avoiding the waiting throngs who are lined up by 10:30.  Kirk has blogged about dim sum many times, yet I've eaten here many, many times and never blogged about it.  Until now.

We usually order eight items, which seems to be just about the correct amount of food for us.  This time, the jasmine tea counts as one of the items.  They do charge $1 per person for the tea here, but it is a very high quality loose tea and even on the third refill of hot water, the flavor is still deep. I didn't take a photo.  Sorry.

  The first, noisy, steam cart rolled by. I pointed. -Har Gao- translucent rice dumplings filled with shrimp appearred on the table. You get four and, well...at least I sort of got a photo.  Price was Group C ($4.20)

The steamed bean curd roll- this one filled with pork, bamboo, cloud ear mushrooms and in a *very* flavorful broth. Also priced as Group C.  There were two of these pieces, cut to make 4 pieces total.

Wonton soup ( Group D-$4.50) came rolling on its own cart. Four shrimp wontons, Chinese broccoli, some scallions and a nice, warm broth. Never had this before. Excellent to share.

Shrimp Shu mai. (Group B $3.90) Always wonderful. Pretty much solid chopped shrimp.

Pork Shu Mai (Group A, $2.70), apparently ordered because we were not too adventurous...the tripe cart had just passed us..and the chee fee just didn't look all that good today.

Cross section of the Taro Gok (Group A), filled with a pork and preserved vegetable mixture that was just the right amount of juicy and salty for the light mashed taro...the crispy fried shredded exterior added just the right amount of crunch without being oily. Three on the plate.

Custard tarts, three on the plate, Group A, the perfect dessert...warm, eggy custard, flaky warm crust...mmm!

Jasmine Seafood 4609 Convoy San Diego 92111 (858)268-0888 website

Pho HoaCali Express - Mira Mesa

There are times like this, when my avocation takes a back seat to my vocation. This past few weeks has been a challenge, finding time to eat, much less portioning out part of the day to post, sometimes took a bit of effort. It is during these times that I'm thankful for Cathy's help! I am doing well, and to quote Ed from Yuma, quoting Samuel Clemens, "the rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated". I'm still alive and kickin', if a bit tired.

I don't have enough fingers, and toes for that matter, for which to count the number of people I know who consider Pho HoaCali the best place in the greater San Diego for Pho. My personal favorite is Lucky Pho which is right across the street, but I wouldn't fault you for having Pho HoaCali listed as your favorite. My usual time for a visit is before 11am...and sometimes as early as 8 or 9, I love Pho for breakfast! It also helps that at during that time, the packed and crazed little restaurant is a bit more peaceful. It also ensures that I get a great parking space.....I'm sure there are some who have never been able to get within sniffing range of the front and center parking stall!

PHC, has one thing in my opinion that put them head and shoulders above the other Pho shops in the area.....the meat. In this photo "from the vault", of a visit last year, you can see what I mean.

On this visit, I ordered the Dac Biet (special), large bowl, which at that time was somewhere around five and a half bucks. My favorite by far was the brisket and tendon(duh!), both of which shone. The garnishes were of good quality, and the amount adequate.

The noodles had the perfect texture, just right right amount of pull, and not over-cooked as id the case at many other places. What was disappointing, was that the broth lacked a good beef flavor, which was strange because I've always thought that the broth at PHC was pretty good and beefy, if a bit lacking in other flavors.  It was also much too salty. Hmmm...I decided to give PHC a rest. This visit was not without some "interesting" vignettes however. I saw one customer get up and start berating the Server. Doing my best "fly on the wall" impression, after a few seconds I understood that the customer was angry because he believed that when the Server moved the Pho from the tray to his table, the Server had stuck his thumbs into the soup! I also viewed the phenomenon from which PHC earned the nickname "Hoisin City" from a friend of mine. Folks dumping huge amounts of hoisin and sriracha into the Pho, without nary a taste to see if the broth needed it.

And so I just kinda gave PHC a rest. Until reading about several folks who just raved about the Bun Bo Hue at PHC. Bun Bo Hue happens to be one of my favorite soups, so I just had to check it out. And however misguided or somewhat esoteric it may be, over the last few years, I've kinda developed my own "shortlist" of what I look for, or more appropriately sniff, stare, and taste for, in Bun Bo Hue. So here's how the BBH at PHC (you gotta love the abbrev's) was for me.

First off, the price (small) $5.65:

The bowl arrived, and it looked downright delicious if a bit short on the "annatto red" that I'm used to. It also lacked any type of serious lemongrass-shrimp paste fragrance. I enjoyed the flavor of the Rau Ram(Vietnamese Coriander), but other than that, this broth really lacked the bright flavor of a good bowl of Bun Bo Hue. First off, the lemongrass and mild ginger flavor was sorely lacking. The broth was also seriously lacking in heat, and had only a very mild hint of the shrimp paste flavor I've become familiar with. The broth had a nice amount of oil, which was very noticeable because the bowl was delivered lukewarm. It is important that my BBH...or even Bun Rieu be delivered absolutely tongue scortching hot. Why? It's because of this:

While the herbs served with Pho are considered "garnishes", I've come to understand that the herbs and vegetables served with Bun Bo Hue and Bun Rieu are treated more like vegetables, and are an integral part of the dish. It is also important that the broth be served hot, so that the vegetables, in this case only shredded cabbage(?), will soften a bit.

The noodles were okay, if a bit too soft. If there was one redeeming feature of this Bun Bo Hue, it would be the meat, all of which was top notch. I did lament the lack of Cha Lua(steamed defatted pork sausage) in this bowl, but not for very long, as the excellent tendon (just as good as Pho Ca Dao on ECB) soon diverted my attention.

 

All things considered, this bowl lacked the soul of a bowl of Bun Bo Hue. And after eating it, I can understand how misguided individuals can call Bun Bo Hue, "spicy Pho"(please forgive me Wandering Chopsticks). That's basically what it tasted like.

I really didn't want to do a post at a place where I've enjoyed a good many bowls of Pho over the years, and end things this way. So recently, before things got too crazy, I went for another bowl of breakfast Pho. With the various combinations of meats available on the typical sizeable Pho menu, you'd think I'd be able to get my "dream combination" - brisket, flank, and tendon. But alas, it isn't available on the menu(though I'm sure that I'd be able to request it), so decided to order the #7, rare steak, flank, tendon, and tripe ($5.65).

What came my way was a steaming hot large bowl (and I was only charged for a regular). The garnishes were again of good quality, if a bit sparse. On this day the broth was as I remembered, mildly beefy and light. The meat was good as it always is, and the noodles perfect. It was a good bowl of Pho........

I've found the service at Pho HoaCali to be efficient. It may be because I usually eat there in the mornings, but I've never had the "menu dealt out, and the Server standing over you with the ordering pad" thing done here. The Guy who mans the register has alway been nice and friendly, and I'll gladly go back for some Pho...no Bun Bo Hue for me though.

Pho Hoacali Express
9170 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Foodland for lunch-A Taqueria inside a grocery store.

mmm-yoso!!!.  The Blog.  Written by Kirk and ed (from Yuma) and Cathy and a few others.  Again, yes, Cathy is back...because all the others have lives...or perhaps they have not eaten anything lately.

The person who named this store had zero imagination. However...oh the food. A Mexican market and in the El Cajon location, a plethora of Middle Eastern products (there is a large Chaldean population in El Cajon). A panderia, taqueria, fresh tortillas, wonderful produce and an array of great items to be found inside.

This day was yet another of our "seven days of feasting" -celebrating the week between our birthdays- and The Mister and I wanted some simple good food for our lunch.  We met in college and lived on a very limited budget and enjoy good food, not really caring about atmosphere.

Two carnitas tacos $1.50 each.

Fresh, juicy, tasty.

Fresa (Strawberry) drink ($2.00)(the most expensive item we bought)... and a beef tamale ($1.50)

Cross section of the tamale- filled with fresh, tender, juicy beef.  The masa still had larger pieces of soft hominy-you know it was made fresh...

Buche, cabeza and birria tacos. $1.50 each.

Excellent, as always.  Large portions inside the doubled tortillas. The buche (esophagus) meat was tangy and nicely chewy and the cabeza (head) meat was deeply flavored. Rich might be the right word.  The birria is always perfectly cooked (it can be lamb or goat-and there were three goat heads for sale in the refrigerated sectin of the store, as well as other goat parts and no lamb parts, so I assume this taco was goat.  The taste gave it away also).

Simple. Good.  Oh. The tortillas are made in the store, so are *always* fresh and wonderful. The usual toppings are cilantro, onion and in house made tomatillo salsa-just a bite of heat with a wonderful tomatillo flavor.

Then there is the grocery store.  Go to the cheese section.  Danish Blue Cheese is $6.99 a pound.  I have no idea why. We always get a chunk when we are here.  Always.

Foodland Mercado 1099 East Main Street, El Cajon 92021 (619)579-4100

Other locations: 920 Cardiff Street San Diego 92114, 303 Highland Avenue National City 91950, 5075 Federal Boulevard San Diego 92102

It's Autumn. The mornings and evenings are cold out. Time for chicken soup.

Happy Autumn 2008 to all of you mmm-yoso!!! readers.  Today is Friday and it is time for another $5 for two meal, written by Cathy.

Hi everyone. Boy have we had some cool evenings lately.  It is soup weather.  Coincidentally, chicken thighs and legs are on sale for 99¢ a pound at Vons this week, as is celery.  You can buy carrots individually for less than a dollar a pound and can find some onions for that same price.  This is all you really need.  If you like, you could put some sort of starch in the soup, like noodles or rice or potatoes, but even that is not necessary.  Chicken soup is *so* easy.

For the discount price, chicken is sold in this bulk package.  I used 5 thighs in my 4 Quart stock pot and there were 15 thighs in this package.  Thigh meat has more flavor than breast meat and there is only one bone to remove. I think thighs are easier to work with than legs.

You will also need these three ingredients: celery, carrots and onion.  The flavorful trinity known as a mirepoix.

Chop these. Use the celery leaves.

Put the chopped vegetables ( I used 5 carrots, 1.5 onions and the whole celery) and the chicken thighs, skin and all into the pot, fill with water, put on low heat and cover.

Don't add salt or pepper-those can be added at the table.

Oh.  This is how you make stock, by the way.  You don't have to cook this in broth or other canned flavorings.  

Simmer on low with the lid on for about an hour.  Remove the thighs, let cool.

When cool, remove skin and bones and shred the chicken meat with your hands.

You can skim fat off the top of the soup while these are cooling.

Put some ice cubes in a clean dish towel, twist and then run the towel over the top of the soup.  A good amount of the fat will cling to the cold towel and even go through it and congeal on the ice. Another way is to put the whole pot in the fridge for about an hour and then skim the congealed fat off the top.

Reheat the whole thing, ading back the chicken meat and some Herbes de Provence and/or garlic powder or other spices if you wish.   

At this point, just about 10 minutes before serving, you can toss in some rice or noodles or even potatoes.     

Alphabet pasta works well, too.

Cathy's basic chicken soup

5 chicken thighs, 5 carrots, 1 bunch celery, onion, Herbe de Provence, water. (You can add any herbs pretty much in any amount.  Spices are a whole other ballgame)

Mona Lisa- A little grocery and restaurant in Little Italy

mmm-yoso!!! is this:  a blog about food, written by Kirk, ed(from Yuma) Cathy and a few others.  Today, Cathy is back, continuing on about her "seven days of feasting"-or how she and The Mister celebrated their birthdays this year...

If you have ever driven or picked up anyone at the San Diego/Charles Lindberg airport, taking the Hawthorne Street exit off the 5, you most likely have gotten stopped at this light at India Street and perhaps, wondered...Perhaps it has been a clearer view for you also. This is Mona Lisa, on the Northern edge of Little Italy near downtown San Diego...

Something we discovered...It seems that if you want to go out to eat on a Friday, you need something called "reservations" at most restaurants.  It also seems that some strange social occurrence called "date night" is happening.  Silly us.  The Mister just wanted some pizza.  He gets to choose for the first three days of our week of birthday celebration... so anyhow, we were able to get a table here.  Forgive the photography, I did not use flash.

We started out with a half carafe of house burgundy ($7.50). I was driving and did not want a lot to drink much(and Mona Lisa doesn't serve Chianti in half carafes, as Filippi's does).

The caprizzi appetizer. Sliced tomato, sliced fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. ($7.50). Pretty standard and a reassurance we do it right, since it tasted the same as when we do this at home...

Four cheese pizza. Mozzarella, Provolone, Fontina and ricotta (!) ... Only one size here, the proper way to have pizza. ($15)
A cross section. There is also chopped fresh basil on top. The tomato sauce is fresh tomato tasting, not spicy. Lots of olive oil.

We shared a fresh made cannoli for dessert ($3.50)made with ricotta and a touch of lemon peel as well as Amaretto.
..along with two shots of espresso in a cup. ($2.50)

A very nice birthday dinner for The Mister.

I liked it too!

Afterward, we walked through the grocery store, where there were great prices on many grocery items, fresh breads, wines, cheeses and vegetables as well as sandwiches.  I could easily shop here daily if I lived closer...

Mona Lisa Italian Foods 2061 India Street San Diego 92101 (619)231-5367

Greek Style Chicken- a revisit

You are reading mmm-yoso!!! a blog about food.  Kirk, ed(from Yuma) and Cathy and a few others all contribute in a strangely anonymous yet intimate way to this online diary.  Today, it is Cathy's turn.

Hi.  Just a quick post about one of my 'regular rotation' places, where The Mister and I came for one of our "seven days of feasting" meals (the week of our birthdays, which are seven days apart) (although the photos here are of two meals)...This location is close to home and we like the food.

Yes, we love this place.  Here is the 1/4 chicken combo meal ($7.25 when we were here in July, now $8.25). A perfectly seasoned and rotissiere grilled 1/4 chicken  served with Greek salad, garlic bread and either fries or zucchini, or as pictured, the lovely onion rings I crave.

                                                                     

The glorious strawberry shake($2.25). Not artificial tasting at all.

This location used to be a Foster's Freeze you know.  The ice cream machine is still in the store.

We went back for The Mister's birthday: Yet another gyros ($5.25) (in July it was $4.25 and looked pretty much like this photo; I don't want to bore you). The sandwich comes with onions and tomatoes, sauce on the side. Fresh bread.   

Chicken pita- huge! ($5.25) Served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, feta and tzatziki on the side. The chicken is moist and flavorful.

Onion rings and fried zucchini sticks ($2.15 each). Nicely, lightly batter fried. Why play games? Way much food. Excellent food. Never have we been disappointed when we eat here. Never.

Another Happy  Happy Birthday meal.

Link to prior post

Greek Style Chicken 1468 Graves Avenue El Cajon 92021 (619)401-0700 11a.m.-9p.m. seven days

Anthony's Grotto, La Mesa-lunch specials!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food, written by Kirk and ed (from Yuma) and Cathy and a few other friends.  Today, Cathy is writing about one of the meals she had during her "seven days of feasting".

Hi.  In case you don't know, The Mister and I celebrate our birthdays seven days apart by eating out for at least one meal a day.  Somehow, over the years, by the time it is my birthday, I am only wanting to stay at home and eat something homemade and light...

So, Day One.  We decided we wanted to eat lunch at Anthony's Grotto in La Mesa. 

I had blogged about a dinner with my brother here last year.  We all do like good seafood.

The meal starts off with fresh baked Italian rolls served with sun dried tomato butter.

Calamari appetizer. ($9.50). Perfect.  Sometimes people say this is a 'first date' food.  We must still be dating...

Seriously, light, herbed batter, perfectly fried, Parmesan sprinkled on top and served with a warm marinara...

I chose the soup and chowder salad salad meal ($8.95)...of course the soup was the white(never red) clam chowder...which has classic great fresh clam flavor, along with the cream, butter and includes diced potato and celery.
The chowder salad (which you can get on a sandwich or on top of a salad of shredded lettuce and cabbage)(hence, my saying I got a chowder salad salad above) The chowder salad is fresh made with not oily fish-halibut and cod and shrimp in a light mayonnaise based sauce. I did not feel I needed to add the side of home made ranch dressing until I was near the bottom of all the lettuce and cabbage and wanted something different...

The Mister chose the seasonal catch combo ($10.95) -a lightly (in flour and egg wash) grilled fish of the day (cod) with batter fried 'small' shrimp-which were not that small...The batter as always was perfectly done and the fish was ever so lightly sauteed.

As always, the fish was all prepared perfectly and was wonderfully fresh.  We did not tell our server we were celebrating a birthday, or would have received a free dessert, as many other tables were had.  We were full!

Anthony's.  Numerous locations in San Diego. Website

Siem Reap: Even more temples!

Have you grown weary of all those posts on the temples of Angkor yet? Are they starting to look all the same? Perhaps you're suffering from "Temple Fatigue".... And yet, temple fatigue never really hit us. We found most temples interesting and unique, but I'll keep the rest of my posts on the various temples short and sweet. Our post lunch started with.....

Banteay Kdei:

Called the "Citadel of the Cells", Banteay Kdei was built in 1181.

Banteay Kdei has been used as a monastery at different points in time.

The most well known feature of Banteay Kdei is the "Hall of the Dancing Girls". Where all of the columns feature beautiful bas-reliefs of Girls doing the Apsara dance.

Banteay Kdei has been kept somewhat unrestored, making for some fascinating viewing.

Some of which is due to poor construction and low quality materials. In addition, no one really knows who this temple was dedicated to, adding to the mystery.

Ta Prohm:

For us, Ta Prohm proved to be one of the more intriguing temples.

Built in 1186 by Jayavarman VII to honor his family, when the efforts to restore the temples of Angkor by the French began, the École française d'Extrême-Orient decided to leave Ta Prohm in it's natural state.

It's impossible not to gaze upon the giant Kapok (silk cotton tree) trees whose roots have have become one with Ta Prohm. Several of the trees have taken root on the ceilings and walls of Ta Prohm, giving the temple an air of mystery.

You see the roots of the Kapok trees snaking their way throughout Ta Prohm.

When FOY MrB checked out our photos of Ta Prohm, he immediately told me, "I've seen this as the set for Tomb Raider." And he was correct, Ta Prohm is easily the most recognizable of the temples used as a backdrop for the movie Tomb Raider.

When we returned from vacation I read an article that mentioned the the Archaeological Survey of India will soon begin to do some restoration work on Ta Prohm. To my relief all work is planned so that the trees are "not disturbed in any way."

Wandering Chopsticks also enjoyed Ta Prohm.

Ta Keo:

As we approached Ta Keo, we quickly noticed something unusual. There was no ornamentation, and it remained undecorated.

At around 1000AD, construction of Ta Keo ceased, and it was abandoned. Legend has it, that Ta Keo was struck by lighting, which was seen as a bad omen.

Thommanon:

The temple of Thommanon is well restored, and small enough to enjoy quickly.

But the thing we'll always remember the most about Thommanon is the poor fellow on the right. While his parents and siblings were enjoying themselves, he was having none of it. Yes, "temple fatigue" was rearing its ugly head. His parents and siblings viewed this with much good humor....his brother even made sure to catch some great shots with the camcorder. I'm sure the tired little guy will hear about this for many decades to come! "Remember the time we went to Angkor, and you had a tantrum....."

Preah Khan:

Jayavarman II is credited as being the founder of the Khmer Empire, and according to legend, the Preah Khan, or "sacred sword" is said to have symbolized his power. It is speculated that this was the home of the mighty sword, a copy of which said to still be hidden away at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.

Like Ta Prohm, Preah Khan is left in a rather unrestored state.

It is believed that up to 10,000 people lived within the walls of Preah Khan during it's heyday. And also that a prestigious and famous school was housed on it's grounds.

After Preah Khan, Narin asked us if we wanted to revisit any of the temples we had seen to end or day. We decided that The Bayon had been our favorite site, and making a more detailed exploration of the wonderful bas-reliefs would be a nice way to end our 2 day visit to Angkor.

Narin decided to take us through the lower East Gate of Angkor Thom, known as the "Gate of the Dead":

It is less restored, and much more peaceful than the famous South Gate.

We ended our day, taking in the bas-reliefs of the Bayon in greater detail.

Narin dropped us back at our hotel. We showered and headed out to dinner.

Siem Reap is an interesting town....during the day, it is very calm, and sleepy. During the evening, after everyone has returned from the temples, it is a bustling, and busy tourist mecca.

During the day this street:

Is transformed to this in the evening.....

Though these street stands are more directed at feeding the locals.

You'll find an interesting variety of food at these night markets.

Chinese style roasted and BBQ'd meats seemed popular.

With grilled items a very close second.

A very typical meal for the locals goes this way; you walk up to a stand full of pots. It is perfectly fine to peer into the pots. You decided what you want to eat, and your meal comes with whatever is chosen and rice.

On this evening, noodles seemed to be very popular.

These stands use packaged dry noodles that are cooked and kept to the side. When an order is placed, the noodles are stir fried, with bean sprouts, soy sauce, hot sauce, and maggi, and sometimes served with a fried egg on top. A very cheap meal.

So what did we get? Well, you'll just have to wait for that one!

Road Trip: Beach's Big Little Saigon Food Tour Part 2

After making 5 stops on Beach's whirlwind tour of Little Saigon, Beach turned to me and said, "ok, Kirk, let's get some real food now...."

5 - Cho Cu Bakery:

Beach had remembered that I had become fond of the "bread" in Vietnam. It was light, very flaky (vs crusty), and had a nice yeasty flavor. So our next stop was Cho Cu Bakery, which is located in yet another strip mall in Westminster.

I purchased a baguette ($1), and a Banh Mi Bi for the Missus. Even though the Banh Mi Bi sat in a car for 4 hours or so, it held up well. The Missus really enjoyed the Bi.

The bread, is light, and fairly flaky. A bit more substantial than baguettes we had in Hanoi, but it was the closest I've had since we returned. I used half of the baguette for Banh Mi Cha Com, and the rest became breakfast. A simple baguette with smiling cow cheese brought back memories of breakfast in Sapa.

Have you ever noticed that the worse the parking lot, the better the food????

Cho Cu Bakery
14520 Magnolia St
Westminster, CA 92683

6 - Quan Vy Da:

With Beach skillfull dodging of flying autos, we managed to extricate ourselves from from Cho Cu's parking lot. Beach turned to me and said, "let's eat lunch!" Beach decided to randomly check out a restaurant, and knowing my affinity for Bun Bo Hue, we made a lunch stop at Quan Vy Da.

Of course we both got Bun Bo Hue:

I thought the meat provided was the best I've had in a traditional (non-Pho shop) Bun Bo Hue. Soft, tender, and full of flavor. The noodles were cooked perfectly, not overcooked like many places tend to do. The soup was topped with Rau Ram(Vietnamese Coriander) in addition to the cilantro. The plate of herbs provided was adequate, and included thinly sliced banana blossom. I thought the soup could have been hotter, as I believe that the "garnishes" should be softened by the broth to add more flavor. The broth had a decent lemongrass flavor, but the heat was truly lacking. Both Beach and I noted how mild the broth was. Overall, this was pretty good.

The Banh Beo, those little discs of steamed rice flour, were the best I've had.

Wonderfully pliable, moist, with a mild chew, these were great. The ground shrimp topping these wonderful little discs added texture and saltiness. The overall effect was a fantastic savory, with just a hint of sweetness in the background. A splash of fish sauce topped everything off with a touch of umami.

This was a wonderful way to end this road trip for me.

Quan Vy Da
9950 Bolsa Avenue
Westminster, CA 92683

Driving home to San Diego, with my back seats full of my bounty, I could only marvel at how blessed I've been. Food Blogging sometimes has its down days, but there have always been more "ups". Without doing this food blogging thing, I would have been deprived of knowing so many wonderful and generous folks. Like Beach.....

Thanks again for your warm and generous heart Beach!

Chicken, mushrooms and basil cream sauce- (What Cathy found in the fridge and kitchen for the $5 Friday meal)

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food and Cathy is blogging today.

Hi.  I know I haven't talked about many meals out lately, but things have been busy and I will have a lot of posts in a row for you soon.  For now, it is another meal for two that will cost less than $5, based on using some items on sale this week in local grocery stores.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts are on sale for $1.97 a pound this week at Vons.  They are small, from young chickens the package says.  Thighs were on sale last week for 99¢ a pound.  You can make this recipe from raw chicken breasts or from already cooked thighs.  You cook the chicken first anyhow and then toss it in the sauce at the end.

I ended up using one whole chicken breast, about half the package of mushrooms, 1/4 of the pack of pasta, 1/2 pint  of whipping cream, as much basil as I cared to and some salt, olive oil and butter.

First bring *salted* water to a boil.  This is the only salt you will use in this recipe.

If you don't salt the water first, the pasta will never be able to get any flavor.

Cook and drain-don't rinse.

  While that is going on, slice the mushrooms, not too thin and place in a pan with melted butter.

Saute until mushrooms are cooked, place aside.

Put olive oil into the pan, and place cubed chicken breast into oil and saute until chicken is cooked.  Place aside. Leave the excess oil in the pan. 

Put some butter on the olive oil in the pan, pour in the whipping cream, put julienned basil into the cream mixture, I put the mushrooms and their residual butter into the cream also.  Simmer so the flavors meld.

Add chicken last, just to re-warm.

Place pasta in bowl, ladle chicken/mushroom/cream mix on top.

Dinner.

It does not need salt or pepper.  Really. There is salt in the pasta and butter.  The cream sauce with the infused basil is wonderful.

Cathy's Chicken and mushrooms in cream sauce

One chicken breast or three thighs, cooked. Remember a servicing is about the size of your palm. :) You can cook by boiling and cooling, taking off skin and bones.  You can cook by sauteing in olive oil.  You will end up putting it back into the sauce  and re-warming.

Large handful of mushrooms Saute in butter and put aside.  You will add back into the sauce, excess butter and all.

One pint heavy cream or whipping cream or half and half or whole milk. One handful julienned basil. Simmer with some olive oil and butter so the basil flavor infuses.  You can put the mushrooms and their butter so those flavors infuse.

Add the chicken and simmer until warm

Serve on top of cooked pasta.  Cook the pasta in salted water.  Always.