The Little Mushroom


Recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini
Years ago, there was a wonderful little restaurant in Dallas at 400 Decorative Center called The Little Mushroom.  The restaurant is long gone but the recipes created there are still some of my favorites.  On a stroll through Sanger~Harris department store one day in 1978, I found a cookbook titled, Under the Mushroom, written by Marilyn Romweber.  It cost a whopping $7.50.  Marilyn owned The Little Mushroom and the cookbook was a compilation of recipes used at the restaurant and from her friends.  Some thirty plus years later, it is still one of my favorite cookbooks.  It is beginning to show its age...like I am.  It has lost its back cover and some of the index pages are hanging on for dear life but it contains a great number of the wonderful recipes that gave people the impression I knew how to cook. 

Here are a few of the recipes I have made an untold number of times.


Chicken Tetrazzini

8 halved, chicken breasts
2 celery stalks, including leaves
1 onion, quartered
1/2 stick butter
4 ribs celery, chopped
4 green onions, tops and bottoms, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 pkg. medium noodles

Sauce
4 C milk
4 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp chicken soup base
2 Tbsp pimentos, chopped
2 C Velvetta cheese, grated
2 Tbsp sherry
1 C Cheddar cheese, grated

In a large pot simmer the chicken breasts, in enough water to cover, with the celery, onion, salt and pepper, until tender.  Remove from the stock and cool.  Debone and shred into bite-size pieces.  Strain the stock and return to the pot.  Bring stock to a boil and add noodles; cook according to the directions on the package.  Drain.  In a saucepan, saute the celery, onions and green peppers in butter until soft.  Set aside.  In a saucepan, heat the milk.  Add the cornstarch and the soup base stirring constantly with a wire whisk until mixture thickens to a cream sauce consistency.  Add the pimentos and Velvetta cheese and simmer until the cheese is melted.  Add the sherry and toss with the chicken and the noodles.  Transfer to a lightly greased baking dish, top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Serves 8.

Comments

Peggy said…
I own this cookbook and love it. There is a lemon-honey chicken recipe that I use a lot. I'm sad because mine is currently packed away. Thanks for posting.
Jackie said…
Thank you for posting. we have been looking for this recipe as we don't know what happened to our mom's copy of her cookbook.
Do you know where a copy could be found?
Anonymous said…
I'm a native Texan living in Atlanta GA. I found this gem at Goodwill last night, and what a treasure!! The recipes are foods I grew up with and fantastic comfort food. Thank you for sharing your memories, too.
Anonymous said…
I have a copy of this book that I inherited from my grandmother. She and my grandfather owned a showroom in the trade center and used to eat at this restaurant quite often. Some of my favorite recipes are in this book!
kristin said…
My parents used to love this restaurant when they lived in Dallas (36 years ago). My mom makes me the Milky Way cake recipe from this cookbook every year for my birthday. It's become a tradition that I can't do without. If you haven't tried that recipe yet, I strongly encourage you to do so! :)
Unknown said…
So, has anyone found the recipi for the Peach Cobbler?
Cherise said…
We picked this incredible cook book up today from a thrift store in kansas city for fifty cents. It has not been used.
Anonymous said…
Thank you for theae posts. I just st brought home a pristine copy of this cookbook I
I bought at an estate sale near Dallas. Never heard of the restaurant but based on you posts I cannot wait
to start cooking from it.
Gayle Donahue said…
Delighted to find your blog! The Little Mushroom was my company's "go to" place for entertaining customers or just when we could not stay away! The service and the food were such a treat. There was a wonderful waiter/bartender who made a fabulous signature Bloody Mary. Now my copy of the cookbook is my "go to" when I want to have something special! I may have to buy the 1987 version I see now on Amazon!
Jarrod said…
I bought that book at a yard sell last weekend in Hoover Alabama
Anonymous said…
I'm selling a copy of this cookbook on Etsy. You can check it out at LoonLakeAntiqueShop. The book is in good condition.

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