Wild Mushroom Pastries

Smokey and savory wild mushrooms in a simple cream sauce, served over puff pastry, dress up any meal and are a special treat around the holidays.  

Ingredients:

  • 8 frozen puff pastry shells 
  • 1 1/2-pound mixed exotic mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, cremini or baby    bella ‘shrooms
  • 1/2-pound white mushrooms 
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided 
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
  • 1/3 cup Marsala wine (cooking wine or sherry wine)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream 
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

  1. Bake the puff pastry shells according to package directions; remove the tops and set aside. 
  2. In the meantime, clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel, remove any tough stems and slice the mushrooms. 
  3. In a large sauté pan, heat half the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. 
  4. Arrange the cremini and white mushroom slices in one layer in the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Do not lift or move the mushrooms for several minutes, until they have started to shrink and are very fragrant. Check one to make sure it is seared on the bottom, and when it is, flip the mushrooms and cook on the other side until they are golden brown on that side, too.  
  5. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl, add the remaining butter and olive oil to the pan, cook the remaining mushrooms in the same fashion. (Shiitake and oyster mushrooms will not take as long to cook as cremini/Bella and white mushrooms.) 
  6. Cook the shallots in the same pan until translucent, about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn.  Add the sage and stir until wilted. Then deglaze the pan with Marsala. Stir in the cream until well blended and return the mushrooms to the pan, gently stirring them to coat with the sauce. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. 
  7. To serve, place a cooked pastry shell (top removed on each plate and fill to overflowing with 1/8 of the mushroom mixture.  If desired, place a cooked pastry top on top of each serving.  

Serves 8 as a first course. Absolutely delectable.

Tower Heist 

2011
104 minutes 
PG-13 – language & sexual content
Comedy/Adventure
Streaming on Amazon Prime 

Lighthearted! Cheeky! Exciting! 

That’s what the advertising says for this comedy caper…just what Movie Magic is looking for this time of year. Just fun entertainment.  And, how can we go wrong with a cast that includes Ben Stiller, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, Judd Hirsch, Téa Leoni, Michael Peña, Gabourey Sidibe and Eddie Murphy?  

Directed by Brett Ratner of X-Men and Rush Hour.  Produced by Brian Grazer, Eddie Murphy and Kim Roth.

A Wall Street billionaire (Alan Alda) is the mastermind of a Ponzi scheme resulting in the loss of pension funds for the long-suffering staff at the upscale and luxurious Tower condominium complex in Manhattan.  The building manager (Ben Stiller) feels responsible for turning over the investment portfolio to a crook, so he comes up with a plan to recover the money and hilarity ensues. Slide (Edie Murphy) was recruited from jail to help the reluctant group who have no clue how to break the law. One tiny spoiler: Gabourey Sidibe, an Oscar and Golden Globe nominated actor, turns out to have stellar safe cracking skills!

There’s a parade, a truck chase, a newborn baby, a romance, an orange jumpsuit, a bit of redemption, and lots of laughs.

And let’s not forget the 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, rumored to have been owned by the “King of Cool,” Steve McQueen.  This cherry red beauty plays a primary role and is central to a surprise or two.

So, curl up and relax–there’s nothing to worry about here. 

Movie Magic gives Tower Heist 3 1/2 Moons.        

Tower Heist movie art