St. Louis Days, St. Louis Nights: Cookbook of the Week

During the third week of February, I decreed that I would be doing a Cookbook of the Week.   Well that was three weeks ago…

So much for best laid plans.

I did post up a new cookbook, The Blue Zones Kitchen Cookbook , recently.   But, since that was a new cookbook (for review), I’m not sure that really counts.

As I stated in my post, I was starting a catalog of all of my cookbooks.   I took one Saturday to start the project.  I have a few more piles that haven’t been cataloged, but I soon realized that I was the proud owner of over twenty-five Junior League cookbooks.

I started collecting them in my twenties after mom bought one from Iowa.  I loved the menus and the entertaining slant to each of them.  From then on, I would try to pick up a Junior League cookbook in whatever city we were in.

I picked up Saint Louis Day, Saint Louis Nights  when I had to be the accompanying administrator on a band trip.  🙁

At least I got this cookbook out of the deal.  🙂

As I was going through my cookbook stacks, I noticed that I had a flag in Saint Louis Day, Saint Louis Nights for “Artichoke Prosciutto Linguine.”  This recipe sounded like the perfect dish for a Saturday night dinner.

Artichoke Prosciutto Linguine

Slightly adapted from Junior League of Saint Louis

This is a delicious pasta that comes together pretty quickly (especially if you pre-saute the mushrooms).

Ingredients

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 T. butter
  • 2 t. flour
  • 1 c. chicken stock
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 T. white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 c. chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 (15 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
  • 2 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 oz. proscuitto, sliced thin
  • 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/4 c. white wine
  • 1 lb. linguine

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute until soft.
  2. Remove from pan, leaving as much of the mushroom drippings as you can, melt 1 T. butter. Add flour, whisking constantly until bubbly (about 1 minute).
  3. Add chicken stock, garlic, lemon juice and parsley. Stir over medium heat, for about 5 minutes.
  4. Add artichoke hearts, Parmesan, prosciutto and sauted mushrooms. Cover and cook over low heat 5-7 minutes.
  5. While sauce is cooking, prepare linguine. Cook according to directions. Drain, reserving a bit of the pasta water.   Add a bit of the pasta water to sauce if desired.  Toss sauce and linguine together. Season with salt and pepper and top with a bit more Parmesan before serving, if desired.

Yield: 4

I adapted the recipe a bit by using the same pan to saute the mushrooms and reworking the instructions a bit.   I also increased the amount of mushrooms and switched out lemon juice for white wine vinegar.  I also added white wine.

This recipe may turn out to be one of our favorites.  The sauce is light and the dish is better the second day as leftovers.    I think it would even be good with more veggies (like sweet peas) and maybe capers, leaving out the proscuitto.

Stay tuned for more Cookbooks of the Week.   I am sure that there will be more Junior League cookbooks in the mix.    I will probably cheat a bit and update previous posts from cookbooks I still have in my possession.

As I was perusing through my older cookbook review posts, I found another recipe from Saint Louis Days, Saint Louis Nights:   Dilly Potato Salad.  

P.S.  I finished my book list last weekend.  To date, I have in my collection over 129 cookbooks (29 of those being Junior League books).

If you would like to see my growing collection (because I know I do not have enough resolve to refuse cookbook reviews and bargains at antique stores), please see the newest pages on this blog.

 

I’m linking up with Foodies Read and  Novel Food #38 today.

 

 

 

18 comments to St. Louis Days, St. Louis Nights: Cookbook of the Week

  • The pasta looks so good! I would love mine with more Prosciutto, so you could have all the veggies :-))

  • Mae

    Those look like good recipes, though not necessarily limited to St.Louis cuisine. I think I only have one Jr.League cookbook, the famous River Roads from Baton Rouge, LA.

    best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

  • Those Junior League cookbooks can be good. Certainly this recipe looks like a winner! Much rather have this than have to accompany a band trip. 🙂

  • What a great choice to start with this pasta dish! Certainly makes me want to see more.

  • You are fine with the reviewed one (Blue Zones) – it’s a cookbook after all! Love this recipe and have scheduled it in to make this week. I have a number of cookbooks, but do cull them periodically if they’re not being used or I’m not that interested any longer, usually both come together.

  • I feel ya Deb. I tried a Try it Tuesday posting that I planned on doing each Tuesday with a recipe from one of my hundreds of cookbooks. I think I did two or three LOL>

  • I am in awe of the results of your cataloguing efforts: wow! I love that you have so many Junior League Books. They are a cultural treasure. Artichokes and prosciutto is a nice combination and I like the addition of mushrooms: I must try it. Thank you so much for contributing to Novel Food 🙂

  • I don’t know about cataloguing but I should definitely take a Saturday to sit there are revisit the ones I have that I haven’t looked at for a while!

    • It was fun revisiting what I have. I even found out I had two copies of the same book. I’ve got a stack to go to Goodwill whenever….

  • I love that you collect Junior League cookbooks. I prowl yard sales and flea markets for the spiral bound ones myself. When I used to travel I’d do what you said which is hunt up one from the local area. Am embarrassed to say I have a lot more of them than 100 some. As to your recipe selection, artichokes have always intimidated me but this recipe seems approachable.