Mushroom Potato Gnocchi for Saturday Movie Night

Believe it or not, there's a major department store in Horton Plaza with a restaurant that has a really good mushroom gnocchi and here is my attempt to recreate it. Bake 2 large russet potatoes (about 2 pounds) in a 450 degree oven for an hour. Scoop into a bowl and add 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix in approximately 6-8 tablespoons of flour to form a soft dough. Divide into four portions and turn out onto a floured surface and roll each portion into a 1/2 inch log about 18 inches long. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. You can get fancy here and add tine marks with a fork or just roll slightly. Add gnocchi in batches to boiling, salted water and cook until they rise to the top about 5 minutes. Gnocchi can be made ahead and refrigerated for a couple of days - you can freeze them too. You can either boil them now or later but if boiling then now, then just add them to a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes to reheat. If making right away, let them sit for a bit to room temperature, then sauce or refrigerate/freeze.

Gnocchi can be sauced up many ways but here is the mushroom sauce. Heat 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil in a pan. Add one sliced onion and cook until tender and then add 1 package cremini mushrooms and 1 package white mushrooms - sliced. You can add several types of mushrooms. Cook until tender and then add about 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and 1 T fresh chopped sage or fresh thyme depending upon preference. At this step you can add about 2 cups chopped cooked chicken if you wish to add some protein. Simmer and reduce liquid about 8 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 cup cream and cook about 3 minutes to thicken. Add gnocchi and heat through.

Plate gnocchi with sauce and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and an optional drizzle of white truffle oil. Wow!