This is one of my very favorite recipes. It seems really swanky and special, but cooks really fast. The only change I made was to make a whole box of orzo (one pound). I recommend making sure to cook the shallots thoroughly before moving on if you're not fond of onion flavor or if your shallots are really strong.
The first time I made it, I didn't follow the times for cooking the mushrooms as closely as I should have. I tend to like softer, more browned mushrooms, but I forgot that they keep cooking as you move on the next stages of the dish (duh!). I've also substituted half-and-half for the cream when I didn't have any. Usually I don't have parsley lying around, so I just skip that ingredient. It still turns out fine, though its better with.
A recommendation for left over cream: If you make instant mashed potatoes and use half-cream and half-milk, you'll get much fluffier, more home-made tasting potatoes.
A recommendation for left over cream: If you make instant mashed potatoes and use half-cream and half-milk, you'll get much fluffier, more home-made tasting potatoes.
