That Pasta Recipe from chapter two: Elfo's Special

Photo: MemphisFlyer's article about Ronnie Grisanti's Memphis Restaurant.

   In chapter two of The Findlings, Bibi makes Elfo's Special for her family's fated Saturday night dinner.
   My idea for having Bibi make this meal sprang from a cookbook I got for Christmas in 1974: Mary and Vincent Price's A Treasury of Great Recipes. I adored this cookbook because, besides the fact that the recipes weren't all that hard to make, I knew that whatever I made it would be a hit.  

Vintage glass battery box

Grisanti's in Memphis.

"Joanne Wilshin's THE FINDLINGS is an emotional exploration of the impact of adoption on identity. Through its believable and struggling characters, readers are able to understand the complexity of family in all of its forms." IndieReader.com

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Read "The Findlings Blog" for fascinating background details and for more on Joanne's continued search to find her birthfather's side of her family.

   Besides the Breast of Capon au Whiskey and Blom's Black Pot, I often served Elfo's Special to guests. Garlic, shrimp, and Romano cheese would perfume my home, and the sounds of guests' laughter would rise in anticipation of the meal. I'd usually have the table adorned with my large glass battery box filled with calla lilies and bird of paradise (I lived in SoCal).  Then  I'd set a couple of platters off Elfo's Special on the table, along with several sets of tongs so guests could easily dig in.
   Naturally I thought, when writing chapter two, here's Bibi NOT wanting to put on the family dinner, but definitely wanting to win a prize for doing so. What would she do? Make Elfo's Special!
   And so, here's the recipe copied from the Prices' cookbook:
Elfo's Special (serves two)
Buttered Spaghetti with Shrimp and Mushrooms
4 oz. thin spaghetti
½ c. butter
1 small glove garlic, minced
4 jumbo raw shrimp, diced
3 large mushrooms, diced
½ t. salt
½ monosodium glutamate (I never added this)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3+ T. grated Romano cheese

- Cook spaghetti in rapidly boiling salted water for 10 minutes. ("Use long fork to stir spaghetti so it won't wed," were the chef's romantic directions!) Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Heat in a large skillet: butter
- Add garlic, shrimp, and mushrooms. Cook slowly in the hot butter for 5 minutes.
- Add spaghetti to the skillet. Sprinkle with Romano cheese, salt, pepper, and monosodium glutamate. (Note: you don't have to add the MSG. This was written back in 1974.)
- Using a large spoon, turn spaghetti over from edge of skillet to center, being careful not to cut it. (Note: I used a large pot.)
- Continue until spaghetti is very hot, but do not let the butter brown. Turn out onto warm dish and sprinkle with remaining Romano cheese. Serves two.

Bon appetit!