This mushroom sauce is an easy and an ideal complement to so many meats: roast beef, steaks, lamb, duck, chicken, salmon and even meatloaf (if you forgo topping the meatloaf with ketchup). In fact, it's mighty tasty simply spooned on some toasted baguette as an appetizer. The secret to the depth of flavor is the dried mushrooms. They, and the liquid you rehydrate them in, give the sauce an unusual flavor not found in fresh mushrooms alone. It's the mix of fresh thickly chopped crimini mushrooms mixed with the dried mushrooms that will provide a unique mouthfeel rich with various textures. For the wine, you can substitute a dry port for the red wine, which will make the sauce just a tad sweeter. The port will also thicken the viscosity of the sauce. Edited by joy nordenstrom, romantic meals' and cooking for two expert.