Comfort Food and Other Stories

So, we are winding down "birthday week" as David celebrated his big day for three days straight.


Dinner out is always a nice diversion, when you can afford it, but David's birthday is never complete without the ultimate in comfort food: his mom's chicken and dumplings for dinner, with frozen peas on the side, And for dessert, a homemade chocolate cake.


I used to find this meal quite a labor-intensive process, and I still prefer to make it on a day when I don't have to work, but, as I found today, it can be a fairly smooth and simple process, and even interspersed with getting other stuff done around the house and yard. Maybe the difference is that I no longer have a bunch of kids running about underfoot when I'm trying to make it. Hmm.


The chicken and dumplings are pretty simple, except for the getting-the-meat-off-the-bones part, which David doesn't mind helping with. This is not "health food" by any stretch of the imagination ... but I maintain it can be considered a "whole food" if you pay attention to the ingredients you use.


Cover a whole chicken (about 4-5 pounds) in a deep pan of water, and simmer for 2-1/2 to three hours. Add an onion, a bay leaf, peppercorns and some kosher salt to the water while the chicken cooks. When it starts to come away from the bones, you know it's ready. Carefully remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool. Skim off about a cup (or more) of the fatty part of the broth, and set it aside to cool as well. Keep the remaining broth warm in the simmering pan.


When you can touch the chicken, separate the bones and skin from the meat. Pour some of the warm broth over the top, or make a bit of gravy to pour over the chicken, and keep warm in the oven until the rest of the dinner is ready.


Mix the cup of cooled broth with an egg, a teaspoon of baking powder, a teaspoon of salt, and three to four cups of flour to make the dumpling dough. Roll it out on a clean board or counter top, and cut into one-inch squares with a knife or pizza cutter. Bring the broth on the stove to a rolling boil and add the dumplings. Cook for 20-30 minutes until they are cooked through. Serve with the chicken and some peas (fresh would be even better than frozen, of course).


After you eat all of this, you probably aren't going to be in the mood for chocolate cake for a while. Even a game of basketball didn't really prepare David and Stuart for dessert. But eventually, you will want some. Because it is awesome.


Here's the simple recipe for my Ultimate Chocolate Cake, which I mixed up and baked while the chicken was simmering:

Mix together:

2 c. flour, 2/3 c. cocoa, 1-1/4 ts. soda, 1/4 ts. baking powder. Set aside in bowl.

In large bowl with mixer at high speed beat together

1-2/3 c. sugar, 4 eggs, 1 ts. vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 min.

At low speed, beat in 1 c. Hellman's mayonnaise.

Add flour mixture alternately with 1 c. water, beginning and ending with flour.

Pour into greased and floured pans, bake at 350* 30-35 minutes utnil toothpick is clean. Cool and frost.

Yum.


One other thing: I don't understand why people are so intimidated by frosting that they decide to buy it in a can. That stuff is full of hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, emulsifiers, preservatives, and other junk we won't even mention. Not to mention that it tastes like crap. Why would you make a good cake (even a box cake) and put all that nasty stuff on it, when it's so simple to make frosting from scratch?


Cream a stick of butter (real butter, please) and add confectioner's sugar until the mixture is thick. Pour in a couple of tablespoons of milk, a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract, and then keep adding confectioner's sugar and milk until you reach your desired amount and consistency. For chocolate frosting, add a quarter cup or so of cocoa with your initial dump of confectioner's sugar. 


It is delicious. And eaten in moderation, it won't kill you. 


Of course, I have a problem with moderation. I hope I can resist temptation in the coming few days. I've already eaten way too much applesauce cake. 


And I can hardly wait until Easter.