Pure Comfort Food

This is a dish that i dream about on cold, winter nights.
It takes a few additional steps but is oh , so worth it . It is good to make when you are bored or lonely or even sickly. I dragged my miserable achy body out of bed to make this last night and never regretted the effort it took .
Goodbye , flu here come the troops ...


A word to the wise - don't over work the dumpling dough if you like fluffy light, melt in your mouth dumplings and use all organic produce if you can for a really outstanding dish.

Chicken & Herbed Dumplings


Ingredients

for stock -

1 4-6 lb. organic or free-range chicken ( make a HUGE difference )
2 bay leaves
1 tblspoon of Crazy-mixed -up salt ( this is my secret ingredient)
a handful of peppercorns
the tops of one bunch of celery ( with leaves)
4 carrots , unpeeled
2 onions chopped into quarters, unpeeled
Fill a large stockpot with water to cover chicken adequately

simmer all of the above for an hour or more until chicken is almost falling off the bone
(on medium-low heat - NOT boiling )

Cool and strain , reserving liquid which is now the stock for the base of this dish, carefully removing chicken carcass and stripping to remove all of the meat.

for the chicken stew -

In a large enameled casserole stock-pot Heat the following ingredients :

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
5 large celery ribs , chopped
4 large carrots , chopped
1 large onion , chopped
when softened add 2 tablespoons or more of flour to coat and heat until lightly browned
add enough vermouth to deglaze the bottom of pan then-
add enough stock to fill three quarters of the pot , add the reserved chicken , a good handfull of chopped fresh parsley and 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas, stirring until well mixed

to make the dumplings -

Mix 2 cups of flour , 1 teaspoon salt , 1 tablespoon of baking powder , chopped herbs of your choice ( about 1/2 cup) - add 3/4 cups whole milk , 1/4 cup buttermilk and three tablespoons of butter that have been heated and stir into dry ingredients , folding carefully to keep mixture airy . Dollop into simmering stew and cook for 15-18 minutes covered .

Voila !
Comfort for the cold , weary and infirm ( and just plain sick of Winter folks )

For Your Sweetheart

Creme Brulee

9 egg yolks 3/4 cup superfine white sugar plus 6 tablespoons 1 quart heavy cream 1 vanilla beanPreheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Pour cream into a medium saucepan over low heat. Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean down the middle, scrape out the seeds and add them to saucepan. Bring cream to a brief simmer, do not boil or it will overflow. Remove from heat and temper the yolks by gradually whisking the hot vanilla cream into yolk and sugar mixture. Do not add hot cream too quickly or the eggs will cook. Divide custard into 6 (6-ounce) ramekins, about 3/4 full. Place ramekins in a roasting pan and fill pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until barely set around the edges, about 40 minutes. You may want to cover loosely with foil to prevent browning. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Transfer the ramekins to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours. When ready to serve - Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of each chilled custard. Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above surface to brown the sugar and form a crust. Garnish with cookies and fresh fruit, if desired. Serve while still bubbly and warm ... recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

Wish List

Thinking about ...

Expresso/Cappucino

Being a Mermaid and all , the SIRENA really calls to me ....

for your own cold weather test-drive go to : Sirena

Need inspiration ?

The City of lights is always a good place to start.
Here is what it looks like in Paris right now via the Eiffel Tower...


Why not add this to your homepage and fly to Paris on a whim ?
Paris Live

A Late Winter Sizzler

Here we are at the tail-end of Winter ( the beginning of the tail for many) and if you are anything like me you are feeling a bit down and out with the cold-weather doldrums. What to do ? Well , make soup , of course.

This is not a novel idea , i know . Many bloggers and foodies turn to their favorite soup recipes at this time of year . Check out a good and hearty one at Frangible Pie , while you are at it. My friend Fleur inspired me with her enthusiasm and soup-making skills to put forth an old stand-by from my childhood- a simple , but delicious Tomato Rice soup that can also be transformed into a Chinese classic - Sizzling Rice Soup .
Here are both recipes - adapted from memory by me.
Stir up some goodness tonight !

Tomato Rice Soup with Onions

1 large can of crushed tomatoes
3 cups of chicken stock
3 large sweet onions or a bunch of pearl onions
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1 cup of rice , cooked or quick cook is fine for this
salt & pepper to taste

Saute onions first , in butter if you want to add them chopped-
my mother always added them whole and let them cook in the soup-
(i always liked breaking apart the softened whole onions in my bowl,
it was part of the fun ! )
add garlic , basil and tomatoes , saute slightly and then add chicken stock.
Stir and season as needed.
I let this simmer at a lowish heat until the onions are cooked , then i add the cooked rice
just before serving , making sure to heat through. This way the rice doesn't absorb all of the liquid in the pot . Of course if you use quick cook rice you must cook it longer .
Thick or thin , this is a tasty , comforting soup with a bright flavor.

now for it's exotic transformation ....

Chinese Sizzling Rice Soup

Cook above recipe as is but do not add the rice - add the following;

Additional ingredients may include :

1/2-1 cup small shrimp and/or chicken
1/2 cup thinly chopped (julienned) bamboo shoots or water chestnuts
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup carrots , coined (or peas or snow peas ,julienned)
1/8 cup julienned ginger root (peeled)
1 tablespoon peanut oil

Stir-fry above ingredients and add to soup base.
Form cooked rice into thin patties and fry quickly in remaining oil, adding more if necessary. Don't let them get too brown - very lightly colored is what you are aiming for.
Drain on towels and ladle soup into bowls adding rice immediately to bowls when serving for the 'sizzle' effect.

There you have it -two great soups from a simple base .
Don't you feel warm and fuzzy all over already ?
; )

More fun with Food

This artist's name is Nicole Gastonguay and you can find more cool stuff at her website nicolegastonhuay.com

For more crafty foodies see the Flickr group below...

Christmas Cheer

Since i am still recovering from a fairly recent surgery , i won't be putting on much of a holiday party this year . In lieu of my own fanfare i decided to post some pictures i took the other night at a Christmas party we attended. The hosts had an incredible array of vintage and collectible holiday decorations set out . The effect was truly magical and did wonders for my spirit.

I did not have my digital camera with me ,unfortunately so i had to use my iPhone camera . It did a surprisingly good job considering the lowlight and no flash situation. I am just glad that i got to capture some of the twinkling beauty to share here with you.

Happy Holidays to all !

All Photos Copyright Sunday Dinner 2007 - Not to be reprinted without permission -All rights reserved