What I'm cooking
It is the dead of winter here. Like the dead dead of winter. Like someone came up behind winter in a dark alley and smacked it upside the head with a two-by-four, then kicked it when it was down, then beat the crap out of whatever was left of it until it was dead. It's COLD, baby. We're coming off that gigantic snowzilla thing that was actually supposed to be way worse than it actually was, and now we're into single digits pretty much every day. Did I mention it's cold here? 'Cause it's cold here.
Anyway.
When it gets this cold, it's time to cook something hot. Something comforting. Something that takes me back to when I was a kid. It got cold then, too. I just didn't notice it as much back then because my mom always had me bundled up like a bûche de Noẽl. Our favorite hot thing to eat around here is chicken and dumplings. Or, as they say in the south (where I live), chicken 'n' dumplins. Unfortunately, I don't have my mom's recipe for that. And even if I did, I wouldn't make it her way because I'm way to lazy to make those big flat noodles from scratch the way she did. So I have a shorter, more convenient way to do it. It's still awesome, though. And hot. That's the best part. It's HOT, baby. Hot.
The beauty of this recipe is that you can add whatever vegetables suit you, and you can add more than one. Make it your own, and have fun with it.
Chicken 'n' Dumplins
Anyway.
When it gets this cold, it's time to cook something hot. Something comforting. Something that takes me back to when I was a kid. It got cold then, too. I just didn't notice it as much back then because my mom always had me bundled up like a bûche de Noẽl. Our favorite hot thing to eat around here is chicken and dumplings. Or, as they say in the south (where I live), chicken 'n' dumplins. Unfortunately, I don't have my mom's recipe for that. And even if I did, I wouldn't make it her way because I'm way to lazy to make those big flat noodles from scratch the way she did. So I have a shorter, more convenient way to do it. It's still awesome, though. And hot. That's the best part. It's HOT, baby. Hot.
The beauty of this recipe is that you can add whatever vegetables suit you, and you can add more than one. Make it your own, and have fun with it.
Chicken 'n' Dumplins
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (I use a rotisserie chicken for this part)
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 and 2/3 cups biscuit/baking mix
- 2/3 cup milk
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven. Add carrots, onions, and garlic and cook over medium heat until tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
- While those are cooking, mix together biscuit mix and milk until a soft, sticky dough forms.
- Stir broth, chicken and seasonings into vegetables and butter. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
- Drop biscuit mixture by tablespoonfuls on top of the simmering liquid. They’ll pretty much cover the top. Reduce heat to low, then cover and cook until a toothpick inserted in dumplings comes out clean, about 15 minutes. (Don’t lift lid to check until at least 10 minutes have passed.)
What I'm reading
The Talented Ribkins
Ladee Hubbard
This is such a fun, interesting book. My former editor at Harlequin gave it to me years ago, and I'm just now pulling it off the shelf. Wish I'd done that sooner, because I'm really enjoying it. The Ribkins are a Florida family made up of people who each have a different--and kinda weird--power. Back during the civil rights movement, our protagonist, Johnny, and other family members were active in the cause as The Justice Committee. These days, they're getting by however they can.
For Johnny, that means reluctantly working for a mob boss to whom he now owes a lot of money. As he travels around Florida, digging up stashes of cash he left long ago, he's reconnecting with family and remembering what's really important in life. It's just a really cool read so far. I can't wait to see what happens next.
What I'm watching
Miss Scarlet
PBS Masterpiece
Yay! The latest season "Miss Scarlet" just dropped! I love this show about Victorian England's first lady detective so much. It started off as "Miss Scarlet and the Duke," but the Duke (who was actually a detective for Scotland Yard) has taken off for America, so now Eliza Scarlet is on her own. Except for dreamy new Chief Inspector Blake at Scotland Yard, who she's going to help with cases whether he likes it or not. (At first he doesn't. But I think he's coming around.)
ANYway. It's got a great ensemble cast, as well, which, of course, is always a must for me. There's Ivy, Eliza's housekeeper/stand-in mom, Clarence, the former accountant with questionable ties, Fitzroy, the jaunty detective who's championed Eliza's contributions to the Yard from the get-go (and is, alas, absent from the new season), Moses, the mysterious street informant... Well, let's just say there's lots of great stuff here. All packaged in cool Victorian moodiness.
What I'm listening to
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Blind Pilot - "3 Rounds and a Sound" I like to listen to gentle music in the winter, when it's cold and dark. And everything by Blind Pilot is gentle. Also really excellent. I love this album. General Public - "All the Rage" For New Year's Eve this year, we found and watched a complete MTV NYE special from the 80s on YouTube to watch instead of the current stuff. These guys were the guests. They were awesome. And it made me pull this out for another listen. And another. And another... Melody Gardot - "My One and Only Thrill" More gentle music. But this time with a little added warmth in the sensuous lyrics. Her songs are just really beautiful. Miles Davis - "Sketches of Spain" And, of course, there is always jazz. This time something moody and mysterious for the cold, dark winter. |