Chicken Stew and Dumplings --- and other related comfort food

This is our family way --- Romanian, Hungarian way --- of making what we call Chicken Stew and Dumplings.  We always called it stew, but never thickened the broth so technically it's soup.
However, in order to understand this recipe I am going to give the original recipe and then explain how I do it today.

Historically, both Grandmas and my mom for years would start with a whole chicken, cut up --- put into a big pot and covered with water.  Add a whole onion, whole carrot, large stalk of celery, possibly a turnip, salt and pepper and paprika.  (Mom would throw in about 6 pepper corns.) Simmer on the stove (gentle boil) --- at least an hour or two.
In their time, the mark of a great cook was to be able to make clear and yet delicious broth so you didn't cut anything up.  Periodically you would skim the top to remove foam, little bits, etc.
When the meat was literally falling off the bones, you would use a strainer to remove the chicken and veggies, make sure the broth was as clear as can be, make sure the pot was also clear of "little bits" and put the broth back into the pot. Turn the heat onto med-low.
Then remove bones and skin from the chicken, cut the meat into bite-size pieces and add to broth. (usually some of the meat was saved out for other things like sandwiches). Cut the carrot into bite-size pieces and add to broth. Put the turnip, celery and onion into a side dish to be served separately. Peel two or three medium potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces and add to the broth.
Let the broth begin to boil as you make the dumplings (the potatoes need to boil about 10 minutes) ---

Okay --- before I get to the dumplings ---

today, I do not buy a whole chicken and boil it for hours ----
I use chicken tenders and a box of chicken broth (no MSG)
So today, I put a tablespoon or two of olive oil in the pot,  chop up a small onion, cut the chicken, 4 - 6 tenders, into bite-size pieces and saute the onion and chicken in the oil until brown.  I season it with Montreal steak seasoning, paprika and garlic powder. You can also add sliced mushrooms, about 1/2 cup of chopped brussel sprouts or celery.  I cut up 2 - 3 medium potatoes, and 4 - 6 small carrots and add them to the mix.
When the chicken is browned, I add one box of chicken broth; bring it to a gentle boil and let it boil for about 10 minutes while I make the dumplings:
Dumplings ---- there are a variety of dumpling recipes from the ones we make to the ones that are huge and are really biscuit dough (with milk and baking soda added) boiled in the broth.  But this is our family way --- just three ingredients, egg, flour, salt --- this is also our noodle recipe; the only differences between noodles and dumplings is the size, shape, and the amount of flour; noodle dough is stiffer (more flour)
ANYWAY:
DUMPLINGS:
Use one egg for each 1/2 c of flour --- generally 2 eggs/1 cup.  Put flour in medium bowl; crack eggs and put on top of flour.  Add about 1/4 teaspoon salt.  With a fork begin to whip the eggs into the flour, until the two are mixed together.  Take the mixture out of bowl and place on LIGHTLY floured area; kneed gently until dough is smooth.  You might add a bit of flour as you kneed the dough so it won't be sticky.
When dough is SMOOTH, roll it into a long round coil or rope --- generally I cut the dough into 2 - 4 pieces and make 2-4 separate "ropes" --- the width of the rope will determine how wide you want your dumplings.  I generally make the dumplings about the width of a quarter.
Now how you cut the dumplings is up to you --- My grandmothers used a spoon, so did Mom.  However, I have lately begun to use my kitchen shears and just cut pieces --- about 1/2 in wide and drop them into the boiling broth. It doesn't take long to cook the dumplings --- just a couple of minutes and then it's done and ready to eat!
Michael likes it topped with parmesan cheese.
Mom never cut up the onion because Poppy didn't like onion pieces in his soup; but I like the pieces.
Other things to add --- peas, cut up turnip (which is sweeter than potatoes), thinly sliced cabbage instead of the brussel sprouts, small broccoli flowerets, etc. Be careful if you add corn because it's sweet and will change the flavor ---

For DREW AND DJ: Poppy's favorite soup was tomato soup and dumplings.

to Everyone: One of Grandma's favorite breakfasts, was when her mom would roll out the dumpling dough and make little stuffed dumplings (like raviolis) --- she would stuff them with jelly and then put them into simmering milk (don't let the milk hit a full boil or it can burn).  To make these, cut the rolled dough into two inch squares, add about a half/three-quarter teaspoon of jelly, fold into a triangle and crimp the edges. --- or raise the edges into a little bundle and crimp the top.

There you go.
Comfort food for today.

Comfort Food

The last time I wrote here was September 1st --- since then Erin and Jeremy got married, we cast, rehearsed, and premiered our "Obsession" at the Croswell, Precious, the cat, had two surgeries and finally lost all of her teeth and now lives with her brother Charlie at Eric's house in Chicago (she now is called Francis Gum . . .), I have updated and published both "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Pinocchio" for upcoming concerts, Michael and I are in the process of rewriting the "Pinocchio" libretto to include puppets, I spent Thanksgiving with Michael for the first time in 6 years, I went to San Francisco to see Leah in "Turandot", we did family Christmas in Michigan and now I'm back in Vegas with Michael for the holidays. . . . oh and I have knitted/crocheted a baby blanket, a bunting, a baby sweater vest and hat for Jolie's soon-to-be-born little boy, and an afghan for Jonathan and Marissa's wedding and right now I'm working on a hat for Jere and a scarf for Michael.
So there is good reason why I haven't written much.
Nonetheless, one of my early New Year's resolutions is to get back to this so here I am.
Last night I was at Alan's holiday party, and had an interesting discussion with a guy who sets up credit card systems for businesses. Obviously working with computers he has to have a feel for math and he said that he did.  But he had some very interesting questions about music.
Now before I go on, I need to explain that I know that music and math go hand-in-hand.  There are tons of studies that prove this, but I know this first hand, so I'm always surprised when someone embraces one and doesn't embrace the other.
Anyway,
He doesn't understand music, and his wife/girl friend (I never did find out) is very frustrated by that. He just never "got into it," doesn't remember music in the house, doesn't know how to listen to it --- was surprised when I told him I heard music as he spoke ---meaning I heard music in his words. (Which I do.)
Anyway, it became clear after a short time that he had determined that he was not going to understand so it really didn't matter what I told him.  But he did ask one question --- does music soothe you?  "Well of course," I said.
Today as I was making chicken stew and dumplings, I realized that music is like comfort food.
This time of year, chicken stew and dumplings is just something I crave --- it's cold outside (even in Vegas), but more than that it brings back all of those memories.  And you know, the holidays are as much about memories as it is about celebrating.
In our family chicken stew and dumplings is a staple; both of my grandmothers made it on a weekly basis; it was the "go-to" dinner for us all.
On Christmas day, Michael and I played our Christmas music all day --- it's as much about the memories as the celebration there, too.
So I've decided to add recipes to this blog and I'm going to begin with chicken stew and dumplings.
To my family --- this is the first installment --- it goes along with the kitchen towels I gave you all.