“Mae West has been on more laps than a napkin.” —Walter Winchel
Yesterday, while ironing my umpteenth holiday napkin, I was remembering our “napkin box” that hung on the wall in the refectory at our convent in Tacoma, Wash.
Such a simple box with 50 or so cubbyholes, where at the end of each meal we placed our carefully folded napkin; my cubbyhole number was 16. Once a week, our napkins were laundered, then ironed.
Sister Gabrielle was our mealtime monitor standing at the doorway as we entered, and greeted us, each one by name. We would retrieve our napkin from our cubbyhole and as soon as the last chair had a girl standing behind it, Sr. Gabrielle would use her “clicker” and we would recite mealtime grace, and then be seated. And so it was, for all my years at Visitation Villa, the convent for girls of all conditions.
In the 16th century, the Duke of Milan would tie a rabbit with a colorful ribbon to each of his guests’ chairs in order that they may wipe their hands on the back of the animal as they were leaving. Apparently, Leonard Da Vinci, not agreeing with this custom, served his guests with small squares of cloth to cleanse themselves during mealtimes.
Here in the United States, Emily Post stated in her writings that paper napkins were best to use for tea and dinnertimes, saying that linen napkins should always accompany breakfast time.
In Italy, whether eating in an outdoor or indoor restaurant, nothing made me feel more welcome (or important) than having a tux-wearing maître ’de loosen my napkin and elegantly drape the napkin over my lap. This lovely gesture has been afforded me many times by Talal, proprietor of our lovely Scopazzies Restaurant in Boulder Creek. Thank you, Talal for making me feel special.
I am sure that it is because of the customs of the convent that I avoid paper napkins and the feeling that my guests deserve the best I can give that I shy away from paper. However, I have ordered paper napkins from Amazon for guests’ luncheons. Amazon promises “linen-like feel”; we’ll see!
With three major holidays now over, I am ready for some good ole cold-weather food and have settled on my aunt Betty’s southern chicken and dumpling recipe.
When travelling to the southern states, I would always ask my hubby Norm to eat in the Cracker Barrel restaurants as they cook the best Chicken and Dumplings. And here in the west, I have never seen Chicken and Dumplings on any menu, ever. Nor have I heard any of my friends say they were having chicken and dumplings for that evenings’ dinner. I believe I know the reason.
The name “dumplings” seem to be synonymous with Bisquick, and therein lies the reason. Bisquick dumplings sink and stay at the bottom of the pot longer than aunt betty’s dumplings, and the centers are usually hard and uncooked. Nothing can be more unappetizing than an undone dumpling.
Chicken and dumplings are so easy and are nothing more than chicken stock combined with biscuit dough. Biscuit dough needs to be high in butterfat…a full 4 ounces of butter to every 10 ounces of flour. In an oven, this fat-to-butter ratio is no problem; however, in a pot with condensation dripping down, pieces of chicken and bubbles jostling the dough around, the dough would disintegrate without the addition of an “egg.”
Adding an egg to the flour mixture ensures the dough stays together, while the white of the egg acts as a leavener. Again, chemistry.
I can guarantee you light and fluffy dumplings by simply following the recipe below…but one thing to remember…NO PEEKING once the pot has been covered for at least 10 minutes.
Aunt Betty’s Chicken and Dumplings
Serves 6
In a large soup pot, cover a 3 lb. whole chicken with water, about 10 cups.
Add:
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 2 diced garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
Bring to a boil, turn heat down to a high simmer. Cook about one hour or until legs pull away from body or meat registers 160deg.
Remove and reserve chicken and strain stock.
Dumplings
In a soup pot, add:
• 10 cups chicken stock (no meat)
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove garlic
Bring to a boil and simmer 20 min.
Biscuit Dough
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 lg. egg
Mix egg and buttermilk together and reserve.
In a food processor, add:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 4 tbsp. cold butter cut into ¼ in. cubes
• 1/4 cup diced fresh parsley
Process 2-3 seconds. Scatter the cold butter pieces over the flour mixture. Pulse until mixture resembles small peas.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and with a spatula mix-in egg and buttermilk mixture until just combined. The dough will be somewhat sticky and shaggy.
Bring stock to a high simmer and using a “greased” tablespoon, drop in dumpling dough one at a time, keeping them with a little space in-between.
Cover the pot and cook for about 15 minutes or until they have doubled in size. Using a toothpick you can check…it should come out clean.
Colly Gruczelak, a Ben Lomond resident, loves people and loves to cook. Contact her at cz****@co*****.net.
