I hope you enjoy this article from my friend Chef Belinda and also visit her blog at flyingfoodie.blogspot.com. Happy Trails to you until we meet again.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Comfort Food - A Little Bit of Heaven
If you ask anyone from around the world what “comfort food” means to them, you are likely to get as many different answers as the people you ask. But there is no denying one thing – it is usually something they grew up eating that makes them feel good, warm and safe on the inside. At no time during the year is comfort food more welcomed and cherished than winter. As we snuggle in front of the television or huddle around the fireplace, we naturally crave these foods; and the more we can get of them the better.
A survey of several friends, family members, colleagues, and even some strangers yielded some interesting results. Overall, responses ranged from popcorn to sweets to macaroni and cheese. As we tabulated all the results, a pattern seemed to emerge. The majority of respondants agreed that their favorite comfort foods were soups, chili and chicken and dumplings.
So I decided to set out in search of a place where some of these “comfort foods” could be found locally. And much to my surprise I found Madjon’s Bakery and Cafe in the most unlikely location of the Riverfront Antique Mall in North Augusta. Madjon’s owner, Eileen Hutson, specializes in making foods “like Mama used to make.” She has customers who return regularly for her potato soup, chicken salad, Johnny Hoosier cake and yes, chicken and dumplings. Says Hutson “I enjoy making people happy through food.” Hutson, who makes everything herself at her café, has developed a line of “comfort food” products consisting of Meme’s Pasta Gravy™, Madjon’s Salsa™ and Madison’s Cake Syrup™. Look for these products soon in a supermarket near you.
Madjon’s Chicken and Dumplings
Broth:
48 oz. Chicken broth (salt & pepper to taste)
2 Boneless chicken breasts
1 Tbs. parsley flakes
2 Bay Leaves
1 Onion Chopped
2 Carrots cut
2 Celery stalks chopped
3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1 ½ Tbs. Onion Powder
2 Small Potatoes cut
1 can evaporated cream
Optional: Add frozen whole kernel corn or English peas, 1 pkg.
Dumplings:
2 ½ cups plain flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 egg
1 cup sweet milk
Preparation:
Pour chicken broth into pan – add chicken & add all other ingredients except cream. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add canned cream. If a creamier sauce is preferred, add a little more cream to the broth.
Soften butter. Mix flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture. Add in egg and stir. Then add milk. Mix and pour onto floured surface and roll dough out like a pie crust. Cut into squares. Loosen under the dough with a knife dusted with flour. Drop squares into broth slowly, one at a time. Let simmer and stir lightly. If stirred too vigorously, dough will break apart. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
A survey of several friends, family members, colleagues, and even some strangers yielded some interesting results. Overall, responses ranged from popcorn to sweets to macaroni and cheese. As we tabulated all the results, a pattern seemed to emerge. The majority of respondants agreed that their favorite comfort foods were soups, chili and chicken and dumplings.
So I decided to set out in search of a place where some of these “comfort foods” could be found locally. And much to my surprise I found Madjon’s Bakery and Cafe in the most unlikely location of the Riverfront Antique Mall in North Augusta. Madjon’s owner, Eileen Hutson, specializes in making foods “like Mama used to make.” She has customers who return regularly for her potato soup, chicken salad, Johnny Hoosier cake and yes, chicken and dumplings. Says Hutson “I enjoy making people happy through food.” Hutson, who makes everything herself at her café, has developed a line of “comfort food” products consisting of Meme’s Pasta Gravy™, Madjon’s Salsa™ and Madison’s Cake Syrup™. Look for these products soon in a supermarket near you.
Madjon’s Chicken and Dumplings
Broth:
48 oz. Chicken broth (salt & pepper to taste)
2 Boneless chicken breasts
1 Tbs. parsley flakes
2 Bay Leaves
1 Onion Chopped
2 Carrots cut
2 Celery stalks chopped
3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1 ½ Tbs. Onion Powder
2 Small Potatoes cut
1 can evaporated cream
Optional: Add frozen whole kernel corn or English peas, 1 pkg.
Dumplings:
2 ½ cups plain flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 egg
1 cup sweet milk
Preparation:
Pour chicken broth into pan – add chicken & add all other ingredients except cream. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add canned cream. If a creamier sauce is preferred, add a little more cream to the broth.
Soften butter. Mix flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture. Add in egg and stir. Then add milk. Mix and pour onto floured surface and roll dough out like a pie crust. Cut into squares. Loosen under the dough with a knife dusted with flour. Drop squares into broth slowly, one at a time. Let simmer and stir lightly. If stirred too vigorously, dough will break apart. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
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