Today’s temperature is -22°F. The winds are swift and penetrating. That makes today a cooking/baking day.
The cold winds are strong enough to rattle the blinds on my kitchen windows. My cupboards line the south wall where the winds seep in. By keeping the cupboard doors closed, the cupboards act to insulate the room from some of the cold.
With my husband working in the frigid outdoors, I must prepare a hot meal that will warm him. This morning we had a hot cereal to accomplish that. But that small amount of cooking hardly warms the kitchen.
A longer cooking job will warm the kitchen. I got a chicken out of the freezer and planned a lunch of chicken dumpling soup. The frozen chicken cooks in the water most of the morning sending its vapors into the kitchen. The aroma of garlic and chicken make the house inviting. Besides that, the steam from the water adds humidity and warmth to the kitchen.
The chicken serves as a hearty meat for the day. But besides the celery and carrots in the broth, I add dumplings to make the soup special.
Today, I made sage dumplings. They are not hard to make, but add bulk and taste to the soup.
One recipe of dumplings consists of:
- 1-1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sage (or to taste)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup water or milk (You may use more liquid if the batter seems too stiff.)
Near the end of the cooking of the soup, while the broth is in a full boil, drop the dumplings in by the 1/2 – 1 teaspoonful. I have noticed that when the dumplings are finished cooking, they float to the top.
That warm kitchen, then, will be a good environment for my bread dough to rise. Hot bread, coming from the hot oven, will add to the delight of a warming place as my husband rests from his work at noon.
Dessert may not be necessary. Homemade hot bread spread with butter and honey might just be enough to top off the meal.
I hope you have a chance to try the dumpling factor. If you delete the sage, you can use this recipe with beef stock or just plain water. The finished dumpling will add to stews or chicken gravy you might try.
photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Bretta Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau
Deena Hall says
mmmm…yum…. I think I might have to make this today!
grabauheritage says
Enjoy!