On Sat 27 Sep 2008 04:47:56p, George Shirley told us...

> Becca wrote:
>> sf wrote:
>>> On Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:02:22 -0500, Becca >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Those are excellent looking dumplings, I give you an A+! My husband
>>>> is accustomed to dumplings that look like noodles. Those are fine,
>>>> but I told him, that is not how we do it in the south, Darlin'!
>>>
>>> I thought "rolled" dumplings were southern.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> Rolled dumplings or noodle-type dumplings? My family has always made
>> dumplings that look just like Koko's. They can be rolled or dropped, but
>> they do not look or taste like noodles. I have only had them in Texas
>> and Louisiana, so maybe they make them different in other states.
>>
>> Becca
> The flat dumplings I was taught to make by my Grandmother are simple:
>
> Two cups flour
> 1/2 cup shortening
> 1/2 cup ice water
>
> mix well, then flour lightly, flour the countertop lightly, flatten the
> dough ball, then use the rolling pin to flatten it out until you can
> read the newspaper through or close to that. Use a sharp knife to cut
> into strips, cut strips into 2 or 3 inch strips, drop individually into
> boiling chicken broth. Season to taste.

Did we have the same grandmother? That's exactly how I was taught,
although I add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the mix.

> We generally ate them over mashed potatoes or just by themselves. The
> broth was made by simmering a fat hen until done, let cool, debone and
> deskin the chicken, cut into small pieces, season to taste, then proceed
> to the point where dumplings are added. Still tastes good to me and I
> make them about every six months. Even my Yankee wife learned to like
them.

We never ate them with/over mashed potatoes, but usually had turnip or
mustard greens along with them. Also, a side of cornbread.

> When we were first married I kept telling her I was hungry for chicken
> and dumplings. One day I came home from work, opened the door, and a
> delicious aroma, recognized as chicken and dumplings wafted across my
> taste buds. Saw a big stock pot on the stove, walked over and popped the
> lid off and saw, "My Gawd, it was the dumpling that ate Cleveland."
> Remember the old horror movies from the fifties? There was a dumpling as
> big as my head and it had swallowed all the broth and meat. Poor wife
> was crying about it so I tossed it out for the dawgs and hawgs and we
> ate out that night. Since then I have been the dumpling master here.
> Drop dumplings are what her Mom served at their home and, I guess, she
> thought she could make one giant dumpling and save several steps in the
> process. She got over it and so did I but it was a terrible shock for an
> old southern boy to see a dumpling that big.
>

Cute story! :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright

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Date: Saturday, 09(IX)/27(XXVII)/08(MMVIII)
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Countdown till Veteran's Day
6wks 2dys 6hrs 44mins
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Hey! Who took the cork off my lunch??!
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