The Distracted Cook

Being a good cook means that when I cook something, other people want to eat it. Being a good cook also means that I can make something tasty, consistently. I think being a good cook would be a good thing, for my family's sake, since I've been the main cook around here, feeding my family for 28 years.

So, what's my point?

I think I only manage to make something edible in about 6 out of 10 tries. So, how can that happen?

It's called
"NOT PAYING ATTENTION!"

That, and never actually following a recipe.

Here's as close as I can get to a recipe for my chicken-n-dumplings, which I have managed to make for other folks successfully a few times.

Fill a dutch oven about 3/4 full of water. Add "Better than Bullion" bullion from the jar. Good stuff. No MSG.

Add parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Hum Scarborough Fair. That part's required.

Add cooked chicken.

When it boils, add dollops of biscuit dough, made from your favorite biscuit mix. My favorite is Pioneer.

Set the burner on low and let the soup boil gently, pushing the dumplings down into the boiling broth occasionally and stir.

It's done when the soup is creamy and a sample dumpling is cooked through.


I made chicken-n-dumplings this evening, butI didn't take any pictures to accompany this blog, like some of y'all do so gracefully, because I would actually have had to clean my kitchen first. And redecorate it. Or remodel it. Nobody wants to see photos of my 20 year old Jen-Air on kelly green Formica counter top.

Even though it's one of Alli's favorite dishes, she only ate half a bowl this evening. Why is that? That would be because I used Pioneer pancake mix instead of biscuit mix. OK, the boxes look very similar... except for the word PANCAKE right on the front of the box, where BISCUIT MIX really oughta be. There also was a perfectly good box of Bisquick next to it, but no, I prefer Pioneer.

Chicken-n-dumplings with lightly sweet pan-caky dumplings turns out not to be so tasty.

I've been sick today and yesterday, so that surely has something to do with not being all there in my mind.

Last week, however, I made a BIG pot full, half for the family, half to take to someone who was sick. Let the chicken simmer for a couple of fragrant hours until it was tender and easily shredded. Dropped in some fresh white biscuit dough. Stayed close by and stirred until it was smooth and creamy, added spices until my taste sample was just right. Turned the burner off to wait until Alli got home. Sat down at the kitchen table to tear apart valentines for the nursing home folks. About 6 feet from the stove. Completely absorbed inside my own mind while I worked. Did I mention I was about 6 feet from the stove. Didn't look up until about 30 minutes later when Alli walked in the door and said, "what's that smell?"

Oh yeah. Instead of turning the electric burner to OFF, I had turned it to high. I think I'll have to give up and just throw that pan away completely. Or use it for potting soil or something, cause that burned chicken-n-dumplings isn't coming off of the bottom of that pot! I've tried. It took several days for the house to stop reeking of burned food.

I measure (sort of) when baking. But that's about the only time.

I'm most likely to walk off and leave a grilled cheese on the griddle because something in the other room catches my attention, and I'll be "right back." I can't tell you how many of those have hit the trash compactor instead of the dinner plate after I smell the smoking results from in front of the TV in the next room. My best advice for saving money in our house would be assigning someone to help mom stay on task while cooking.

There's just so many interesting things to do with my mind besides checking for that beautiful golden toasty color on a grilled cheese sandwich. I don't mind hanging out with a grilled cheese, really, it's just that the 35 seconds it takes to brown are so rich with thoughts that lead to other thoughts that require setting the spatula down that require stepping away from the stove for just a sec'!

I really am considering reading up on adult Attention Deficit Disorder. We would all end up eating a lot less cereal around here.