A Spoonful of Tradition

I was taught how to make chicken corn soup by my husband's grandmother. That being said, this recipe is dear to my heart. It's a classic Pennsylvania Dutch recipe with as many adaptations as there are people who make it. Variations can include dumplings, vegetables, or particular cuts of chicken. Despite the many versions, one standard ingredient classifies this recipe as authentic - hard boiled eggs. Before you turn your nose up, try it. I was skeptical at first, but the egg yolks actually melt into the soup and create a wonderfully creamy broth. It's a humble dish that is seasoned only with salt and cracked pepper but each bite is pure love. Every Easter I make this soup in the tradition of my in-laws. They, too, are dishing up the same meal, six hundred miles from Michigan, connecting us through the power of food. Happy Easter!

Soup for Two:

4 bone-in chicken thighs

4 large red potatoes

1 can creamed corn

1 can sweet corn

3 hard boiled eggs - chopped

Salt

Pepper

Place chicken thighs in a stock pot and cover with water. Boil until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Continue boiling water. Peel and cube the potatoes and place into the water. Once potatoes are fork tender, add in the corn and chopped eggs. Remove bone and skin from chicken and shred the meat. Add meat to soup and simmer all together for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Be The Phoenix

Let me be honest. Today's recipe started out as a tangerine curd pocket pie in a cornmeal crust but since the curd ended up as a scrambled mess, I thought it best to proceed with plan B - a savory chard pocket pie. I tested the crust and found that it was a success in taste, but the texture was too "cookie-like" to create a pocket. Shot down again, but not one to be defeated, I pressed on. The open-faced crust was a delicious component worth exploring, so I sauteed red onion, swiss chard, garlic and cider vinegar and perched the punchy mixture on top. Blanketed in fresh mozzarella and baked until golden brown, it turned out to be a delightful snack. It was a far cry from the sweet pastry I set out to make, but sometimes you crash and burn. Rising from the ashes... that's what it's really about.

Blog, Interrupted.

Well, an unfortunate accident with an 8" Wusthof knife has landed me out of commission this week. The tip of my left index finger is hanging on for dear life so I decided to pause and let things heal up before returning to my Sunday cooking adventures. Thankfully, I had the pleasure of doing some prop shopping at Whole Foods yesterday which kept the the gears in my culinary mind grinding away. Oh, the options! Hope everyone is having a lovely spring break... check back next week when we will resume our regularly scheduled blogging.