Saturday, July 31, 2010

Chicken

My mom had a problem cooking chicken. Many times it was too dry, especially when she baked it or broiled it. By dry I mean sawdust dry. You know, the kind of dry chicken that sticks in your throat and even swallowing water on top of it doesn't dislodge it? Really, really dry chicken.

So when mom made chicken in the oven we would pray no one called on the phone or dropped by or else we knew the chicken would be bone dry.

She always served this baked chicken -- a recipe she picked up from Better Homes and Gardens magazine -- with mashed potatoes, which were really creamy and lumpless, and excellent tasting, and succotash (creamed corn and lima beans). Also, of course, the salad of greens for the end of the meal. Always a salad of greens for the end of the meal.

Her chicken and dumplings we loved. Her chicken croquettes we loved. Her chicken-a-la-king we loved. Her chicken cacciatore we loved. Her chicken, rice, broccoli, cheese casserole most of us loved that dish. Her fried chicken -- yummy. Her chicken soup, delish. And her chicken salad couldn't be beat.


But that baked chicken -- sorry, BH&G, but that recipe failed more times than it passed.

ttfn