Author: Dave Tappan

To hell with the cold weather. One good thing about it, is comfort food. It’s gonna be nasty in Nor-Cal this weekend. Comfort your soul with my mom’s chicken and dumplings. I’ll be back in July to bitch about the heat. Ruthie’s Chicken and Dumplings 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, dividedKosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste1 fryer chicken (about 3 pounds), cut up2 tablespoons canola oil1 large onion, chopped2 medium carrots, chopped2 celery ribs, chopped3 garlic cloves, minced6 cups chicken stock1/2 cup white wine2 teaspoons sugar2 bay leaves5 whole peppercorns DUMPLINGS:1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder3/4 teaspoon salt2/3 cup milk1 tablespoon butter, melted SOUP:1/2 cup heavy whipping cream2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley2 teaspoons minced fresh thymeAdditional salt and pepper, to taste 1. In a shallow bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and toss to coat; shake off excess. In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in batches on all sides; remove from pan.2. Add onion, carrots and celery to same pan; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until blended. Gradually add stock, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, sugar, bay leaves and peppercorns. Return chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.3. For dumplings, in a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk milk and melted butter until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; set aside.4. Remove chicken from stockpot; cool slightly. Discard bay leaves and skim fat from soup. Remove skin and bones from chicken and discard. Using two forks, coarsely shred meat into 1- to 1-1/2-in. pieces; return to soup. Cook, covered, on high until mixture reaches a simmer.5. Drop dumplings on top of simmering soup, a few at a time. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering). Gently stir in cream, parsley and thyme. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Braised Squid Stuffed with Chorizo 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil8 ounces fresh chorizo, peeled and crumbled1 cup fresh bread crumbs1 1/2 pounds whole squid with tentacles1 medium onion, chopped4 garlic cloves, chopped2 bay leaves4 strips lemon zest1 cup white wine2 cups fish or chicken stock1 (32 ounce) can whole tomatoes in juiceKosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste4 fresh eggs (optional) In a large heavy pot heat the oil over medium high heat until hot. Cook the chorizo, stirring, until browned about 4 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving the fat in the pot. Toss the bread crumbs with the chorizo.Stuff the squid bodies with the chorizo mixture and seal each with a wooden toothpick.Heat the fat in the pot over medium high heat and stir in the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and zest and cook until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the wine, stock, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer. Nestle the squid bodies and tentacles in the liquid and simmer, covered, until the squid is very tender, about 1 hour. Transfer the squid to a serving bowl, then boil the liquid until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.Pour the cooking liquid over the squid and serve. Top with a sunny side up egg (optional)

“Show ’em that little move I taught ya there pork chop” Garlic Butter Baked Pork Chops 2 thick, bone-in pork chopsKosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste4 tbsp butter, softened1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped4 cloves garlic, minced1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1. Preheat oven to 375°.2. Season pork chops with salt and pepper and set aside.3. In a small bowl mix together butter, thyme, and garlic. Set aside.4. In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.5. When the skillet is hot, add the pork chops. Sear until golden, about 4 minutes each side.6. Baste the pork chops with the garlic butter.7. Place skillet in the oven and cook until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes, or until the pork chops’ internal temp is 145F.8. Remove from the oven. Baste the pork chops again before serving.

Baby backs in the oven is one of my favorites. Baked BBQ Baby Back Ribs ½ cup ancho Chile powder¼ cup white sugar¼ cup brown sugar¼ cup Kosher salt2 tablespoons fresh-ground pepper1 tablespoon ground cumin1 teaspoon dry mustard1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper½ teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper1 rack baby back pork ribs1 cup barbeque sauce Preheat oven to 250 degrees.Mix the rub in a bowl until combined.Place ribs meat-side down on aluminum foil. Remove the silver skin, or you can score the skin with a sharp knife.Generously apply the dry rub to both sides of the ribs.With rib rack meat-side down, fold foil around it to create a tight seal. Transfer to sheet pan.Bake in preheated oven until tender and cooked through, about 2 hours. Remove and cool 15 minutes.Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.Open foil, drain and discard any accumulated juices and fat. Brush barbeque sauce on the meat side of the ribs.Place the ribs meat-side up and return to oven, leaving foil open. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and brush another layer of barbeque sauce on the meat side. Repeat baking and brushing with sauce 4 more times, for a total of 50 minutes baking time.Cut rack into individual rib segments and serve with more barbeque sauce.Enjoy !

Happy New Year and all the best to you and yours in ’24! Cheers!   Creamy Tri-Tip Tips with Egg Noodles   2 pounds trimmed tri-tip, sliced and cut into bite size pieces 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 (10.75 ounces) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 cup milk 1/2 cup red wine 1 package onion soup mix 2 (16 ounce) packages egg noodles   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (or slow cooker). Sauté beef tips with onion in the hot skillet until beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Stir cream of mushroom soup, milk, red wine, and onion soup mix together in a bowl, pour into the skillet, and stir to coat beef in the soup mixture; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, place a cover on the skillet, and cook until the beef tips are tender about 2 hours. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and continue cooking until the beef pulls apart easily with a fork, at least 4 hours more. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain, but don’t rinse. Ladle beef tips over egg noodles.