What drove me to learn how to cook, reliably combining ingredients and technique into satisfaction, was hunger for dishes out of reach.
I learned how to barbecue spare ribs because I couldn’t afford to drive to Redbone’s, in Somerville, Mass., to feed my need.
Another inspiration was the memory of dishes I wanted to enjoy again. One Sunday, pondering what to make for family dinner, I settled on chicken and dumplings, inspired by a dimly remembered celebratory supper served by my mother decades ago. Chicken and vegetables in broth was what I wanted, topped with buttery, chewy dumplings that add body to the proceedings.
Years of experiments and refinements, and an assist from Joy of Cooking, resulted in the largely foolproof recipe here. May it fill your needs for a Sunday supper soon.
