Civil Wars

I've always considered myself to be a southern cook.  My lessons in Mom's kitchen included family recipes passed down by word-of-mouth and a practiced hand.  Hearty meals were prepared and served to a large brood of hungry young'ns all beaming with just cleaned hands and faces framed by gravel dust earned during hours of hard outdoor play.  My roots run deep to Austin, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida where my parents were raised on meat and potatoes, and plenty of bread.  I've always teased (tongue in cheek) that one just doesn't get much more southern than that without changing nationalities.

Recently I was drawn into a discussion with my dear friend on the topic of northern vs. southern recipe origins.  Her husband had proposed that dumplings are flat uniform dough ribbons submerged in the stock of a hearty stew. She on the other hand defended that what he was in fact describing were noodles and furthermore dumplings were fluffy cloud-like biscuits floating atop said stew.  This discussion went on until it was decided they would call on me to settle the issue.

Mind you, I am neither an authority on dumplings nor trained in crisis intervention but when a friend calls... well, I am a southern belle so I will be there for you as quick as a bunny.

As it turns out, Brannon, who hails from southern Alabama won this tete-a-tete.  A little research revealed that the dumplings Tedra, a Minnesota native, and I both make are of the northern tradition. Even so, this southern gal has a particular fondness for the light doughy goodness of the recipe which was passed down to me by my Ohio-raised grandmother.  Southern or otherwise I'm proud to include the recipe in my family's treasure trove.