Marion's Hearty Chili (My Mother)

Cold days like this often hearken me back to my childhood when after playing outside in the snow building snow forts and having snowball fights with my brothers or sledding down Wagner Avenue which is a street near the home on Erie’s east side where I grew up.
My brothers and I, when we could no longer stand the cold would rush in to the house looking forward to one of my mother’s hot soups or stews. I could never make up my mind if I liked the corn chowder, chicken soup with homemade noodles and dumplings, or her chili with cornmeal dumplings best.
Although I can’t match the love Mom put in the chili, I’ll settle for some Tabasco and cheddar cheese.

Stuffing Ingredients

• 4 loaves stuffing bread, torn into small pieces

• 8–9 stalks celery, finely chopped

• 3–4 medium onions, finely chopped

• 2 lbs. sliced mushrooms

• 2 sticks margarine

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

• 1 teaspoon sage

• 1 teaspoon rosemary

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• Black pepper, to taste

• Dash of salt
  
  

Cornmeal Dumplings

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 5 tbsp. cold butter or margarine

• 1 cup milk

Combine cornmeal, baking powder and salt in medium bowl, cut in butter with two knives or pastry blender until mixture resembles crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in milk and stir with a fork until mixture forms dough. Butter hands, roll dough into a ball and drop on the soup (about the size of a meatball).

Rick, thanks for sharing this wintertime recipe with our Banter readers. A note to say Rick’s brisket recipe published in Jan. 16 Banter was fantastic! Total of 15 minutes of prep time and raves from the family—what more could I ask!?