I have such a hard time figuring out what I want to eat all the time. I miss Mom and Gran’s cooking. I have tried but it is just not the same. Can you remember back to your youth just exactly how something tasted? Well I can and I remember Gran’s fried chicken, blackberry cobbler and bacon gravy. I have tried and tried but what I make is not the same. Momma Said, “Enjoy what you like now, because when it is gone, it is gone.”
I admit, I haven’t tried every recipe that I put in this column, but the ones I have tried, I have liked. I just wish I would have captured all of Mom and Gran’s secrets to what they baked and cooked. It had to be there somewhere I just missed it. The Sister does the closest to making things that they did, but I was too busy doing things outside to stay inside and soak in the wisdom of the two most important women in my life.
If you have the opportunity to learn anything from others, please take the time to do so. I may seem mundane at the time, but as time passes more of the old ways are being lost to technology. Some want it faster, so the drive thru food is taking over. Some people don’t even know what it is to set down to a home cooked meal. No one has the time anymore. Momma Said, “Slow down and savor the moment, it only comes around once.”
Kids are growing up without structure or guidelines and they do not know what it is to sit down and have a family meal. Everyone is going in six different directions and nobody wants to “unplug” long enough to sit down and have a conversation about their day. I miss those days, we always had a proper supper and everyone sat at the table, not in front of the TV. Momma Said, “I miss the good ole days. A lot.”
BACON CRUSTED
PARMESAN CHICKEN
1/2 tsp salt
1-1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese – for melting on top
3-4 slices bacon – cooked and crumbled (can leave slightly under-done, it will finish cooking under broiler)
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon water
Oil for frying – about 1/2 – 3/4 cup depending on size of skillet
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts – about 4-5 oz each
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a small shallow bowl, mix egg and water. In another shallow bowl, mix Parmesan cheese, pepper.salt and garlic. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Dip each chicken breast first in egg mixture then in cheese.
*Note: If oil isn’t hot enough your crust may stick to the bottom of the pan and you’ll lose it all* Fry in hot oil until crust is golden brown. Prepare a baking pan by covering with foil and placing wire rack on top. Place chicken on rack and bake about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Time will depend on thickness of chicken. Remove from oven and turn oven to broil. Top each piece of chicken with Asiago cheese and bacon and place under broiler to melt cheese.