One simple direction

If only the writers of the Cooks Illustrated recipe for chicken and dumplings had said, "reduce heat" before the direction to simmer, last night's dinner would have been delicious.

Now, I have enough cooking experience to know that simmering usually indicates low heat. But I didn't trust myself and was rewarded for my self-doubt with a big pot of...stew? Not trusting my instincts, I left the dutch oven over medium-high heat for the entire cooking time and, as a result, too much of the liquid escaped from under the lid. By the time I added the dumplings and they soaked up their portion of the broth, it was too late. We ended up with a very thick stew with no broth, more of a goulash than a soup. The flavor was delicious, but the thickening agent released from the wings ended up thickening far too much, resulting in a mouthfeel that definitely resembled aspic. Not so great.

We will try this one again, and this time I'll do what I know is right: low heat.

In other news, Jupiter has slept through the night for three nights in a row! I am feeling pretty rested for the first time in months. Now, if only I could stop watching multiple episodes of True Blood every night and get my ass in bed a little earlier, I'd be really feeling great. Except I might just dream of Bill Compton all night and wake up feeling exhausted. Heh.