SOUTHERN RECIPE RESTORATION PROJECT: Aroma makes grandkids think of their ‘MaMaMa’

For a stay-at-home mom, chicken and dumplings is a “beige meal” that her children love —- one that rekindles warm memories of their grandmother whenever she makes it.

The contributor: Andra Brown, the daughter of a retired Coast Guard pilot, who says she “moved a lot” growing up, but spent most of her childhood in Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina. A University of Georgia graduate, Brown lives in Buckhead with her husband, David, and three children: Emma, 11, Lucy, 9, and Ben, 7.

The story: “My mom, Sandra Ballew Middleton, was born and raised in Jasper. Her parents were business owners, one [of those businesses] being a restaurant, so she spent a lot of time around food growing up. She was a very healthy eater and wouldn’t even let us eat sweetened cereal or peanut butter and jelly for lunch. She said that was dessert.

“I learned a lot of healthy eating habits from her, which I am certainly grateful for. As a child, I liked to be in the kitchen with her and she would allow me to help her, which is why I feel so comfortable with my own children helping me in the kitchen.

“My mother loved —- and when I say loved I mean loved —- her grandchildren. Her favorite foods to cook for them were chicken and dumplings and banana pudding.

“My oldest, Emma, was the first grandchild and couldn’t say grandmama, so she shortened it to ‘MaMaMa.’ My children loved putting on an apron and helping her make the [dumpling] dough, which was messy, but she certainly didn’t mind the mess when it came to them.

“When my mother got sick and went to hospice in 2004, my children were 5, 3 and 1. She was so upset that they wouldn’t remember her. I promised her that I would continue to make these two dishes for them to carry on her tradition.

“It’s so amazing that when they walk in the house and smell the chicken boiling, that it still reminds them of Ma Ma Ma and being at her house.”

MaMaMa’s Chicken and Dumplings

4 servings

Hands on: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

There was no sign of a vegetable in Andra Brown’s mother’s recipe for this family favorite. That may be one reason why it was especially well-loved by her young children, who affectionately called their grandmother “MaMaMa.” Brown has since tweaked the recipe slightly to include onion and celery to heighten the flavor of the chicken. Carrots were added for color. You can choose whether or not to include them. With or without the veggies, it’s a comforting classic that’s always welcome on a chilly evening.

2 chicken breast halves, with bone and skin

1/2 onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 carrots, sliced

2 cups self-rising flour

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

3/4 cup milk

In a large pot or stockpot, place the chicken and cover with 2 quarts water. Add the onion, celery, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the carrots and return the broth to a simmer. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Place the flour in a mixing bowl or in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and vegetable shortening. Cut in with a pastry blender (or pulse the food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the milk and stir quickly (or pulse) to blend. Drop the dumpling dough by tablespoons into the chicken broth; cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes.

While dumplings cook, remove the chicken from the bone; discard the skin and bones. Return the meat to the pot. Cover and cook dumplings an additional 15 minutes.

Per serving: 488 calories (percent of calories from fat, 38), 22 grams protein, 53 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 20 grams fat (11 grams saturated), 69 milligrams cholesterol, 1,535 milligrams sodium.

Share an heirloom recipe and honor a loved one: Go to ajc.com/food, and under Recipe Restoration Project ,click on Submit Yours and fill out the form. Or e-mail it to savingsouthernfood@gmail.com. Or mail it to Southern Recipe Restoration Project, c/o Food Editor Jamila Robinson, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303.