Chicken Noodles, just the way mommy makes them.

I think the best chicken & noodles are usually your mommy's, even if they aren't so spectacular. It's just one of those comfort foods that most of us have grown up with and love. My mom would make delicious chicken and noodles, with a big side of mashed potatoes. It was one of my favorite meals. I have a memory of sitting in the dining room, eating a big helping of chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes, reading a book from the Babysitters' Club series, and listening to a thunderstorm roll its way in. It is like the harsh food critic tasting Remy's ratatouille: it doesn't have to be the best food on the planet; it just has to remind you of the comfort of home.

So I boil a small chicken in a big pot of water. Boil it until the meat starts to fall off the bones. Once that happens, I call my big manly husband, and ask him (like a baby) to take the chicken out of the pot, because it's too hot for me. My mom probably never had to do that. Keep the liquid (broth) in the pan. If your husband one day throws the broth out because he "is just trying to help," and clean up your dishes, go easy on him, he has no clue. Let the chicken cool for a bit, then begin to shred it. The key here is to use your fingers. Throw the chicken meat right back in the pot of broth. Throw in a bag of wide, egg noodles (don't get extra-wide, I think they are too thin and flimsy). I think I usually use an Amish-style noodle. Go heavy on the salt and pepper. Next up, you can add some store-bought chicken broth or stock to the pot. I add a few cups. If you just put in water, or use a low-sodium chicken broth, talk about bland. Simmer it until the noodles are tender. Boil and mash some yukon gold potatoes, then there you go. Mommy's chicken and noodles.