Test Blog: My Mother's Chicken Cacciatore

I know I have been sharing mostly recipes lately.

I seem to be finding myself more creative in the kitchen

than in my craft room.

But, once Mother Nature gets her act together, and we stop having blizzards

and start having warmer temperatures, I'm sure that will all change.

In the meantime, I'd like to share a recipe that my mom used to make and I have tried to recreate.

If you are regular reader then you know that my mother

passed away over 30 years ago.

I was just a young woman then.

Married 2 years and a new mother myself.

When my father and mother married, she did not know how to cook at all!

She was raised by her grandmother and was not allowed in the kitchen.

She learned to cook by trial and error and was helped along by

The Galloping Gourmet and Betty Crocker.

Over time, she became a fantastic cook. She became inventive in the kitchen given she had a tiny budget and had to stretch every dollar to feed her family of five.

She also liked recipes that were quick and easy.

She could not miss a minute of her soaps or of The Merv Griffin Show!

One of my very favorites of her inexpensive meals was her Chicken Cacciatore.

I fondly remember coming home from school and the house smelling like garlic, fried chicken and tomatoes.

It never occurred to me to get her recipe from her.

And then, she passed away very suddenly.

For the most part, I can remember fairly accurately what ingredients she may have used and the process it took to make this wonderfully hearty dish.

Once it is simmering on the stovetop, and I lift the lid off, I am instantly transported back in time to my mother's kitchen.

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

2-3 lbs chicken wings, remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Using kitchen shears, or a knife, separate the wings at the joint.

Vegetable oil for frying

1 cup all-purpose flour

Salt & pepper to taste

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 medium green pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup red wine

2 15 oz cans Italian Style Diced Tomatoes

Place the flour in a zip lock bag along with the salt and pepper and shake the bag a few times to mix. Add the chicken wing parts and shake well again. Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, the longer the better, shaking the bag every now and then.

In a large skillet, heat the oil to about 375 degrees. Place half of the chicken wings into the hot oil and fry until just brown but not cook through, maybe 5-8 minutes. Remove the wings from hot oil to a paper towel to drain and repeat with remaining wings.

Drain most of the oil from the skillet, leaving about 2 tablespoons of the oil and as much of the fried flour in the pan as you can. Toss the onion and green pepper into the skillet and cook until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes, being sure to scrap up all the tasty bits left by the chicken. It should be thick like a roux. Add the garlic and red wine, stirring constantly for one minute. Pour in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

Place the chicken wings into the sauce, stir to coat, cover and let simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes but all day is good too, just be sure to give it a stir during commercials...err...every now and then.