Now “Knead" means “Massage”, right?
We teach our children throughout our lives, whether it is the big details, like ethics and morals, or the small details, like kneading dough.
I have found, as they grow, that my mothering radar remains silent more and more as they become adults. They have taken the reins and manage their own lives with less and less necessary input from me. I rest easier as I watch them, seeing their capabilities put to use in their daily lives, and it is good.
Not that I am done, not even close, but I am no longer afraid. I know they've got this.
As I said, along with their maturation, their mistakes come fewer and fewer, and yet, I do miss the cute things, the mispronounced words, the silly things that only experience will correct. When they do come up, the silly ones, the ones that bring me back to when they were children, it tickles me, and I usually burst with laughter.
Which brings me to yesterday, and I must preface this with the fact that my daughter Jessi has successfully worn many hats professionally in her young adult life, and now she is an egg noodle master as well.
Jessi and I wanted to share a simple recipe, and so, we decided to make egg noodles. We started gathering and mixing, and Jessi took photos as we went along. I had my daughter make them as I read off the ingredients to her, which is always the best way to teach a new recipe to someone, and I watched and enjoyed the adventure.
I set the timer for 5 minutes to help her know when she was in the ballpark of the dough being pliable and ready to roll out for noodle cutting. With puzzlement, I watched as she patted and prodded the dough, seeming to oddly comfort it. Sensing her uneasiness, in a gentle but matter of fact way, I told her that we now would knead the dough. Without stopping her strange prodding and patting, she commented in a questioning tone, "'kneading' is 'massaging,' right?" Trying to hide my amusement and chastising myself for not spending more time in the kitchen with this adorable daughter, I taught her to knead and when the timer buzzed, that dough had received a glorious massage.
Well done, Jessi!
Enjoy! - Kay
Katie And Company®
Egg Noodles
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
seasonings and herbs (optional)
Prep time: 15 minutes
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the beaten egg, milk, and butter. Knead dough until smooth, approximately 5 minutes. Let rest in a covered bowl for 10 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out to 1/8 or 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired lengths or shapes.
Allow to air dry (dry to the touch on the outside of the noodles) before cooking or freezing. For freezing, we let it dry until it was no longer sticky to the touch. It is quicker to hang them on a pasta drying rack or lay them on a cooling rack, rather than air drying each side. It doesn't take long for the noodles to dry to the touch, about 20 minutes for each side.
To cook fresh or frozen noodles, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add noodles. Some prefer adding salt or using chicken broth, which I prefer. To cook until al dente, boil 18 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
A single batch yields 6 servings, or enough egg noodles for a big pot of chicken soup. We always make a double batch.
If freezing your egg noodles, place them in storage bag, seal and lie loosely flat in the freezer for 20 minutes. Take the bag out of the freezer, loosen the egg noodles, and place, once again, in the freezer to avoid clumps of frozen noodles.
Try your hand at variations of this egg noodle recipe by adding your favorite herbs, but go lightly until you find the right flavor that suits you!
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