We're going to make homemade chicken noodle soup.
And it's with my mom.
My mom taught me how to make it.
And my Grandma Myrtle, my dad's mom,
taught my mom how to make it.
Affectionately known as Grammy.
Grammy.
Yes.
So one of the things about chicken noodle soup--
and wow, I didn't know I'd get teary over this one--
is the memories of Grammy.
I know.
I mean, she was so big in my life.
And it wasn't just that she cooked meals.
But it's what she cooked them for, which was for family.
And I've taught my girls how.
So we've been making this soup for four generations.
So we are going to start with a whole chicken.
I like the whole chicken idea because there's a lot
of goodness in this thing.
Everything here is what's going to go in the soup--
two fresh bay leaves and two fresh sage leaves.
And it's probably like a whole onion, three or four carrots,
three or four sticks of celery, some kosher salt.
Just cover it with cold water.
I don't know exactly how much water.
It depends on the size of your pot, too.
ANNIE: Stick those sage leaves.
CHRISTINE: You want those in it?
ANNIE: Yeah, put that in the flute.
Yeah, put that in the water, yeah.
OK.
Yeah.
And then this goes on the stove.
And it cooks probably for, like, 45 minutes tops.
We're not going to show you how to debone
a chicken because that's gross.
So ahh, magic.
It's already done.
So after the soup is done, you take out the chicken,
debone it, and just shred it.
Just shred the chicken.
You like it shredded better than chopped?
I like it shredded better than chopped.
I'm convinced it tastes better.
It is pretty.
And it looks homemade instead of canned.
OK, good.
Good.
Wow, the way she said canned is like--
Next, what you do is you drain the soup.
So let's go ahead and drain that into the bowl.
Look at that, all that goodness.
You're not going to eat this.
We've drained this.
And we're not-- this is just a flavor, your broth.
So we hold that aside.
Pour the broth.
Look at this beautiful broth.
The smell is better.
And then taste it now.
It's sweet.
Mmm, that's the kosher salt, right?
Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, I think that's the kosher salt.
That's the difference in salts.
I don't know--
OK, well, at this point--
Wow, that's full of happiness, yes.
We've got poultry seasoning.
We can add it if you think it needs poultry seasoning.
I do think it needs a little--
it needs a little bit of poultry seasoning.
It's probably a teaspoon.
And then I love bouillon paste.
That's true, you do.
We're going to do like, a 1/2 a teaspoon kind of thing.
It's your taste.
So let's just do all of these vegetables.
Let's do it all.
ANNIE: And half the onions.
CHRISTINE: Oh, really?
ANNIE: Yeah, just start with half.
There's a lot of onions.
Let's start with half.
All the carrots. - Good?
Oh, we'll do the carrots.
I agree.
Yes, all the carrots, definitely.
So I'd say we're only going to cook
this for, like, 10, 15 minutes.
That's it.
Once it comes to a simmer.
And then we can make noodles.
Yay, we get to make noodles.
I love making noodles.
Noodles are like a labor of love.
They are.
Because it makes a mess.
It is a labor of love.
It makes a mess, which is why it's nice to have,
like, a silicone mat.
And also, it protects your counter from getting cut.
So we're going to start with two eggs.
Mom, when I used to make this for the whole family,
I used, like, almost a dozen eggs.
Because I had to make so many noodles because that's
the best part. - Oh, I know.
Of course, use a bit of kosher salt again.
Yeah, I love kosher salt. And then we'll do, like, 1/4
of a teaspoon of baking powder.
Nice.
ANNIE: And then about a cup of flour.
CHRISTINE: This is so much fun, cooking with you again.
ANNIE: All right. I know.
I love it.
I love this. this is good times.
We cook very differently--
We do cook real different.
--very, very differently.
ANNIE: I do like to use my hands because it's
easy to incorporate the flour.
But you also feel the dough change.
And you just get a sense for the dough, when it's ready.
And we're going to hold on to this flour
because we're going to need it for--
well, dusting this, frankly.
You just want to keep a really well-floured surface.
Your key right here--
I'm going to move these eggs.
Your key is to keep a well-floured surface.
ANNIE: I roll them out thinner.
CHRISTINE: Yeah, I like them rolled out thin.
ANNIE: Grammy's were a little thicker.
CHRISTINE: I think the thinner the noodle, the better
they taste, though, honestly.
Because you just want that chicken broth.
The chicken broth is what cooks the noodles.
So the thinner they are, the better your noodles
are going to taste.
See how much flour goes into it?
It's a lot of flour.
And then the other side, too, do you flip it?
ANNIE: No, just roll them.
We like to roll the noodles just because then they're
easier to cut and slice.
We'll start with the serrated on that end.
See how you like it.
Let me start with this knife on this side.
CHRISTINE: We're just going to cut it into probably not
more than one half of an inch.
Maybe less.
You're doing so good.
You cut and I'll start rolling.
You're doing beautiful.
This is the fun part.
This is when you call all the kids to the room
and you have them separate out the noodles.
And then we're going to separate them gently.
I have a controversial question to ask you, Christine.
Really?
I don't put my noodles in whole and long.
I cut them a little bit.
Mom-- no, mom, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Honey, you can't.
We want the long noodle.
I can't do it.
If you're going to put this whole thing
cooked in your mouth, it's like, ah, I won't fit in my mouth.
Fine.
I have chicken and carrots.
I can't do it.
It's a sacrilege.
So here's our noodles.
ANNIE: Put the chicken in.
CHRISTINE: Do we want to add all the chicken?
ANNIE: Um, yeah.
Come to a boil.
CHRISTINE: It's just going to come to a boil.
Then we'll add the noodles.
So good.
ANNIE: Oh my gosh, it's beautiful.
CHRISTINE: It's a rapid boil.
You want a rapid boil for noodles.
So you don't add in all the flour?
ANNIE: I don't.
Because I like it a little brothier.
And then the noodles will soak up some of it as well.
CHRISTINE: You kind of drop them in individually
so they don't stick together?
ANNIE: Do you remember when we were making this
and Peyton came in?
And he started, like, stirring it?
It's because I did.
Oh.
I didn't know that you shouldn't.
So I learned that day as well.
It's like-- - No.
--because mama used to have to push the noodles
down to add more noodles.
Because the kids were like--
TOGETHER: More noodles.
So I had to push it down.
So the kids were used to seeing me push it down.
So that's it.
OK.
And put on the lid.
And then you turn it down to like a low, low, low simmer.
And then you walk away.
Mmm, so--
It smells good.
Even before you take the lid off, it smells good.
Oh, it is pretty.
And the noodles are done to perfection.
It smells so good.
Too bad it's not smell-ivision.
Look at that.
So we still have a great amount of broth, which you want.
Because tomorrow, you're going to have less broth
because the noodles are just going
to keep absorbing the goodness.
Blow it.
Oh my God.
That broth is good.
I love the sweetness in the broth.
Same.
I love that sweetness.
So good.
I think we did great.
I think we have a good combination.
Nice, home cooking.
Home cooking.