“I dedicate this book to every wannabe cook who will dare critcism by getting into the kitchen and stirring up some groceries.”

Maya Angelou

Hi there,

I would like to finish off the month of February by acknowledging all the riches that African American women have brought to the world. And, one of my personal favorites is Maya Angelou. Maya wrote memoirs, poetry and cookbooks. There is nothing that I like more than to read a cookbook filled with personal reminisences. And, Maya doesn’t disappoint. The recipe and story I have chosen to share with you are from Maya’s years as an activitist. Maya tells the story of her friend, Jessica Mitford. Jessica, who was better known as Decca, was a British aristocrat who left Britain to become an activist in the U.S.

Apparently, Decca wasn’t much of a cook. But one evening ended up with an uncooked chicken that was gifted to her after she comitted a series of well meaning mistakes. The title of the recipe immediately drew me in and the first direction in the recipe made it the clincher for this post.

Decca’s Chicken, Drunkard Style

First, drink 1 glass of wine.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH – Maya Angelou

Recipe by Decca Mitford

Course: DinnerCuisine: French?Difficulty: Easy

Print

Servings

4

servings

Cooking time

1

hour 

Ingredients

• 1 whole 1 chicken (about 3 pounds) cut into pieces

• 1 stalk 1 celery, chopped

• 1 1 carrot, peeled and chopped

• 2 cloves 2 garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup 1/2 water

• 2 teaspoons 2 salt

• 1/2 bottle 1/2 chardonay

• pepper ground to taste

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Wash chicken. Put all ingredients into a large, heavy pot, and place in the oven.
• Bake for 2 hours.

Notes

• If you want thick gravy, remove chicken and vegetables from pot. Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 3/4 cup water to hot broth. Put back int oven until thickened to desired consistency.

I would like to dedicate this post to Peggy Kulmie, whose friendship I treasure.