Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 288 9 www.htcinc.net | Winter 2017 Winter 2017 | www.htcinc.net Ingredients: 1 stewing chicken (4-5 lbs. — use a fat hen, if possible) 1 large onion, diced 2½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup cake flour 1 tsp. salt 4-5 whole eggs 1 tbsp. shortening or extra virgin olive oil Method: Place chicken and onion in a large pot and cover with water. Add salt and pepper to taste (not the salt listed in the ingredients). Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until chicken is fork tender. Remove chicken to a baking sheet and allow to cool. Set aside and retain cooking liquid. After cooling, de-bone and cut chicken into 1" chunks. Meanwhile, prepare dumplings as follows: On a kneading surface, mix all-purpose flour, cake flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add whole eggs into center. Stir slightly with a fork. Begin blending flour mixture into egg mixture from the edges with tips of fingers or a fork. When about half done, add to center either soft shortening or extra virgin olive oil and continue to work flour mixture into eggs until incorporated. Knead slightly, shape into flattened ball, and allow to rest for about 30 minutes. Roll on lightly floured surface to 1/8" thickness and cut into 2" strips. Cut strips into squares if preferred. Allow to dry at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Bring reserved chicken broth to a boil and add dumplings a few at a time. Reduce heat; add chicken chunks, season to taste with salt and plenty of pepper. Serve hot. The cheery jingle of the front door bell, the friendly chatter of patrons, the sweet drawl calling out, “Y’all come back and see us!” — using only one sense, there’s no mistaking that Crady’s Eclectic Cuisine on Main has all the charms of a hometown dining spot. Add one whiff of the cinnamon bun aroma floating by and a glance at the comprehensive menu, and you'll know that this place is so much more. You see, this little restaurant is a dream of a lifetime in the making. As long as she can remember, Barbara Crady Whitley simply wanted to bake the things that people wanted to eat. Passion and sincerity shine through her eyes as she explains that she wanted a cooking venue “for forever.” “Each time I came close to making it happen, something would fall through — it just wasn’t in God’s timing,” she explains. With a faithful heart and an exercise in patience, the right opportunity finally came along in 2001. It’s a brainchild held dear by the whole family — Barbara’s late son Adam provided the creative genius that breathed life to their dream. “He was the idea man,” she explains. “He just had a knack for creating the most original, one-of-a-kind dishes.” Also supporting the true family affair, Barbara’s husband, Les — who was a Ph.D. in his former life — is a “doer” who helps turn those ideas into reality and also decorates impeccable cakes; their daughter Heather wears every hat imaginable and manages nearly everything else besides the cooking. “I’ve never had any formal training,” Barbara admits. “I just know that people love whatever I make them — and that’s all I ever wanted to do.” Happily nestled in historic downtown Conway, in a building once occupied by an Army/Navy recruitment office and an ice cream shop, the restaurant opened in 2001, when the Whitley family started Chicken & Dumplings: Najgy’s Barbara Crady Whitley