In honor of Mother’s Day, we’ve asked chefs to share a recipe inspired by their own mom. Oprah Winfrey’s favorite, Art Smith, Executive Chef and owner of Art and Soul in Washington, D.C., Southern Art and Bourbon Bar in Atlanta, Georgia, and Table Fifty-Two in Chicago, Illinois, tells you how to make Chicken and Dumplings just like his mother, Addie Mae Smith.

Chef Art Smith tells us, “This is my mother Addie Mae Smith’s recipe. What Southern women doesn’t make chicken and dumplings?” A staple of the diets of those who live below the Mason-Dixon Line, he notes, “Anyone from the rural South was raised on it.”

Chef Art Smith has a very close relationship with his beloved mother, Addie Smith – and it is very evident in all his restaurants. Along with her chicken and dumplings, he says, “Her 12-layer chocolate cake and deviled eggs are stars at Table Fifty-Two, and her spirit can be tasted and felt at Art and Soul.” He’s made this very recipe for foodies around the globe, from South Africa to a ship in Russia. His mother’s recipe isn’t the only thing that travels with Chef Smith. “Mother goes all over with me because she takes the whole little village of Jasper, Florida, on her trips with her celebrity chef baby son!

His mom’s rendition of this dish features “simple ingredients — a nice chicken and the holy trinity, a.k.a.  onions, celery, and carrots.” Despite the simplicity of the ingredients, Chef Smith warns, “The key is a great broth and perfectly cooked dumplings. Which sounds easy, yes? Nope! It takes years of perfection!” If you’re not feeling brave enough to make a go on your own, head to Atlanta. He shares, “Ours at Southern Art are pretty close, and Mother will try them on Mother’s Day at the restaurant.”Continue Reading