• Cooking Chickent/Broth In a large soup pot, add salt and pepper to a pot full of cold water, bay leaf, crushed peppercorns, parsley, and thyme. Watch for grayish foam or bubbles at the top. Use a fine mesh skimmer, spoon, or ladle to gently remove the oil/reminants on the top. Repeat every few minutes until the surface stays mostly clear. Cook chicken until done, remove chicken from the broth, and allow to cool. Strain the broth with cheesecloth/fine mesh strainer, and set aside. When the chicken is cool, remove the bones and skin, and shred the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a large pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter and add the onion, carrot, and celery, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Sauté over medium-high heat until vegetables have softened, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/3 cup flour with the vegetables, mix well, cooking over medium heat, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of broth to the flour, blend well until no lumps. Bring soup to a low boil, stirring frequently, until soup thickens. Carefully pour the remaining chicken broth and mix until smooth as you bring it to a simmer on low heat. Cook for 1 to 2 hours on low; it may simmer, but not to a boil. Mound a serving of mashed potatoes onto the top of the chicken soup.

Mashed Potatoes

• Prepare and boil the potatoes:

  Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters.

  Place them in a large pot with heavily salted cold water, enough to

  cover them completely. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer

  until the potatoes are fork tender.
• Dry the potatoes:

  Drain the potatoes well and let them sit in a colander for a few minutes allowing the steam to evaporate. This prevents the mash from becoming watery.
• Mash the potatoes:

  For the silkiest texture, use a potato ricer or food mill to mash the potatoes into a clean pot. This removes lumps and aerates the potatoes.Avoid a food processor or blender, which can overwork the starches and make the potatoes gluey.

  Add the salt and white pepper to taste, softened butter, and warmed cream to the riced potatoes using a spoon or spatula until the mixture is smooth and luxurious. Keep covered.

Homemade Noodles

• Mound pasta flour in the middle of large cutting board. Form a small indendtaion in the center (like a volcano). Place the eggs and water into the well. With a fork slowly icnorporate the flour int the eggs until a dough forms.
• Knead using the hell of your hand until smooth. Cover dough in plastic wrap and rest 30 minutes at room temprturea
• Form noodles, cut the dough into fourths. Flour a large work area and use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough until is ¼ inch thickness (or use a pasta maker). Use a knife to cut the dough into ¼-inch strip