TV Moms Know How To Make Things All Right

TV moms are often just like real-life moms when it comes to cooking comfort food - or “There, there” food.

K Callan, who is Clark (Superman) Kent’s mother, Martha, on ABC’s “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” has recipes for fried chicken and mashed potatoes that are winners with her families both on and off the set.

In her book, “The Life of the Party,” Callan actually recommends serving “There, there” food for Mother’s Day. “It’s the food that Mom served when she was saying, ‘There, there, everything is going to be all right,”’ she explained.

Estelle Harris, who plays George Costanza’s mother on “Seinfeld,” has an old family recipe for chicken soup that is a definite “There, there” food. “But oh, no, that recipe I will not give,” she insisted. Instead, Harris offers another recipe that she also considers comfort food.

Then there’s Marge Simpson. You didn’t think a cartoon character could make “There, there” food? You may be in for a surprise. The mom of “The Simpsons” has been making her recipe for pork chops for seven seasons, long enough to qualify as an old favorite.

Ma Kent’s Fried Chicken

3 large chicken breasts

2 cups flour

1 to 2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1 to 2 cups cooking oil

Wash chicken and pat dry. Remove skin if desired. Place flour, salt and pepper in brown paper bag. Add chicken pieces and shake to coat evenly with mixture. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour.

Heat oil in large skillet. Add chicken and brown quickly on each side over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Drain well on paper towels and serve.

Yield: 3 servings.

Clark’s Favorite Garlic-Mashed Potatoes

3 large or 6 small russet potatoes, washed and peeled

1/2 cup butter or margarine

4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cut potatoes into quarters. Cook potatoes in pan of boiling water 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

Meanwhile, melt butter in pan. Add garlic and saute over low heat 30 to 60 seconds.

Drain potatoes and mash, adding salt and pepper, followed by garlic butter. Serve with steamed broccoli and green salad.

Yield: 3 servings.

Estelle’s Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 pound ground sirloin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup bread crumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup grated onions

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (8-ounce) can cranberry relish

Combine ground sirloin, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, egg, onions and garlic in bowl and mix with hands. Form into small, quarter-size balls. Place meatballs on foil-lined broiler pan. Quickly brown under broiler, turning them at least once and making sure they are nearly fully cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain meatballs on paper towels.

Combine tomato sauce and cranberry relish in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until heated through. Drop meatballs into sauce and cook gently until meatballs are coated. Remove meatballs with slotted spoon and serve.

Yield: About 2 dozen meatballs.

Marge Simpson’s Pork Chops

4 pork chops, each about 1/2-inch thick

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup flour

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1 cup bread crumbs

3 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup sherry

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Season pork chops with thyme and dust with flour.

Beat egg and water together. Dip each chop into mixture, then coat with bread crumbs. Allow to dry about 15 minutes.

Heat oil in large skillet. Add chops and fry 3 minutes on each side. Remove chops from pan. Drain on paper towels. Place on serving plate.

Add sherry and soy sauce to pan and stir to deglaze over high heat until sauce is reduced by half. Pour sauce over chops.

Yield: 4 servings.