The on-going chronicle of all things related to the George and Laura Roediger House (c. 1905) in the historic Holly Avenue Neighborhood of downtown Winston-Salem, NC. More info and pictures can be found at RoedigerHouse.com. [Mobile users: CLICK TO SEARCH the blog.]
The delightful lunch visit with UNCSA film production student Luke last Sunday had a sweet finish: a copycat of the famous Starbucks lemon loaf. It baked up soft and plush, with a well-tempered lemon flavor, and we each enjoyed a sizable hunk for our dessert.
"The Best Lemon Loaf (Better-Than-Starbucks Copycat)," from Averie Sunshine of AverieCooks.com. [Published 15 March 2019 / Updated 16 May 2023]
Sun 01 Nov. As we entered into a new month on a slightly chilly Sunday morning, it was with the glad tidings of a special guest for brunch: our friend Luke from the UNC School of the Arts. We first got to know him with the very first student film production that used the Roediger House as a location: The Last Time I Saw You. He’s bringing another film here this very weekend, as this posts, and we are very excited about that too. Anyway: our brunch last weekend was a closer-to-authentic chicken Caesar salad. Herbed pan-fried chicken thighs were the protein, and I made homemade garlic croutons and some hard-boiled eggs. A bit of diced tomato was an option for those so inclined. And of course: homemade creamy Caesar dressing was the topping generously ladled out!
Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com.
"Croutons," by Marg CaymanDesigns on GeniusKitchen.com.
Guidance on the 7-5-5 Method for Extra Large Eggs from "Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs," by Coco Morante on Epicurious.com. [Published 24 January 2018]
Sat 31 Oct. After over-cooking my inaugural batch of Clementine’s butterscotch brownies a couple of weeks ago, I was Jonesin’ to give ‘em another go. With Mookie over on Halloween night, and knowing he was one of those to whom I owed a better version, that’s what I quickly threw together. They still had great flavor without being quite right, so I’m sure I need to keep tinkering with the recipe until I’m satisfied.
From the Clementine Bakery in Los Angeles. Published in the L.A. Times on 07 April 2011.
Sat 31 Oct. Ah: Halloween night at the Roediger House! It’s not what you’d think and it’s definitely not what it used to be. What makes this a great place to live, right on the edge of the central business district and at the start of the cool main artery known as Fourth Street, also renders it unattractive for kids doing high-return trick-or-treating. Over the preceding 23 Halloweens, at best there have been no more than 5, I’d say. And this year it fell on a sorta-chilly Saturday night! So we had Mook instead of spooks and there was dinner and a movie and it was still a great night.
And right at the end of the evening, the doorbell rang and a couple of guys who looked like high schoolers were more than happy when I told them to take large scooping handsful of candy from the bucket.
Sun 25 Oct. Over 8 hours of sleep in a chilly late fall household had me waking up extra ready for a great day on the final Sunday of October. It set me on a 6-hour swing of travel prep, knowing I had about five hours of driving to look forward to and five nights away from home working in Virginia. That mad rush included one final meal at lunchtime, a speedy return to the skillet beef stroganoff that had been so delicious earlier that week.
Based on "Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Dinner in a Skillet," by Emeril Lagasse. Found online at The Food Network and also on Emerils.com.
Sat 24 Oct. If I catch the BOGO sale on baby back pork ribs, it’s a temptation that’s tough to ignore. Now that I have a better recipe for oven-roasting a rack, it’s a sealed deal for a delicious pile of tender juicy morsels falling easily off the bone. I prepped a fresh batch of Mexican chipotle barbecue sauce and added a mess of canned green beans alongside. It was just what I needed on a sunny autumn Saturday, when the 3-mile walk felt good and the full moon then rose gloriously over the city. Sumner and I were delighted to be out at the end of the wall as we wrapped up the day before turning in.
"Tender Oven-Baked Barbecue Ribs," from Holly Nilsson of Spend with Pennies. [Published 05 May 2024]
Fri 23 Oct. When Amy and Gern were here for an early celebration of his birthday a couple of weekends ago, I used the last of my oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie dough to make skillet cookies. These were then topped with a fresh round of sweet milk vanilla ice cream and some homemade butterscotch sauce.
That ice cream, by the way, was the first batch in my new Whynter ice cream maker, and it turned out mighty fine. For years and years (forever? here's a photo from a 2010 blog post although I don't remember when I bought it) I’ve used the simple Cuisinart ice cream machine, with the necessity of keeping a churning bowl in the freezer. But this new one has a sturdy compressor to make ice cream on the spot in under an hour, and I’m digging it. Those October Amazon Prime days made it an easy purchase!
Based on "Sweet Milk Ice Cream," published in the King Arthur Flour catalogue some years ago, but the recipe is no longer available on their website.
Fri 23 Oct. The Friday before last was perfect for bringing Gern and Amy over to the house to mark the occasion of his birthday, just a tad early. One of his favorite meals was on the menu: pan-seared pork medallions with ginger-soy-shiitake mushroom sauce. We also had the longtime house favorite of company mashed potatoes, and I roasted some seasoned whole green beans. We had a fine evening, capped off with his choice of movie that night: Inglorious Bastards. (Ah, but there was dessert, too...as tomorrow's blog post will record.)
Based on "Pan-Seared Tuna with Ginger-Shiitake Cream Sauce," from The Bon Appétit Cookbook by Barbara Fairchild, 2006, p. 398-399.
"Company Mashed Potatoes," a Jones Family favorite.
Thu 22 Oct. Having brought fried breaded chicken sandwiches to the table a few days before, we were well set Thursday of last week with extras to incorporate into hot honey bacon chicken ranch wraps. (That’s a mouthful, in multiple ways!)
The remaining tub of dressing served as the binder for that mix of diced chicken, crumbled skillet-fried bacon, chopped Romaine, shaved Asiago and Romano, and crushed croutons. Once rolled burrito-style, these were browned and sealed on the cooktop and served solo … and sensationally.
Wed 21 Oct. Engaging in conversation with arriving guests while finishing the cooking tasks for our evening meal left me a little stupid about the timer that went off, and the dessert on Wednesday of last week got overcooked. And it was a new trial, too: Clementine’s butterscotch brownies. In spite of the deep crusting on the bottom and the gradual biscotti-fying of the cooling bars, I still found them utterly delicious. I single-handedly dispatched half of the outer border crust to my very insatiable belly while working through dinner cleanup. I am immune to restraint.
From the Clementine Bakery in Los Angeles. Published in the L.A. Times on 07 April 2011.
Wed 21 Oct. The less common treat of having both Amy and Mookie over in the middle of last week was certainly a hump day happy-maker. When the dinner hour arrived, I served skillet beef stroganoff, a house favorite for sure, and yet not so common a dish for these guests, apparently. No leftovers to share after we were done, so I had to make it again a few days later before leaving town for a week of work!
Based on "Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Dinner in a Skillet," by Emeril Lagasse. Found online at The Food Network and also on Emerils.com.
Tue 20 Oct. Butternut squash on sale, and a value pak of boneless skinless chicken breasts, and the next thing you know I'm breaking out the crockpot and dumping brown rice, diced carrots, lentils, cut green beans, that whole mess of diced butternut squash, and three chicken breasts in it. After four hours it was all cooked through and ready to be scooped in full-mush measure into waiting bowls. Those house pups were so very excited the next day when these came out of the fridge at mealtime. Here they are in waiting mode:
To stretch it out, I did add some of their dry dog food into it. And Scarlett is a true Hoover, making every bit of hers disappear in about 10 seconds flat.
These pups made sure that they tackled the preferred part of each of these meals last week, and then they'd move on to the storebought crunchy bits.
Based on "DIY Homemade Dog Food," by Chungah Rhee of the Damn Delicious blog. [Published 27 April 2015 /Updated 19 September 2025]
Based on "Easy Crockpot Dog Food," by Chungah Rhee of the Damn Delicious blog. [Published 13 May 2015 / Updated 08 July 2024]
Tue 20 Oct. Last Tuesday gave me a chance to come back to homemade fried chicken sandwiches, in the vein of what you get at a rather famous and controversial fast food joint. In my professional travels of late, those have been getting ordered for our work lunches, and I know my homemade versions are just much better. So good, I had two that night.
Largely based on "Chick-Fil-A Dupe Sandwiches," from Drew Reilly of Dish with Drew. First spotted on Instagram. [Published 25 June 2026]
Mon 19 Oct. UNC chums and alums is going to have to be an ongoing affair around here. Yesterday’s blog post chronicled the meal around which four of us gathered, and our conversation and consideration (and occasional consternation) about place and people kept us rooted to our seats until almost midnight. But we turned our serious attention to a rewarding dessert offering just in time: oatmeal chocolate chunk ramekin cookies fresh from the oven, topped with scoops of double chocolate liqueur ice cream. I do believe they were a hit. (Anything I can do to increase the likelihood of more nights like that with these very fine folks is going to propel my confectionary machinations!)
Adapted from "Mini Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookies," by Lindsay Landis of loveandoliveoil.com. [Published 21 September 2015 / Updated 22 November 2019]
Mon 19 Oct. Another gathering of fellow UNC alumni with a Golden Fleece bond amongst us? That suited the moment last Monday and brought warmth and cheer to an unusually chilly Roediger House. Camille, Chris, and Samuel journeyed from near and far and brought the gift of delightful company and heady conversation, and what ought one to do but be grateful?
Well: one should also serve guests a suitable supper. Befitting of the weather, cheddar crust chicken pot pie seemed the smart seasonal selection. A smattering of roasted herbed whole green beans helped fulfill the green grub need and we dug into our portions when we could pause from our talking.
"Chicken Potpie with Cheddar Crust," from Food Network Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 8 (October 2011), p. 132-133.
Sun 18 Oct. The raucous reunion of RoHo regulars last Sunday night required a dessertish denouement, and I figured a sizable soup serving needed a grand spread of Texas sheetcake as its concluding complement. Fortunately, the double chocolate liqueur ice cream batch I’d made the previous week had sufficient quantity as to let it ride alongside. We didn’t seem to mind doubling up on the fun.
"Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake," from Karli Bitner of Cooking with Karli. [Published 11 March 2026]
Sun 18 Oct. The ‘boo’ feel of October puts the household into a monster and madness mode…or at least pulls us toward those movies and series that highlight the horror or macabre. This past Sunday’s gathering started early enough to squeeze in episodes of the latest take on Stephen King’s Carrie, and the regular besties were present and accounted for. But the deep chill and temperature plunge after some record heat in the preceding weekdays propelled our menu to emerge from the soups and stews category.
This time, I went with bacon cheeseburger soup. What a blast of balanced flavors and seasonings, inundated with but not overwhelmed by the volume of fresh-grated sharp cheddar cheese, tasty on tongues and not fully satisfying until seconds were sampled upon a return to the pot.
Now, understand that this soup tends to be so good that one should harbor no hesitancy about its leading role in a meal at any time...but you better believe that the rudeness of upper 30s temps that Sunday morning drove the decision-making. I ain’t ready for winter yet.
Based on "Bacon Cheeseburger Soup," from Catalina Castravet and Holly Nilsson of SpendwithPennies.com. [Published 01 March 2018]
Sat 17 Oct. I’m often seduced by supper simplicity, as happened last Saturday night. After a full and challenging week working out of state, I gravitated toward the idea of herbed baked chicken thighs and two sides, which on that occasion included some canned green beans tucked away in the cabinet and easy stovetop stuffing. It was tender and juicy and flavorful like dark meat promises to be, and there was more than enough of everything to pile the plate high and mighty.
Sun 11 Oct. Our rainy weekend, while the dregs of Hurricane Isaias passed ever-so-slowly over the area, drew to its inevitable close Sunday a week ago, and once more it found me packing my bags...this time for a full week up in Virginia. But lunch was called for before I departed, and it let me use up some leftovers for yet another version of a wrap. On that day, the call coming from the kitchen gods said we needed to see what we thought of a bacon ranch chicken wrap, and our unrepentant response to that call was one of gustatory gladness.
Dressing adapted from "Chicken Bacon Hot Honey Ranch Quesadillas," by Nick Nesgoda of Burnt Pellet BBQ. [Posted 10 October 2025]
When I found myself heading into a full week on the road Sunday before last, I had some heavy cream that was not going to survive my absence, according to its use-by date on the carton. And who doesn't love ice cream? So I dug into the archives and brought out double chocolate liqueur ice cream, a nudge more chocolatey than called for, and slightly sweeter so that I'd find it more sensational, it proved rich and creamy and decadent...and a special container was left for the latest Wednesday visit by the dear and delightful Amy. I have sometimes served it along with some other dessert, like cake, but why? It pretty much stands on its own, or else we risk being completely overwhelmed when asking it to ride shotgun with something else.
"Double Chocolate Liqueur Ice Cream," by Kita Roberts. From her Pass the Sushi blog. [Published 09 August 2012 / Updated 11 June 2024]
Sat 10 Oct. The long day and night of cool temps and unending rain while the remnants of Hurricane Isaias gallivanted about the region sure put me into a soup mood, and the house had just the right amount of broccoli to turn into broccoli cheddar soup. The veggies got spiced, herbed, and roasted, and the mirepoix proved an excellent starter, and the chicken broth and heavy cream brought flavor and a silky reservoir for all the rest of it to ride around in. Plenty of freshly-shredded cheddar and a garnish of the previous day’s fried thick-cut bacon made the bowls look and taste pretty.
"The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup (Better-Than-Panera Copycat)," from Averie Sunshine of Averie Cooks. [Published 09 January 2015 / Updated 15 July 2025]
One of the latest first-of-the-season hurricanes on record worked itself into a named-storm frenzy while churning over the Gulf of Mexico in early October, coming ashore near Destin, Florida, last weekend with a Category 2 rating. After that, it sort of sauntered.
It managed to cause quite a bit of destruction and inconvenience, and sadly also a handful of deaths, in the Sunshine State and neighboring Alabama. But we’ve all seen much worse and can be grateful for what it didn’t become or do.
Still, it packed an enduring punch once it shattered into a disorganized mess, putting a damper on most of the eastern United States as its pieces and parts fanned out and brought plenty of rain.
It showed itself capable not only of settling in but also in drawing in enough enduring moisture that kept the rains a-coming, albeit often more drizzly than drenchy.
Bands nonetheless passed over with a more pronounced intent, and we were glad that this was not one of the occasions where the house showed itself as not impervious to precipitation.
This is a house with pooches, of course, and we still had to head outside to take care of pooch business. Fortunately, sometimes it was just sort of spitting or sprinkling in between all those windy drenching downpours.
I still got out and did an evening stroll...
...enough to get me across the finish line on my daily move and exercise goals as mandated by my Apple Watch.
By Sunday morning, we were still getting the effects here in Winston-Salem:
That was the day I got wind of why, which was a clash of weather systems that stalled out the movement:
And then (and it seemed at long last!), the clouds parted and blue sky returned and the warming rays of an October sun finally burst through:
Sat 10 Oct. The Saturday of Presidents’ Day Weekend was gravely dampened by the passing remnants of a tropical system that came ashore along the Gulf of Mexico, but the Roediger House was brightened by the visit of a film crew of students from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. They are evaluating the usefulness and adaptability of this grand domicile and, if they decide this can work for them, they’ll come take over the place in early November. I wanted to have something to offer while they were here working, and that put me onto the trail of lemon sugar cookies. They seemed to like ‘em pretty well and even took extras along to share with roommates and significant others. That pleased the chef, no doubt!
Also, when I was in Stafford, VA, I caught sight of this license plate on the last day of September that I’m sure remains an unknown message for most folks who might see it up there. As for me, I read it immediately as “Fighting Pickle,” which is indeed the mascot of the UNC School of the Arts.
"Lemon Sugar Cookies," from Melissa Stadler of ModernHoney.com. [Published 21 March 2016 / Updated 06 September 2018]
Fri 09 Oct. Once I’d decided I didn’t want to have to run to the store last Friday, I turned to a couple of packages of bacon that needed to be fried. My trusty electric skillet moved that project along to a speedy enough conclusion, and then those crisp slices were ready to be joined by slices of sharp cheddar cheese on brioche buns for a tasty sandwich supper.
Thu 08 Oct. Before heading to Virginia for a couple of days of work at the front end of October, I had some remaining chicken thigh fillets that I’d vacuum-sealed for longer storage in the fridge till I got back. Those were perfect once I returned and headed into meal-making mode last Thursday. Spiced and herbed, but first rubbed with olive oil, they baked up flavorful and juicy and were welcomed in abundance. All that was needed with ‘em was spiced roasted broccoli, and a fine meal was had by all.
Mon 05 Oct. It was another day where I worked up a lunch meal before tossing all my gear into the car to hit the road for a few days of work in Virginia. That meant something simple, ‘cause that’s how I’ve gotta roll. Taco-seasoned ground beef was the centerpiece of a sheet pan of nachos, with more than enough cheese, black beans, onion, and dollops of sour cream to boot. Then I propped my eyelids open for the drive north, ready for wonderful collaboration with school leaders in two different school districts in our neighboring state to the north (although the 90-minute shut-down of I-95 north of Richmond was not in my plans!).
Sheet Pan Nachos seriously modified from "Loaded Sweet Pork Sheet Pan Nachos," from Elyse of Six Sisters Stuff. [Published 14 March 2018]
Taco-Style meat depended partly on "Crispy Beef Tacos," by Hilah Johnson. From HilahCooking.com.
"Homemade Chili and Taco Seasoning," from Jamie Lothridge of MyBakingAddiction.com. [Published 03 February 2011]
