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.]
Enough seasoned browned beef and other requisite ingredients remained from a recent dinner of beef nachos that I could make a perfect small batch for last Wednesday's dinner. All too cheesed again, as if that's actually a bad thing, and quickly consumed in the late afternoon after another good day at the Roediger House...I'm not being especially adventurous but once completed I was no longer ravenous.
After botching it the last time I made it, and having extra time for kitchen exploits this past Tuesday, I thought I'd make another run at a delicious simple dessert in the form of Emeril's chocolate cream pie. Added to the recipe collection back in 2011, it ought to have shown up here more, given how it really fires on all the right cylinders. All too tempting as bedtime approached, I was unable to resist it that night once it had properly set up, in spite of the lateness of the hour.
"Emeril's Chocolate Cream Pie," by Emeril Lagasse (2007). Featured on The FoodNetwork.com website.
Tuesday was another make-it-up meal, a lesser riff on a house favorite: baked spaghetti. It still turned out pretty good, albeit not better than my standard version, and was fine mid-afternoon fare on a grey rainy day.
Going on a memory and a whim, I took leftover chicken and used it as the core of a strudel last Monday night. I sautéed shallots, mushroom, and garlic, added in a splash of wine, and threw in some seasonings. Then came Boursin and heavy cream, followed by a short simmer. Once it had thickened up, it was ready to be piled down the middle of a store-bought puff pastry, which I braided and egg-washed. A long bake to a crispy golden brown and I knew it was ready for serving up, to the deep satisfaction of the table.
This past Monday was billed as the Great American Eclipse, as a huge swath of the country was in striking distance of either partial coverage or, for the lucky ones in a 100-mile band, a short totality. While we were lucky enough to be near a different solar eclipse back in 2017, this one was also pretty satisfying. I suppose this was the final solar eclipse of my lifetime, since the next U.S. one will be in 2045, and it will only be in a handful of northern tier states.
I imagined I'd have more than a standard use for a rotisserie-style whole chicken but my allotted time and my ambitions were not well-aligned...so Sunday night's supper was somewhat standard: chicken from the Instant Pot, crisply-roasted asparagus spears, and a mess of simple stuffing. I did not let the weight of it slow me down when I undertook my downtown stroll after dinner and before clean-up.
"How to Cook Instant Pot Whole Chicken - Rotisserie Style," by Sheena from GlutenFreePressureCooker.com.
"Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning," by Judith Hanneman, The Midnight Baker.
When time permits and the mood allows, I'm game for indulging in the kick in the kitchen pants that comes with recognizing various "National Day of" observances. Sunday's was National Coffee Cake Day, and that propelled me to try out a new recipe: cinnamon crisp coffee cake. With reverse creaming and buttermilk, a light hand on the final stirring, and the bonus of a middle layer of cocoa and cinnamon to set it apart from standard fare, this was a pretty terrific first attempt. The oversized rectangle still warm from the oven was Sunday's midday snack, and there were squares to be shared with neighbors on the block.
"Cinnamon Crisp Coffee Cake," from Molly Marzalek-Kelly of King Arthur Baking.
When a delicious simple pasta recipe has been left off the menu for almost five years, it's a boosted delight when it is finally brought back. That was the case Saturday night, with an overdue return of Linton Hopkins's bucatini carbonara. But what else could I do on National Carbonara Day?
"Bucatini Carbonara," by Linton Hopkins. In Food & Wine, July 2009.
Once more, after looking up from an afternoon plunge into a current project that had me wedded to my laptop, and seeing it was already 4:30 pm, I jumped into action to see what I could pull off before the ringing of the usual dinner hour bell here. A quick chopping of an onion, a Mason jar shake of an updated batch of taco seasoning, browning and spicing of a package of ground beef, a throrough rinse of kidney beans and shoepeg corn...then, spreading the cantina-style corn tortilla chips and over-dressing them with Mexican cheese—and 20 minutes later it was a pan of glorious indulgent beef nachos, with a larger dollop of sour cream because of how often what they offer in restaurants falls too short of the critical quantity need of a nacho munching.
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]
I was feeling the pressure of an overstock of fresh vegetables, so it had to be a roasted vegetable plate last Thursday. That included spiced potatoes, broccoli florets, and Tuscan whole green beans. Well-suited to the tastes of the evening.
Before storms and colder temps rolled in mid-week, the warm sunny Tuesday that graced Winston-Salem with low-80s temps begged for a suitable supper. In this case, that was taking it outside to grill fresh-patted burgers from a steadfast and faithful recipe that I've been using for 20 years: juicy burgers, as they're called. I still had some burger sauce to slather onto the buns, once the patties were properly cheesed, and some kettle barbecue chips had to ride along.
"Juicy Burgers," originally from Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks recipe magazine, July 2003, p. 52-53. After Pillsbury was purchased in 2001 by General Mills, home of Betty Crocker (founded in 1921, mind you!), it basically ceased to exist as a company and lives on just as a brand. I guess that's why a Pillsbury cookbook recipe from 2003 is now only found on the Betty Crocker website.
One of the many awesome things about the senior house pooch Sumner is his understanding of the boundaries of the yard. He does not ever have to be leashed at home and honors fully the expectations about where he can and cannot go. But as a newcomer, his adopted sister Scarlett has a long way to go, not least of all because she is still a young and energetic and impulsive puppy. Ah, but she is making some progress, and as we head into April I can at last report a shift in my confidence about her capacity to abide by Sumner's excellent example. She's been allowed off-leash more and more and has done wonderfully. However, she's also not yet been really tested, whether by a darting squirrel or by the unexpected circumstance of a passerby with another pup. But that's going to be a necessary part of the training: the breaking of the perimeter rule, the strong rebuke, the shaming or the shunning, the sharp tone to sound the trouble warning bell. We'll just have to hope her dart or dash does not coincide with a speeding FedEx truck.
Also, her patient posting at the top of the stairs whenever she's waiting for someone to return to the third floor mancave is adorable.
After loving the chocolate pecan pie so much when Amy and Gern were here last Saturday night for dinner, I had to repeat it on Monday for Kristen and Mookie. I let it cook a little longer, so it firmed up more properly. But I did kind of miss the slightly runny fudge-sauce style of the Saturday night first round. Is it a good pie either way, though? Absolutely.
"Chocolate Pecan Pie," a Jones Family favorite since at least 1980, if not before. Also known as "Blender Pie," the recipe came from the late Lib Keith, whose hair-cutting business at her house was where our hairs got clipped for quite a few years.
A short two-week interval between was enough cushion for bringing back the once-popular-but-now-rare lamb and mushroom meatloaf, along with signature smashed sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli florets. That's what was served up Easter Monday when Kristen and Mookie were here for dinner. It turned out to be pretty darned good, too, inviting seconds of various elements of the menu.
"Lamb and Multi-Mushroom Meatloaf" (p. 150) and "Smashed Sweet Potatoes" (p. 128), in Tupelo Honey Cafe: Spirited Recipes from Asheville's New South Kitchen, by Elizabeth Sims with Chef Brian Sonoskus. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing (2011).
After we had a short window of time to recover from our marvelous meal Saturday night, which meant tv for some and pool playing for others, the time for dessert service arrived. On our plates was a pretty stupendous—albeit basic—chocolate pecan pie. In fact, we liked it so well that the entire pie was consumed by the four of us, with nothing left for later temptations. The Jones family has been enjoying this for almost a half century, glad both for its easy prep and also for its highly rewarding result.
"Chocolate Pecan Pie," a Jones Family favorite since at least 1980, if not before. Also known as "Blender Pie," the recipe came from the late Lib Keith, whose hair-cutting business at her house was where our hairs got clipped for quite a few years.
It was surely a winner for dinner last Saturday night, when Amy and Gern were over: pan-seared pork medallions in the house favorite ginger shiitake soy cream sauce. All those around the table remarked at having chosen this for their special dinner menu at one time or another, when we celebrated their birthdays. Served over company mashed potatoes, and with roasted hoisin whole green beans, this was a generously-loaded plate of good food for a happy gathering.
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.
Once more, my deep dive into a current project kept me focused on my laptop much of the day and by late afternoon Thursday it felt like yet another supper scramble. But then the result didn't feel like a rushed fill-in but instead came through like a champ: open-faced cheesesteak-style chicken phillies (is any of that proper nomenclature? probably not). Laid out on griddled buttered slices of my homemade peasant bread, sufficiently cheesed and oozing with fantastic flavor, these were pretty glorious for a speed job.
Based on a combination of ideas from:
Rain and cold and drear and the gradual sink into a low mood for me: the late afternoon lead-up to dinner played deep in the key of blah and yech right up until the three of us sat down for delicious bowls of ultimate cream of tomato soup along with very-fresh-baked peasant bread grilled cheese sandwiches. It was the beginning of things looking up, and the rains must've gotten the message because they moved on in the meantime.
Addendum from Easter Sunday: to finish out the evening after a supper of tasty leftovers, the remaining loaf of peasant bread was turned into some simple and satisfying cinnamon toast.
"Ultimate Cream of Tomato Soup," from Cook's Illustrated, November 1999. Recipe can also be found online at Cookography.com.
Peasant Bread adapted from "My Mother's Peasant Bread," by Alexandra Stafford of AlexandraCooks.com. [07 November 2012 / Updated 06 January 2022]
Dessert on Tuesday evening when Robb and Sheila were here to visit proved to be a disappointment: my dependable Scotch chocolate sheetcake did not turn out like usual and was a bit hard to choke down. Not sure where I blew it this time but the pan was prematurely emptied with the uninviting remaining squares ending up in the trash.
"Scotch Chocolate Cake," [in my world, also known as Texas sheet cake]. Credited to Susie Timmons. From "Popular: Cake Request Gets 22 Responses," by Michael Hastings, Food Editor of the Winston-Salem Journal. Published October 6, 2010.
What a delight on Tuesday night to have dear friends Robb and Sheila come over. The cooler temps and dreary rain that came on late afternoon seemed to call for something warm and comforting, so I went with arroz con pollo and cheese queso. It was a terrific visit full of animated conversation and catching up. This was Sheila's first chance to see the house and Robb had never been up to the third floor mancave so it was a leisurely walking and talking tour after dinner. They are here on and off until mid-summer and it will be good to have them over again before long.
"Mexican Chicken & Rice," in Cuisine at Home, Issue No. 115 (January/February 2016), p. 10-11.
"The Best Mexican White Cheese Dip," from eatingonadime.com.
Deep into the final touches of a project that kept me glued to small glitches and large fixes for much of Monday, the grindstone proved so attractive to my nose that I was at a loss about dinner when I looked up and saw it was late afternoon. To the rescue came a quick and easy recipe, achievable with pantry staples: rigatoni in vodka sauce, which offered a spicy kick in a rich sauce with al dente chew in that well-coated pasta. A small second helping was not immediately regretted.
There was plenty of play and tussle and wrassle and nip time for the house pooches. Thus far, they have been much too mindful of when I'm reaching for my phone to capture some video of their good-natured growl-and-scowl sessions; all I can offer of late is what appears to be Sumner sticking out his tongue at that winsome imp he has such brotherly fondness for.
As Scarlett embarked on the first day of her purported second year (and second half of her first year here), she insisted it was a day to swoon over her cuteness. The photo above ought to be called "Scarlett Fever," and the one below might be called the Witch and the Wardrobe. Her fascination with the doggie in the window was adorable but not captured quickly enough by my fumbling fingers with my phone.
The Worm Moon was rising brightly over our fair city as I embarked on my evening stroll that Monday evening, and once again I regret being unskilled at securing those celestial satellite skyline scenes.
Based on "Penne alla Vodka," from Daniel Gritzer, Senior Culinary Director of SeriousEats.com. [Updated 17 March 2023]
A breezy first Sunday of springtime painted a lie across the landscape: blooms and blossoms and green and sunshine were best enjoyed from inside the house because the wind and chill burdened outside time under the cruelty of its misleading optical deception. While it left me free to tackle the last challenge or two of a major website project, the early afternoon seemed right for the major meal of the day...a standard breakfast feast with many of the usual players plated: sausage patties, creamy grits, sunnyside-up eggs, and fresh-made buttermilk biscuits. Unstandard fare here, but all the more appreciated for its rarity.
The biscuits were indeed tasty, but man-o-man my technique still needs quite a bit of work.
Sunday was special for a double-doggy reason: it's the 7th anniversary of Sumner's arrival at the Roediger House, and his new sister Scarlett also marked her approximate first birthday. She's getting big but they have a fine time playing together and she has settled right in with us.
While my back door shrubs have not fared well, the second year of the new tulips is proving to be bold and beautiful:
Guidance for baking sausage patties in the oven from "How to Cook Sausage Patties in the Oven," from Jessica Burgess of Fantabulosity.com. [Published 17 September 2023 / Updated 26 January 2024]
"The Food Lab's Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe," from J. Kenji López-Alt, Culinary Consultant for SeriousEats.com. [Published 07 August 2015 / Updated 10 April 2019]
Guidance for making the creamy grits: Luquire Family Stone Ground Grits, milled in Greenwood, SC.
Saturday was lazy, with leftovers, so I channeled some kitchen energy into a fresh batch of amazing lemon bars on a shortbread crust. The greatest challenge was giving them enough time to cool down once they'd come out of the oven.
"Lemon Bars," by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. Published in Barefoot Contessa Parties!, Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2001.
Friday's weather turned, with grey chill and then rain. Soup was summoned to mind, and avoiding a grocery run that would take me out of the warmth and comfort was a high priority. Yukon gold potatoes on the counter made the decision easy. Our house version of cheddar potato soup, long-simmered and fully cheesed, was a comfort in the bowls as the spoons did their duty.
"Cheddar Potato Soup," from the Roediger House. Adapted from "Potato and Cheese Soup," from KitchenArt: The Store for Cooks [now closed] in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Thursday was a day at home and it granted me the time to observe National French Bread Day with a fresh trial of a French bread rolls recipe that turned out to be outstanding. They could have stolen the show but the accompaniment was a terrific pot of coq au vin.
A simple menu allowed a focus on the incredible chicken, balanced out with an abundance of French bread rolls with ample slathers and smears of butter. It's how we roll at the RoHo.
"Modern Coq au Vin," by Sandra Wu. In Cook's Illustrated, Number Eighty-Three (November & December, 2006), p. 18-19.
"Crusty French Bread Rolls," by Sabrina Snyder of DinnerThenDessert.com. [Published 03 March 2019 / Updated 24 September 2019]
Tuesday night's fabulous dinner with visiting guest Robb Warfield had a rather ideal conclusion: slices of Atlantic Beach pie offered up all around the table. This North Carolina-coast cousin of the more well-known key lime pie is a unique creation, with its Ritz cracker crust and its sweet punch of lemon. Perhaps I should be branching out a lot more with dessert offerings but this faithful standby is too good to drop from our regular rotation.
"One Phenomenal Pie: Atlantic Beach Pie," from Chef Bill Smith. Published in Our State Magazine, May 2014. Also featured in "Found Recipes" on All Things Considered from National Public Radio, broadcast April 13, 2013. First made in the RoHo: July 2014.
The rare occasion that brings friend and colleague Robb Warfield to the house must be celebrated in style. That's why Tuesday's dinner proved perfect to break out an enduring favorite from the Tupelo Honey Cafe bookbook: lamb and multi-mushroom meatloaf, along with smashed sweet potatoes and hoisin-roasted whole green beans. I'm getting dangerously close to the 20-year mark of knowing Robb, beginning when he helped launch the new Atkins High School magnet programs here in Winston-Salem. We still work together today, although it involves me flying over to Senegal where he is superintendent of Dakar Academies.
Special company called for a special appetizer, and it was easy enough to serve up a fresh dish of warm Swiss, Gruyère, and bacon dip as the evening got underway.
The first time Robb was scheduled to sup here was almost 13 years ago, and it was a bust because my hot water heater had gone on the fritz and I couldn't make dinner as a result! As has dependably been the back-up on similar occasions, that night so many years ago we just dashed around the corner to Foothills for our meal. I'm glad this year everything worked out and we could keep the dinner party here in the glorious confines of the Roediger House.
"Lamb and Multi-Mushroom Meatloaf" (p. 150) and "Smashed Sweet Potatoes" (p. 128), in Tupelo Honey Cafe: Spirited Recipes from Asheville's New South Kitchen, by Elizabeth Sims with Chef Brian Sonoskus. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing (2011).
"Swiss and Bacon Dip," from Rachael Ray. Available online at the Food Network website.
My meal planning was slightly off, so an Irish-adjacent dinner occurred this year the day after St. Patrick's Day, on Monday night. A hearty beef stew, albeit from a more French tradition, was the centerpiece. I stripped it down a bit to fit my agenda on a weekday, but it seemed a good night to also try my hand at an Irish soda bread. I'd love for that loaf to have been amazing, given that it can come together pretty quickly, but it was more in the meh zone. Still: slathered with butter and/or dipped into that luscious red wine sauce, its thick slices did not lead to the management receiving a ton of complaints.
Adapted loosely from "Beef Stew with Red Wine Sauce," from Jacques Pépin. Published in Food & Wine, April 2007.
"Traditional Irish Soda Bread," from LeAnne Shor of LionsBread.com. [Published 15 March 2022]
Last month, an evening meal of fettuccine alfredo with homemade garlic breadsticks proved memorable and enticing, and I at last gave into the temptation to repeat it on Sunday night. The pasta was wonderful and those breadsticks were irresistable. I know I can't be eating that sort of thing all that often and it's all the more special when I am too weak to turn away.
"The Best Homemade Alfredo Sauce Ever!" by Alyssa Rivers of The Recipe Critic. [Published 18 February 2016 / Updated 02 May 2023]
"Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks," from Tessa Arias of HandletheHeat.com. [Published 13 December 2013 / Updated 18 January 2023]
A bit too much time has passed since I last made my mother's white wine coffee cake, which is based on a recipe she got from Barbara Taylor and Lib Tripp in our small community of Buies Creek. It's been a staple of the Jones family dessert pantheon although as a professional and adult, I seem to have lost my ability to get it to eject clean from the tube pan. Fortunately, the flavor remains unaffected. I've gone almost seven days without any dessert-making; this soothing dinner finisher was gladly received by all following our Saturday night supper of salmon croquettes.
